Meow: 12 Creative Baby Names Inspired by Animals

Jul 10, 2015

Baby names with animal meanings, whether they come right out and announce them a la Fox or keep them secret, as with Yara or Poe, are an intriguing and fashionable group. They may appeal to animal lovers or parents who love nature baby names, or the animal meaning may be a happy bonus aspect of a name you already love. Here, our dozen favorite creative baby names with animal meanings.

1. Auberon: It is absolutely astonishing to us that one of the handsomest names for boys does not even register the minimum five new bearers in the US in 2014, making Auberon a truly unique name! The Shakespearean form Oberon, name of the king of the fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, was given to eight boys. By any spelling this name, meaning bear-like, is a fantastic choice.

2. Fox: As an animal name, Fox is as clever as he is handsome. The first name Fox, popularized by the David Duchovny character Fox Mulder on The X-Files, was given to 163 boys and seven girls in the US last year. If the name Fox is too foxy for you, you might consider Todd, which means fox.

3. Lionel: Leonine names are on the rise throughout the Western world, and we love them all, from Leonie to Leo to the brave-hearted Lionel. After a hiatus in the early 2000s, Lionel reentered the Top 1000 for boys in 2010 and is now on a steady upward trajectory, reaching Number 660 in the US last year. Though Lionel does not register on the girls’ side of the ledger, noted novelist Lionel Shriver is female.

4. Madigan: “Dog” is an unusual animal meaning for a baby name, with the Irish surname name Madigan, meaning “little dog,” being one of the few examples. Though the name would work for either gender, it only registered for 15 girls in the US, perhaps because its similarity to the popular Madison and Madeline makes it sound more female.

5. Orson: Though we love the name Ursula, which also means bear, in the end we had to go with Orson for our best list. Ursula is unfortunately still saddled with the sea witch image, and we don’t think we could do that to a daughter, no matter how cool the name. But Orson is both distinctive — only 52 boys were given this name meaning “bear cub” last year — and easy to understand.

6. Paloma: Baby names that mean dove carry a special peaceful symbolism beyond that of the animal. Some wonderful possibilities: Jonah or Jonas, Callum or Columba, Jemima or Dove itself. But at the top of the list we’d place Paloma, the ideal fitting-in/standing-out name that’s been skipping along the bottom of the Top 1000 list for the past two decades, never becoming a pandemic but not disappearing from sight.

7. Pike: There may be fewer fish than other animal names in the sea, but a couple are worth consideration. Salmon is one, Shad and Fisher are distant possibilities — but Pike is strong and straightforward.

8. Poe: Poe, a literary name that means peacock, was used for a mere five girls and six boys in the US last year — and we’d wager even fewer elsewhere. But all that is about to change, with the Oscar Isaac character in the new Star Wars movie due out at the end of the year named Poe.

9. Raoul: There are several attractive names that mean wolf, from Channing to Lowell, Phelan and all the Rudolph and Ralph relatives. But we’ll pick the attractive French version Raoul as the variation with the most animal magnetism.

10. Rosamund: This ancient name meaning “horse protection” has several legendary and literary bearers along with one attractive contemporary one, actress Rosamund Pike. Still, it was used for only nine girls last year, while spelling variation Rosamond didn’t even make it to the minimum of five. Philip and Philippa are other appealing horse-related names.

11. Wren: The birdlike Wren is a name that’s taken off over the past few years. It’s sometimes shown up for a handful of babies on the extended US popularity list: Five girls got the name in 1888, for instance, and five in 1914, and in 2000, still only 18. But then it vaulted onto the Top 1000 in 2013 and last year was given to 397 girls and 40 boys. The sleek, special Wren is making an even bigger splash as a middle name.

12. Yara: Yara is a butterfly name especially favored by the Hispanic community, used for 154 girls in the US last year and also fashionable in Spain and South America. As butterfly names go, Vanessa may be more classic and Kimana or Farasha more exotic, but we prefer the sleek, distinctive Yara.

Are you inspired by any of these names? Share your thoughts in the comments.

This post was originally published on Nameberry by Pamela Redmond Satran.

Stop Throwing Away Overripe Bananas! Make These 6 Delicious Recipes Instead

Nothing's more irritating than having to throw out fresh fruit you just bought because it either ripened too fast or was already festering with mold. And what food is the biggest culprit? Usually, it’s bananas. Unless you're fitting bananas in your everyday meal routine, it’s difficult to keep up with how quickly they brown (which can be anywhere from 24 hours to five days, depending on how green they were at the store when you grabbed them).

