1st Place: Annabelle B. for OLIVER
Prize: Ecoist bag & Rag Trade gift certificate
It’s a name we hadn’t thought of before and really made us think. Plus, we love the baby’s predicted eco-passion: "Trees and plants as sources of nourishment and healing, as well as strength and longevity."

2nd Place: Shimona K. for CARSON
Prize: Ecoist bag
Naming a boy after Rachel Carson was a fantastic idea, and the name is great, too!

3rd Place: Sarah P. for AMATOR DEMETRIUS
Prize: Ecoist bag
She tells us that the words literally mean "Loves" "Mother Earth", and though I don’t think it will actually be my son’s name, we loved the creativity behind the submission!

Thanks again to everyone. We’ll try to keep up with posting every once in a while, but we may need to take a semi-hiatus with the upcoming arrival!

Name: Walden
Why: He’s a nature lovin’ treehugger
This baby’s eco-passion: Duh! Trees, of course!
– Submitted by Laura M.

Name: Henry, Leo, Silvio, or Max
Why: All are names of family & friends that are eco-conscious
This baby’s eco-passion: Access to clean drinking water for those who need it. Maybe that will entail inventing the best desalination equipment, or litigating against greedy developers/illegal dumpers/unethical utilities, or developing innovative engineering.
– Submitted by Juliet P.

Name: Oliver (again!)
Why: It means peace
This baby’s eco-passion: To bring about a more peaceful world (and peaceful natural places!).
– Submitted by Jen C.

Name: Carmelo
Why: Doesn’t it just roll off the tongue in English or Spanish?  Doesn’t it simply sound sweet, like honey?  The name Carmelo derives from the Hebrew Carmel defined as "orchard" or "vineyard".
This baby’s eco-passion: Organic wine-making or sustainable beekeeping.
– Submitted by Maria E.

Name: Kai
Why: Means keeper of the earth in Greek and "sea" in Hawaiian.
This baby’s eco-passion: Keeping our planet thriving, whether it is about developing novel ways to decrease our pollution or tending to the sea life that is affected by our pollution.
– Submitted by Jamie F.

Name: Amator Demetrius
Why: Means "Loves" and "Mother Earth" so together the name means "Loves Mother Earth"
This baby’s eco-passion: Amator will love to find new ways to reuse our resources to insure earth will be clean and healthy for our posterity.
– Submitted by Sarah P.

Name: Edan
Why: It sounds similar to Eden, as in the first part of Genesis, the Garden of Eden.  This conjures up an idea of a perfect world- unscathed by humans.  The Spanish Baby Name book said the meaning of the word meant fire; one of the four substances regarded as the fundamental elements of the earth.
This baby’s eco-passion: He will grow to be a strong man who will reverse the aging of time.
– Submitted by Davina M.

Name: Ecoist
Why: “Eco” will be raised with a recycling family that loves to do community clean-ups, has a solar powered home, a sailboat, and a large vegetable garden surrounded by a butterfly garden and bordered with shade creating native trees.
This baby’s eco-passion: Eco will be cared for by his older sister Enviro and his parents Father time and Mother nature.
– Submitted by Robert P.

Name: Tenacidad
Why: It implies courage, steadfastness, and determination. His nick name could be "Ten," which is unusual and easy to remember.
This baby’s eco-passion: Only Tenacidad will know what his passion might be. I imagine his parents will serve by example, but if he is original and independent, he will develop his own style of affecting positive change in the world. I sense he will spread the good word through music.
– Submitted by Bridget M.

Related Posts:
Name Our Greener Baby Contest
Submissions, Vol. 1

We like what we are seeing; some of the names have definitely given us something to think about. Think you can do better? Enter the contest yourself! Or leave a comment with your favorites from the list below.

We’ve still got more names to process and publish, but here is an initial taste. Again, a special thanks to our contest sponsors, Ecoist and Rag Trade Happy Clothing Co.

Name: Antonio 

Why: It sounds good in Spanish y ingles, and it’s common, but not the most common name.

This baby’s eco-passion: Helping clean up the beaches in Miami, and the oceans in general.

– Submitted by Joe P.

Name: Carson

Why: Named after Rachel Carson, who could quite possibly be considered the mother of the green movement.

This baby’s eco-passion: To inspire new generations to protect the living world and all its creatures, just like his namesake.

– Submitted by Shimona K.

Name: Oliver

Why: Baby Oliver could extend his olive branches as peace offerings.

