About
Hi I’m Anna, I have a love and a huge passion for baby names, this started when I was about 12 reading the local birth announcements in the local paper this then moved on to sites online including the following, huggies, nameberrry,babyhold and behindthename. I have an extensive collection of baby name books and I would love to continue my collection. I am living in New Zealand. I currently have a husband and a cat Dakota Grace looking forward to have bubs in the next couple of years. Well that’s me 
If you would like help from us to find the perfect name for your little one, simply drop me an email at chisnall64@gmail.com
Monique said,
June 9, 2009 @ 8:14 am
Hi Anna.
babynamelover said,
June 9, 2009 @ 10:32 am
Hi Monique
ailsa gray said,
July 24, 2009 @ 9:55 pm
Dear Anna,
My name is Ailsa, I am a single mum of six teenagers, and I have also been nuts about names since I was as old as I can remember and collected paper dolls which all had names, then started researching my family tree, and scan birth announcements etc. I have a massive collection of baby name books, and my most treasured is by Charlotte M Yonge, A History of Christian Names, published in the 1860s! (If I had to save one thing in a house fire, that would probably be it. Sorry, kids)
I am new to this internet stuff, and have only just subscribed to Nameberry, although I have been corresponding with Pam Satran (co author of Beyond Jason and Jennifer etc) by snail mail for many years, and we are on Christmas card terms! I even got a mention in one of her books!
I want to find out more about name sites and blogs on the web, and to get in touch with other name-mad people, even those (like me) who are well past the pregnancy stage.
babynamelover said,
July 25, 2009 @ 3:45 am
Welcome Ailsa
nice to meet you 
What are your children’s names? wow 1860 that is an old book!!
You will love looking at all the sites on the internet, there is so many!
I have a lot on my page down the right hand side if you are looking for some to try out
I am still young only 20 but I love meeting and talking to people who are passionate about baby names
Ailsa Gray said,
July 25, 2009 @ 8:44 am
Well, my children’s names are not going to inspire anyone today. I married a Glaswegian and was living in Scotland, so despite my own Welsh heritage, I wanted them to have a Scottish feel. (now I wish I had given them a very Welsh middle name, perhaps – I did consider Myfanwy and Angharad at one point, but felt that the Glaswegians would mangle it and the poor child would spent its days having to spell its name and correct the pronounciation for people). I also loved the name Ruaridh (Scottish Gaelic – anglicised as Rory by most people these days unless you live in the Highlands and Islands) but my husband would not hear of it and said it reminded him of a ginger-haired Scotsman in a kilt (and what exactly is wrong with that, I wondered?)
Anyway, I never did get my Ruaridh (or even Rory) though I attempted three times to persuade him.
My teenagers are:
Stuart Calum – 19
Laura Katharine Francesca – 18
Robert Duncan – 17
Douglas Niall – 16
Heather Elisabeth Rose – 15
and Catherine Julia Felicity – who is 13 tomorrow.
(Catherine was born just after my Dad died, and I wanted to honour him in some way, so I used the name of his beloved granny – Catherine Julia. She was also born in July, so Julia was apt, and Felicity just because I was so happy she was another girl to even out the family!)
My own name is Scottish Gaelic – some say it is a Gaelic version of Elizabeth – and my mother just loved the name, although we have no Scottish ancestry on my side. She must have had a premonition I was going to marry a Scotsman! I like my own name, but have spent my life correcting other people – either in pronouncation or in spelling, which can be tedious. I dont know what is so difficult about it, but people just seem to look at it and see Alisha or Alisa, or else they call me Elsa or Isla. My godmother, who only recently died aged 96, sent me birthday card every year to someone called Aisla, which is also how she pronounced it!
I now work part time in a small traditional toyshop, and have also got another part time job in the new Swansea library. In both these jobs, there is plenty of scope for observing NAMES and naming habits, which of course I do!
What are your current favourite names, and what are the naming trends like in New Zealand?
ps I have seven cats too
TIGER lily woods, Eartha KITTY, Jet, Pearl, Amber, Foxy and Roxy.
Fun times, as my 17 year old keeps saying.
TIGER Lily Woods
Eartha
babynamelover said,
July 26, 2009 @ 5:55 am
I meet a Ruarc recently
his parents had come to New Zealand. Wow you kids are close together that must have kept you busy! My sister is ten today she shares her birthday with your daughter. I think Ailsa is really pretty! its a shame people always say it wrong!!
Oh cool if I hadn’t trained as an early childhood teacher I think I would have been a librarian!
Trend in NZ is traditional popular names such as Sophie/Sophia, Emily, Amelia, with a few old fashioned such as Maggie, Luella, Molly, Rose & Silvia, and trendy names such as Jett (girl), Kynzie, Peyton, Tayla. (well in my area anyway I get the saturday paper which has the births, I am in Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand) boys are similar Noah, Ben, Nathan, william, Jack with old fashioned Fergus, Fletcher, Solomon, Ivo, Harvey & Ewan and trendy Mason, Hunter, Cody, Keegan, Jonte & Corbin.
I like your cats names
especially Eartha.
Ailsa Gray said,
July 25, 2009 @ 8:47 am
Oops my computer did something strange there. (Though as my mother would say, Only a Bad Workman Blames His Tools)
x
Ailsa Gray said,
July 26, 2009 @ 10:30 am
Thanks for the update on NZ names! Just writing quickly to say that I have changed my email address to ailsagray@hotmail.com. I will still be checking my old email address for some time, though.
