Monday, December 17, 2018

Spunky, Modern Girl Name Combos!

While a lot of this could be subjective, the names on this list have a bit of a modern, spunky vibe.  Some could be somewhat unisex as well. Girls today are receiving more and more names that are beyond the scope of traditional, classic choices. Surname and occupational names are huge, unisex names or even boy-names-on-girls (BNOG) are gaining popularity, and many Irish names and word names are catching on.

The following list was compiled by me in an effort to showcase some of the best modern names and offer ideas for first/middle combinations to anyone in the market for one:

Mackenzie Hollis
Riley Valentina
Darcy Magnolia
Hazel Kinsley
Kennedy Lace
Piper Connolly
Mercy Willow
Presley Morgan
Addison Hadley
Teagan Everly
Bailey Summer
Delaney Sloane
Ashton Lindsay
Reese Jessamine
Cassidy Ryanne
Paige Emerson
Tatum Siobhan
Kerrigan Fallon
Sylvie Madigan
Madison Serenity
Berkley Joss
Sable Amaya
Taylor Felicity
Whitley Harper
Auden Bristol
Finlay Marlowe
Elle Sheridan
Rosalie Brynn
Kenadie Brooke
Jaelyn Rue
Kaia Bailey
Delaney Blue
Zoey Lyla
Taryn Ellery
Aria Fable

Can you think of any other names that might fit this category? Share your combo ideas in the comments below!

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Baby Names Ending with the Letters "-vy"


Continuing with our theme, today we will explore names ending with -vy. Most of these are very rare or unusual. Do you like any names ending with -vy?  Of course, I love Ivy, but some of these others are interesting too, like Livy, Navy, Savvy and Chevy! Ivy currently ranks at #108 for girls in 2017.

Avy
Bevy
Elvy
Evy
Ivy
Keavy
Levy
Livvy
Livy
Lovy
Maevy
Navy
Rivy
Savvy
Savy
Silvy
Tavy
Truvy
Vivy

Alvy
Arvy
Chevy
Covy
Davy
Garvy
Harvy
Ivy
Kevy
Levy
Navy
Rivy
Tavy
Stevy
Zavy

Are there any others you can think of? Which do you like most?

Monday, October 22, 2018

National Color Day: Best Color Names for Modern Babies



October 22nd is known as National Color Day! Everyone has colors that they enjoy more than others. Do you have a favorite color? Do you love it so much that you would consider using it as a baby name? If so, you're not alone. Below is a list of potential color names. The first list is much more popular than the second, but they're all interesting in their own way.

More Popular:


Ruby (red) is currently ranked as the 79th most popular name in the US for girls, as of 2017.
Violet (purple) is climbing the charts! As of 2017, it ranked at #48 for girls and will probably keep going.
Hazel (brown) popped into the Top 1000 in 1998, and the Top 100 in 2015! Currently at #43.
Rose (pink) is a timeless classic and has always ranked within the Top 400. Ranked #141 in 2017.
Iris (purple) has always been around, but has been slowly climbing, putting it up to #149.
Sienna (brown) wasn't used before the 1960s, and it hit the Top 1000 in 1995.  Currently at #222.
Jade (green) has been in use since the 1940s. It was most popular in 2002 with 86 births. Currently it is at #110.
Raven (black) hit the Top 1000 in 1977 for girls, and now ranks at #446 in 2017.
Amber (orange) ranked in the Top 100 from 1974-2004. It is slowly declining, currently ranking at #401.
Scarlet (red) since the 1930s, both Scarlet and Scarlett have been used. Scarlet is #396 while Scarlett ranks at #18!
Laurel (green) is a color name based on the plant. It has always ranked in the middle ground. Currently at #597.
Jasmine (yellow) was rarely used before the 1950s, and most popular in the early 1990s. It is now at #130 as of 2017.
Veronica (purple) the color is also named for a vivid purple plant. Not as popular as it once was, Veronica sits at #378.
Kelly (green) first hit the Top 1000 in 1948, and Top 100 from 1959-1999. It is now ranked at #595.
Olive (green) is not as popular as Olivia yet, but it is climbing fast! It went from #990 in 2007 or #256 in 2017.
Daisy (white) has always been well-used, but it is currently ranked at #170 in 2017.
Heather (purple) boomed in popularity during the 1960s and 1970s, and it lasted through the 90s.  Now it has fallen out of the Top 1000.
Jasper (red) for boys, this name has always been steadily used. It has gained more popularity during this decade, reaching #185 in 2017.
Hunter (green) quickly gained popularity in the 1990s and 2000s for boys. It is now at #53.
Juniper (green) has only been around since the 1970s. It entered the Top 1000 in 2011, and ranks #314 today.
Sage (green) is more popular for girls, but is quite unisex. In 2017, it ranked at #309 for girls and #472 for boys.
Gray has been used for boys since the 1910s, and for girls since the 1990s but it isn't currently ranked within the Top 1000 for either gender yet. 


Less Popular:


Blue
Indigo
Onyx (black)
Coral (pink)
Marigold (yellow)
Ginger (orange)
Tawny (brown)
Jet (black)
Basil (green)
Magenta (pink)
Lilac (purple)
Sable (black)
Peach (pink)
Fern (green)
Saffron (yellow)
Emerald (green)
Fawn (tan)
Cerise (red)
Forest (green)
Cedar (brown)
Penny (brown)
Jonquil (yellow)
Mauve (purple)
Henna (brown)
Ivory (white)
Clay (brown)
Lavender (purple)
Navy (blue)
Cyan (blue)
Sky (blue)
Cobalt (blue)
Fushia (pink)
Claret (red)
Umber (brown)
Zaffre (blue)
Sepia (tan)
Lemon (yellow)
Sangria (red)
Apple (red)
Honey (yellow)
Tiger (orange)
Cherry (red)
Taffy (pink)
Merlot (red)
Crimson (red)
Garnet (red)
Orchid (purple)
Amethyst (purple)
Slate (blue)
Ocean (blue)
Aegean (blue)
Azure (blue)
Stone (gray)
Ash (gray)
Flint (gray)

Can you think of any other color names that would also suit a child? Which of these are your favorites?

