Apple Martin's falling, so to speak, from the tree, has intensified the water cooler-level interest in baby-naming strategies.
Strategies, as opposed to categories or outcomes: Asking a longtime friend for permission to name your child after theirs is both honorable and endearing. Naming a child after her grandmother is also good, while naming her after both her grandmothers is a little kiss-assy. Of course, if your friend's kid's name is Apple, you probably need both grandmothers' names to win them over.
Outcome can't be completely divorced from strategy, either. What if Apple was actually one parent's private reference to, say, his crush on Fiona, or his secret on-set fling with his wife's co-star in that lame stewardess movie? You get the picture.
Meanwhile, if you're in the middle of naming a kid of your own, spend some time on the strategy/strategies, too. While Celebrity Baby Names is an entertaining category, Because Gwyneth Named Her Kid That is a pretty insupportable strategy. Work on that and get back to me.
Related, also at NewYorkish: Soap Operas & Fantasy Films: Hot Baby Names in '04