I like it when families have interesting names. There was a family in the toyshop last week – 3 little girls called Liberty, Verity and Hope. their mother was Felicity. Their gran was Patience and her sister Ruth.
Loved that theme,
xx
babynamelover said,
July 26, 2009 @ 10:32 am
I think I prefer Faith to Liberty but Verity and Hope are pretty
Sophia said,
October 13, 2009 @ 5:54 am
Hi Anna, I am seventeen and I have always loved names too. I’ve been reading the birth announcements in my local paper for years and years, and every Saturday I call my grandma, who has the Saturday birth announcements, she gives me the initials of each child and I have to guess what each baby is called. I have been making lists of names for as long as I can remember and I have new favourite names practically every week. Just wanted to let you know I share your passion
xo Sophia
babynamelover said,
October 13, 2009 @ 6:33 am
Hi Sophia
Welcome 
That is cool that your Grandma does that for you sounds like fun 
Where abouts do you live in the world 
. It is cool to find people who are crazy about names 
Nice to “meet” you
Sophia said,
October 14, 2009 @ 5:22 am
Hi Anna,
I’m from a town about 120 kms from Melbourne, Australia.
Yes, nice to “meet” you too. Some of my friends like making names
lists etc but are not as crazy about them as I am
So, I’ll probs be lurking your site a bit
x
babynamelover said,
October 14, 2009 @ 6:46 am
You are welcome to lurk and please post
I remember when I was at high school a friend and me used to make lists in computer class, she has a girl now called Ashlyn Iris Mary.
Sophia said,
October 15, 2009 @ 8:05 am
What are some of the most unusual names you have ever come across? Like, not urban-myth-unusual, just names that of people you’ve actually met or heard of through a friend.
babynamelover said,
October 15, 2009 @ 8:37 am
Girl Cooper, Toby & Jett I have all met, ummm Storm as one of girl twins. I knew Brother and Sisters Cruz & Egypt. I will have to keep thinking.
Do you have any?
Sophia said,
October 16, 2009 @ 2:57 am
I know three siblings called Chevrolet (Chevy, boy), Elcamino (Momo, girl) and Rocket 88 Berry Lullaby (Rocket, girl). They have got to be the most unusual names I know. I also know kids called Peregrine (boy), Neverlyn (boy), Pryncess, Elvis, Sunday (boy), Nimowei (as I already mentioned before), Astro (boy), Saffron, D’cota, Elke (pronounced Ell-kee, girl) and I know there are more but the bell just went and I have to go to class. I’ll write later
Sophia said,
October 16, 2009 @ 8:33 am
I remembered some more unusual names that I know of. Martineau (girl), Bexta (boy), Yannan (girl), Dotahn (boy), Sanjana (girl), Kaimana (boy, Ochre Blue (boy) and Alchemy (girl) (siblings), Ambrosia, Bei (girl), Kellyco, Cedar, Cinnamon… and that’s all I got right now. Tell me if you think of any more. I’m always curious to hear new and interesting names.
babynamelover said,
October 16, 2009 @ 10:28 pm
Martineau is that french? I don’t even know how I would go about saying that! Bexta is sort of like Baxter. Yannan is interesting
Dotahn is weird does he get nicknamed Dot? Sanjana wonder where that originates from. Kaimana is cool I couldn’t fit the meaning in my Māori dictionary though. Ochre is cool like the whale? or is it a colour? Alchemy is interesting I saw a couple on Anachie’s in the Bonds Baby Search. Ambrosia is all pudding! I prefer Ambrose. Bei = Bay? that is kind of cool.
Thanks for sharing 
I came across some interesting ones in my Magazine will post them in a blog.
Cedar is that boy or girl? Cinnamon is pretty daring
Sophia said,
October 17, 2009 @ 12:36 am
Yes Martineau is French, it’s pronounced Mar-tin-oh. Dotahn just goes by his whole name, no nickname. Ochre is pronounced like Oak-uh. His sister Alchemy has the nickname Shemma which personally I don’t really like, I think her full name is interesting and kind of mysterious. Yes Bei is pronounced Bay and Cedar is a girl.
Charlotte said,
October 26, 2009 @ 11:03 am
Hi Anna,
Just wanted to say I love your site – it’s a great source of inspiration. My name is Charlotte, and I am fourteen
Loved baby names for ever, my friends and I make lists (seems that everyone does that nowadays!!).
Anyway, same as Sophia, I just wanted to let you know that I “share your passion”. Keep writing
xx Charlotte
babynamelover said,
October 26, 2009 @ 9:04 pm
Hi Charlotte
nice to meet you 
where abouts do you live in the world? What names do you have on your lists 
Names are awesome 
Anna
babynamelover said,
October 16, 2009 @ 6:23 am
Rocket 88 Berry Lullaby- are you kidding me? Peregrine is kind of cool! Neverlyn reminds me of Neverland! Pryncess is dreadful! Sunday like Nicole’s Sunday Rose (Roast) but on a boy strange… Astro is kind of cool! Elke is beautiful
okay thanks for stopping by 
babynamelover said,
October 17, 2009 @ 1:44 am
Sort of like Martina but ending with an o! Oak-uh that is interesting reminds me of Oakley! Oh Cedar is a girl!