Need the lowdown on first names? Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran, authors of the bestselling Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana and The Last Word on First Names, offer a fresh, illuminating, and indispensable guide to thousands of names from Aaliyah to Zuri.

Drawing on years of research and experience, only Baby Names Now can give you insights like these:

* Call your daughter Rose, but don't call your son Thorne.
* Word names, nature names, and what might be called time names are fashionable now, especially those that haven't been used much in the past. December, in other words, is much cooler than April or June.
* Although it sounds desertlike, Zahara is actually a Muslim and Swahili name meaning "flower." In Hebrew, it denotes brightness.
* If Cook and Sailor can be used as first names, why not Fisher?
* Though it has a hippyish feel, Jupiter has a legitimate history as a first name, used in this country as far back as the eighteenth century-- in fact, Jupiter Hammon was the first African-American poet published here.
* Malcolm's in the middle-- of a definite revival.

Whether you already have a list of favorite names or are just beginning to look for ideas, Baby Names Now will provide the information and inspiration you need to make the perfect choice.