The Art of Naming

We're at the end of the year 2015. Before we step into 2016, let's take a moment to look back at the names and articles we've discussed this year. The main name series of the year took us on an alphabetical adventure. The plan was to fit all 26 letters into 12 months but it was a bit too jam-packed. As a result, the letter Z has been stretched out to March, but we have been able to explore most of the letters already. Below are all of the available links to view the Top 50 names per letter according to The Art of Naming: A  |  B  |   C   |  D   |  E  |  F  |  G  |  H  |  I  |  J   |  K  |  L  |  M   |  N  |  O  | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z The featured name articles that have accompanied the alphabetical posts were originally meant to complement each other as if they were part of a big sibset of 26 kids from A-Z but there may be a few outliers that don't quite "fit" in the traditional sense of what one may perceive a sibset to be. He

Changing your name can be tough. It requires that you really know yourself and what you want.  You would need to browse through name lists and pick out the ones that jump at you. Maybe you’ll find something that instantly speaks to you, but most likely it’ll take a while and names will need to grow on you. You’ll need to try them on and wear them to see if they’re a fit. You could go about it in many different ways but it would depend on if you want to keep a connection to your old name or abandon it completely. Here are a few of the many possible methods for choosing a different name for yourself: 1. Stick to similar sounds: Maybe you dislike your name Carolyn but you find yourself liking the similar sounding Coraline instead. 2. Find a related name: You don't want to stray too far but Heidi just isn't you. Try sister name Adelaide from the same root name Adalheidis. 3.  Do the complete opposite:   If you have a common name, go for something unusual like Raffer

Names that start with the letter U  aren't always favored very highly but Ulysses is a great exception that deserves more usage. The masculine name Ulysses is the Latin form of the excellent Greek mythological name Odysseus. Odysseus is said to be derived from the Greek οδυσσομαι ( odyssomai ) which means "to hate, wrathful". While that isn't the greatest meaning ever, both of these names are strong and interesting. In Greek legend, Odysseus was a hero of the Trojan War. Homer's The Odyssey, follows Odysseus's journey back to his kingdom and his wife Penelope. As for the name Ulysses, it was used as the title of a book written in 1920 by Irish author James Joyce. This story was loosely based on The Odyssey and was adapted into a movie in 1967. The most famous man named Ulysses in American history is Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War. He later became the 18th President of the United States f

Imagine an alternate universe where the alphabet was arranged differently. I surmise that people love the letter A so much because it is #1, but what if it wasn't?  What if the letter U came first? What if there were an abundance of favorable baby names that began with the letter U? What if common A names had their spellings changed to start with U and everyone loved them? If that is hard to imagine, perhaps you should take a moment to stop and smell the U-scented roses. There is a surprising amount of lovely names that begin with this under-appreciated letter. I narrowed it down to the best I could find. Here are the 50 best boy and girl names that start with the letter U: Ujana Ulani Ulla Ulyana Ulyciana Uma Umay Umeko Umi Umika Ummi Una Unique Unity Ura Urania Uriela Urja Ursa Ursula Usra Utari Uttara Uva Uzuri Uba Uchenna Uday Udell Ugo Ulmer Ulrich Ulysses Umberto Umed Umi Unique Uorsin Upton Urbain Urban Urbano Uri

Surname names aren't anything new. There are countless surnames that could work as a given name for a boy, but did you know that there is also an increasing amount of surname names for girls? This list ranges from the more unisex options like Morgan, Parker and Carson that are also popular for boys to the interesting, feminine ones like Ayala, Miranda and Valencia. Do you have a favorite surname to use as a girl's given name? Perhaps you'd use your maiden name or your grandmother's maiden name for a daughter. Browse the list below and let me know in the comments if there are any other surname names that you can think of that I've missed. Adair Addison Ainsley Aniston Arden Arlington Ashley Astor Avery Avila Ayala Bailey Bardot Bell Bellamy Bettany Blair Blakely Caldwell Callan Cameron Campbell Carlisle Carrigan Carrington Carroll Carson Carter Chandler Connelly Darby Darcy Delaney Ellery Ellington Elliott Ellis

Surname names for boys is one of the largest trends in baby names today, so much so that it is sometimes happening under the radar. Many of the names on this list have become so well-used and well-known as first names over the years that we don't really think about them also being surnames, we know that they are but the connection may not be immediately made. That isn't always the case though. Some names are obviously more reminiscent of a surname than others like Smith or Nicholson or Campbell but many parents are increasingly using these surnames for first names. This especially occurs in relation to maiden names. Mothers like to pass down their surnames by giving them to their sons as firsts or middles. This can also happen through wanting to honor a whole branch of the family tree. Whatever the reason, many of the following names are hot these days while others are waiting to be discovered. Which of these do you like most? Anderson Bauer Baxter Bennett B

Inspired by our list of The Very Best T Names for Boys and Girls is the beautiful and unique name Tallulah. Tallulah is a Native American name but there is a bit of discrepancy about its true origin and meaning. It is typically said to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language but some argue that it actually means "town" in the Creek language . Perhaps both of them are accurate. This name is pronounced tə-LOO-lə. The alternative spelling Talulla is actually a different name. Talulla is Irish and comes from the Gaelic name Tailelaith . It is derived from the Irish elements tuile meaning "abundance" and flaith meaning "princess". There are two early Irish saints by the name Talulla. Neither name is popular or even common. The Irish Talulla has only been given to 10 girls total according to the SSA's records: 5 births in 2011 and 5 in 2013 in the US. As for Tallulah, the name has been on record since 1917 in the US but it was only

The process of tracking down the right name for your child can be tricky. Sometimes there are just too many options to sift through and you find yourself overwhelmed by the possibilities. Allow me to make it easier for you. If you are fond of the letter T or if you're searching for a T name to honor someone in particular, you've found the right place. Below are 25 of the best T names for girls, and 25 for boys too. I took the time to sift through the hundreds of T names so I could bring you only the best of the best. Here you may very well find the perfect, fashionable T name for your child. Which of these do you like most? Tabitha Tallulah Tamsin Tanya Tara Tatiana Tatum Tavia Tawny Taylor Teagan Temperance        Tessa Thalia Thea Theodora Theresa Thisbe Thora Tiana Tiffany Trinity Trista Trudy Tyra Tate Tavish Taylor Teague Tennyson Thaddeus Thatcher Theodore Theron Thomas Tiberius Timothy Titus Tobias Todd Tollive