<--- Previous Article: Color Me Named: 106 Baby Names from Colors

<--- Previous Article: From Amaranth to Violet: A Look at Names of the Rainbow

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Southern Boy Names for your Little Cowboy

What are your favorite "country western" or "mid-western" names for boys?  Which names might suit a little cowboy? This is obviously going to be highly subjective, but it's fun to explore possibilities in this category. What do you think of this list?:

Alden
Ames
Amos
Anders
Angus
Ashley
Aston
Atkins
Atticus
Augustus
Austin
Avery
Bailey
Barnes
Barrett
Barrick
Bayard
Beau
Bedford
Benjamin
Billy
Blaine
Blaze
Bo
Boone
Brick
Brooks
Buddy
Buford
Calvin
Cash
Chance
Clayton
Colby
Colt
Dallas
Daryl
Davis
Dawson
Deacon
Duke
Earl
Elliott
Emmett
Everett
Fenton
Finch
Galen
Garland
Garth
Goddard
Grady
Graham
Granger
Granville
Greer
Gunnar
Hampton
Hank
Harley
Harper
Harrison
Hayes
Hollis
Hoover
Houston
Huck
Hunter
Ignatius
Ingram
Jackson
Jameson
Jareth
Jeb
Jebediah
Jed
Jedidiah
Jefferson
Jenner
Jennings
Jeremiah
Jody
Johnson
Jones
Josiah
Judson
Junius
Kade
Kasey
Keaton
Kipling
Knox
Kody
Lance
Landon
Landry
Laramie
Lee
Leroy
Livingston
Lorne
Mason
Marian
Mathis
Memphis
Mercer
Monroe
Montgomery
Nash
Nathan
Nevada
Nolan
Orson
Oscar
Parker
Patterson
Percy
Peyton
Quenby
Quaid
Quinlan
Rafe
Randall
Ray
Reed
Remington
Rhett
Riley
Roscoe
Rufus
Ryan
Samson
Samuel
Sawyer
Shannon
Stadler
Sterling
Stetson
Sutherland
Taylor
Tennessee
Thaddeus
Travis
Tucker
Tyrell
Vernon
Walker
Wayne
Weldon
Wells
Wesley
Wiley
Wilson
Wyatt
Yates
Yale
Zachariah

Share your favorites in the comments, and add some new ones!

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Sweet, Sassy, Southern Names for Girls



What are your favorite "country western" or "mid-western" names for girls? Sweet, sassy, and southern mixed with hospitable charm. Which names might define that? This is obviously going to be highly subjective, but it's fun to explore possibilities in this category. What do you think of this list?:

Abigail Adabelle Agnes Alice Aliza Althea Alma Amabel Amelia Amy Anna Annabelle Annie April Ashley Augusta Autumn Avril Bailey Bea Bess Bethany Betsy Blanche Blossom Blythe Bonnie Braelyn Callie Caroline Cassidy Celia Charlotte Clementine Constance Coralee Daisy Delilah Della Dixie Edie Eliza Eloise Emmylou Faith Florence Frances Frankie Georgia Glenda Glory Hadley Haley Hannah Harper Harriet Hazel Heather Heidi Henrietta Hillary Holly Ida Imogene Iris Ivy Jacqueline Jana Jeanne Jill Jocelyn Josephine Julia Justine Kassidy Katherine Kay Larissa Layla Leigh Leora Lilibeth Lucille Luella Lyla Macy Madeline Magnolia Maribel Mary Maxine May Mayella Molly Narvie Nellie Nora Odessa Odette Pauline Phoebe Portia Quinn

Rebecca Ruby Sadie Salome Sally Savannah Scarlett Shelby Sheridan Stella Suellen Susanna Tabitha Talullah Thelma Tierney Vanessa Vera Victoria Vivian Whitney Willow Zadie

Which do you like most? Can you think of more to add to the list?

Monday, July 16, 2018

How Well Did My Sibsets Match from My "Statehood Initial Challenge" Series? [Part Two of Two]



Finally, after three and a half years, the long-running Statehood Initial Challenge series has finished! In this series, I took the two-letter abbreviations of each state in the USA, and challenged you to use those two letters to name a boy and a girl. I played right along with you. After we covered 25 states, I listed all the sets of twins that I named throughout those two years of posts and found that I had repeated several of the names multiple times. I tried to avoid repeats for the 2nd half of the challenge, so let's see how I did.

I posted these states in the order in which they gained official statehood, which means Delaware was first, Pennsylvania came next, then New Jersey and so on until we finally reached the 50th state of Hawaii.  Here's the first 25, which I previously posted here:

1. DE -  Dante Evander & Dahlia Emmeline
2. PA -  Pierce Averill & Posey Augusta
3. NJ -  Nash Julian & Nova Jessamine
4. GA - Gregor August & Gesine Abigail
5. CT - Calvin Thomas & Cora Tamsin
6. MA - Maximus Alexander & Madeline Alice
7. MD - Malcolm David & Minerva Dawn
8. SC  - Stetson Cole & Sable Cressida
9. NH - Nicolai Harris & Nova Helene
10. VA - Vadden Alexis & Vienne Augusta
11. NY - Nathaniel York & Natasha Yve
12. NC - Noble Carlisle & Nova Caroline
13. RI - Rafferty Iwan & Rowan Isabelle
14. VT - Valor Thaddeus & Vella Temperance
15. KY - Killian Yannick & Kensington Yve
16. TN - Tristram Noel & Tabitha Nell
17. OH - Oscar Hadrian & Olive Hettienne
18. LA - Leopold August & Lavinia Aveline
19. IN - Isadore Noel & Isla Natalie
20. MS - Malcolm Silas & Mabel Sabrina
21. IL - Irving Lawrence & Ida Laurel
22. AL - Alexander Lincoln & Augusta Lily
23. ME - Marlon Elliott & Mavis Eleanor
24. MO - Miles Oliver & Maisie Octavia
25. AR - Asher Ramsey & Avara Raine

The first half of the challenge was spread out over 2 years and I chose them spontaneously with each post. I didn't go back to see what other names I had used previously. I simply went with what I liked at the time. As a result, there were a few repeats.

This time around, I kept track of everything and triple-checked that I had not already used a name before choosing it. There should be zero repeats in the second half.  Let's take a look at the second half of the challenge:

26. MI - Milo Indigo & Morganna Ivy
27. FL - Finnegan Louis & Fiona Liesel
28. TX - Tobias Xavier & Thora Xanthippe
29. IA - Ivander Ash & Iliana Apple
30. WI - Wim Iverson & Wren Isadora 
31. CA - Cassander Aloysius & Cordelia Avienne
32. MN - Murphy Nolan & Maia Nicolette
33. OR - Odin Richard & Ophelia Ruby
34. KS - Kellan Scott & Kaia Sylvie
35. WV - Willoughby Vance & Wren Victoria
36. NV - Ned Vincent & Nadine Verity
37. NE - Neo Edmund & Nerissa Edith
38. CO - Caius Octavian & Camilla Olivine
39. ND - Norman Daniel & Naomi Diana
40. SD - Sebastian Dominic & Seraphina Delaney
41. MT - Martin Timothy & Mildred Theodora
42. WA - Warren Arlo & Willow Amelia
43. ID -  Ian Darius & India Darling
44. WY - Ward Yvander & Winslet Yvonne
45. UT - Ulysses Theodore & Ulyana Terese
46. OK - Otis Kelvin & Opal Kathleen
47. NM - November Mason & Nyx Magnolia
48. AZ - Ambrose Zachariah & Amara Zooey
49. AK - Atlas Korbin & Audrey Kate
50. HI -  Heath Idris & Hermione Iris

Since certain letters were used more often, it became increasingly difficult to find names that I actually like. The letter N is not my favorite letter and it forced me to choose names that I wouldn't normally choose, like Norman, Ned, Nadine and Naomi. 

