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100,000+ Baby Names: The Most Helpful, Complete, and Up-to-Date Name Book
This complete baby naming resource includes more names and more helpful features than any other book on the market:
- Over 100,000 baby names and their meanings, derivations and famous namesakes
- 5,000 Hispanic names.
- Icons to identify names used for both genders, and to indicate whether they're used evenly, more for boys, or more for girls.
- Updated lists ranking the 100 most popular names for boys and girls in 2004
- Top-hundred ranked names are starred in the main text of the book.
- A new introductory chapter by Bruce Lansky: "How to Pick A Name for Your Baby"
- 300 helpful lists of names to consider, including famous authors, actors, athletes, artists, scientists as well as lists of names that convey an image: attractive, smart, competent, friendly, wimpy, etc.
576 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2004
253 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Lansky
198 books49 followersI was born on June 1, 1941. My first home was an apartment in Manhattan's Upper West Side, a neighborhood that overlooked the George Washington Bridge. Soon after kindergarten, my family moved to Scarsdale, which seemed to be “in the country.” In high school, I broke my ankle when I went out for the lacrosse team, so I wrote a sports column for the school newspaper. I don't think I showed any particular talent for writing then.
I went to St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. I actually learned to read Greek (I didn't understand it, though). I transferred from St. John's to New York University, so I could study political science and economics. I graduated with a major in philosophy and a minor in English. My first job was a market researcher for a beer company in New Jersey. Over the next five years, I switched jobs several times: advertising copywriter, advertising account executive, and marketing manager at a candy company.
I married Vicki and we had a baby, Douglas. I wanted him to have a home surrounded by grass and trees and ball fields, so I accepted a job in Minnesota, and Doug got a baby sister, Dana. What rescued me from poverty was that my wife and some other mothers wrote a cookbook. We published it ourselves, and it was a huge hit. That's how I figured out that I wanted to be a publisher when I grew up. We built Meadowbrook Press, and I became an author of baby name books and humor books for adults.
Ten years ago, I wanted to put together a children's book of all the poems they loved best. To find these poems, I tested poems in elementary schools. As I was testing poems on children, I decided to write a few to see what the response would be. At first it wasn't that good, but as my writing improved, I added my poems to new books. To get them just right, I'd rewrite them over and over. I've now edited six poetry anthologies and filled three books with my own poems. Because I spent a lot of time reading and testing poems in classrooms, schools started inviting me to perform. I've now performed at hundreds of schools. My goal to put on the most entertaining, most educational, and most motivating assembly a school has ever had. My web site, http://www.gigglepoetry.com, helps kids discover the fun of reading and writing poetry.
Language arts are a very important part of what you learn in school. You can read great books that take you to far-away lands. You can write your own stories and make yourself the hero of exciting adventures. Even if it seems hard sometimes, don't give up. Keep practicing your reading and writing skills, and soon it will become easier. There are so many wonderful worlds to explore in books and poetry. Get your very own passport by learning to read and write the very best that you can.
I went to St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. I actually learned to read Greek (I didn't understand it, though). I transferred from St. John's to New York University, so I could study political science and economics. I graduated with a major in philosophy and a minor in English. My first job was a market researcher for a beer company in New Jersey. Over the next five years, I switched jobs several times: advertising copywriter, advertising account executive, and marketing manager at a candy company.
I married Vicki and we had a baby, Douglas. I wanted him to have a home surrounded by grass and trees and ball fields, so I accepted a job in Minnesota, and Doug got a baby sister, Dana. What rescued me from poverty was that my wife and some other mothers wrote a cookbook. We published it ourselves, and it was a huge hit. That's how I figured out that I wanted to be a publisher when I grew up. We built Meadowbrook Press, and I became an author of baby name books and humor books for adults.
Ten years ago, I wanted to put together a children's book of all the poems they loved best. To find these poems, I tested poems in elementary schools. As I was testing poems on children, I decided to write a few to see what the response would be. At first it wasn't that good, but as my writing improved, I added my poems to new books. To get them just right, I'd rewrite them over and over. I've now edited six poetry anthologies and filled three books with my own poems. Because I spent a lot of time reading and testing poems in classrooms, schools started inviting me to perform. I've now performed at hundreds of schools. My goal to put on the most entertaining, most educational, and most motivating assembly a school has ever had. My web site, http://www.gigglepoetry.com, helps kids discover the fun of reading and writing poetry.
