Читать книгу The Brilliant Book of Baby Names: What’s best, what’s hot and what’s not - Linda Rosenkrantz - Страница 19

Aqua	Lake
Aquarius	Loire
Arno	Lucerne
Bay	Marina
Bayou	Marsh
Brook	Misty
Cascade	Neptune
Caspian	Nile
Como	Oceane
Danube	Po
Delta	Rain
Evian	Rainey
Firth	Rio
Fjord	River
Ford	Tahoe
Harbor	Thames
Hudson	Wade
Jordan	Zambezi
Laguna	Zarya

BEATRICE. Latin, ‘blessed’ or ‘she who brings happiness’. Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, this lovely name with a long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents (such as Paul McCartney) seeking a classic name with character and lots of upbeat nicknames. Bea, Beah, Beat, Beata, Beatie, Bee, Beatris, Beatriss, Bice, Trix, Trixi, Trixie, Trixy. International: Beatha (Irish), Beitris (Scottish Gaelic), Betrys (Welsh,) Béatrice (French), Beatrice (Italian), Beatriz (Spanish), Beatrix (Dutch), Beatrisa (German), Beate (Norwegian).

BEATRIX. Latin, ‘blessed’ or ‘she who brings happiness’. Beatrix has a solid history of its own (think Beatrix Potter), and that final x adds a playful, animated note.

BEATRIZ. Spanish variation of BEATRICE. Another attractive translation of Beatrice, popular with Hispanic parents.

BEBE. Diminutive of BEATRICE, BEATRIX. High-kicking cohort of Coco, Gigi, Fifi, Kiki, et al. Beebee, Bibi.

BECCA. Diminutive of REBECCA. The currently preferred replacement for Becky, sometimes used on its own. Beccah, Becka, Beckah, Bekka, Bekkah.

BECHET. French surname. Naming babies for personal heroes is the cool contemporary trend followed by Woody Allen when he honoured New Orleans jazz musician Sidney Bechet in his daughter’s name. Has a nice, catchy Gallic feel.

BECHETTE. French, ‘little spade’. Pronounced Beshette, this unfamiliar French appellation sounds fresh and feminine.

BECK. English, ‘one living beside a small stream’, short form of REBECCA. Although the single-named singer is male, this remains a girl’s nickname name.

BECKY. Diminutive of REBECCA. One of those casual down-home names last popular in the 1960s. Beckey, Becki, Beckie.

BEDELIA. Irish, ‘strength, power’. This fanciful Irish extension of Bridget is known here through the wacky Amelia Bedelia books for kids – an association your child may or may not like. Bedeelia, Biddy, Bidelia, Bridget, Delia.

BEE. Diminutive of BEATRICE. This buzzy form is for middle name consideration only.

BEEJA. Hindi, ‘the beginning’ or ‘happy’. Rhythmic and exotic. Beej.

BEGONIA. Flower name. One flower name that doesn’t smell or sound sweet enough for baby name use.

BEIGE. Colour name. Nice sound, colourless image.

BELA. Czech, ‘white’. Since this is strictly a male name in Slavic cultures, better to stick with the ‘Bella’ spelling here. Belah, Belalia, Biela.

BELÉN. Spanish, ‘at Bethlehem’; Hebrew, ‘house of bread’. Popular throughout the Spanish speaking world.

BELIA. Spanish variation of BELLA. This is a pretty and unusual translation of Bella. Belicia, Belita.

BELINDA. Spanish, ‘pretty one’; German, ‘serpent’. Belinda sits on the ‘Not in Current Usage’ shelf alongside cousins Linda and Melinda. Bel, Bellinda, Bellynda, Linda, Lindie, Lindy.

BELINE. French, ‘goddess’. Possible Gallic import in the Celine mode.

BELLA. Diminutive of ISABELLA. Ciao, Bella. Everything ella, from Ella to Bella to Gabriella, is red hot right now, and this is one of the less overused examples, with the hint of a nice old-fashioned grandmotherly veneer. Bela, Belia, Bell, Bellette.

BELLE. French, ‘beautiful’. Nothing but positive associations come with this name, from ‘belle of the ball’ to ‘Southern belle’ to the heroine of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Bel, Bela, Belia, Belinda, Belisse, Bell, Bellina.

BELLEZZA. Italian, ‘beauty’. Beauty con brio italiano.

BELOVED. Literary word name. Toni Morrison, the modern master of literary names, made this one famous as the title character of a novel. But things didn’t work out so well for that Beloved.

BELVA. Latin, ‘beautiful view’. Has a decidedly middle-aged image. Belvah, Belvia.

BENEDETTA. Latin, ‘blessed’. Saintly. Benita.

BENEDICTA. Latin, ‘blessed’. Saintly, and a Mother Superior to boot. Benna, Benni, Bennie. International: Bénédicte (French), Benicia (Spanish), Benedikta (German), Benedeka, Benedika, Benke (Eastern European), Benci (Hungarian), Venedicta (Greek).

BENILDE. (ben-NIL-dee) French variation of Latin, ‘good’. Strong and unusual name of a medieval (male) saint and a contemporary (female) novelist, Benilde Little.

BENITA. Latin, ‘blessed’. In fashion limbo with Anita and Juanita. Bena, Beneta, Benetta, Benni, Bennie, Benny, Binnie, Binny, Nita.

BENJAMINA. Hebrew, ‘daughter of the right hand’. The kind of feminised male name that never caught on. Benay, Jamina. International: Bannerjee (Gaelic), Vernamina (Greek).

