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ArchivesDisgruntled about poor quality baby name books
Is anyone else here irate at the poor standards of baby names? It seems like any shmoe with an imagination and a computer can make a name book. Some of the definitions are pathetic!
Bruce Lansky's books come to mind first. Surely I am not the only one that feel his books are so innaccurate that the books should be recalled? I figured it up one time, by noting the accurate origin and meaning, then cross-referenced to see what he said it was, and I did this for several names with easily known origins and meanings (Alexander, John, Magdalene, William, Alfred, etc...) and added up a percentage of accuracy and for theses names it was only 66% accurate! (I also included putting the name in the right gender-section) Imagine if I could verify the accuracy of those tribal names that the meanings are hard to pinpoint, which he uses all-throughout.
Baby name books are dictionaries and I feel they should be held to the same stringent level of accuracy and research that they are. If a dictionary was released with the accuracy of some of these baby name book...imagine the result.
With reference materials, we as consumers/researchers, expect a certain level of accuracy. Most of these name books fail to have that level but still parents that don't realize the inaccuracies buy the books en masse and further the mis-knowledge to their youngsters. I watched A Baby Story the other day and the couple named their daughter Ashley because, get this, it means 'A peaceful heart.' Uh...yeah...
That just really irks me...maybe I'm extra irate because my mom always told me my name meant 'from a high tower' when in reality it was 'quince apple.'
I just wish there was something I could do to up the standards of research and accuracy for baby name books.
Am I the only one?
Sorry if this is the wrong place...I just had to vent.
-Mina
Bruce Lansky's books come to mind first. Surely I am not the only one that feel his books are so innaccurate that the books should be recalled? I figured it up one time, by noting the accurate origin and meaning, then cross-referenced to see what he said it was, and I did this for several names with easily known origins and meanings (Alexander, John, Magdalene, William, Alfred, etc...) and added up a percentage of accuracy and for theses names it was only 66% accurate! (I also included putting the name in the right gender-section) Imagine if I could verify the accuracy of those tribal names that the meanings are hard to pinpoint, which he uses all-throughout.
Baby name books are dictionaries and I feel they should be held to the same stringent level of accuracy and research that they are. If a dictionary was released with the accuracy of some of these baby name book...imagine the result.
With reference materials, we as consumers/researchers, expect a certain level of accuracy. Most of these name books fail to have that level but still parents that don't realize the inaccuracies buy the books en masse and further the mis-knowledge to their youngsters. I watched A Baby Story the other day and the couple named their daughter Ashley because, get this, it means 'A peaceful heart.' Uh...yeah...
That just really irks me...maybe I'm extra irate because my mom always told me my name meant 'from a high tower' when in reality it was 'quince apple.'
I just wish there was something I could do to up the standards of research and accuracy for baby name books.
Am I the only one?
Sorry if this is the wrong place...I just had to vent.
-Mina
2
Replies
One good one
The Ultimate Baby Name Book by Cleveland Kent Evans is good. It's the only baby name book I've found that has accurate meanings. I have several of the others mentioned here, including a Bruce Lansky one and "The New Age Baby Name Book" and I agree that they are poorly researched.
Lisa
The Ultimate Baby Name Book by Cleveland Kent Evans is good. It's the only baby name book I've found that has accurate meanings. I have several of the others mentioned here, including a Bruce Lansky one and "The New Age Baby Name Book" and I agree that they are poorly researched.
Lisa
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Sorry, I mean "nieve", not neve. (nm)
nm
nm
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I agree with you. I have "The New Age Baby Name Book" by Sue Browder, and it's full of names that are supposed to be "Swedish", even though I've never heard them (I live in Sweden). I've also found a website (don't remember what it's called, but I think "Baby Names World.com") where not many things are right. None of the "Swedish names" on the page have a correct meaning, some of them don't even exist here. It also says that "Nevaeh" is the Spanish word for "snow" (that's "neve") and that Salma is a Spanish name (it's Arabic). But I don't wanna write to them and correct them, it would seem so snotty. BTW, I don't think they would care.
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this gets me too. Bruce Lanksy was the first example that came to mind when I read the title of your post, before I'd even read the rest.