Language arts are a very important part of what you learn in school. You can read great books that take you to far-away lands. You can write your own stories and make yourself the hero of exciting adventures. Even if it seems hard sometimes, don't give up. Keep practicing your reading and writing skills, and soon it will become easier. There are so many wonderful worlds to explore in books and poetry. Get your very own passport by learning to read and write the very best that you can.
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August 12, 2023For the record, I am not planning on having a baby, I have this book for character names and writing purposes :D
March 9, 2021
| Reader Fox Blog |
There are honestly so many books out there that go over baby names that there has to be something unique about them for the book to really stand out. And, truthfully, 100,000 Baby Names by Bruce Lansky didn't really stand out all that much for me. For the most part, the only unique thing I really saw within this book was the inclusion of a bunch of different lists regarding the popularity of names for girls and boys within the recent years and I do feel that is something I could have gotten from a baby name website or a baby name app.
As someone who generally frequents baby name applications and websites in order to find character names, I will admit that this book was somewhat difficult to find useful and I personally don't care all that much about what names were popular during which years. In fact, the only way I can see myself caring about that is if I don't want my kid to have a name that everyone else has, but it'd be hard to determine that anyway.
There were a large number of names in this book, which I did appreciate. The last baby name book that I read didn't have nearly as many. This is quite useful in terms of finding the right name for your child if you're looking to have a lot of options, though if you're really looking to compare only a few names it might feel superfluous as you continue to read. There are 100,000 baby names included throughout this book, after all. Names are ordered alphabetically after you get through the pages of lists--which admittedly can be somewhat annoying if they're not what you're looking for.
All in all, I definitely see this book as useful, but I don't think it stands out all that much among the plethora of other baby name books that are out there. Off the top of my head, there is really only one baby name book out there that I have come across in the past that really stands out among all the others and that is because it was focused on offering gender-neutral names for children.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
| Reader Fox Links |
There are honestly so many books out there that go over baby names that there has to be something unique about them for the book to really stand out. And, truthfully, 100,000 Baby Names by Bruce Lansky didn't really stand out all that much for me. For the most part, the only unique thing I really saw within this book was the inclusion of a bunch of different lists regarding the popularity of names for girls and boys within the recent years and I do feel that is something I could have gotten from a baby name website or a baby name app.
As someone who generally frequents baby name applications and websites in order to find character names, I will admit that this book was somewhat difficult to find useful and I personally don't care all that much about what names were popular during which years. In fact, the only way I can see myself caring about that is if I don't want my kid to have a name that everyone else has, but it'd be hard to determine that anyway.
There were a large number of names in this book, which I did appreciate. The last baby name book that I read didn't have nearly as many. This is quite useful in terms of finding the right name for your child if you're looking to have a lot of options, though if you're really looking to compare only a few names it might feel superfluous as you continue to read. There are 100,000 baby names included throughout this book, after all. Names are ordered alphabetically after you get through the pages of lists--which admittedly can be somewhat annoying if they're not what you're looking for.
All in all, I definitely see this book as useful, but I don't think it stands out all that much among the plethora of other baby name books that are out there. Off the top of my head, there is really only one baby name book out there that I have come across in the past that really stands out among all the others and that is because it was focused on offering gender-neutral names for children.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
| Reader Fox Links |
January 21, 2024
Still haven't picked a name but I guess I have time...
September 5, 2025
100,000 names and it's missing Ptolemy.
June 6, 2018
This book is GREAT! Seriously one of my favorite baby name books, and I have a nice sized collection!
First of all, the book has tons of awesome baby name lists, which are a blast to look through. From most popular for a particular year to lawyer or farmer names, the lists are fun and interesting to browse.
The index of names itself in the box is also great and thorough. It covers tons of names and has the basic origin meaning info in it as well.
I imagine it is pretty hard to set your baby name book apart from others since you can only include names and meanings and such a certain number of ways, but I think his addition of those lists and the scope of baby names he covers, sets his book apart from other contenders.
So definitely check this one out! You don't want to miss it! I seriously look through it for fun even when I am not pregnant. #namenerdproblems
First of all, the book has tons of awesome baby name lists, which are a blast to look through. From most popular for a particular year to lawyer or farmer names, the lists are fun and interesting to browse.
