Bob Dylan's Sara was a "radiant jewel" -- famously "easy to look at" but "hard to define." The Beatles had their "lovely Rita"; Toni Basil obsessed over "Mickey" (to the frustration of middle school dance chaperones everywhere).
"Names are more than a collection of Latin root words and their attributes," says Margaret Eby, in the introduction to her new book "Rock and Roll Baby Names". "They're affected by the people who wear them and particularly by the way they're used in movies, television, books, and most, importantly, in music." Indeed, from Aretha and Adele to Beyoncé, Bono and beyond, Eby's field guide to musical monikers delivers inspiration to any parent intent on boosting his or her kid's rock-and-roll bona fides.
The dictionary sweeps from the '50s (Gertie, Wanda and Bo) straight through to the 2000s (Willow, Miley and Akon). She includes jazz nicknames (think "Dizzy" and "Count") and "names that make you want to sing" (like Lady Gaga's "Alejandro") -- and then there are the "names not even rock can redeem" (if you've named your child Pirkle, Purvis, or Werly, you'll want to skip this part).
We asked Margaret to nominate the wildest names rock and rollers have chosen for their own kids over the years. From Pirate and Chudney to Dweezil and Jermajesty, take a look at the oddities -- and vote for your favorites! -- below.
Rock 'n' Roll Baby Names – Baby Name Blog - Nameberry
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Posted: 04/05/12 10:38 AM ET | Updated: 04/05/12 10:49 AM ET