The letter I was also challenging to find attractive options. While I did not repeat anything, I did end up with Ivy, Irving, Iverson and Ivander which all sound similar.  I did toss in an Yvander, but since the spelling is different, I didn't count it as being the exact same name as the previously used Ivander.

In the first half of the challenge, I noted that there were several unusual names like Hettienne, Gesine, Vadden, Averill, Cressida, Vella and Avara.  In the second half, I went with bold choices like Xanthippe, Apple, Wim, Willoughby, Nerissa, Caius, Darling, Winslet, November, Nyx, and Hermione. 

But I also went for some old-fashioned names too. In the first half, we saw Irving, Gregor, Marlon, Mavis, Malcolm, Mabel, Lawrence, Ida and Laurel. In the final set of names, I opted for some Louis, Aloysius, Richard, Edmund, Edith, Mildred, Ward, Ulysses, Opal, and Ambrose.

Don't forget the more classic names! Previously I had used things like Oliver, Alexander, Thomas, Lily, Caroline, Abigail and Isabelle. The second time around, I added Scott, Victoria, Vincent, Daniel, Timothy, Theodore, and Kathleen.

Overall, this was a very fun challenge to continuously be apart of week after week. I can't believe it lasted three and a half years but here we are finally at the end of it! What do you think of my many choices? Do any of them stand out as absolute favorites? Are there any that you cannot stand? Share your thoughts in the comments and thanks for following!

Did you play along with this series? If not, we always have name games like this on our Instagram page!

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Girl Names Ending with the Letters "-ra"

We've been exploring different name endings based on specific letters lately. We saw -ina names for girls, and -ian names for boys. Last week we looked at boy names ending with -us. Today we will try our best to narrow it down for the letters "-ra".  Like the other series, I limited myself to only choosing one name per letter. Here are my 26 picks from A-Z. What would you pick?

I also listed the ranks of those within the Top 1000, so as you can see, most of these names are rare picks!


Audra
Barbara  (#908)
Cora   (#83)
Deidra
Electra
Flora
Ginevra
Honora
Indira
Jara
Keira   (#331)
Lysandra
Mara   (#670)
Nora    (#28)
Ophira
Pandora
Quorra
Riviera
Sierra    (#452)
Theodora
Uhura
Vespera
Wara
Xantara
Yadira
Zamora

Would you use any of these names?

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Boy Names Ending with the Letters "-us"

The majority of names that end with -us may bring to mind Ancient Latin rulers. While many of these will remain rare, there are others gaining popularity. I put the ranking of those within the Top 1000 in parenthesis.  Which do you like?

I used Maximus for my son, and would consider Augustus, Cyrus, Erasmus, Julius, Thaddeus and Xanthus! What about you?


Augustus  (#423)
Belarius
Cyrus  (#427)
Darius  (#500)
Erasmus
Fergus
Gaius
Honorius
Ignatius
Julius  (#336)
Klaus
Linus
Maximus  (#200)
Nicodemus
Octavius
Pius
Rufus
Severus
Thaddeus (#666)
Urbanus
Vitus
Wenceslaus
Xanthus
Yunus
Zacchaeus

Do you have any other favorite names that would also belong on this list? 

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Baby Names Ending with the Letters "-ty"



We are nearing the end of this series. We have already explored a number of names ending with -y. Now we move on to the -ty names.  There's a number of virtue names that end with -ty on this list. Do you like any of these?

Girls:
Amity
Arrietty
Betty
Charity
Chastity
Christy
Clarity
Cristy
Divinity
Dotty
Dusty
Enity
Esty
Eternity
Felicity
Hatty
Hetty
Honesty
Jonty
Kaity
Kassity
Katy
Kirsty
Kitty
Kristy
Letty
Liberty
Marty
Maty
Minty
Misty
Modesty
Patty
Royalty
Serendipity
Serenity
Tranquility
Trinity
Unity
Vanity
Verity

Boys:
Barty
Coty
Dusty
Getty
Infinity
Jonty
Marty
Monty
Moriaty
Rafferty
Reality
Rusty
Scotty
Trinity
Ty
Vincenty
Walenty
Wincenty

Pick a name or two and give them a middle name! Share in the comments!

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

26 Girl Names Ending With the Letters "-ina"

We previously looked at boy names ending with the letters "-ian".  I swapped those letters around and found girl names ending with the letters "-ina". Do you have any favorites on this list? What about other names that aren't on this list but still end with "-ina"?

Angelina
Bettina
Celina
Delphina
Emmelina
Florentina
Georgina
Helaina
Irina
Josephina
Kristina
Leontina
Martina
Nicolina
Olivina
Paulina
Quelina
Regina
Seraphina
Trina
Ursina
Valentina
Wilhelmina
Xina
Yekaterina
Zarina

Sometimes I make lists like this for fun, so naturally I decided to share. Have you ever challenged yourself to choose names fitting specific criteria? I often do this to sharpen my naming skills and discover new names.  Play along with me! Share your favorites in the comments!

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

26 Boy Names Ending with the Letters "-ian"

Sometimes I come up with fun "exercises" in naming to strengthen my skills. I thought it would be fun to find boy names ending with -ian for each letter of the alphabet. It was going well until I got to a few more troublesome letters.  Take a look at my list and tell me which are your favorites!

Adrian
Brian
Christian
Damian
Elian
Fabian
Gian
Hadrian
Ian
Julian
Killian
Lucian
Maximilian
Nerian
Octavian
Paulian
Quillian
Rhydian
Sebastian
Tavian
Urian
Vian
Xadrian
Yulian
Zavian

I may or may not have created a few of these. Specifically Paulian, Quillian, and Urian. Those were the only letters of which I could not find names ending with -ian, However, they sound like the could work just fine along with the others.  Can you find any established names starting with P, Q and U that could take their place?

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

ALL ABOUT JOE! - March 27th is National Joe Day

March 27th is considered National Joe Day! From a "cup of Joe", to Sloppy Joes to the Average Joe; from Joe DiMaggio, to Joe Jonas, to Joe Biden, there are a ton of Joes to celebrate! So today we will take a closer look at Joseph, Josephine, Joe and other similar names.



According to Behind the Name, Joseph comes from From Ioseph, the Latin form of the Greek Ιωσηφ (Ioseph), which was from the Hebrew name יוֹסֵף (Yosef) meaning "he will add". Since it his Hebrew in origin, of course it is a biblical name. In the Old Testament, Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel.

