The Name Game Clues Explained

So, now that our sweet girl is here, and her name is known to the world, it's only fitting that we reveal just what exactly all these silly sentences, hints, and random clues all mean. Plus, it might provide some insight into just how ridiculously strange Carly and I can be...ha! And, congrats are in order to Payton (my brother) and Melissa (his fiancee) for being the first to correctly guess our daughter's name. Many of you were right on after the final clue posted Tuesday morning.

Oh, and Phoebe means "bright, shining, brilliant light" in case you were wondering.

May 21st Clue #1

-6 in a Japanese Trend.

*The number 6 stands for the amount of letters in her name. The Japanese trend is none other than Pokemon, whose second member of the Hoenn Elite Four is named Phoebe.



May 28th Clue #2

-"One small step for a feathered friend, one giant leap for our family."


*The quote reflects what Neil Armstrong said when walking on the moon...Phoebe is the name of Saturn's outermost moon. And the feathered friend part refers to an actual insect-eating bird with the same name. So, basically, we made our own astronomical quote.



June 3rd Clue #3

-Screamin' Jay Hawkins decides to belt it out...despite the weather.


*The above-mentioned artist sang "I Put a Spell on You." This points to a profession of ladies who cast spells...witches...specifically from the TV show CHARMED. Alyssa Milano's character was named Phoebe, as was a minor character in the 1952 classic SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, which covers the last part of the clue.



June 9th Clue #4 & #5

-Steven Spielberg, Marcus Skinner, Ray Walston, and Chris Columbus meet up for some pizza. (still first name)


*Spielberg was the Executive Producer and Columbus the writer for Gremlins, which starred Phoebe Cates. Cates was also in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, where Ray Walston's class (he was Mr. Hand) was interrupted by a pizz delivery by one Jeff Spicoli. Oh, and Marcus Skinner was the professor Colin Hanks was trying to track down in Orange County. Skinner was played by Kevin Kline, who is married to Phoebe Cates in real life.




-A Royal Journal of a Red-haired orphan. (middle name)


*The Princess Diaries stars Anne Hathaway...Anne Frank had a famous diary...Anne Boleyn was royalty also...Anne of Green Gables was a red-haired orphan...and yet so was that little mischievous gal Annie from the movies...you get the idea.



June 15th (Delivery Date - final clues)

-A servant of the church in Cenchrea, who never let her Greek heritage get in the way of being a good FRIEND.



*A deaconess in the church, Phoebe is mentioned in Scripture only once...Romans 16:1-2. To the Greeks, her name represented the Titan Goddess of the Oracle of Delphi (the Moon Goddess or Bright Moon). And of course, most of us think of Lisa Kudrow and her hilarious character from Friends.