Royal baby name announced

William and Kate have announced their baby's name - George Alexander Louis.

It's a lovely, solid name and was number six on the most popular baby boys' names of 2012.

No doubt it will climb even higher up the popularity charts now that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen it for their son.

The third in line to the throne will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.
George means farmer or earth worker and is of course, the name of the patron saint of England..

William and Kate had been expected to pick a traditional name and there have been six King George's up to now including the Queen's father (known to his family as Bertie).

This picture I have taken of George written in the sand is one of my favourites and is available to buy as a canvas print at www.Sand-Writing.com along with hundreds of other boys' and girls' names, all written individually and photographed on a beautiful beach in north Wales.

Lots of new sand writing pictures!

I've been very busy taking lots more pictures for the website and am really pleased with the results.

I've written lots of relations in sand like Mum, Dad, Grandma etc which will I hope will make lovely presents for your family.

 

There are some with happy and inspirational sayings such as Live Life to the Full and Happy Holidays, which I could fill my own house with!

 

I got carried away and added to my drawings  in sand with stick people and more hearts and smiley faces making an appearance as well as a house and a birthday cake!

 

People who love the area in North Wales where the pictures are taken have been especially enthusiastic about my pictures so I have done some at Abersoch and at Morfa Nefyn with the place names included such as We love Abersoch and Fun at Morfa.

Most of the new pictures  have gone on sale today  on the site to buy as canvas prints, under the Messages section.

But the website will soon be redesigned to reflect all the new categories.

The boys' and girls' names written in sand continue to be popular presents and I have photographed some more which will be added to the site soon.

In the meantime, don't forget to follow us on Facebook where there are lots of updates giving the meanings of the boys' and girls' names featured on the site.

I hope you like the new pictures, please have a look at www.Sand-Writing.com and let me know what you think.

Florence. And other names.

The name Florence was among the names I looked at this week on the Sand-Writing.com Facebook page.
In 1904 it was the second most popular girls' name.
Today it is still in the top 100 - in fact it's number 47, one of many traditional names that remain popular or have risen back up the charts.
Mary was the most popular name in 1904, Doris was third, Edith fourth and Dorothy fifth.
For boys, the top five were William, John, George, Thomas and Arthur and ALL of them were in the top 100 for 2012.

Are you called Florence or another traditional name? Are there any traditional names you love or hate?

Here's the round-up from the week on our Facebook page - don't forget to like it to see a new name each day and to hear news and offers.

Florence is the 47th most popular girls' name of the moment and means blossoming, flourishing or charming.
It comes from the Latin name Florentius.
Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing who served during the Crimean war, was given the name because she was born in Florence.
Florence is the English name for the wonderful Italian city Firenze.

 

 

Kian is number 91 of the top 100 boys' names for 2012, according to babycentre.co.uk.
It is the Anglicized spelling of the Gaelic name Cian, meaning ancient.

 

Victory of the people is the meaning of the name Nicole.
It is the 92nd most popular girls' name.
Nicole is the French feminine form of Nicholas.
Famous people with the name include the actress Nicole Kidman, the socialite Nicole Richie and singer Nicole Appleton.

 

Elliot is the 50th most popular boys' name.
It means my God is the Lord and came from a Norman French version of the name Elias.
Other spellings include Elliott and Eliott.
Famous Elliots include the actor Elliot Gould and it always reminds me of the little boy in ET.

Amy means beloved and is the 36th most popular girls' name.
The English name comes from the Old French name Amee.
Amy is the heroine in the novel Little Dorrit by Charles Dicken and was a character in Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott.
Famous people with the name included the pilot Amy Johnson.

To see all the pictures available go to Sand-Writing.com where there are hundreds of personalised canvas pictures of names and messages written in the sand. They make beautiful gifts for loved ones and are a unique children's present for a birthday or christening.

Mother's Day and baby names

I hope all the mums out there had a lovely Mother's Day.

My two-year-old gets very excited about giving presents now - they are called pre, he doesn't say the second part of the word yet!

He rushed in from the shops with my husband on Friday and happily revealed he'd bought me a 'pre'! Then told me it was some chocolates, so I was able to have them before the day.

And we made some lovely chocolates for his grandmas too and carefully decorated some boxes to put them in, so he was thrilled to give those out as well.

For mothers-to-be, who have all this loveliness to come, I've been continuing my daily exploration of baby names on the Sand-Writing.com Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/SandWriting.

Please like the page, if you haven't already, so that you don't miss out on news and ideas.

Here are the names and www.Sand-Writing.com pictures I looked at last week and their meanings and popularity.

 

Lewis is the 27th most popular name for a baby boy

It was the English version of the French Louis in the middle ages.

The Isle of Lewis is one of the islands off the west coast of Scotland known as the Hebrides.
Interesting fact: Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was actually called Charles Dodgson.

 

The 14th most popular name for a girl is Charlotte

It is the feminine form of the name Charles and among its meanings are free and strong woman.

It's been used in England since the 17th century.

 

Number 16 on the most popular boys' names of 2012 is Samuel.

The biblical name can mean name of God or he has hearkened and was popular with 26th century Puritans.