The good news is that there’s actually a lot you can do with overripe bananas. We turned to chefs for top tips (both creative and delicious) that will prevent you from throwing speckled bananas in the trash!

What To Do With Overripe Bananas

Image via Butternut Bakery

Banana Bread, Obviously

One of the most widespread baking recipes to make with overripe bananas is banana bread. Why? Because it’s simple, delicious, and an automatic crowd-pleaser. Check out our one bowl gluten-free banana bread recipe, our chocolate banana pumpkin bread, or these 40 recipes of banana bread that you need to make this weekend (the options are endless!).

(Writer’s note: My go-to recipe is the chocolate chip banana bread from Butternut Bakery — but I use dark chocolate chips instead!)

Image via Half Baked Harvest

Freeze Them For Your Smoothies

When in doubt, put your overripe bananas in the freezer. Then you’ll at least have time to think on what to do with them—and you can throw them in your morning smoothies. Bananas last up to three months in the freezer ideally, and pair well with a variety of different flavor profiles, like caramel, blueberry, chocolate, or orange.

This strawberry-banana colada smoothie from Half Baked Harvest may just be your new fav, or the cloudy summer smoothie which doubles as an Erewhon smoothie dupe. Chef Chris Morgan of Joon restaurant in Washington D.C. advises using overripe bananas and other raw fruits for your children at home (he makes little smoothies for his 7-month old baby—pure genius!).

Image via Food Faith Fitness

Make Banana Cookies

Substitute the flour for bananas in your baking with some tasty cookie options. The plus side of banana cookies is that they are often automatically gluten-free and can easily become dairy-free (but always check first!). These easy peanut banana oatmeal cookies from Food Faith Fitness are a great option. If you’re looking to ditch the peanut butter, try out these 4-ingredient banana oat cookies from Livvin Media.

Image via Kathryn's Kitchen Blog

Ice Cream, Anyone?

There is nothing better than sorbet or ice cream in the summer months. All you really need is frozen ripe bananas, any other frozen fruit you prefer, milk (whichever kind you enjoy— almond, oat, etc.) and some sweeteners like honey or vanilla extract. To fit your health goals, you can even throw in protein powder. This strawberry nice cream from Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog only has five ingredients!

Image via Butternut Bakery

Upgrade Your Breakfast

Pancakes, overnight oats, and muffins are all incredibly tasty options to use up those ripe bananas and upgrade your breakfast game. Try Butternut Bakery’sbanana nut muffins for a quick snack or these healthy chia banana pancakes from Half Baked Harvest for a savory morning bite. You can also sift through Brit + Co’s 17 overnight oats recipes — keep in mind that overnight oats only last a few days in the fridge, though!

Photo by Anna Tarazevich/PEXELS

Make Dog Treats

Don’t leave out your furry friends— they love bananas too! Making long-lasting dog treats “relieves the pressure on the idea of food waste, plus there is a bonus that your pets are spoiled, happy, and nutritiously rewarded,” says pastry chef Susan Bae of the critically-acclaimed restaurant, Moon Rabbit in Washington D.C. Check out her go-to dog treat recipe below:

Chef Susan Bae’s Dog Treat Recipe:

250g organic whole wheat flour

240g organic peanut butter

70g organic, unsweetened apple sauce

56g mashed overripe banana

113g organic plain bone broth

25g organic shredded cheddar cheese

25g freeze dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F.

1.) Mix to combine whole wheat flour, peanut butter, apple sauce, bone broth and banana. Until a dough is lightly formed.

2.) Fold in shredded cheese and dried blueberries to evenly distribute in dough.

3.) Roll dough out to 1/4” thickness and use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out treats.

4.) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake dog treats until firm and dry to touch (this varies with each oven) Check at 45 minutes.

5.) Store at room temperature for up to 1 week in an airtight container or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

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Header image via Half Baked Harvest

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A Girl Named Ezra: 55 Boy Baby Names Becoming the New Girl Names

We all know about the once-male baby names like Madison and Addison, Harper and Alexis that have become popular girls’ names. Then there are the newer names crossing the gender divide toward the girls’ side. These may still be more widely used for boys, but have now moved into the Top 1000 for girls: Sawyer, Hunter, Ryan, Dallas, Royal and Ellis are the most notable.

