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Baby names, tips and advice

8 top baby name trends for 2015

LETITIA ROWLANDS The Anzac Centenary and the birth of a royal baby will be among the events that are likely to inspire parents facing the job of naming their baby this year.

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Top 100 boy and girl baby names of 2014

Staff writers From Adam to Xavier, Aaliyah to Zoe, here are the most popular baby names for 2014.

Baby names: top movers of 2014

Staff writers The top 10 baby names list may not have changed much since 2013, but the rest of the top 100 has had a shake-up.

Baby names on the verge of the top 1000

Pamela Redmond Satran What about the baby names right below the top 1000, hiding just out of sight?

Hot baby name trends for 2014

LETITIA ROWLANDS Pregnant and looking for a name for your baby, or just interested in the latest naming fashions? You might like to check out our predictions for the baby naming trends of 2014.

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The quest for a baby name

KATE FRIDKIS I spent the entire evening on my computer, reading lists of thousands of names. My daughter needed a name!

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Most unusual names of 2013

Melanie Mahoney Brand names, animals, places and seemingly random nouns (Cheese, anyone?) have given some parents inspiration for naming their babies in the US in 2013.

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Baby names inspired by TV and movies

BabyCentre has released its list of the top 100 baby names for the UK and the US, based on details sent to them by more than half a million new parents in 2013. The list suggests that TV shows and movies such as Breaking Bad, The Great Gatsby, Game of Thrones, Duck Dynasty and Girls are all inspiring baby names this year.

Old-fashioned nicknames as baby names

Here's a selection of vintage boys and girls monikers which have traditionally been used as either nicknames or given names, from the 1880s through to the 1950s.

Top baby names from around the world in 2013

We've collected the most popular baby names for boys and girls from around the world in 2013.

A no-stress guide to baby names

MCT There's no way around it - every baby needs a name. It isn't always an easy decision, but with these tips it can be a fun one.

Bizarre, cruel and strangely sweet Puritanical names

Joseph Norwood Fly-fornication, Humiliation, Dust, and Jolly ... perhaps the Puritans' greatest gift to history is their wonderfully strange taste in names.

Traditional vs unique

Richie Young Are traditional names a thing of the past? Following in the celebs' footsteps, more and more parents are being daring when naming their babies. How do you decide which way to go?

Free: 'The First Year' ebook

Check out our new interactive ebook, part of the brand new SMH Shortbooks series, for free!

Size does matter for baby names

NICKY PHILLIPS Your name may have been chosen by your parents, but a new study says there's a chance evolution had a say too.

Symmetry is the latest baby name trend

Melody McCabe The new word for all I-want-my-baby's-name-to-be-different parents is 'palindrome appellation'. In plain English, that's a name that reads the same backwards as forwards.

Baby names on the rise in 2013

Nameberry.com has released a list of the most searched-for names from the first half of 2013. Will we soon see a rise in the number of children given these names? Only time will tell. Here are the hottest names of 2013 so far.

Celebrity baby names inspired by places

Looking for naming inspiration? Look no further than the nearest atlas (or, in more modern times, Google Maps). Celebrities are leading the charge when it comes to naming children after places around the world; here are some of their picks and their cute offspring.

Top baby name predictions of 2013

Top US baby name site Nameberry has released its list of names that have attracted the most views in the first nine months of 2013. Will the search popularity of these top 10 boy, girl and unisex names be reflected in the official 2013 results?

Baby name checklist

Richie Young Whilst your child can change their name by deed poll in the future, it's probably not what you want to envision when thinking suitable names. Here's six points to consider as you're narrowing down your shortlist.

Most unusual names of 2012

US parenting site Baby Center asked parents of babies born in 2012 what they named their children. More than 500,000 people responded, and the site then compiled a list of the most out-there names. Each name on this list wasn't a one-off; to make the cut, at least two children must have been given that name in 2012.

Beating baby name anxiety

Donna Webeck For some parents, naming a baby is a challenging but fun process. For others, it just brings anxiety and stress. But there are ways to cope with the indecision and decide on a name you're happy with.

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Australia's top 100 baby names of 2012

Essential Baby has compiled the data available from government records around the country to bring you the list of Australia's top baby names of 2012.

My Favourite Baby Names

Create a shortlist of the names you love by selecting the star icon.

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The latest toys for babies and toddlers this Christmas

Here are some great toys by Fisher-Price that encourage learning and development skills - fantastic ideas for babies and toddlers at Christmas.

'I'll miss you till the day I die': a goodbye to a beautiful friend

You died today so you'll never read this letter. But I still had to write it.

Get your FREE Baby & Toddler Ticket!

Get your free ticket to the Essential Baby & Toddler Show Brisbane (4-6 March). Register online now to save $20!

How to make decisions while pregnant - don't ask me

 It's not just been the bigger things that have me frozen in indecision in pregnancy. It's the day-to-day things too.

The Santas who are spreading extra Christmas magic

This year we've seen some Santas go above and beyond their usual role in shopping centres and Christmas grottos around the world.

Excitement as three girls get adopted baby brother for Christmas

As far as surprise Christmas presents go, the one these young sisters received was pretty special!

Is my baby's vision developing properly?

New parents spend an awful lot of time gazing blissfully at the little being they brought into the world. And your brand new baby is gazing straight back at you.

Prince George will be 'bouncing around like a rabbit', says his dad

Prince George will be "bouncing around like a rabbit" as the family prepare for their first Christmas as a foursome.

Women learning they're going to be grandmas is the happiest thing you'll see all day

One video compilation, shared on Facebook, features many women learning they're going to be grandmothers – and the clips are just gorgeous.

Kind Christmas gesture brings happiness to foster child

A Canberra woman who took her foster child out for coffee with a friend recently did not expect a random act of kindness to leave her in tears.

Grieving mum pumps almost 350 litres of breast milk to save sick babies

When Amy Anderson's son Bryson was stillborn, doctors provided advice on how to stop her body lactating. But she did exactly the opposite.

Jimmy Giggle's fun new Christmas album

Jimmy Rees, AKA Jimmy Giggle, has earned a special place in the hearts of a whole generation of Aussie kids.

Baby's short life gives Hope to transplant patients

She died 74 minutes after she was born but baby Hope has given others a chance to live a full life.

Getting your body confidence back after a baby

The sad and honest truth is that most people are too busy thinking about themselves to give anyone else – and that includes me – a second thought.

First comes baby, then comes push present?

Kim Kardashian has delivered her second child, and now wants a $1m diamond choker.

8 things mums really want for Christmas

Forget the pyjamas and books this year, Santa: this is what mums are really craving.

'Motherhood is very healing': Pink

Parenthood has changed pop-punk Pink for the better - she's no longer jaded about life.

US politician's shocking family Christmas card

They are "just your ordinary American family".

'My breast is no different to a spoon': mum hits back

A mum has hit out at breastfeeding shamers and has shared a photo to show her refusal to cover up while feeding her son.

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