Joseph is one of those names that translate well across a variety of languages and cultures around the world:


Yousef, Youssef, Yusef, Yusuf (Arabic)
Youcef (Arabic (Maghrebi))
Hovsep (Armenian)
Yusif (Azerbaijani)
Joseba (Basque)
Ioseph, Ioses (Biblical Greek)
Yosef (Biblical Hebrew)
Ioseph (Biblical Latin)
Jusuf (Bosnian)
Yosif (Bulgarian)
Josep (Catalan)
Ghjaseppu (Corsican)
Josip, Joško, Joso, Jozo (Croatian)
Josef (Czech)
Josef (Danish)
Josephus, Jozef, Jef, Joep, Joop, Joos, Joost, Jos, Sjef, Zef (Dutch)
Jozefo, Joĉjo (Esperanto)
Joosep (Estonian)
Jooseppi, Juuso (Finnish)
Xosé (Galician)
Ioseb, Soso (Georgian)
Iosif (Greek)
Yosef (Hebrew)
Josephus (History)
József, Jóska, Józsi (Hungarian)
Seosamh (Irish)
Giuseppe, Beppe, Peppe, Peppi, Peppino, Pino (Italian)
Iosephus (Late Roman)
Jāzeps (Latvian)
Juozapas, Juozas (Lithuanian)
Josif (Macedonian)
Hohepa (Maori)
Josef (Norwegian)
Josèp (Occitan)
Yousef, Yusef (Persian)
Józef (Polish)
José, Zé, Zezé (Portuguese)
Iosif (Romanian)
Iosif, Osip (Russian)
Seòsaidh (Scottish)
Josif (Serbian)
Jozef (Slovak)
Josip, Jožef, Jože (Slovene)
José, Josepe, Pepe, Pepito (Spanish)
Josef (Swedish)
Yusuf (Turkish)
Ýusup (Turkmen)
Yosyp (Ukrainian)
Yusup (Uyghur)
Yussel (Yiddish)

There is also a handful of feminine forms of the name:

Jody, Josepha (English), Josée, Josèphe, Joséphine (French), Josepha (German)

And you can't forget the diminutives and "nickname" options:

Jo, Joe, Joey, Jojo (English), Jo, Sepp, Seppel (German)

As you can see, the various translations are quite unique and interesting. I'm sure we have all known a Joseph/Joe, but have you ever known anyone with one of these other, more cultural names? 

Now, Nameberry has quite an extensive list of famous Josephs. It is far too long to repost here, but I encourage you to take a look. 

As far as popularity goes, Joseph has always ranked very well. It has never ranked lower than #22, which happened in 2011. It has ranked as high as #5!  It ranked at #20 in 2016 and will probably linger within the Top 100 for a very long time to come.

Just "Joe" by itself even ranks well. Up until 1970, it was within the Top 100 in the US. Even now, as of 2016, Joe still came in at #618.

The lovely Josephine experienced a high popularity peak of 8,682 births in 1918. It declined after that, but is currently ticking upward. In 2016, there were 2,766 girls given the name which ranked it at #114 in the US.

If you're a Joe fan, here are some ideas for sibling names and middle names:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Amelia, Caroline, Elizabeth, Isabelle, Lucy, Margaret, Sarah
Brothers: Benjamin, Isaac, Michael, Nathaniel, Simon, Vincent, William

Middle Name Ideas:
Joseph Alexander
Joseph Elliott
Joseph Martin
Joseph Riley
Joseph Thomas

Josephine Amelia
Josephine Claire
Josephine Grace
Josephine May
Josephine Rose

Joe Edward
Joe Harrison
Joe Julius
Joe Theodore
Joe Zachariah

As a Middle Name: 
Adrian Joseph
Carter Joseph
Gabriel Joseph
Maxwell Joseph
Tyler Joseph

Anna Josephine
Clara Josephine
Lily Josephine
Morgan Josephine
Wren Josephine

Benjamin Joe
Everett Joe
Henry Joe
Lincoln Joe
Timothy Joe

What do you think of these Joe names? Which would you choose? Have you already used one?

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

More Baby Names Inspired by the Animal Kingdom (Part Two)



Welcome to Part Two of our series that is focused on Baby Names Inspired by the Animal Kingdom! If you had a chance to view part one, you would remember that we mostly explored names related to bears, eagles, foxes, lions and wolves. Now we will look at names whose meanings relate to birds, insects, sheep, deer, and a handful of others.

Take a look at the list below and if you spot any favorites, share your thoughts in the comments!

Birds:


Bertram "bright raven" from Germanic elements
Bran "raven" in Irish/Welsh
Branwen "beautiful raven" from Welsh
Corbin "raven" from French
Cormac "raven, son" from Irish Gaelic
Fechín "little raven" in Irish
Guntram "war raven" from Germanic elements
Korbin "raven" from Latin corvus
Raban "raven" from German
Rambert "bright raven" from Germanic elements
Ronne "raven" in Frisian

Lonán "little blackbird" from Irish Gaeic
Merle "blackbird"

Bibigul "nightingale" in Kazakh
Tinuviel "nightingale" in Sindarin

Callum "dove"
Jemima "dove" in Hebrew
Jonah "dove" in Hebrew
Paloma "dove, pigeon" in Spanish
Toiba "dove" in Yiddish
Usoa / Uxue "dove" in Basque

Lærke "lark" in Danish
Toygar "lark" in Turkish
Turgay "skylark" in Turkish

Celandine "swallow (bird)" in Greek
Circe "bird" from Greek
Faigel "bird" in Yiddish
Fulton "bird hill" in Old English
Seffora / Séphora "bird" from Hebrew
Shakuntala "bird" in Sanskrit
Tzipporah "bird" in Hebrew
Zipporah "bird" from Hebrew

Erdoğan "brave falcon" from Turkish
Falk "falcon" in German
Hayato "falcon person" from Japanese

Other birds:

Gallus / Gallo "rooster" in Latin
Gwalchmei "hawk, month of May" from Welsh
Halcyon "kingfisher (bird)" from Greek
Lagle "goose" in Estonian
Mayur "peacock" in Sanskrit
Shahin "peregrine falcon" in Persian
Shay / Shea / Séaghdha "hawk-like" in Irish
Sparrow from the name of the bird
Suzume "sparrow" in Japanese
Svana / Svanhildur / Swanhilde "swan battle" from Germanic elements
Tsubame "swallow (bird)" in Japanese
Tzufit "hummingbird" in Hebrew
Vasco "crow" in Basque
Yaen "ostrich" in Hebrew

Insects:


