Baby Names for the New Century

Choosing a name is partly a wager on the future, and Pamela Samuelson's guide, published in 1994, was written for parents picturing a child who would grow up in the twenty-first century. At its centre is the Baby Name Data Bank, a set of listings for boys and girls that gathers classical names alongside multicultural and ethnic ones, so the final choice can reflect family heritage as much as personal taste or interests.

Read now, it is also a small period piece, capturing how parents in the nineties thought about identity and what a name might carry. A useful companion for expectant parents who like a wide field to choose from, and for anyone quietly fascinated by names and where they come from.