but I still love technology

Ever since I can remember, I've been obsessed with names. When I was about 10, I used to check baby name books out of the library and pore over them. I would make lists and try out different combinations of first and middle names. When I realized the many uses of the internet, I would spend a lot of time on Behind the Name, where you could browse names by origin and look at each name's meaning. I specifically enjoyed looking at the Finnish section. Oh, those combinations of 'ii' and 'kk' are so weirdly beautiful to my American eyes. The site also has a complete listing of each participating country's name days. (You know, like Anna Day on December 9th.)

Today I found out about Nymbler. Here you can enter names you like and receive suggestions of other names you might like, based on similarities in origin, 'style', and popularity. When you like a name, you save it, and when you don't, you can block it. You can also click on each name and view trends in the name's popularity, including its peak year and its 2008 ranking. Thus, you can avoid giving your child an identity that must be qualified with a last initial for the rest of his or her life. I think the data might not be completely up-to-date, though, because it lists no data for the name Barack, and I know that name had to have been gaining popularity in 2008. Also, the site does not list name meanings, so I will still use Behind the Name in conjunction with Nymbler. All in all, I like the site's abilities to suggest names based on similar characteristics and create lists for you, much like my beloved Pandora.