Beyond Jennifer & Jason: An Enlightened Guide to Naming Your Baby

by Linda Rosenkrantz, Pamela Redmond Satran

Until 1988, nearly all baby-naming books were merely dictionaries: long, dull lists of names with their definitions. But then Beyond Jennifer & Jason-- the first enlightened guide to naming your baby-- was born, to tell parents-to-be what they really want to know: which names are hot, and which names are on their way up or down. Now the book that revolutionized baby naming is fully revised and filled with even more indispensable, up-to-the-minute advice.

Instead of one long alphabetical list, Beyond Jennifer & Jason offers dozens of fully updated lists of names, including:

* America's move from J names to K names
* New naming inspiration from the family tree
* Multicultural options to reflect almost any heritage
* The trend one actress set when she took the advice of the first Beyond Jennifer & Jason

With dozens of fresh, savvy lists of names, Beyond Jennifer & Jason gives parents the truly authoritative word on how to tell the good names from the bad, the classic from the passe, and the intriguingly unusual from the downright weird.

A Selection of the Literary Guild and the Doubleday Book Club.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Parenting

334 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1995

About the author

Linda Rosenkrantz is an American writer, known for her innovations in the realm of “nonfiction fiction,” most prominently in her novel Talk, a New York Review Books classic.

Reviews

[Geneil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I used it to name characters in stories I wrote and to plan out names for my future children, lol. I still love it... it has more names and more fun information about names (ethnicity, meaning, trends, funny anecdotes, that kind of thing) than any other baby name book I've read.

[Julie Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This baby-naming book features not just lists of names but rather a fun romp through the images attached to many names. They'll give you names that feel classic, or names that were popular in a certain era, or names with Biblical roots, or a range of names from feminissa to macho. They tell you what the stars and celebrities are doing with their baby names. They tell you what names are too associated with another image to make practical sense for current use. And they give you ideas on how to consider special situations like sibling names. All in all it's a very practical guide to naming a child--giving perspectives some parents may not have thought of. (And as a bonus, a writer can use it for some help in naming characters!)

[Audrey Babkirk Wellons · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, I know this is going to seem like I want to be knee-deep in babies, but I once owned several editions of this book. It combines two things I love: lists and names. There's everything from "RAF fighter pilot names" (Sebastian, Clive) to grandma & grandpa names" (Evelyn, Ben) to names you should never give your baby (Hercules, Lolita). What it does not have are name origins. So if you want to know that Geoffrey means "wizened blackberry bush," you'd best look elsewhere. (No offense to the Geoffreys of the world.)

[Carolee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Donated it once I was done naming my 2 kids - I didn't want anything popular, trendy, or so unusual that they'd be alienated. It was important that their names have meanings (preferably Celtic) and be easy to spell and pronounce. When I chose 'Aislynn' I had never heard of her name before, and neither had a lot of other people. It means a vision or a dream. When I put it together with her middle name Elyse ( a variation of Elizabeth) it means: A vision or a dream consecrated by God. Indeed.

[Jobiska (Cindy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mine is an even older edition, so it is dated, but I'm not planning on naming any babies anyway, so this is still a fun and unusual dip into the trends associated with names, with thought given to the implications and associations of different types of names. I don't know how scientific their impressions are--whether for example, they base their impression on whether a name is "feminine" on studies on orn their own reactions--but sitll interesting.

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the original Beyond naming book, and was what got me hooked. I loved it and kept it as a reference, and was delighted when I heard that the authors had updated the book to reflect the changes of recent culture. Go for the updated Madison and Montana version if possible, but if not, this is still a fascinating read a great resource.

[Swankivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books about naming trends. This is one of the best, a book that not only has heaps of usual and unusual names but talks about their images and nationalities and whatnot. I have a few of their books including the one on cool names, which helps a lot to name my characters in my books.

[Jenifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

From an old journal entry of mine; "Given to me for our 8th wedding anniversary by Wayne. A reprieve from 'Sacajawea' it was lighthearted and gave me some good ideas for baby's name (which is a secret until baby is born!)"

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always find name meanings and origins interesting. I started skimming this book and ended up reading the whole thing. Presented in an interesting way with funny quotes interspersed, it's a fun way to look at baby names.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book in junior high (though I actually had the 1988 version).

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is more than a list of baby names. Breaks down thought process that should be used when choosing a name for your child.

[Sue Kozlowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-fiction. Baby name book.

[LOL_BOOKS]

I'VE BEEN READING THOSE BEYOND JENNIFER AND JASON BOOKS SINCE I WAS A KID AND THEY REMAIN FASCINATING TO ME.