Top 10 Baby Names of 2009

BOY LIST
Aidan
Noah
Liam
Caden
Ethan
Jackson
Landon
Jacob
Caleb
Lucas

GIRL LIST
Amelia
Isabella
Ava
Sophia
Olivia
Madeline
Lily
Abigail
Chloe
Emma

Source: Babynames.com.

Strange Cricketer Names

Aiden Blizzard
John Snow
Gladstone Small
Anthony Llewyn Biggs
Allan Lamb
Rodney Hogg
Geoff Boycott
David Boon
Craig White
Marlon Black
Bill Brown
Gordon Greenidge
Peter Sleep
Rick Darling
Napoleon Einstein
Farookh Engineer
Derek Underwood
Ryan Sidebottom
Graham Onions

Feel free to add to the list...

List of pen brand names

Add Gel
Aurora
Bic
Bril
Camel
Caran D'Ache
Cartier
Cello
Chelpark
Cross
Curtis Australia
David Oscarson
Delta
Ducati
Faber Castell
Fisher
Flair
Hero
Jac Zagoory
Jaguar
Jean Pierre Lepin
Jetter
Krone
Lamy
Libelle
Linc
Luxor
Mercedes
Michel Perchin
Mont Blanc
Montegrappa
Monteverde
Montex
Namiki
Omas
Papermate
Parker
Pelikan
Pilot
Porsche Design
Quill
Reynolds
Rotomac
Rotring
Sensa
Sharpie
Sheafer
S T Dupont
Stic
Today
Uniball
Visconti
Waterford
Waterman
Zebra

Some Bings Before Bing

Mister This & Mister That

A women's magazine called XX

www.doublex.com.

2-Word Brand Names

Allen Solly
Alta Vista
Axis Bank
Blue Dart
Charles Schwab
Coca Cola
Color Plus
Delhi Daredevils
Fidelity Investments
Giorgio Armani
Hot Breads
India Bulls
Jet Airways
Kenneth Cole
Louis Phillipe
Mary Kay
Merrill Lynch
Morgan Stanley
Perri Ellis
Perry Alley
Peter England
Red Bull
Salvatore Ferragamo
Share Khan
Singapore Airlines
Tata Indicom
Van Heusen
Western Union
Kenith Parker
Van Heusen
Calvin Klein
Dindigul Thalappakatti
Bajaj Allianz
Shahnaz Husain
Gokul Santol
Johnnie Walker
Waterbury’s Compound
Tommy Hilfiger
Mercedes Benz
Cartoon Network Marc Jacobs
Bonne Bell
Surf Excel
Kwality Wall's
Channel V
Burger King

If it flows, it must be a hostel at IIT Madras.

South India's Ivy League Engineering Institution - IIT Madras, has a very interesting naming architecture for its hostels. The common thread is Indian river names. In all there are 13 hostels and they've been christened:

1. Alaknanda
2. Brahmaputra
3. Cauvery
4. Ganga
5. Godavari
6. Jamuna
7. Krishna
8. Mandakini
9. Narmada
10. Saraswathi
11. Sarayu (Girl's hostel)
12. Sharavati (Girl's hostel)
13. Tapti

I hear, four more hostels are on the anvil. They've been named: Sindhu, Pampa, Tamraparni & Mahanadi.

Ryan Sidebottom: Aint' it over the top?

Cricket's a funny game. It never ceases to throw up characters with quirky surnames. Who can forget the adorable Rick Darling? Or for that matter, the small-necked Gladstone Small. Some names used to set me thinking. What if, Marlon Black were white and Cameron White, black. Would the world have seen them differently? Will a guy like Stuart Campbell always get himself into a soup? Would David Boon have been spoofed as David Bane if he had totted up a string of zeroes? Did Rodney ever Hogg the limelight? And did Stuart ever break the Law? Interesting questions spawned by very interesting names.

Mahabharatha names and their meanings

That great epic had some very colorful characters. I've always wanted to know what their names meant without dipping into Maneka Gandhi's book of names. Now that I've found out, I thought I'll share it with you...


Yudhishtra = one who's committed to the ideal.
Bhima = one who knows no fear.
Arjuna = clarity of pure devotion.
Nakula = one who's free from pain.
Sahadeva = equal to the gods.
Duryodhana = defender of evil.
Ashwattama = one with the obstinacy of a horse.
Bhishma = one who rules fear.
Dhritarashtra = blind ambition.
Draupadi = enemy of offenders.
Drona = one who injures his foes with weapons.
Drupada = one who stands like a wooden pillar.
Karna = one who thinks of himself as the doer.
Kripa = one who does and gets.
Kunti = one who removes the deficiency of others.
Pandu = he who is without prejudice.
Sanjaya = he who is victorious over all.
Abhimanyu = one who is imperishable.

If you had pored over the meanings, you'll discover that Dhritarashtra, Draupadi and Drona's names serve as cryptic codes for their characters. So obviously it's the work of a seasoned author.

1000 names of Vishnu

Hindus have a unique tradition of eulogy. Every god is appeased with flattering name-calling. The supreme god Vishnu was showered with a thousand names by the wise old men of vedic times. To a novice, the Vishnu Sahasranama (Vishnu's thousand names) might seem like one more nama-sutra like compilation. But in the eyes of a giant like Adi Shankara it was something more profound. Since we are mercenary namers, we shall just stick to the literal meaning of the name list. And leave the interpretation to the masters. The reason why I've posted the Sahasranama is some of us are Sanksrit-challenged. The names can give us a hint of how a new Sanskrit name can be welded together. Before you pore over the list, say a big thank you to this site for painstakingly putting it together...

List of Indian Rock Band Names

IIIrd Sovereign
5 AM
13 AD
Acrid Semblance
Advaita
Agnee
Amidst the Chaos
Antariksh
Asian Heat
Asura
Atmosfear
Aurko
Avial
Barefaced Liar
Battalions
Bhayanak Maut
Bhoomi
Black
Blackhole Theory
Blacklight Infinity
Blind Image
Blood & Iron
Bloodmaze
Brahmastra
Brute Force
Fossils
Cactus
Cassini's Division
Catharsis
Chaos
Chandrabindu
Cranium
Crimson Wood
Cyanide
Dark Crucifix
Decibel
Demonic Resurrection
Descant
Devoid
Dhwni
Drishti
Dry State
Enthrall
Euphoria
Exodus
Extramentals
Faridkot
Feedback
Firangees
Fizzy Soul
Fossils
Frequency
Garden of Thorns
Grungy Morphines
Half Step Down
HFT
Hollow Caust
Ichor
Indian Ocean
Indus Creed
Insomnia
Joint Family
Junkyard Groove
Kashti
Killer Tomatoes
Kryptos
Lakkhichara
Legacy
Level 9
Levitikus
LBG (Little Babooshka's Grind)
Mantra
Menwhopause
Microtone
Moksha
Molotov Cocktail
Motherjane
Musafir
Native Tongue
Nemesis Avenue
Neolithic Silence
Nerverek
Nicotine
Null Friction
Oikyotaan
Old Saying Jungle
Orange Street
Oritus
Overdose
Overdrive
Pentagram
Pin Drop Violence
Parikrama
Prakalp
Pralaya
Prestorika
Psychomotor
Public Issue
Purple Blood
Redemption
Reincarnation
Raghu Dixit Projecy
Rock Machine
Ruhh
Rudra
Sceptre
Scribe
Septic
Sephiroth
Shaair N Func
Shakuni & The Birds of Prey
Shoestring
Silk Route
Silver
Skinny Alley
Skrypt
Sledge
Soul Burn
Soulmate
Souled Out
Stiff Neck Syndrome
The Banned
The Hobos
Them Clones
Thermal And A Quarter
The Lost Symbols?
The Salvation Crusade
The Superfuzz
Trademark
Tripwire
Turn
Unforbidden Souls
Umeed
Undying Inc.
Vinapra
Wehem
Whitenoiz
Who's Jim?
Zanskar
Zero
Zero Gravity

Indian surnames & their meanings

Will keep updating this list as and when I get some time...please feel free to contribute...