It is often shortened to Sam.

 

The 32nd most popular name for a girl was is thought to have originated from a mistake.

The character of Imogen was printed in Shakespeare's play Cymbeline in 1609.

But it's thought he meant to use the Gaelic name Innogen instead and the error was the result of a misreading.

Imogen means maiden.

 

Little king is the meaning of the name Ryan.

It is the 36th most popular boys' name and is taken from an Irish surname.

In north America it is well established as a girls' name.

All of the above photographs are available to buy as canvas pictures from the website www.Sand-Writing.com from just £24.99.

There are hundreds of names and messages available - they make a gorgeous personalised present for a boy, girl or loved one.

Baby name remorse

Increasing numbers of parents are apparently changing their baby's name after suffering 'baby name remorse'.

Some parents wish they hadn't picked an obscure name, others regret a name that is too trendy.
Incredibly, a survey found that 54 per cent of parents regret their original choice of baby name and a quarter say they grew to dislike the name.
To change a name if a baby is under 12 months costs less than £40 and just involves filling out an application form to get a new birth certificate.
I imagine that would be confusing for a baby and difficult for friends and family to adapt.
So make sure you give this important decision lots of thought!

Here are the names I have been looking at this week on my Facebook page -https://www.facebook.com/SandWriting

 

The 17th most popular baby name at the moment is Poppy, which comes from the English flower.

Apparently its popularity peaked in the 1900s and returned to favour in the 1990s.

 

 Adam is 35th in the boys' name charts for 2012 according to www.babycentre.co.uk.

In the bible, Adam was the first man on earth.

The name can mean man, human being, earth or red.

St Adam is the patron saint of gardeners.

 

 

If William and Kate have a baby girl, maybe they will be wanting to name her after the Queen.

Or perhaps they will choose a short form of Elizabeth, Beth.

Beth first appeared in the 19th century and is the 78th most popular name for a girl at the moment.

It means My God is a vow.

The 66th most popular name for a boy is Rory.

Rory means great king.

It is a Scottish and Irish name and comes from the Gaelic words for red and king.

It is also found as Rorie and can be used as a shortened form of Roderick.

 

Emily is a very popular name at the moment - number three in the girls' charts.

It's also used a lot in the US, Australia and New Zealand.

Its popularity also soared in the 19th century (think Emily Bronte, the 19th century poet and novelist).

The meaning comes from the Latin for striving or eager.

For more personalised sand photographs go to www.Sand-Writing.com.

Baby name ideas

If you've liked my Facebook page, you will have been finding out about a different name every day.
The names I have written in the sand and photographed so far were the most popular 100 boys' and girls' names of 2011 plus a few other requests and different spellings.
I'll be adding more soon, including names which made it into the top 100 for 2012 - new pictures will be appearing in the next few weeks on www.Sand-Writing.com.

One piece of advice I always thought was good when choosing a baby's name was to put a more unusual first name with a common surname. And to put a plainer first name with an unusual surname.

The names I looked at on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SandWriting) this week were:

Alfie was a nickname for names beginning with Alf-, like Alfred.
But now it is a very popular name in its own right and was number 15 on the boys' baby name list for 2012.
The loveable character Alfie Moon in the BBC soap EastEnders may have contributed to this along with the remake in 2004 of the 1966 film Alfie which starred Michael Caine.

Number 90 of the girls' names of 2012 was Sarah, meaning princess.
It was a popular name when I was young and I think it is beautiful, not least because it is the name of one of my very best friends.
In the Old Testament, Sarah was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac.
I hope you like this picture taken in Abersoch of Sarah written in the sand.

 

Prince William has been in the spotlight even more since his marriage and the name William is now at number 10 in the boys' name chart.
William means resolute protection and was introduced to England by William the Conqueror.
Shortened versions include Will, Bill and Billy.

 

Maya  is the 41st most popular name for a baby girl.
The origin of the name is not clear.
Some say the name is of ancient Greek origin and may have meant nurse or greater.
It may also be linked to the Sanskrit for illusion.
There is also a colour version of this picture available at www.Sand-Writing.com.

Michael has been a very popular name since the 20th century.
Today it is the 53rd most popular name for a boy.
It is based on the Hebrew for 'Who is like God?'
There are various shortened versions including Mike, Mick and Mickey.

 See www.Sand-Writing.com for many more names and messages written in sand and selling as beautiful personalied presents.

Baby names

 

Choosing a baby's name is so important - your boy or girl will have it their whole lives!
On my Facebook page, I take a look at a different name each day, illustrated with a www.Sand-Writing.com picture.
I hope it will give people inspiration https://www.facebook.com/SandWriting
I reveal the position each name is in the baby name charts as well as some interesting facts.

This week I've looked at:

 

 

 

Harry was the top boys' name of 2012 according to babycentre.co.uk.
I love this black and white version of my picture of Harry written in the sand.
The name Harry developed as an informal version of Henry or Harold and Prince Harry may be helping its current popularity.

 

 

Isabelle is number five on the most popular baby names of 2012.

It means My God is a vow.

