Star Trek Baby Names

Are you a true trekkie? You want to name your baby after a Star Trek character. It's possible to do this without consigning your child to a life of teasing. For instance, you shouldn't name him Spock. But I have found quite a few names from Star Trek Into Darkness that make pretty fantastic baby names. Take a look.

Girls

Zoe
Dominican Zoe Saldana plays Uhura in Star Trek Into Darkness. She's not a big Trekkie herself, having never seen Star Trek before she auditioned for the role, but she must might be forever linked with the series now.

Carol
Caroline has been a popular name for a decade or so. Maybe it's time to bring back the more simple "Carol." Carol is a Star Trek character played by Bibi Besch in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and it's played by Alice Eve in the new film.

Alice
Speaking of Alice, this baby name is experiencing a serious revival. It's light, pretty, and vintage-y. Alice Eve, who plays Carol in Star Trek Into Darkness, is from London, England but spent part of her childhood in Los Angeles.

Boys

Kirk

How can you have a list of Star Trek baby names without Kirk. Sure, it's not used as much as it was a generation ago, but Kirk is a good, solid name, maybe even a hero name. Chris Pine plays Kirk in Star Trek Into the Darkness, and I bet he enjoyed being called "Kirk" for a while.

Zachary

I told you before, it's not a good idea to name your baby Spock. That's a surefire way to get him to hate Star Trek. But you could name him Zachary after Zachary Quinto who plays Spock in the latest movie. Zachary Quinto survived a serious car accident at age 16, and since then he's made quite a film career for himself.

Chekov

Yes, it's a Russian surname, but wouldn't it make a great and original baby name? Played by Anton Yelchin in Into Darkness, Chekov is a Cold War character that has lasted into the new milennium. If you're a literature fan, it could crossover into Anton Chekhov, giving the name added depth.

What other Star Trek names would make good baby names?

Baby Girl Name: Jetta

If you're looking for an unusual name that will suit many different personalities, I've got one for you. But first, here's what I mean about the different personalities. When you're naming a baby, you don't know if she'll be shy or outgoing, feminine or tomboyish, feisty or agreeable. Some names seem to lend themselves to one kind of person, but this name takes care of lots of bases.

Jetta Goudal was a Dutch-born American actress from the silent film era. Her parents actually named her Juliette Henriette Goudeket. I would have advised them against the "ette" ending for both the first and middle names, but they couldn't consult me because my great-grandmother wasn't even born at the time. Anyway, Jetta was born in Amsterdam to Orthodox Jewish parents. She left war-torn Europe during World War I and described herself as "Parisienne" when she got to New York City.

By 1921 she appeared in a Broadway show, using the stage name Jetta Goudal. In 1922 she moved to the west coast and began starring in motion pictures. After appearing in several box office smashes, Cecil B. Demille fired her and cancelled their contract because he claimed she was so difficult to work with. So she sued him. She won the lawsuit and went on to star in several more successful films before switching careers to interior design.

"Juliette" is feminine; "Jetta" is feisty. It seems that she embodied both.

If I were expecting a girl right now, I'd add it to my list.

A Bit Overused, But Still Fab: Lillian

A decade ago, the name Lillian was still cutting edge, like Ivy is today. Now, it's fairly common, but that doesn't make it dull. Lillian exudes class and femininity, just like Lillian Gish did back in the golden age of silent movies.

She worked with DW Griffith from 1912 to 1921, and many agree that she was the greatest film actress of all time. Her long successful career spanned 75 years. Unbelievably, she appeared in her last movie opposite Bette Davis in 1987!

The name Lillian works well as a middle name as well as a first name. It's got some great nicknames: Lilly, Lily, Little Lil.

Do you know any little ones named Lillian? Any thoughts on the name?

Trendy Baby Names: Aiden Derivatives

Just a few short years ago, Aiden Quinn was the only Aiden people had ever heard of. Aiden was a quaint Irish name--so Gaelic, so wise-sounding, so remote.

Well, Aiden is remote no longer. Aiden is every other preschooler in the classroom. And if he's not Aiden, he's some derivative. Something like one of these names actually attached to little American boys:

Braden
Caden
Jayden
Aeden
Auden
Hayden
Linden
Brendan
Evan
Gavin
Edan
Eidan
Aydan
Aedan

It appears from this graph from thinkbabynames.com that Aiden is going nowhere for the time being.

But if you're expecting a little boy, give him a break and give him a name that places him in the Aiden herd.

What are your thoughts on the name Aiden?