Arachne "spider" in Greek
Chou "butterfly" in Japanese
Deborah "bee" in Hebrew
Erlea "a bee" in Basque
Flutura "butterfly" in Albanian
Hotaru "firefly" in Japanese
Kelebek "butterfuly" in Turkish
Madhukar "bee" in Sanskrit
Melissa "bee" in Greek
Parvana / Parvaneh "butterfly" in Persian
Vanessa which became a genus of butterfly
Vespasian / Vespasianus "wasp" from Roman

Other Animals:


Agnes "lamb" from Latin
Inez "lamb" from Latin
Janja "lamb" in Serbo-Croatian
Oanez "lamb" from Latin
Ovid "a sheep" from Latin
Rachel "ewe" from Hebrew
Úna "lamb" from Irish

Ayala "doe, gazelle," in Hebrew
Ayelet "gazelle" in Hebrew
Ceren "young gazelle" in Turkish
Dorcas "gazelle" in Greek
Rasha "young gazelle" in Arabic
Tabitha "gazelle" in Aramaic
Tzvi "gazelle" in Hebrew

Buck "buck, male deer" from Old English
Burçin "doe" in Turkish
Damhán "fawn" from Gaelic
Darby "deer town" from Old Norse
Elain "fawn" in Welsh
Enikő "cow" or "deer" in Hungarian
Fawn "fawn" in English
Hersh "deer" in Yiddish
Hjörtur "deer" in Icelandic
Jelena "deer, stag" from Slavic words
Maral "deer" in Armenian
Oisín "little deer" from Irish
Ophrah "fawn" in Hebrew
Oscar "deer friend" from Gaelic

Miscellaneous:


Beverly "beaver stream" in Old English
Bradán "salmon" in Irish Gaelic
Brock "badger" from Old English
Buğra "baby camel" in Turkish
Cailean "young dog" in Gaelic
Caleb "dog"
Conan "little wolf" in Irish
Damaris "calf, heifer" from Greek
Drake "dragon" from Latin
Eachann "brown horse"
Éowyn "horse joy" from Literature: The Lord of the Rings
Epona "horse"
Everard "brave boar" from Germanic elements
Fintan "white bull" in Irish
Fishel "little fish" in Yiddish
Giles "young goat" from Greek
Harisha "lord of monkeys"
Hippolytos "freer of horses" from Greek
Huldah "weasel, mole" in Hebrew
Jael "ibex, mountain goat" in Hebrew
Jorunn "horse love" from Old Norse
Kapila "monkey" in Sanskrit
Katida "kittenish" in Esperanto
Kestrel from the name of the bird of prey
Khulan "wild donkey" in Mongolian
Linnet comes from the name of a bird
Lóegaire "calf herder" in Irish
Maha "oryx" in Arabic (a type of antelope)
Mina "fish" in Sanskrit
Nagendra "lord of snakes" in Sanskrit
Philip "friend of horses" from Greek
Quetzacoatl "feathered snake" in Nahuatl
Renard "fox" from French
Rim "white antelope" in Arabic
Rónán "little seal" in Irish
Rosalind "horse, soft/tender" from Germanic elements
Rosamund "horse protection"
Sable "black" - the name of a small black-furred mammal
Sequoyah "hog" in Cherokee
Tiger from the name of the large cat from Greek, from Iranian
Todd "fox" from Middle English
Ukaleq "hare" in Greenlandic
Usagi "rabbit" in Japanese
Wilbur "wild boar" in Middle English
Xanthippos "yellow horse" from Greek elements
Zarathurstra "golden camel" in Old Iranian

Which of the names on this list do you like the most? Would you ever consider an animal-related name?

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Baby Names Inspired by the Animal Kingdom (Part One)

Previously, I have made lists of bird names and nature names, but it just occurred to me that I did not have a list specifically for "animal" names.

Now, there are two different directions we can go when considering this category. The first direction explores broad animal names like wolf, fox, bear and more.  The second direction looks deeper into meanings and various translations or associations.

Here's the first:

Bear
Birdie
Cat
Fox
Kitty
Lion
Tiger
Wolf

Here are some of the most-used bird names:

Falcon
Finch
Hawk
Jay
Lark
Lory
Peregrine (falcon)
Phoenix
Raven
Robin
Sparrow
Starling
Wren

Then there are names that aren't as obviously associated with animals. Some of them have meanings or elements within them that refer to a specific animal, and when you break down their etymology, it makes sense. I categorized them below:

Bear:

Adalbern "noble bear" from Germanic elements.
Alfbern "elf bear" from Germanic elements.
Arkadios "bear" from the Greek αρκτος (arktos).
Armel "bear prince" from Old Welsh name Arthfael
Arthur  "bear man" or "bear king" from Celtic elements.
Ásbjörn "god bear" from Old Norse. A cognate of Osborn.
Ber "bear" in Yiddish.
Berard  "bear" in Ancient Germanic, a variant of Bernard.
Berengar  "bear" and "spear" from Germanic elements
Bernard  "bear" and "brave, hardy" from Germanic elements
Björn "bear" in Old Norse
Dov "bear" in Hebrew
Garsea "bear" in Basque.
Gerben  "spear" and "bear" from Germanic elements
Hallbjörn "rock" and "bear" from Old Norse elements
Humbert  "warrior, bear cub" and "bright" from Germanic elements
Humphrey "warrior, bear cub" and "peace" from Germanic elements.
Math / Mathghamhain "bear" in Irish Gaelic.
Nanuq "polar bear" in Inuktitut.
Nita "bear" in Choctaw
Orson  "bear cub" from Norman French, and from the Latin ursus.
Osborn  "god" and "bear" from Old English elements
Otso "bear" in Finnish.
Swithin "strong bear cub" from the Old English name Swiþhun
Torbjörn  "Thor's bear" from the Old Norse name Þórbjörn
Urs "bear" from the German form of the Latin Ursus
Ursula "little bear" from the Latin word Ursa meaning "she-bear". 