BERENICE. See BERNICE.

BERIT. Scandinavian variation of BIRGIT. Well used in northern Europe. Beret, Berette, Beri, Berry, Berta, Beryt.

BERMUDA. Place name. Maybe if you spent your honeymoon there. We did say maybe.

BERNADETTE. German, ‘brave as a bear’. Pleasant, feminine, but strong name associated with the saint who saw visions of the Virgin Mary, now no longer strictly inhabiting the Catholic diocese. Bern, Berna, Bernadene, Bernadina, Bernadine, Bernarda, Bernardette, Bernetta, Bernette, Berni, Bernie, Bernita, Berny, Berrie, Berry. International: Berneen (Irish), Bernardetta (Italian), Bernardita (Spanish), Bernadett (Hungarian).

BERNADINE, BERNARDINE. German, ‘brave as a bear’. This is as dated as an old Pat Boone song. Berna, Bernadeene, Bernadina, Bernadyne, Bernardin, Bernardine, Berni, Bernideene, Bernidine, Bernie, Bernydeene, Bernydine.

BERNARDA. German, ‘brave as a bear’. Too close in sound to the so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out Bernard. Bennie, Benny, Berna, Bernadeena, Bernadett, Bernadetta, Bernata, Bernette, Bernie, Bernina, Bernita. International: Benadette, Bernadette, Bernardine, Bernardene (French), Bernadina (Spanish), Bernharda (German and Austrian), Bernarda (Eastern European), Vernada (Greek).

BERNICE, BERENICE. Greek, ‘she who brings victory’. Since most Bernices were called Binnie, Benny or Bunny anyway, few will notice that this old Greek name has faded away. Beranyce, Bereniece, Berenyce, Bern, Bernee, Berni, Bernie, Berry, Bunny.

International: Bernise, Bearnas (Scottish Gaelic), Bérénice, Berenicia, Bernelle (French), Beronia (Italian), Bernessa, Bernise (German), Beranice, Beraniece, Berenice, Berenike (Greek).

BERRY. Nature name. With the recent arrival of fruit names like Apple, Peaches and Plum, this older example might also rise in popularity. Berree, Berri, Berrie.

BERTHA. German, ‘bright, glorious’. Ever since the enormous German cannon was dubbed ‘Big Bertha’ in World War I, this name hasn’t worked for a sweet little baby girl. Not true of the Polish version, Berta. International: Berthe, Bertille (French), Berrta, Berrti, Berrty, Berti, Bertilde, Bertina, Bettina (German), Berit, Bertie, Bird, Birdie, Birta (Swedish), Berte (Norwegian), Berta (Polish).

BERTILLE. French, ‘heroine, bright maiden’. Name of medieval French saint and still often found preceded by the word ‘Sister’. Bertilla.

BERTRICE. Combination of BERTHA and BERNICE. One not-very-attractive name combined with another not-very-attractive name will usually equal a third not-very-attractive name. Bert, Bertee, Berti, Bertie, Berty.

BERYL. Greek, ‘sea-green jewel’. World War II-period favourite. Why not try Jade as a more popular green gem choice. Barry, Beril, Berri, Berrie, Berrill, Berry, Beryle, Berylla, Beryn.

BESS. Diminutive of ELIZABETH. Declared its independence as far back as the reign of Elizabeth I, yet now sounds less passé than Beth or Betsy. Bessa, Besse.

BESSIE. Diminutive of ELIZABETH. After a century of association with names for horses and cows, Bessie could be ready for revival by a fearless baby namer – after all, it did happen to Jessie and Becky. Bessee, Bessey, Bessi, Bessie, Bessy.

BETA. Greek, second letter of the Greek alphabet. If you can’t have an Alpha male, how about a Beta girl?

BETH. Diminutive of ELIZABETH. The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated. Betha, Bethah, Bethia.

BETHAN. Welsh, diminutive of ELIZABETH. Very popular in Wales, this perfectly nice name’s only problem is its similarity to the dated Beth Ann.

BETHANY. Hebrew, ‘house of figs’; also New Testament place name. Though beginning to slip on the popularity lists, this lyrical name still strikes many parents as a fresher, more substantial substitute for the overused Brittany/Brittney. Beth, Bethanee, Bethaney, Bethani, Bethanie, Bethanne, Bethannie, Bethanny, Bethenee, Betheney, Betheny.

BETHEL. Hebrew, ‘house of God’. A rarely used Biblical place name with a soft and pleasant sound. Bethell.

BETHESDA. Hebrew, ‘house of mercy’. Beware if you plan to move to the US – this might be too closely associated with a Maryland suburb of D.C.

BETHIA. Hebrew, ‘daughter of Jehovah’. Long forgotten Old Testament name with modern potential. Betia, Bithia.

BETSY. Diminutive of ELIZABETH. From Betsy Ross to the Betsy Wetsy doll, this was seen as a perkier, younger-sounding alternative to Betty. No longer. Bets, Betsey, Betsi, Betsie, Betts.

BETTE. Dinutive of ELIZABETH. Pronounced à la Bette (Betty) Davis or Bette (Bet) Midler, a twentieth-century relic.

BETTINA. Diminutive of ELIZABETH. Ballerina version of Betty. Battina, Betiana, Betina, Bettine.

BETTY. Diminutive of ELIZABETH. Popular during World War II, when it blanketed the English-speaking world. Bett, Betta, Betti, Bettie, Bettye.

BEULAH. Hebrew, ‘married’; another name for Palestine. Fatally stereotyped as a black