Most expecting parents look at baby name books to find names they would like to name their children. A new book at the library, Bad Baby Names: The Worst True Names Parents Saddled Their Kids With--and You Can Too!, does just the opposite. It offers lists of bad baby names. The authors, Michael Sherrod and Matthew Rayback, work at Ancestry Publishing, and every name they included in the book was listed in the US Census between 1790 and 1930. It's a funny read, and a nice break from the books that list 100,000 names. (Believe me, I know!)

If you're a fan of The Simpsons, you will appreciate that 10 of the names Bart uses when he calls Moe's Tavern are in the book. Yes, there was an Al Caholic. Some of the names are funny because of the combination of the first and last names: Golden Graham, Young Love, and Major League. Other names, such as Devil, Satan, and Lucifer, are a bit frightening. Then, there are names that make you wonder if you're registering for kitchenware, such as Spoon, Knife, Bowl, Skillet, and Pot. Believe it or not, only one state had not been used as a first name by 1930. The book isn't very long, but I could go on and on...

If you need a laugh, a conversation starter, or want to know the state that had not been a first name, take a look at Bad Baby Names. And, if you know of a name that should be in the book, leave a comment below.