Eagle: 


Aetius "eagle" from Greek aetos
Andor "eagle" from Old Norse name Arnþórr
Ane / Anne "eagle" from Frisian name with Germanic "arn"
Antinanco "eagle of the sun" in Mapuche
Aquila "eagle" in Latin
Aras "eagle" in Lithuanian
Arend "eagle" in Dutch, a variant of Arnold
Ari "eagle" from an Old Norse byname
Arke "eagle" from Germanic elements
Arlie "eagle wood" in Old English
Arne "eagle" in Old Norse
Arnfinn "eagle, person from Finland" in Norwegian
Arnfried "eagle, peace" from Germanic elements
Arnold "eagle power" from Germanic elements
Arnulf "eagle, wolf" from Germanic elements
Arvid "eagle, tree" from Old Norse Arnviðr
Cuauhtémoc "falling eagle" in Nahuatl
Ezio "eagle" Italian form of Aetius
Haythem "young eagle" in  Arabic
Vega "swooping eagle" in Arabic

Fox:

Fox "fox" from the English word
Renard / Reynard "fox" in French
Todd "fox" from Middle English

Lion:


Areli "lion of God" in Hebrew
Ari "lion" in Hebrew
Arieh "lion" in Hebrew
Ariel "lion of God" in Hebrew
Asad "lion" in Arabic
Aslan "lion" in Turkish
Haidar "lion" in Arabic
Izem "lion" in Tamazight
Kfir "lion cub" in Hebrew
Lavi "lion" in Hebrew
Leander "lion man" in Greek
Lencho "lion" in Oromo
Leo "lion" in Latin
Leola "lion" in Latin
Leolin "lion" from Welsh Llywelyn
Leon "lion" from Greek, from Latin
Leona "lion" from Greek, from Latin
Leonard "brave lion" from Germanic elements
Léone "lion" French from Latin
Leonidas "lion" from Greek, from Latin
Léontine "lion" French from Latin
Leontios "lion" from Greek
Lev "lion" in Russian
Lionel  "lion" French from Latin
Llew "lion" in Welsh
Llewelyn "lion" in Welsh
Othniel "lion of God" in Hebrew
Pantaleon "all lion" in Greek
Sher "lion" in Persian
Simba "lion" in Swahili
Singh "lion" in Sanskrit
Tau "lion" in Tswana and Sotho
Usama "lion" in Arabic
Yeruslan "lion" in Turkic

Wolf:

Adolf "noble wolf" from Adalwolf in German
Agilulf "blade, wolf" from Germanic elements
Arnulf "eagle, wolf" from Germanic elements
Athaulf "father, wolf" from Germanic elements
Badulf "fight, wolf" from Germanic elements
Baugulf "bend or ring, wolf" from Germanic elements
Beowulf "bee, wolf" in Old English
Bleddyn "wolf" in Welsh
Boris "wolf"  in Turkic
Conan "little wolf" in Gaelic
Conor "wolf lover: in Gaelic
Conrí "wolf king" in Irish Gaelic
Cuán "little wolf" in Irish
Eadwulf "wealth, wolf" in Old English
Eardwulf "land, wolf" in Old English
Faolán "little wolf" in Gaelic
Gerulf "spear, wolf" from Germanic elements
Guadalupe "river of the wolf" in Arabic
Gurgen "wolf" in Middle Persian
Ivaylo "wolf" in Bulgarian
Loup "wolf" in French from Latin Lupus
Ludolf "famous, wolf" from Germanic Hludwolf
Lyall "wolf" from Old Norse Liulfr 
Lycurgus "wolf" and "word, deed" from Greek Lykourgos
Lycus "wolf" from Greek Lykos
Randolf "rim of a shield, wolf" from Germanic elements
Rudolf "fame, wolf" from Germanic Hrodulf
Sandalio "true wolf" from Gothic name Sandulf
Ulf "wolf" from Old Norse name Úlfr 
Ulric "wolf power" from Old English name Wulfric
Vakhtang "wolf-bodied" in Old Persian
Valko "wolf" in Bulgarian
Varg "wolf" in Old Norse
Velvel "wolf" in Yiddish
Vuk "wolf" in Serbian
Wolf - short from of Wolfgang, Wolfram and others containing the Germanic wulf
Wolfgang "wolf, path" from Germanic Elements
Wolfram "wolf, rave" from Germanic elements
Wulfnod "wolf, boldness" from Old English elements
Wulfsige "wolf, victory" from Old English elements
Ylva "she-wolf" from Old Norse úlfr 
Zeev "wolf" in Hebrew

Can you think of any other animal related names that I missed?  Which of these do you like enough to consider using?

Stay tuned for the next article that will feature even more animal names, including a wide variety of bird names, lambs, deer and more.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Daisy

From our previous article listing names ending with the letters "-sy", we find a diamond in the rough. The most popular name on the list is Daisy.  


This pretty name is directly related to the flower. However, it also derives from the Old English word dægeseage meaning "day eye".  Daisies belong to one of the largest families of plants in the world. Often they have a yellow center and come in a variety of colors, with white being perhaps the most common. .
By böhringer friedrich - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5
Sometimes Daisy is used as a nickname for Margaret. It happened in a round-about way due to the French name Marguerite becoming associated with the daisy in French. Margaret means "pearl" in Greek, and daisies were considered "pearls of the field" or "marguerites".  So Marguerite, and the Spanish Margarita, gained association with Daisy and Daisy became a nickname for Margaret.

In pop-culture, there is the animated Daisy Duck of Disney fame. There was also a character on the 1980s TV show Dukes of Hazzard named Daisy Duke, after whom short denim shorts were named. There was the film Driving Miss Daisy, and the character of Daisy in the book Great Gatsby. Currently, rising actress Daisy Ridley of the newest Star Wars films is helping give the name Daisy more familiarity, which could lead to more usage.

In the US, Daisy has been used as a given name since records began in the 1880s. It was well used around the 1920s before declining to its lowest point in the 1970s. It rose again after that, reaching a popularity peak in 1996 with 2,514 female births for the year and a rank of #124. Now as of 2016, there were 1,717 girls given the name for a rank of #190.

Daisy hasn't reached mega-popularity yet, which still allows it to be a somewhat unexpected choice among all the other options. It is a botanical name which fits in well with Lily, Violet and others in the floral-name club; and it also has some vintage appeal. If you are considering this name, here are some ideas for sibling names and middle names:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Amelia, Cora, Eliza, Hazel, Olivia, Romy, Zoey
Brothers: Colton, Eli, Heath, Maxwell, Nolan, Seth, Zane

Middle Name Ideas:
Daisy Annabelle
Daisy Cailyn
Daisy Genevieve
Daisy Juliana
Daisy Madison
Daisy Tabitha

As a Middle Name:
Ariana Daisy
Harper Daisy
Lydia Daisy
Michaela Daisy
Sophia Daisy
Tallulah Daisy

What would you pair with Daisy?

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Baby Names Ending with the Letters "-sy"



This series is nearing the end of the alphabet. With the letters -sy, we find several interesting names. Some of these are more on the nickname side, but usable nonetheless.  Are there any names below that you would considered? The most popular options are undoubtedly Daisy, Maisy and Tansy.

Notice how there are many more options for females than males. Can you think of any others that could be added to the list?

Girls:
Bethsy
Betsy
Blessy
Cassy
Cessy
Chrissy
Cissy
Crissy
Daisy
Deisy
Dessy
Elsy
Gypsy
Isy
Jassy
Jesy
Jinsy
Joisy
Kassy
Keisy
Kelsy
Krissy
Lindsy
Lissy
Lynsy
Maisy
Mimsy
Missy
Pansy
Patsy
Posy
Rosy
Shannessy
Sissy
Susy
Tansy
Zissy

Boys:
Hennessy
Jessy
Massy
Patsy
Shaughnessy
Sy

Do you like any of these? Share your thoughts in the comments!  And view the other articles in this series focused on "name endings".