More obscure than these, but way more newsworthy, are the boys’ names below the Top 1000 that are being used for sizable numbers of girls. We don’t mean word names like Rebel and Timber that are not intrinsically gendered or nicknames such as Billie and Joey that have long been used for girls or established unisex names such as Rowan or Robin. We’re talking about deeply traditional boys’ names that are being used, in many cases, for literally hundreds of baby girls.

In a few cases, there are powerful celebrity influences nudging these boys’ names girl-ward, such as Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds naming their first daughter James or Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher naming their little girl Wyatt. We’ve starred the names that are being used more often for girls thanks to a celebrity.

Most fascinating are those gender-shifting names that have been traditionally used for boys since Biblical or Roman times… or at least since 1880 in the US. Some names in this group may be international choices that have not be widely used in the US until recently for either gender, but that are conventional male choices in their native cultures. These classically male names, with the number of girls who were given them in the US in 2015, include:

August, 242
Spencer, 237*
Ezra, 205
Tyler, 202
Carson, 177
Lincoln, 157*
Austin, 151
Noah, 137
Jude, 135*
Christian, 124
Hudson, 114
Evan, 97*
Ira, 97
Mason, 91
Asher, 74
Anderson, 74
Sullivan, 70
Gianni, 69
Jules, 66
Asa, 65
Wyatt, 63*
Aiden, 60
Hanan, 60
Kyle, 60
Lamar, 60
Levi, 58
Everett, 44
Wesley, 43
Jasper, 42
Maxwell, 40*
James, 38*
Michael, 36
Reed, 36
Soren, 34
Landon, 32
Atlas, 30
Judah, 30
Uriah, 28
Finn, 26
Brady, 35
Julian, 26
Sonny, 26
Barrett, 25
Killian, 25
Roman, 25
Blaise, 24
Davis, 24
Jackson, 24
Jonah, 24
Alexander, 22
Connor, 21
Declan, 21
Liam, 21
Oliver, 20
Sebastian, 20

If you go below 20, you get lots of boys’ names given to a handful of girls: There were reportedly 18 baby girls named David in 2015, along with nine named Henry and five named Maximus and Oscar. But to give you an idea of how rare that is, there were the same number of baby girls named Maleficent and Ziyi.

So what does this mean, in the larger sense? We don’t foresee Ezra and James becoming the Addison and Madison of the future, or even advocate that parents of girls rush over to the boys’ list to find fresh and edgy names for their daughters. But the growing numbers behind this phenomenon are evidence that gender is becoming as fluid a concept with names as it is in other areas of life, and that’s a development we wholeheartedly support. But it will take parents naming their sons Sarah and Serena for us to achieve true gender parity.

Do you have a favorite boy name that works as a girl name? Tweet it to us @BritandCo.

This post was previously published on Nameberry by Pamela Redmond Satran.

(Photos via Getty)

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TaylorNation Reportedly Says “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” Could Drop Next Week

I am the opposite of a casual Reputation fan. Four of my five most-listened-to songs on Spotify are from the 2017 album, I wore a Rep-inspired outfit to my Eras Tour show, and I am constantly analyzing (and talking about) its symbolism. I stand by the fact that this album, as misunderstood as it is, is actually the key to understanding Taylor Swift herself, which is why its rerelease is the one I've been most looking forward to. With TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit, it feels like there's a new theory every day about when we'll get Reputation (Taylor's Version), but I'm pretty sure Taylor's been telling us the announcement date the whole time.

When is Taylor Swift releasing Reputation (Taylor's Version)?

Image via Source Pictures & Taylor Swift Productions

The cappuccino Easter egg from the "Karma" music video.

We don't have an official Reputation (Taylor's Version) release date yet, but all signs were originally pointing to an announcement on February 16, 2024. When the music video for "Karma" from Midnights came out, featuring a shot of Taylor holding a cappuccino, Swifties immediately picked up on the symbolism. The blue nail (which represents 1989 (Taylor's Version)) lines up with the 8 on the clock, and the black nail lines up with the 2 on the clock. Taylor ended up announcing 1989 TV on August 9 — and then announced The Tortured Poets Department(also known as TS11) onstage at the 2024 Grammys in February!