The index of names itself in the box is also great and thorough. It covers tons of names and has the basic origin meaning info in it as well.
I imagine it is pretty hard to set your baby name book apart from others since you can only include names and meanings and such a certain number of ways, but I think his addition of those lists and the scope of baby names he covers, sets his book apart from other contenders.
So definitely check this one out! You don't want to miss it! I seriously look through it for fun even when I am not pregnant. #namenerdproblems
September 14, 2019
Lack of even cursory editing in a name book seems especially egregious -- or maybe I'm wrong, and Harry Potter's Divination professor was surnamed Yrelawney, rather than Trelawney and Capt. Kirk was navigated by Hika.tu Sulu. AND Capt. Jane ways name is both wrong and typod. Her name is Kathryn, not Kathlyn, as reported. Also, her surname is not the baffling string of nonsense characters " O aneway" but the much more sensible 'Janeway', as makes sense in our language. So, this book is great for random strings of characters with no basis in reality.
February 18, 2017
This is quite an interesting collection of names and name suggestions, one of three books that fed into my name obsession
February 3, 2020
My go-to book for names.
July 30, 2021
Helpful!
November 3, 2022
Probably the most complete book names on the market. Love the alternate spellings on many of the names.
February 10, 2023
Picked names myself tbh
October 26, 2008
This is a great book for anyone who needs to pick out names, whether for a baby, a pet, or characters in a book you're writing. There are literally over 100,000 names in here, from modern quirky to old-fashioned classics.
The book is arranged in an easy to use manner, making it a snap to find whay you're looking for. The two main sections are for boys and girls, each name listing having the name's origin, meaning, and alternate spelling and forms in alphabetical order. Plus there are many short lists toward the front for specific catagories, including Mythological, musicians by genre, actors, Old West, and even names from the Harry Potter series. The list of the top 100 names and the top names from around the world are helpful as well.
If that wasn't enough, there is also a section about legal concerns and another for fun name trvia.
I highly recommend this book if you need to come up with some names, or research where your's came from.
The book is arranged in an easy to use manner, making it a snap to find whay you're looking for. The two main sections are for boys and girls, each name listing having the name's origin, meaning, and alternate spelling and forms in alphabetical order. Plus there are many short lists toward the front for specific catagories, including Mythological, musicians by genre, actors, Old West, and even names from the Harry Potter series. The list of the top 100 names and the top names from around the world are helpful as well.
If that wasn't enough, there is also a section about legal concerns and another for fun name trvia.
I highly recommend this book if you need to come up with some names, or research where your's came from.
May 31, 2019
I am a huge fan of Bruce Lansky's baby name books and own many variations from various years as I'm quite the name nerd. I really enjoyed this new edition! They seriously get better and better each time and the number of lists and details in this one is fantastic! Beyond the typical "most handsome/prettiest names" type list, there are also lists that show the names increasing and decreasing the most in percentage and how name popularity varies from year to year. This is really important in how names are perceived by others. The most popular names for each starts are also listed as well as many, many other types of lists. With such thorough baby name books as Lansky's, typical varieties that just include names and meanings don't cut it! If you want to have an incredibly large variety of names with their meaning and origin as well as many lists and the tools to pick the best baby name for your child/character for your book, this is the book for you!
January 20, 2025
I like that this book said the names, but also the meanings and other spellings and names from the same origin.
December 8, 2009
100,000 plus names. That's a lot of names. The book is organized nicely. A lot of 'popular' lists at the front and ideas or things to keep in mind when choosing a name. Then a huge alphabetical list of names. Girls first then boys. All the names have an affiliated country listed. Most have multiple spellings listed. All have some sort of 'meaning' listed. You'll even find a graphic that alerts you to names that can be sexually ambiguous.
If you're looking to find a name for your kid or pet there's a good chance you'll have luck finding something you like in here.
If you're looking to find a name for your kid or pet there's a good chance you'll have luck finding something you like in here.
December 16, 2009
the format of this book is very confusing. Instead of having one entry for a name like "Andrea" they have a separate entry for every variation (Andria, Andrya) and all they do is say 'a variation of Andrea' and leave it up to you to go back to the main name and look up the meaning. This is very, very cumbersome if you are trying to search all the names for ideas.
