Nope. No babies here, but I was told to expect a new niece or nephew and I've been intrigued by this book since shelving it in the Parenting section, so I took it home for my sister.

We've all seen baby name books, but this one is different. Wattenberg takes a look at the statistics behind names, points out trends and groups names in "families" such as similar cultural background, regional favorites, trends and, most importantly, the 'feel' of a name. She uses categories such as Elegant Antique, Exotic Traditionals, etc. so it easy to find names that spark interest. Everything is cross-referenced nicely for simple navigation.

Wattenberg has a good sense of humor about names and doesn't mince words with her practical advice to parents about getting over the anxiety of naming, and find one that feels right to them. ( )

Recommended by Rebecca M.

One of the more useful baby name books out there. A brief introduction with some general advice (including, surprisingly, the instruction NOT to go to the hospital with a shortlist of names and decide once the baby's born; rather, the author recommends picking one name in advance and changing it if you feel it's necessary).

The main content of the book is names grouped by various whimsically-named categories, such as "ladies and gents," "70s and 80s," "nickname-proof." Each name is accompanied by a popularity ranking, suggested male and female sibling names, and a brief description of the name's history and connotations.

An index in the back lists each name and every mention by page number, so you can also look up names that way if you prefer. ( )

Read from April 02 to May 12, 2014

I loved the categories and that there wasn't an absolutely ridiculous number of names included. I felt like just the best were here. I'll probably check it out one more time once we find out if it's a boy or a girl. ( )

This is the best baby name book I've seen. It doesn't focus on meanings and etymology, but that isn't the point of the book. I loved the Name Spotlights, especially the girls section (that's probably because I'm really picky on boys' names).

I did notice a few pronunciation errors, however. The correct pronunciation of Briony is BRIE-ən-ee, not BREE-ən-ee. Blythe is BLIEDH, not BLIETH. ( )

Assssssspiles of info for name nerds, and I guess parents. For five-star surfeit, check out the associated web app and blog. And stay away from Oona: that one's mine. ( )