TaylorNation just teased the Reputation (Taylor's Version) release date by hopping on the latest internet trend, which uses the "You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me" lyric from "Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me?" Their Instagram carousel features images that have sent Swifties spiraling in the past, but there are two pics I'm paying special attention to: the "five holes in the fence" image from the Lover era, and a "Bejeweled" music video still of Taylor Swift pressing 3 in an elevator. May 3 (5/3) comes two weeks after the TTPD release, and since Taylor has been emphasizing her lead single "Fortnight" with the "For a Fortnight" challenge, it looks like it could line up perfectly.

There are plenty of other potential summer release dates too! Swifties know Taylor Swift lives and breathes the number 13, and that she's been making her recent rerecording announcements at her Eras Tour shows.

Well, this summer, Taylor is heading to Milan for a show on Saturday, July 13. X user @roranotaurora points out that the symbol for Milan is a snake (it's also a symbol for Rep!) AND that on July 13, 1977, there was a blackout across New York City. When Taylor announced the original Reputation in 2017, the "Don't Blame Me" singer blacked out all her social media. If she announced the album in July, there's a good chance we'd get it just in time for autumn, chilly weather, and Daylight Savings Time, all three of which go perfectly with the Reputation aesthetic.

There's another 13 we need to pay attention to as well: December 13, which is also Taylor Swift's birthday. The popstar had the date front and center in her Tortured Poets Department pop-up installation. Since the date falls on a Friday, it's the perfect day to drop some new music...

Are there any other clues that Reputation (Taylor's Version) will come out next?

Image via Amy Sussman

Taylor Swift attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

Recently, Taylor showed up to the 81st Golden Globe Awards in an all green ensemble, which is already so Reputation-coded to begin with. However, fans noticed one teeeeeeeny tiny detail about her look that really leans into all the theories that Rep (TV) is next. If you zoom in on her rings, one of them is a snake that's wrapped around her finger. 🐍

And after Taylor Swift released a video teasing her new album, Swifties are analyzing all the snakeskin patterns (on the curtains, the floor, and the green couch), as well as the dark visuals. While the video moves from the dark room to a bright one for TTPD, I'm convinced we'll be returning — or continuing down the hallway where you can see a dark picture frame waiting for us...

All the surprise songs at her Tokyo Eras Tour shows referenced falling apart, and a huge part of the Reputation era was related to a quote from Taylor that says "when she fell, she fell apart." Before playing "The Outside" as her piano surprise song on February 9, she made a joke that the song was 175 years old — which has Swifties thinking August 2 (175 days from February 9) could be the album's release date. Considering "The Outside" is off her first album, it's also possible we're getting Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version) in August!

A recent Disney+ ad that paired the Eras Tour film and Disney Pixar's Cars went viral on Twitter because its tagline is "Getaway Car," one of the most beloved songs on Reputation (Taylor's Version)! No matter when the album drops, having Taylor Swift's final two re-recordings be her name and her reputation is literally so iconic and I can't wait to listen.

What Taylor Swift songs are on Reputation (Taylor's Version)?

Image via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

We know that, based on previous re-recordings, Reputation (Taylor's Version) will have the original tracklist and an unknown number of vault tracks that Taylor wrote ahead of the Reputation era. PEOPLE also confirmed we'll be able to hear Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)" in the new docuseries for the New England Patriots! You can also hear a snippet in the trailer for Ashley Benson's Wilderness ;). Here's what you can expect on Taylor Swift's Reputation (Taylor's Version). I'm really hoping the vault tracks include "I Don't Want To Live Forever"!

"Ready For It? (Taylor's Version)"
"End Game (Taylor's Version)"
"I Did Something Bad (Taylor's Version)"
"Don't Blame Me (Taylor's Version)"
"Delicate (Taylor's Version)"
"Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)"
"So It Goes... (Taylor's Version)"
"Gorgeous (Taylor's Version)"
"Getaway Car (Taylor's Version)"
"King Of My Heart (Taylor's Version)"
"Dancing With Our Hands Tied (Taylor's Version)"
"Dress (Taylor's Version)"
"This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things (Taylor's Version)"
"Call It What You Want (Taylor's Version)"
"New Year's Day (Taylor's Version)"

What is Taylor Swift wearing to Grammys 2024?