Agarwal = Derived from Agarwala or 'a descendant from Agroha' (the ancient name of Hissar city). Agroha had 18 districts - Garg, Mangal, Kucchal, Goyan, Goyal, Bansal, Kansal, Singhal, Jindal, Thingal, Airan, Dharan, Madhukul, Bindal, Mittal, Tayal, Bhandal, and Naagal. All of these names are synonymous with Agarwals.
Ahluwalia = A descendant of a person from Ahlu (a village near Lahore).
Ahuja = A descendant of Ahu. Does anyone know anything about Ahu?
Arora = A descendant from Aror (today's Rohri in Sind).
Bandopadhyay = Venerable teacher.
Banerjee = Teacher from the village of Bandoghat.
Bharadwaj = One who has strength or vigour.
Bhat/Butt = Priest or Scholar.
Bhattacharya = Priest & teacher.
Chaturvedi = Learned the 4 vedas.
Chattopadhyay = A teacher with roots from the Chatta village in Bengal.
Chopra = Descendants of warrior Chaupat Rai.
Dhawan = Messenger on the field of battle.
Dubashi = Person who knows two languages = Translator.
Dutta = Drived from Aditya or Sun.
Dwivedi = Learned in 2 vedas.
Gill = Lake/Moisture/Prosperity.
Guha = Another name for Lord Kartikeya.
Gupta = Ruler/Protector.
Iyer = Derived from Tamil word Ayya which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word Arya which means Noble.
Iyengar = One who has undergone the 5 purification rituals.
Jain = Follower of Jainism. Which is derived from Jina (one who overcomes).
Jha = Reciter.
Johar = Sanskrit for Jewel.
Joshi = Practioner of Jyotishi or astrology.
Kakkar = Strong.
Kapoor = Descendants of Moon.
Kaul = Means well-born. Derived from Sanskrit word Kula.
Kaur = Princess.
Khan = Turkish in origin. Means Chief/Ruler.
Khanna = Derived from Khanda (sword).
Khatri = Punjabi version of Kshatriya (ruler). Khanna, Kapoor, Seth, Mehra, Malhotra, Chopra and Walia are all Khatris.
Kocchar = Armour.
Krishna = Dark.
Mahajan = Means literally Big People. Perhaps an indicator of status.
Malik = Arabic word for King.
Mehra/Mehrotra = Descendants of Mihr (Sun).
Mishra = Mixed or blended.
Mukhopadhyay = Main Teacher.
Nehru = One who lives on the bank of a Nehr or canal.
Patel/Patil = Village headman.
Rana = Ruler. Some speculate it's the male version of Rani.
Saini = Head of army.
Sethi = Derived from Sanskrit word Sreshti (Merchant). Incidentally Shetty/Chettiar has the same roots.
Shah = Persian word for Monarch.
Sharma = Joy/Protection.
Shukla = Bright.
Singh = Derived from Sanskrit word Simha which means Lion.
Tagore = Anglicised version of Thakur (Lord).
Talwar = Swordsman/Sword.
Tandon = Warrior or sun.
Trivedi = Learned in 3 vedas.
Verma = Shield.

List of Theronyms

Theronyms are brand names derived from animals. Here's my list of brands that have used this technique...

Bison (Inner wear)
Black Dog (Scotch Whisky)
Camel (Cigarettes)
Cheetah Fight (Matchsticks)
Cobra (Beer)
Corgi (Publishing)
Crane Paaku Thool (Betel Nut)
Crocodile (Apparel)
Deer Brand (Basmati Rice)
Dolphin (Car)
Dove (Soap)
Eagle (Thermos)
Elephant (Cables)
Firefox (Browser)
Gator (Internet advertising)
Haathi Cement
Hush Puppies (Shoes)
Impala (Car)
Jaguar (Car)
Kingfisher (Beer)
Lion Dates
Mountain Goat (Beer)
Mustang (Car)
Lacoste (Apparel)
Office Tiger (BPO)
Pelican (Publishing)
Penguin (Publishing)
Peregrine (Investment banking)
Puma (Sport gear)
Red Bull (Energy Drink)
Reebok (Shoes)
The Famous Grouse (Scotch Whisky)
Tiger Balm
Tortoise (Mosquito coils)
Turtle (Apparel)
Yak & Yeti (Hotel)

Please add to the list.

Kinda like Paris Hilton

Hands up (and comments down), everyone who can tell me who the men shown in the picture are? Clue: Theirs is a brand so popular it has become the de facto name for the product category. And if you know the answer, can you give me the names of 38 other people who are like them? All is revealed in this most engaging slide show of the story behind 39 of the world's leading brands named after people: Trivial pursuit. Warning: It doesn't work in Google Chrome. Warning: It doesn't work in Google Chrome. (That's just in case you didn't believe me the first time I said it.)

Supernames for Superheroes

We love our heroes. (Some, a little more than the others.) My favourite is Batman. In fact, I prefer the name 'Dark Knight' to 'Batman'; 'Batman' just sounds ... well, batty. 'Dark Knight' on the other hand - besides being a 'second-level' name - is more befitting the caped crusader's exploits. (Don't you think?) All of which brings me to a list of 'Superhero' names this gent has lovingly compiled and categorized for us. It makes for interesting reading. In other related developments: I discovered I'm 'Chrome Cat'. What Superhero are you?

Urdu poet pen names & their hometowns

Quite a few Urdu poets of the past chose distinctive pen names woven around their home towns. Abdul Hayee chose to be Sahir Ludhianvi (Sahir from Ludhiana). There are many more such examples...

NOTE: Real name and home town, in brackets.