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Updated: My Favorite Names Per Letter and How They Changed From 2010 to 2018

Being the "Name Nerd" that I am, I have been keeping a list of my favorite names per letter on a yearly basis. I recently compiled these lists and sorted them out alphabetically and chronologically. I started making the list back in 2010, the year I got married and we started pondering names for potential future children. We had a son in 2012 and a daughter in 2014 whose names made the list.

I have continued to keep track of my favorite names since then, and will continue to do so, but after 8 years of this, I decided it would be fun to share my choices. I wanted to see how time has drastically changed my style for some letters, and yet has been untouchable for other letters. I have just finished posting these weekly on my Instagram if you would like to browse there and see my thoughts and explanations per letter. Here we go:



2010:  Bailey, Braden
2011: Brynna, Bennett
2012: Blythe, Brennan
2013: Bridget, Benedict
2014: Bryony, Benedict
2015: Bellamy, Bertram
2016: Briar, Benedict
2017: Belle, Benedict

2010: Callie, Christopher
2011: Cosette, Calix
2012: Colette, Cassius
2013: Caroline, Calix
2014: Cordelia, Caspian
2015: Clementine, Caius
2016: Camilla, Cyrus
2017: Camilla, Caius

2010: Davia, Damien
2011: Danielle, Dexter
2012: Delaney, Damien
2013: Daphne, Dante
2014: Daphne, Dominic
2015: Darcy, Damian
2016: Daphne, Dominic
2017: Diana, Damian




2010: Fiona, Fenix
2011: Fiona, Felix
2012: Farrah, Finley
2013: Freya, Felix
2014: Fable, Frederick
2015: Fabiana, Ferdinand
2016: Fable, Ferdinand
2017: Fiona, Finnegan

2010: Genevieve, Gavin
2011: Geneva, Gideon
2012: Giselle, Gideon
2013: Genevieve, Gideon
2014: Grace, Grant
2015: Gemma, Gregor
2016: Gemma, Gerard
2017: Gwendoline, Gerard

2010: Hayley, Heath
2011: Hailey, Heath
2012: Hailey, Heath
2013: Helena, Heathcliff
2014: Honora, Henry
2015: Hettienne, Haythem
2016: Hettienne, Hugo
2017: Hazeline, Haythem

2010: Izabella, Ivan
2011: Isabel, Ian
2012: Ivy, Ian
2013: Isadora, Inigo
2014: Isla, Ignatius
2015: Iris, Irving
2016: Isabelle, Ivander
2017: Ireland, Irving



2010: Khloe, Korbin
2011: Kerrigan, Keegan
2012: Katharine, Kellan
2013: Katherine, Keaghan
2014: Kate, Killian
2015: Keira, Killian
2016: Kate, Killian
2017: Kaia, Killian

2010: Lacey, Liam
2011: Liana, Logan
2012: Lilah, Leopold
2013: Lavinia, Lincoln
2014: Lorelei, Leopold
2015: Luna, Liev
2016: Lily, Leonidas
2017: Laurel, Leonidas



2010: Naylie, Nevin
2011: Nadine, Nolan
2012: Norah, Nolan
2013: Nova, Nolan
2014: Nova, Noble
2015: Niamh, Nicolai
2016: Nova, Noble
2017: Nora, Noble

2010: Oceane, Owen
2011: Odette, Oliver
2012: Olive, Olivier
2013: Oliviana, Orion
2014: Octavia, Oliver
2015: Ottilie, October
2016: Octavia, Oliver
2017: Olivine, Odin

2010: Piper, Paxton
2011: Pemberley, Perrin
2012: Philippa, Phinneas
2013: Primrose, Peregrine
2014: Pearl, Paul
2015: Posy, Phillip
2016: Pommeline, Pim
2017: Pippa, Pomeroy

2010: Qwin, Quentin
2011: Qiana, Quinn
2012: Quintessa, Quentin
2013: Quintessa, Quincy
2014: Quintessa, Quill
2015: Quinlana, Quade
2016: Quiana, Quaid
2017: Quintessa, Quentin



2010: Sadie, Seth
2011: Sophina, Sebastien
2012: Susannah, Silas
2013: Sybil, Sebastian
2014: Sophia, Soren
2015: Sable, Stellan
2016: Sable, Soren
2017: Sylvie, Samwise

2010: Tavi, Toby
2011: Tieve, Torrin
2012: Tamsin, Thaddeus
2013: Tamsin, Theodore
2014: Tamsin, Tolliver
2015: Temperance, Tristram
2016: Tessa, Thaddeus
2017: Thora, Tolliver

2010: Ulani, Uriah
2011: Ulani, Uriah
2012: Urania, Uriel
2013: Ulyana, Ulrich
2014: Ulyana, Ulysses
2015: Uriela, Ulysses
2016: Ulricha, Ulysses
2017: Ulyssa, Ulysses



2010: Wren, Wade
2011: Wren, William
2012: Winslet, Willoughby
2013: Wilhelmina, Wesley
2014: Winter, Wesley
2015: Willamena, Wilder
2016: Willow, Willoughby
2017: Wintress, Wolfram

2010: Xaviah, Xavier
2011: Xaviere, Xavier
2012: Xasha, Xavier
2013: Xanthe, Xavier
2014: Xenia, Xander
2015: Xanthippe, Xanthus
2016: Xavierre, Xander
2017: Xiomara, Xanthus

2010: Yvette, Yale
2011: Yesenia, Yale
2012: Yara, York
2013: Yara, York
2014: Yve, Yannick
2015: Yvanna, Yorrick
2016: Yesenia, Yale
2017: Yveline, Ysidor




Update!:  Here's my new additions for 2018:




Allifair, Arthur
Bellamy, Beau
Cassandra, Cedric
Dagny, Dresden
Evanna, Evander
Freya, Ferdinand
Glorienne, Gerard
Hermione, Hawthorne
Ignacia, Irving
Juliet, Jerome
Keely, Killian
Lily, Link
Maeve, Milo
Nova, Noble
Octavia, Oliver
Pellinore, Pippin
Quelle, Quentin
Raine, Roland
Sybil, Sebastian
Thora, Theo
Uma, Ulysses
Vritta, Vesper
Wintress, Wolfe
Xavia, Xan
Yesia, Yorrick
Zelda, Zario


Which set of names do you like best?  Share your thoughts and observations in the comments below!

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

78 Interesting and Uncommon Girl Name Combinations!



Are you looking for something slightly different than the norm? Just a little unusual with a touch of classic? Familiar but not weird? Here are some great name ideas for you! Some are more daring than others, and there is a variety of styles here. Feel free to mix and match or suggest even more great names in the comments!

