Suri with the Frange on Topsey, Whoopie !

It is no longer a celebrity affectation in dubbing their children with names which are not listed in the “top 100.” Think Suri, daughter of Katie and Tom Cruise; Maddox Chivan, Zahara Marley, Pax Thien, Knox Léon, and Vivienne Marcheline, children of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt; Apple and Moses, whose mom is Gwyneth Paltrow; or Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet, and Diva, the offspring of rocker Frank Zappa.

Names have been around since the days of Adam and Eve, Alley Oop, or “Hey, you.”

Where the proper noun originated, I know not. However, there are many clues as to what initiated the child being stuck with what later became their name. All the following monikers are real; just ask the boy named “Sue.”

If you are a bird enthusiast have lofty aspirations or love animals there is: Jay, Robin, Merle, Meryl, Teal, Tori, Raven, Evelyn, Ava, Fox, Wolfe, Bear and Drake.

Flowers have also been a long-time favorite: Daisy, Blossom, Violet, Magnolia, Rose, Camellia, Cloris, Delphine, Iris, Columbine, Heather or Lilly.

Worldly names include countries, cities and other places found on Google Earth: Cuba, Paris, Memphis, Bronx, London, Brooklyn, Ocean, Madison, Savannah, Phoenix, Charlotte, Dallas, Orlando, Sydney, Cairo or France.

What’s more everyday than the calendar? There, right there tacked on the wall is: Tuesday, Sunday, January, April, May. June, August, Five, Seven and Trey.

The planet provides potential distinct ethnic possibilities. The Scottish/Gaelic Frang, Kyle, Aila, Craig, Lain, Adairia, Achaius, Caileigh, Teagan, or Rory. The French have Adalyn, Zorie, Liana, Remy, Destiny, Abella, Tristan, Cadence, Mason or Courtney. In Italy, mamas make marinara for Arianna, Mia, Dante, Liliana, Zaira, Sabrina, Abree, Serena, Chiara, Matteo or Enzo. Also Aida, Romeo, Vito, Aldo, Gulielma or Montrel. African-American handles include Deion, Beyonce, Demond, Kimani, Elroi, Imani, Jazara, Malik, Kya, Torrin, Shania, Wanda, Prince, Kanika, Cleopatra or Tisha.

Reading from left to right some Hebrew seman era acisseJ, belaC, haoN, lehcaR, nadroJ, assiraM, divaD, wehttaM, semaJ, naJ, anaD, lemraC, nedE, lebatyeheM, noraA, kcaraB, abbA or llehctiM.

Add color and spice with these nominees: Amber, Ginger, Rosemary, Tangerine, Auburn, Honey, Grey, Rusty, Fennel, Slate, Fuchsia, Ebony, Cinnamon, Aqua, Ambrosia, Basil, Sugar, Herb, Lilac, Magenta, Mauve, Scarlett, Saffron, Pink, Turquoise, Olive, Sable, Tawny, Azure, Blue, Cyan, Indigo, Green, Jet or Cherry.

Some gems provide a host of possibilities: Ruby, Jewel, Sapphire, Pearl, Opal, Crystal, Ivory, Jade, Goldie, Sterling, Coral, Silver, Diamond, Garnet, Jasper and Esmeralda,

Weather, season or atmospheric conditions yield Autumn, Spring, Snow, Raine, (which brings to mind the actress Gale Storm and burlesque performer Tempest Storm), Cloud, Thunder, Sky or Shade.

Some gone but not forgotten names are Algernon, Ebeneezer, Herkimer, Nebucadnezar, Balthasar, Iago, Caliban, Dorrit, Topsey, Gottlieb, Vester and Yorick.

Most popular names in the U.S.

Boys have a biblical trend: Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Matthew, Ethan, Joseph, Andrew, Christopher, Daniel and William.

For girls it’s Emily, Madison, Hannah, Emma, Alexis, Ashley, Abigail, Sarah, Samantha, Olivia and Elizabeth.

In Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” he wrote: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other word would smell as sweet.”

Sure, that may be right olfactorily, but on the schoolyard playground many a kid had been bullied and heckled by virtue of their name. Just think back and remember. It seems the name you are given is the invisible tattoo one carries throughout life.

Herb Kandel is an entrepreneur and a former human resouces executive who now lives in Fairhope. He can be contacted at hekan@mail.com.