The one good thing I can say is that it has some interesting chapters and lists in the beginning, but that doesn't make up for the nearly-useless format of the main part of the book.
The one good thing I can say is that it has some interesting chapters and lists in the beginning, but that doesn't make up for the nearly-useless format of the main part of the book.
January 16, 2010
Hmm ... wonder why I'm reading this book. ;)
100,000 names later and there's nothing new on our list that we can both agree on. Oh well. I guess you like what you like.
My only qualm with this book is that they should have chosen a font with better capital letters. When I'm staring for pages and pages at Gs that look like Cs and Is that look like Ls, reading the names can get a bit confusing. Otherwise, how can you go wrong with 100,000 names unless you just can't agree on anything new. So it goes.
100,000 names later and there's nothing new on our list that we can both agree on. Oh well. I guess you like what you like.
My only qualm with this book is that they should have chosen a font with better capital letters. When I'm staring for pages and pages at Gs that look like Cs and Is that look like Ls, reading the names can get a bit confusing. Otherwise, how can you go wrong with 100,000 names unless you just can't agree on anything new. So it goes.
January 18, 2011
The reason I bought this is because though I'm studying Japanese, I'm not that proficient yet at breaking down name meanings...unfortunately, though this one claims to have a really good selection of foreign names, I wasn't too impressed with the Japanese selection. Otherwise, it's pretty good though, for more common names and their meanings, as well as trends in naming over the past several decades. I'll keep it around for naming characters in my writing or for when I have a kid of my own, if I have no idea what to name it.
August 27, 2014
This is a terrible book. My partner and I noticed that a lot of the name definitions were just lacking or plain wrong. Additionally, most of the 100,000+ names are so far fetched most can't be pronounced and would be torture for a preschool kid to learn living in the U.S. A few examples: Achcauhtli (for a boy) and Omofledis (for a girl). Although our favorite is Cunturpoma (from Quechua) that means: "powerful as the puma and the condor". I can't make this stuff up. Do yourself a favor and skip this purchase.
December 2, 2024
Book focusing on quantity not quality. For example a lot of names presented as Russian names are far from accurate, and most of them are just short names or even nick names that Russian people use (they would never have those in their passport). So makes the read a bit useless as the book looses it’s credibility by the time you go through the list of names, and there is no guarantee that the author respected the large variety of cultures represented here.
March 15, 2012
There are zillions of baby name books out there and this one is fantastic. It has lots of baby names, their meanings, etc. BUT it also has names popular by decade and other statistical information that may intrigue parents-to-be. It also has lists of names based on different traits.
(Also a great book for writers looking for character names.)
(Also a great book for writers looking for character names.)
November 17, 2014
The perfect reference for writers. I ran across this book last week and picked it up after paging through it. It contains everything I need when choosing character names. I can get rid of the other much more limited baby name books I have. This one does the job of all of those plus more! So glad I found it!
November 2, 2007
This book is a fantastic source not only for expectant parents, but for authors who just can't memorize this many names. It ranges from the mundane to the strange and is sure to provide a name for even the hardest to pin down characters. :)
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November 29, 2009I like the way this book was broken into categories; literary names, historical names, names that rhyme, names popular in 1910, names meaning strength, nerdy or sexy. It has to be a complete book....the name Ludicris came up a few times.
August 26, 2009
Part of my birthday gift from Mike :) We didn't find a lot of use for this book since we picked name pretty much on our own, but it was useful for looking up what our options meant. It was also fun looking at the different lists.
October 24, 2012
Best baby name book I've used. I needed some good names for a book I was working on and this was what I got. It's sorted very nicely with lists in the front and then girls names then boys. tons of names to choose from.
February 7, 2015
Traditional names, combined names, modern names and exotic, all together with wonderful explanations, translations and histories. Add to that a write up for parents in the beginning about choosing names, the options and the warnings, this is one of the better name books I have yet stumbled upon.
May 23, 2019
Bruce Lansky has written a super helpful book in baby names! I absolutely love how they are ranked with so many lists!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2020
This is a very well designed and compiled list of baby names. We enjoy using books like these for character creation in writing, games and so much more. The layout of this book is easy to use and the descriptions of the names are great!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews