Baby Names in the News
Bruce Lansky, "The Baby Name Guru"
June 19, 2008
Today, actress Jamie Lynn Spears and fiancé Casey Aldridge welcomed their baby girl, Maddie Briann.
The name Maddie ranks three stars (out of five) in my latest book, 5-Star Baby Name Advisor. From a practical standpoint, this ranking suggests the name’s pros and cons are evenly balanced.
On the plus side, Maddie makes a positive first impression in 5-Star Baby Name Advisor: "Maddie is viewed as a pretty girl with a great smile and a perky swing to life." Also, Maddie is fairly unlikely to be mispronounced, and the name reminds people of Maddie Hayes, the Moonlighting character with a "great smile" played by model/actress Cybill Shepherd.
Probably the biggest knock on Maddie is that it’s a more appropriate name for a girl than a woman. Maddie comes off as a nickname for Madeline or Madison, and it lacks a more formal version for use in more formal situations, like applying to colleges or jobs. Because most parents imagine their daughter getting a higher education and then a job, many don’t select names with diminutive endings.
I prefer more versatile names, like Madeline, which lets you use Maddie as an endearing nickname during your daughter’s childhood and a more formal alternative for adulthood.
My verdict: One thumb down!
About the Author:
Bruce Lansky is the #1 author of baby name books in North America. His name books have sold more than 9.5 million copies. He's called "The Baby Name Guru" because he regularly writes articles that provide baby-naming advice. His candid reviews of celebrity baby names have been reprinted in thousands of newspapers, magazines, and websites from coast to coast. His other name books include 100,000+ Baby Names, 60,000+ Baby Names, The Very Best Baby Name Book, 25,000+ Baby Names, and The New Baby Name Survey. He is also the editor of a successful series of children's poetry books and children's fiction books. Lansky resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he enjoys his work as a publisher.
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