Cassia Emmeline
Briar Genevieve
Felicity Lane
Ella Tempest
Sonnet Jane
Amaya Journey
Lillia Myrtle
Rowena Evening
Anna Whisper
Electra Maeve
Avalon Belle
Raven Serenity
Victoria Echo
Magnolia Eve
Hazel Valentina
Molly Cadence
Augusta Reverie
Nora Liberty
Harmony Moon
Liv Bellatrix
Jessamine Skye
Lucy Genesis
Sable Quintessa
Astoria Raine
Juno Caroline
Leona Sparrow
Alethea Coral
Lulu Florence
Eveline Caithe
Blythe Magdalena
Nova Rosabel
Elodie Wynne
Poppy Gwenora
Gemma Destiny
Laureline Fable
Thea Hermione
Mavis Octavia
Fleur Penelope
Verity Lark
Amabel June
Wren Melisande
Ivy Lorelei
Brynn Eloise
Iris Bellamy
Alice Viola
Thora Delphine
Willa Kennedy
Marley Saffron
Jordana Snow
Kinsley Darling
Aria Lavender
Esmarie Velvet
Joss Bernadette
Amaryllis Rey
Darcy Luna
January Grace
Millie Temperance
Jovie Lenora
Dorothea Maxine
Nova Romilly
Imogen Storm
Ada Hyacinth
Lavinia Dell
Remy Celeste
Clarity Simone
Zelda Roseline
Ophelia Blair
Neve Clementine
Pearl Gwendolen
Gesine Claire
Eudora Faith
Delta Camille
Esme September
Vienna Heloise
Cyra Octavie
Antonia Meadow
Marcella Reese
Tabitha Sybil

What do you think of these combinations I assembled? Share even more ideas in the comments!  Don't forget to check out the list of Interesting and Uncommon Boy Name Combinations, too.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Girl Names from French Origins


Here are some interesting girl names that originate from Norman French or Old French origins. These have a variety of popularity and usage levels in the US.

Amarante - Taken from the Amaranth flower, this is the French form of the name. It comes from the Greek amarantos meaning "unfading".  This is a very rare name. It has been used a total of 23 times on record for boys, and none for girls, but the most recent year it was used was 1933. This means it is ripe for the picking! It deserved to be renewed as a fresh floral name for girls.

Avril - This is the French form of April which possibly comes from the Latin aperire meaning "to open" referring to the opening of flowers in the springtime month. Avril first gained recorded usage in the US in 1919. It has never been common but began gaining more births per year around 2003, presumably in line with the popularity of singer Avril Lavigne who hit the scene in 2002.

Blanche - From a Medieval French nickname meaning "white, fair", derived from the word blanc. This is a name that has fallen from its former glory. It was most popular in 1917 with 2,836 births for the year. It did very well before that time and just slightly after.  It was on the decline by the 1930s and left the Top 1000 in 1965. These days, the name only has single-digit usage including 9 births in 2016. Could it make a comeback as a retro vintage choice soon?

Cerise - This name comes from the French word for "cherry". The name Cherry itself isn't known for being the classiest choice, but Cerise is a great alternative. It is pronounced SU-REEZ. Cerise didn't have any recorded usage in the US until 1951, and even then, it has never had more 20 in a single year aside from 29 in 1955. There were only 5 girls given the name in 2016, which makes this a very rare option that lands in the food, color, and French name categories and deserves more usage today.

Chantal/Chantel/Chantelle/Shantel/Shantelle - While it is now associated with the French chant meaning "song", it was originally derived from a place name meaning "stony". Chantal first gained usage in the US in 1947, followed by Chantel in 1957. Chantel became the more popular spelling, gaining a peak of 738 births in 1990, compared to Chantal's 428 births. Alternate spelling Shantel also received 486 births in 1990. Since the 90s, these names have all declined. In 2016, there were 28 Shantels, 18 Shantals, 28 Chantals and 41 Chantels born. There were 33 girls named Chantelle and only 11 Shantelles. Which spelling do you prefer?

Désirée - This is the French form of desiderata from the Latin desideratum meaning "desired". Desiree first appeared in 1910 in the US, followed by Desirae in 1955. The late 1960s started an upward trend of popularity for both names which peaked between 1983 and 1992.  Both spellings have declined since then. There were 282 girls named Desiree and 95 named Desirae in 2016. There are probably even more alternate spellings too.

Esmé - In Old French, this name means "loved" or "esteemed". Esme is very much on the rise right now. It originally had very sporatic use in the US as early as 1913, but it didn't catch on regularly until 1980. In 2010, it entered the Top 1000 with 280 births. As of 2016, there were 426 girls given the name which is its popularity peak so far. I expect it will continue to climb.

Estelle - Taken from an Old French name that was derived from the Latin word stella meaning "star".  Estelle peaked in popularity in 1915 with 1,784 briths. By the 1930s, the name had half as much usage and continued to decline. It fell to double digits by 1966 but in 2004 it started to swing upward again. There were 339 girls named Estelle in 2016.  Similarly, there were 302 girls named Estella.

Fleur - This means "flower" in French". There's also the diminutive Fleurette. Fleur had 19 births between 1926 and 1933, 5 in 1956, 64 births between 1970 and 1982. And 84 births since 2002, including 12 in 2016.  It may be on the verge of gaining increased popularity. Fleurette had minimal usage between 1915-1953. There were a few births in the 1970s, but the last time this name appeared on record was 1995.

Jacinthe - The French cognate of Hyacinth, the name of a flower and a precious stone. It comes from the Greek hyakinthos. According to the Social Security Administration in the US, there has never been at least 5 births in a single year for the name Jacinthe. This is a rare name!

Jolie - Meaning "pretty" in French, it is obvious why it is not actually used as a name in France. However in the US, it has been popularized by actress Angelina Jolie. The name first appeared on the charts in 1947. It had a good amount of use in the 1970s then again starting in the late 1990s. Jolie peaked in 2008 with 546 births for the year, declined a bit, and is currently trending upward again with 430 births in 2016.

Lacy/Laci/Lacey - From a surname derived from the name Lassy which is a town in Normandy. It may come from the Latin Lascius.  Surprisingly, Lacy is unisex. In fact, in 1927, there were 116 boys given the name and only 20 girls. Around 1975, their roles flipped. Lacy gained a boost of usage for girls and entered the Top 1000 while it declined for boys. 1982 had a high of 987 female births (and only 27 for boys), proving to be its best year yet. Popularity has waned since then. In 2016 there were 117 girls named Lacy and <5 boys. Lacey followed a similar pattern and is actually the preferred spelling now with 634 female births in 2016. Laci had 90 births. Which gender and which spelling do you prefer?

Macy/Maci/Macey - Similar to Lacy, