You probably know that many parents give their children nicknames before they’re born – but did you know that they can actually help parents bond with their babies? These “noms de womb” are often sweet and amusing, but they can also be a way of using gender-neutral language for the child.

When the question of in-utero nicknames was put out on social media by ABC Radio Hobart in Tasmania, some common themes started to show. “Peanut”, “bean”, and “jellybean” were popular nicknames, as were “Cletus the foetus” and “George”. And sometimes a name given to the unborn baby might be intended as their forever name — until the baby arrives, as happened for one set of parents who nicknamed their baby “Xena” and were more than a little amused when a boy was born.

Remember Boaty McBoatface?

A public vote to name four trains running between the Swedish cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg has resulted in one of the four being called Trainy McTrainface in an echo of the name chosen by the British public for the new polar research vessel.

Trainy McTrainface received 49% of the votes in a poll, jointly run by Swedish rail company MTR Express and Swedish newspaper Metro. That placed it well ahead the other three options: Hakan, Miriam and Poseidon.

Get more details about the other interesting train names in Sweden in this Guardian article.

Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden are expecting their second child. The expected birth month is this coming September. As with royal tradition, the baby’s name has not been released. However, that has not stopped enthusiasts of the Scandinavian monarchy from guessing name will be chosen for the sixth in line to the Swedish crown. With baby names like Estelle, Oscar, Leonore, and Nicolas, many of the names chosen by Swedish Royals have proven to be exceedingly popular throughout the northern nation. Whether or not the proud parents will continue in this tradition or will select a name that is comparatively unusual remains to be seen. For a look the top 100 boys and girls names in Sweden for the year 2016, check out Nameberry’s list.

You’ve probably heard about Simmons, Sealy, and Serta, but what about Casper? Eve? Leesa? There’s a new wave of mattress companies out there and the names aren’t what you might expect. In this engaging and thoughtful post, professional namer Nancy Friedman takes a look at the current array of mattress company names and their etymologies. (NB: If you listen to podcasts, you definitely know about Casper!)

According to Nameberry, the name “Chester” is of Latin origin and means “fortress”. A favorite boy’s name in the late 1800’s, “Chester” reached its peak in US popularity in 1920, when 0.336 of all male births were given this name. Since the early 20th century, “Chester” has progressively declined in frequency and popularity within the United States. Nevertheless, the list of modern men with the name Chester includes many popular artists. An excellent example is Chester Charles Bennington, the late frontman of the band Linkin Park.

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a “hybrid” as the “offspring of two […] different varieties, species, or genera”; or “something heterogeneous in origin in composition”. It is this definition that fits the musical and philosophical origins of the band Linkin Park. Beloved by millions of fans for their transformative synthesis of rock, hip hop, metal, indie, grunge, genius, and light, their original name was “Hybrid Theory” (which became the name of their first LP). As the band’s bassist, Phoenix, revealed in an early interview: “Although the styles we’re mixing can be very different, we want the combination to feel natural—that is a big part of our band’s identity.” For nearly two decades, since the band released the album “Hybrid Theory”, to its 2017 release named “One More Light”, the band has remained true to its goal to bring artforms and people together.

Cricket Australia has adopted a naming convention that will see its men’s and women’s international teams referred to in the same manner. The two national outfits will be referred to in the same way — simply as the Australian women’s cricket team and the Australian men’s cricket team. The women’s Southern Stars moniker will remain in a colloquial capacity, but some questions by businesswoman Ann Sherry prompted the change. Australia’s women’s cricket captain Meg Lanning has praised Cricket Australia’s (CA) decision to drop Southern Stars as the official women’s team name. “I think it’s a big step towards gender equality and it’s great that Cricket Australia have recognized that,” she said.

Indian authorities are moving to strip Mumbai’s railway stations of their British names, as leaders seek to purge the city of remnants of its colonial past. Critics say the name changes are a cynical ploy to appeal to the local Maratha community, which makes up the bulk of Shiv Sena’s support base, while historians lament any attempt to eradicate the city’s history. Elphinstone Road station – named after a British-era governor – officially became Prabhadevi station this week, after a local Hindu deity, and ministers say more changes are in the works. In addition to the Guardian article, this YouTube video from Lehren News provides good coverage.