TheBabyNamer

I’ve decided to do more than one “name of the day”…I was getting too bored with just one, and there are so many names out there that I’ll never come close to discovering them all if I don’t start doing more than one at a time!

LACHLAN

Meaning: Warrior from the Land of the Lochs

Origin: Gaelic

Pronunciation:  lock-linn

Alternative Spellings:  Lachlann, Lochlan, Lochlann

Nicknames:  Lock or Lach

2007 SSA Names List:  Not in top 1000

What do people think of this name?  Most people don’t really care for it.  I, however, think it’s adorable!  I love unique names and think it sounds very masculine. 

Famous People With This Name:  Lachlan Murdoch (son of New York Post owner Rupert Murdoch), Lachlan Macquarie (former Governor of New South Wales, England),

MALACHI

Meaning: My messenger

Origin: Hebrew & English

Pronunciation: mal-uh-ky

Alternative Spellings:  Malachy, Malachai, Malakai

Nicknames:  Mal, Kai 

2007 SSA Name List: #155

Do people like the name?  Not really, but some people love it and others hate it…  I personally think it’s a nice name, but wouldn’t name one of my children it.

Famous people with the name:  Saint Malachy, who produced an accurate list of future Popes of the Catholic Church in the year 1143.

Book of Malachi is a book of the Old Testament of the Bible. 

Taran 

Meaning: Thunder (Welsh), Heaven/Raft (Indian)

Origin: Welsh/Indian

Pronunciation: tare-ann

Nicknames: Tar, T

2007 SSA Names List: Not in top 1000

Do people like the name?  Yes, the majority of people like it, but don’t love it…they don’t feel too strongly for or against it, but most don’t mind it. 

Famous people with the name:  Taran Noah Smith (actor, most known for role on Home Improvement), Taran Killam (actor, known for role on Mad TV)

Sources:
Wikipedia
Yahoo! Answers
Google
Baby Names World

Meaning:  Jewel

Origin:  Latin

Pronunciation:  jem-uh

Alternative Spellings:  Jemma, Gemme

Nicknames:  Gem, Gigi

2007 SSA Ranking:  Not in the top 1000.

What do people think of the name?  I personally think it’s beautiful and not very common in the US.  I think it would be great for a first or middle name.  Some people prefer the more common name Emma to Gemma.  I think Gemma sounds more exotic and girly than Emma.  It’s uncommon but not “weird”. 

Famous People With the Name Gemma:  Gemma Atkinson, English actress; Gemma Galgani was canonized in 1940 (named a saint); Gemma Ward, Australian model;

Sources:
Yahoo! Answers
Baby Names World
SSA

Meaning: Beautiful voice

Origin: Greek

Alternative Spellings: Kaliope, Kalliope, Caliope

Nicknames: Cal, Calli

2007 SSA List: Not in the top 1000 list.

Do people typically like this name? Sort of - people either love it or hate it. It’s not too common, so there probably will not be many kids the same age with the same name.

Celebrities with the name: Calliope is the eldest of the nine muses in Greek mythology.

A calliope is also an instrument, similar to an organ.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Yahoo! Answers

Meaning: Long hill

Origin:  English

Pronunciation: Lang-dun

Other spellings:  Langden

Nicknames: Lange

2007 SSA List: Not in top 1000

Do people generally like the name?   No…they think Landon is a better name and that Langdon is a last name, and is also too “snooty” sounding.  My personal take?  I love it!  I can totally picture a CEO with the name Langdon.  The nickname Lange is super cute as well. 

Celebrities with this name: Royston Langdon (okay, so it’s a last name, but it’s the only one I could find!!) is Liv Tyler’s ex-husband and member of the band Spacehog. 

Other info:  Langdon is a town in New Hampshire - as of the 2000 census, there were 588 people living there. 

Sources:
Yahoo! Answers
Baby Names World
SSA
www.nh.gov