Image via Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Taylor Swift showed up to the 2024 Grammys in a sculptural white gown from Schiaparelli Couture. I love how Taylor has hopped on the corset trend. This is my favorite neckline in recent years! Even though the dress is white instead of black or green — and ended up going along with the Tortured Poets Department (or TS 11) announcement — I think it's still a Reputation (Taylor's Version) Easter egg. White is, of course, the opposite of black, so I think it's a more unexpected reference to the album, with black accessories like gloves, shoes, and jewelry being a direct nod. Plus, the watch necklace pays homage to Midnights! At the 2022 VMAs, Taylor wore another Reputation-coded outfit before she announced Midnights, so I think it's definitely a pattern.

Is there gonna be a Reputation Taylor's Version?

Image Paul Kane/Getty Images

Taylor Swift performs at Optus Stadium on October 19, 2018 in Perth, Australia.

Yes, we're getting a Reputation (Taylor's Version)! Taylor Swift has been very vocal about the fact she's rerecording her first five albums. However, she's been less direct about the order or the release schedule, which is honestly more fun! The official Taylor Nation account added fuel to the fire when they posted a photo of Taylor rehearsing for The Eras Tour — because, like @nashs_mom on TikTok says, the pose doesn't match up with any of the songs. While all the photos they've previously posted match up with numbers like "Enchanted" or "Illicit Affairs," the new pose seems to match up with "I Did Something Bad" (which is both the last Reputation surprise song left AND the perfect song to announce the rerecording).

"Hear me out," another TikTok user commented. "['I Did Something Bad'] was not part of the set list in 2023 but what if the first night of the tour in 2024 she performs [it] and announces REP TV."

"I literally ratatatataed as soon as I saw it," another user says, referencing the iconic production at the beginning of the song. We have less than a month before the Eras Tour starts up again, so I'm excited to see when we'll finally get a Reputation (Taylor's Version) announcement!

What caused Taylor Swift to make Reputation?

Image via Def Jam/UMG

Cover art for Kanye West's The Life Of Pablo, which features "Famous."

The primary catalyst for Taylor Swift's Reputation era was a phone call with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. After Taylor said Kanye did not have her permission to say he "made that b-tch famous" in "Famous," a video leak from Kim seemed to show Taylor did actually give her permission (it was later revealed the video was edited, and Taylor gave her permission to be mentioned, NOT to be called a b-tch).

"#TaylorSwiftIsOverParty" began trending on Twitter, and everyone from the media to the general public began calling her a snake. So she disappeared from the public eye for over a year, and Reputation was born. The era was moody — and full of snake imagery. Taylor says in her TIME interview that the album came from "a goth-punk moment of female rage at being gaslit by an entire social structure," and told Rolling Stone in 2019 that Reputation was a "metaphor" and her "playing a character."

How old was Taylor when she wrote Reputation?

Image via Christopher Polk/Getty Images for TAS

Charli XCX, Camila Cabello and Taylor Swift perform onstage during opening night of Taylor Swift's 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour at University of Phoenix Stadium on May 8, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona.

Taylor began writing Reputation in 2016, when she was 27. However, the stories she's telling go back farther than that since "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" talks about a relationship from when she was 25.

Is Reputation a love album?

Image via Big Machine Records

Cover art for Taylor Swift's Reputation.

While Reputation is sassy, moody, and satirical, I stand by the idea that it's actually a love album at its core. While the general public talked most about "Ready for It?" and "Look What You Made Me Do," songs like "Delicate," "Call It What You Want," and "New Year's Day" are all about healing after the media turned against her. The message of the album is all about how she wants to spend the the ins and outs of life with people she loves, because they make the boring days beautiful, which is also the sentiment running throughout "Lover."

"I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day" and "We can leave the Christmas lights up 'til January" are the same!!

What are the Reputation Taylor's Version vault tracks?

Image via Warner Bros. Entertainment

A Horcrux from Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part I

While we don't have the tracklist for Reputation (Taylor's Version) yet, she did mention in her TIME interview that the vault tracks will be "fire."

"I’m collecting horcruxes,” she says of the rerecordings. “I’m collecting infinity stones. Gandalf’s voice is in my head every time I put out a new one. For me, it is a movie now.”

I'm going to be real honest, this is the line that sent me into a tailspin because the idea that Taylor loves stories like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and the MCU as much as I do is too much!! But it makes sense because after all, she IS a storyteller.

Do you think we'll get Reputation (Taylor's Version) in February 2024? Check out our Facebook for the latest Taylor Swift news and browse ourUltimate Taylor Swift Gift Guide!

Lead image via Big Machine Records

This post has been updated.

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