I think he tries to 'sweeten' the meaning of names. If a name doesn't have a very 'nice' meaning, he changes it. The first one I think of is Charlotte. Feminine form of Charles, meaning manly, right? According to B.L. it means 'little and womanly.'
I think he tries to 'sweeten' the meaning of names. If a name doesn't have a very 'nice' meaning, he changes it. The first one I think of is Charlotte. Feminine form of Charles, meaning manly, right? According to B.L. it means 'little and womanly.'
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Never heard of the gent - but in his defence you can derive Little and Womanly from it quite comfortably - Charlot being a (m) diminutive of Charles (and what Charlie Chaplin was known as in France), and the doubled consonant plus -e making it fem; so if the female form of Man is Woman, then QED.
Of course, it'd be more scholarly to say Female Form Of Charles with a cross-reference. But then you might lose more readers than you'd gain; people are odd about accuracy, and about doing research for themselves. They prefer the baby bird approach: keep the beak wide open, and swallow all the worms without looking ...
Of course, it'd be more scholarly to say Female Form Of Charles with a cross-reference. But then you might lose more readers than you'd gain; people are odd about accuracy, and about doing research for themselves. They prefer the baby bird approach: keep the beak wide open, and swallow all the worms without looking ...
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That's exactly what I mean! I believe he also puts som Mac- names in the girl section changing them to 'daughter of _____'. Really really irks my chicken...
-Mina
-Mina
1
No and there is something you can do: don't buy them. My rule is that any book/website that links the words 'Baby' and 'Names' are inherently crap and to be avoided with absolute vigilence.
I look for 'Lexicon' and 'Dictionary'....boring words that show a distinct lack of sales initiative. And I'm picking about my press....if they publish cook books I'm not really interested. And I look for linguistic references - ie. (Greek) beautiful maiden isn't enough, I want to see from the Greek kalos 'beauty' blah blah blah. Even then, humans are fallible and no one knows everything. They may be able to list 20,000 names but they'll no nothing about most of them....small, specialty.
I like the obscure ones put out by obsessed researchers - Names of the Indian Sub-Continent - try used book shops and jumble sales. For some reason they tend to end up in those sort of places.
Devon
I look for 'Lexicon' and 'Dictionary'....boring words that show a distinct lack of sales initiative. And I'm picking about my press....if they publish cook books I'm not really interested. And I look for linguistic references - ie. (Greek) beautiful maiden isn't enough, I want to see from the Greek kalos 'beauty' blah blah blah. Even then, humans are fallible and no one knows everything. They may be able to list 20,000 names but they'll no nothing about most of them....small, specialty.
I like the obscure ones put out by obsessed researchers - Names of the Indian Sub-Continent - try used book shops and jumble sales. For some reason they tend to end up in those sort of places.
Devon
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I agree. I look for books with dictionary or encyclopedia in the name, big hardcover books with no cute pictures of babies on front. Basically, the more boring the book looks the more I like it. I found a great one when I was in college at the university's library. It was in the Reference section. I agree with Devonelisa with checking out used book stores and thrift shops but don't forget to check out local libraries too.
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I try to find books on myth, cultures, and languages, instead of just a name book. I buy every name book I encounter though, if only to rate it or to find names to research.
But my problem is I can't stand others buying these inaccurate books, like the parents on A Baby Story. They are spreading the disease of inaccurate information. That little girl is gonna live her life think her name means something it doesn't and it irks me.
I think what really got me angriest is my sister saying her name means 'Gift of God'. It's Jessica...I had to explain, no...it's not Gift of God. She replies, "Yes it is! Momma says it is! It said so in her baby name book!". I have to explain name books are always right, just to get raised eyebrows and 'You're crazy' looks in return.
Thanks for the replies by the way.
-Mina
But my problem is I can't stand others buying these inaccurate books, like the parents on A Baby Story. They are spreading the disease of inaccurate information. That little girl is gonna live her life think her name means something it doesn't and it irks me.
I think what really got me angriest is my sister saying her name means 'Gift of God'. It's Jessica...I had to explain, no...it's not Gift of God. She replies, "Yes it is! Momma says it is! It said so in her baby name book!". I have to explain name books are always right, just to get raised eyebrows and 'You're crazy' looks in return.
Thanks for the replies by the way.
-Mina
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