Baby Names from the 2013 Oscars

If you're looking for a glamorous baby name, the 85th Academy Awards have some great ones to choose from. Remember, though, that celebrity-inspired baby names tend to trend, meaning there might be three kids your child's kindergarten class with her very same name. But maybe not, especially if you name her Quvenzhane'.

Boy Names
Grant (Heslov)
Ben (Affleck)
George (Clooney)
Bradley (Cooper)
Daniel (Day-Lewis)
Hugh (Jackman)
Joaquin (Phoenix)
Denzel (Washington)
Christoph (Waltz)
Alan (Arkin)
Robert (De Niro)
Philip (Seymour Hoffman)

Girl Names
Anne (Hathaway)
Amy (Adams)
Sally (Field)
Helen (Hunt)
Jacki (Weaver)
Jennifer (Lawrence)
Jessica (Chastain)
Emmanuelle (Riva)
Quvenzhane' (Wallis)
Naomi (Watts)
Lucy (Alibar)
Adele (Adkins)

Also, check out this article full of iconic Hollywood baby names for more ideas.

Baby Names from Downton Abbey

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You love their clothes, but do you love any of their names enough to bestow one on your newborn? Between the characters' names and the actors who play them, there are plenty of baby name possibilities coming from everyone's favorite Masterpiece Theater. Here are a few:

Boys

• Hugh (as in Hugh Bonneville who plays Earl of Grantham)
• Charles (Carson, that is)
• Thomas (I know, he's a bad guy--sometimes, but Thomas is a good, solid name. It's also the actor's name who plays William, if that makes you feel any better)
• Matthew (Crawley, of course)
• Brendan (as in Brendan Coyle who plays Bates)

Girls

• Anna (such a likeable character)
• Mary (played by Michelle Dockery)
• Phyllis (the actress who plays Mrs. Hughes. This name is set for a comeback, I'm telling you)
• Maggie (the beloved Maggie Smith)
• Sophie (as in the adorable Sophie McShera who plays Daisy)

Who did I miss?

Gisele Bundchen's Baby Girl

Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady finally showed off their beautiful baby girl, Vivian Lake. She's a pretty little thing, isn't she? She may just be as pretty as her mom.

As a baby name, Vivian has had a healthy revival, and there are plenty of different spellings for everyone's taste: Vivienne, Vivien, Vivian.

Here'a a picture of a Vivien you probably recognize: Vivien Leigh of Gone With the Wind fame.

Romantic Baby Girl Names for Valentine's Day

Sometimes it's meaningful to give a baby a name that hints at her birthday. For instance, my December-born sister's middle name is Noel. What are some lovely seasonal names for little girls born in February?

Here are a few to think about:

Names That Mean "Love"
Carys (Welsh)
Mina (German)
Mindy (German)
Prema (Sanskrit)
Tivona (Hebrew)
Cheryl (Welsh)
Grace (Irish)

Flower Names
Rose
Calla
Holly
Fern
Danica
Ivy
Jasmine
Lily
Leilani
Violet
Zahra

Feminine-sounding Names
Angelina
Magdelena
Genevieve
Serena
Adelaide
Valentina
Anastasia
Evangeline
Juliette
Annabelle

7 Baby Names for Spring

If the weather has been as gray and dreary in your neck of the woods as it has been here, you're probably craving spring. That's what inspired these baby names for spring. Whether it feels like it or not, spring is right around the corner, and if your baby is set to arrive in the next few months, consider one of these spring-inspired names.

Girls
Mae: French name meaning "goddess of spring growth"
Rose
Ivy
Primrose (newly famous, thanks to The Hunger Games)

Boys
Kelby: Gaelic name meaning "place by the fountain or spring"
Maxwell: Scottish name meaning "Magnus' spring"
Denver: English name meaning "green valley"

Baby Name of the Day: Conrad

This handsome young man is Conrad Aiken, and he was a poet. From his calm demeanor and nicely combed hair, you might think his life was predictable and comfortable. Well, it started out that way. His parents were wealthy, socially prominent New Englanders who had moved to Savannah, Georgia. His dad was a respected brain surgeon. But then something happened to his father, and no one could ever find out exactly why. The father's behavior became increasingly erratic and violent until early one February morning, he murdered his wife and killed himself. Young Conrad was only eleven years old at the time, but he was the one to hear the gunshots and discover the bodies.

He seems to have recovered. He went to Harvard where he worked on editing with T.S. Eliot, and by 1930 (at the age of 41) he had won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. During his long life, he wrote or edited more than 51 books. He was also largely responsible for establishing Emily Dickinson's reputation as a major American poet.

Conrad's a good solid name for a little boy. I know a young Conrad myself, and he's always the only Conrad in his class. It's charming, a little vintage, and definitely strong.