Isabelle is the French version of Isabel, and belle is French for beautiful.

And the picture of this name s written in the sand is one of my favourites - all available from

www.Sand-Writing.com.

 

 

 

Number six on the most popular baby boys' names of 2012 is George.
George means farmer or earth worker and is of course, the name of the patron saint of England.
This photograph makes a beautiful present for a boy or baby boy.

 

 

 

Daisy is 34 on babycentre.co.uk's list of most popular names for 2012.
It is an English name and comes from the flower of the same name.
It can also be a nickname for Margaret because the French word for daisy is marguerite.
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do is a popular song, which I learned to play on the organ at the age of three!

 

 

 

 

The 39th most popular baby name for 2012 was Sebastian.
It is the English form of the Roman Sebastianus meaning 'of Sebasta', which was a city in Asia.
Saint Sebastian was a Roman soldier and became a very popular saint in the Middle Ages.

 

 

The name Scarlett was number 27 in 2012.
Scarlet is a shade of red and the name Scarlett for a girl was made popular by the character Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.
The name was originally given to a dyer or seller of bright fabrics.

Keep checking the Facebook page for more names and pictures https://www.facebook.com/SandWriting

And of course go to www.Sand-Writing.com to choose from hundreds of names and messages written in the sand and selling as canvas pictures.

The personalised gifts make a great present for a boy or girl, they look great in children's bedrooms and also are a unique new baby or christening gift.

Other pictures are wonderful for wedding, anniversary, birthday or Christmas presents.

Sale now on!

Just a quick one to let people know that you can get 20 per cent off everything at www.Sand-Writing.com using the voucher code SALE20 now!

Brighten up a wall with a beautiful personalised, canvas picture from Sand-Writing.com.

Or stock up on birthday/christening/wedding/anniversary presents, even Christmas presents now!

Happy shopping xxx

The top baby names 2012

Writing the top 100 boys' and girls' names individually in sand and photographing them was a challenge! In a good way.

And as I wrote the last name (which happened to be Mya) I felt a certain sense of achievement. However a new list has been published of the most popular baby names of 2012, so I'll soon be returning to the beach (also armed with quite a few requests).

Baby boys' names now in the top 100 which I haven't already got include Hugo, Seth and Austin. Violet, Clara and Martha are among the new girls' list that I am missing.

According to babycentre.co.uk, Harry is now the number one name, maybe due in part to Prince Harry's popularity.

I love the name Harry and I love this black and white version of one of my photographs of  Harry written in the sand, available as a canvas from www.Sand-Writing.com.

 

 

The top 10 boys's names of the moment are mainly traditional and thankfully I have written them all in sand:

1. Harry
2. Jack
3. Oliver
4. Charlie
5. James
6. George
7. Thomas
8. Ethan
9. Jacob
10. William

 

Top of the girls' names is Amelia. Many of the most popular girls' names end in a soft a sound.

Here is my colour picture of Amelia written in sand, again available as a canvas from www.Sand-Writing.com.

 

 

As with all my photographs, it was written individually on a beach in Abersoch, north Wales.

Here are the top 10 girls' names for 2012 according to babycentre.co.uk:

 

1. Amelia

2. Lily

3. Emily

4. Sophia

5. Isabelle

6. Sophie

7. Olivia

8. Jessica

9. Chloe

10. Mia

What do you think of the popular names of the moment?

Which are your favourite or do you prefer more unusual names?

Let me know and please visit my website and tell me what you think.

 

Ideas for Valentine's Day

Now that the new year is underway, one of the next celebrations to look forward to - if you are happily loved up - is Valentine's Day.
Of course it's nice to think your partner knows how much you care and in an ideal world, you find ways to show it all year round.
But I always think it's a good opportunity to make an effort and really make them feel special.
My husband and I have a tradition that we do every year.
Rather than splash out on an expensive meal, we cook a surprise for each other - me taking care of the starter and dessert and Stuart, the main course.
We go to great lengths to ensure the other one doesn't discover what we are making.
It has gone slightly wrong twice - the first year when I cooked a gigantic fish pie each as a starter and then Stuart's main course was like two meals in one - leaving us both feeling a little full and unromantic!
And last year when, despite our dozens of cookbooks, we managed to cook the same starter and main course, with copious amounts of alioli to go with each.
Anyway, this year I hope to help a lot of people express their feelings in a unique way through my new website.
What better gift for Valentine's Day than I Love You written in the sand.
Or a simple heart drawn on a beautiful beach and photographed by me.
The pictures taken near Abersoch in North Wales are available as canvas prints at www.Sand-Writing.com
Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

Happy new year

Happy new year everyone!
I hope 2013 will be a good one for you - it will be an exciting time for me - the website is so new but I already have some new ideas for it that I am itching to get started on!
And our two-year-old son gets even more entertaining and rewarding by the day so I can't wait to find out how much he learns and develops this year.
I wish the weather would improve as he loves being out and about, especially if it involves visiting a farm.
But I'm hoping that this cold wet weather will have a positive effect on business and encourage people to inject memories of beaches and summer sun into their homes with one of my canvas prints!

http://www.Sand-Writing.com