Majrooh Sultanpuri (Asrar ul Hassan Khan, Sultanpur)
Khumar Barabankvi (Mohammed Haidar Khan, Barabanki)
Akbar Allahabadi (Syed Akbar Hussain, Allahabad)
Jigar Moradabadi (Ali Sikandar, Moradabad)
Firaq Gorakhpuri (Raghupati Sahay, Gorakhpur)
Safi Lakhnavi (Syed Ali Naqi Zaidi, Lucknow)
Josh Malihabadi (Shabbir Hasan Khan, Malihabad in Pakistan)
Shakeel Badayuni (Shakeel, Badayun)
Asad Bhopali (?, Bhopal)
Waseem Barelwi (?, Bareilly)
Zia Jalandhari (?, Jalandhar)
Hafeez Hoshiarpuri (?, Hoshiarpur)
Danish Aligarhi (?, Aligarh)
Hasrat Jaipuri (Iqbal Husain, Jaipur)
Shad Azeemabadi (Syed Ali Mohammed, Azeemabad, Patna)
Shadab Lahori (Shadab Khan, Lahore)
Ayaz Jhanswi (?, Jhansi)
Meraj Faizabadi (?, Faizabad)
Adeeb Saharanpuri (?, Saharanpur)
Khamosh Gazipuri (?, Gazipur)
Nazeer Banarsi (?, Banaras)
Qamar Jalalabadi (?, Jalalabad)
Rai Rampuri (?, Rampur)
Rahat Indori (?, Indore)
Noor Bijnauri (?, Bijnore)

Chemical Element Names & Their Meanings

Antimony = Anti Monos = Greek for Opposed to Solitude.
Argon = Greek for lazy.
Arsenic = Persian for Yellow Mineral
Astatine = Greek for unstable.
Barium = Greek for heavy.
Berkelium = A reference to University of California, Berkeley.
Bismuth = German for White Mass.
Bromine = Greek for stench.
Cadmium = Latin for Calamine.
Caesium = Latin for Sky Blue.
Calcium = Latin for Lime.
Carbon = Latin for Charcoal.
Chlorine = Greek for Yellowish Green.
Cobalt = German for Evil Spirit.
Dysprosium = Greek for Hard to Get at.
Helium = Greek for Sun.
Hydrogen = Greek for 'to beget water'.
Iodine = Greek for Violet.
Krypton = Greek for Hidden one.
Lanthanum = Greek for 'to lie hidden'.
Lithium = Greek for Stone.
Manganese = Latin for Magnet.
Neodymium = Latin for New Twin.
Neon = Latin for New.
Nitrogen = Greek for Native Soda Forming.
Osmium = Greek for 'a smell'.
Oxygen = Greek for Acid to bring forth.
Phosphorus = Greek for Light Bearer.
Platinum = Spanish for Little Silvr.
Praseodymium = Green Twin.
Radium = Latin for Ray.
Rhenium = Latin for River.
Rhodium = Greek for Rose.
Rubidium = Latin for deepest red.
Selenium = Greek for Moon.
Silicon = Latin for Flint.
Sulfur = Arabic for Yellow.
Tellurium = Latin for Earth.
Tungsten = Danish for Heavy Stone.
Xenon = Greek for Foreigner.

Brands named after places

Kingston, Chowpatty, Champagne, Scotch (Okay, maybe I'm stretching things a bit here), Incredible India, Made in USA ... and more such places that are also brands. Different kinds of marketing strategies, intentional and otherwise, have contributed to turning the above places into brands. Where I spend a part of my working week, there's an Indian fast food joint called 'Chowpatty @ BTM'. Clearly, it's riding on the brand values people have come to associate with 'Chowpatty'. But what if 'C in Mumbai' goes to the dogs? Will that hurt 'C @ BTM'? Fortunately, there are more important things to think about.

By the bye, this might the first post on 'brands named after places' on the Internet. In other words, if you are 'wiki' enough to add to this list, you'll be part of hisotry in the making.

'Wiki enough': Term which means 'to be magnanimous enough, big hearted, contributing enough ... towards a social cause.' (Like 'Nama Sutra'.)

Names We Like #1

The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (北海道日本ハムファイターズ Hokkaidō Nippon-Hamu Faitāzu?) are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League. They take their name from the major shareholding company's name "Nippon Ham", which is a corporate name of Nippon Meat Packers, Inc.. Until 2003, the Fighters were one of three teams calling Tokyo their home, but in 2004 moved to Sapporo, the largest city on the island of Hokkaidō. With that kind of pedigree, what's not to like. It's a lot better than 'Chandigarh Lions' or 'King's XI'. Someday soon, we'll be compelled to do a Chennai Veerans vs Chennai Super Kings post. And that, my friends, will be a sad, sad day.