This baby’s eco-passion:  Trees and plants as sources of nourishment and healing, as well as strength and longevity.

– Submitted by Annabelle B.

Name: Lucien

Why: Means light, illumination. Because only monsters live in the dark.

This baby’s eco-passion: Sustainable energy sources, the electric car.

– Submitted by Annabelle B.

Name: Arnan

Why: Because the purpose of life is to be happy; and because no matter, what there is something to be happy about

This baby’s eco-passion: Eco-friendly homes, travel.

– Submitted by Annabelle B.

Name: Marcelo

Why: We love our son’s name so much, we want to pass it on to you! Marcelo offers a nice flow in sound with tradition and depending on how some might perceive it, Marcelo sounds exotic! Marcelo means "little warrior." However, Marcelo is our little warrior living an eco-friendly and organic lifestyle. He uses everything from Similac organic formula to organic cotton clothes and towels, lotions, and also plays with a couple of sustainable toys.

This baby’s eco-passion: Your son’s eco-passion should develop through his exposure of cultures and the environment, values, and abilities from everyday life.  Of course, parental influence is also helpful in creating an eco-foundation.

– Submitted by Yvonne & Jayson K.

Related posts: Name Our Greener Baby Contest

In order to celebrate the upcoming arrival of this baby boy, we’re holding the Name Our Greener Baby Contest! We’ve teamed up with local green businesses Ecoist and Rag Trade Happy Clothing Co. for some fabulous prizes, so get your thinking caps on!

General Info:

No, you probably won’t actually wind up naming our baby. However, we really don’t have a name for this poor kid and desperately need some help, so it is possible!  Winners will be chosen by Mr. & Mrs. greenerMIAMI. We’ll choose our top favorites, and boy oh boy, if we DO pick your name for our baby, you’ll definitely get 1st place. You can go for originality, creativity, eco-friendliness, or practical…all will be considered! Submissions must be received by Friday, March 7, 2008.

Prizes:

1st Place: Ecoist Handbag & $25 store credit at Rag Trade Happy Clothing!

2nd Place: Ecoist Handbag

3rd Place: Ecoist Handbag

Naming Details:

The baby will primarily use his father’s last name, which is of Hispanic origin, beginning with A, ending with O.

We’re not planning on using a middle name.

The name should sound good in both English and Spanish.

I prefer names that are a little more unusual, or at least less common, though my husband is more traditional. Good luck with that!

How to Enter & Rules of the Game:

Email us at NameOurGreenerBaby@gmail.com with the subject line "I’ve Got Your Name!" and the following information –

1. Proposed name for the Baby Boy

2. Why you chose that name

3. What you imagine his "eco-passion" will be

4. Your full name, email, USA mailing address (to mail your prize if you win), and phone number. ONLY YOUR FIRST NAME and LAST INITIAL will be published. All other information is for contact & shipping needs ONLY. If you would like us to post a link to your website with your submission, please feel free to include it.

5. Make sure we receive it by Friday, March 7, 2008. Multiple entries are allowed, but each person / mailing address can only win once.

6. Winners will be selected by the parents of the baby-to-be. If multiple submissions for the same name are received, we may use the descriptive answers (#2 & 3) as deciding factors. Submissions may be published prior to contest end date, and this post will be updated.

7. You must be 18 years or older to enter, and have a US mailing address to win.

8. We’ll update this post with submissions throughout the contest period, so that we can all enjoy the names that are suggested. Stay tuned!

Fun Research Tools:

You can easily find a million baby name sites. (But don’t feel limited by them!) Here are some interesting ones that we’ve come across.

Baby Name Wizard: NameVoyager

How Many of Me

Sponsors:

Ecoist – Eco-Friendly Handbags & Accessories

Ecoist develops unique gifts and fashion accessories for the eco-minded individual. Our objective is to merge design with social and environmental consciousness to provide stylish, functional, and durable products that people will love to own. All our products are made from recycled, organic, or earth-friendly materials, and are manufactured through our network of fair trade partnerships around the world.

Rag Trade: Happy Clothing Co.

Rag*Trade is Miami’s first and only clothing exchange + boutique. We combine the best of thrifting and high-end shopping in one cozy, unique space in the design district. Find us Tuesday – Friday 12-6 pm and Saturday 1-6 pm at 4600 NE 2nd Ave, Ste. 6. Parking & entry in the rear.

Inspired by Thingamababy.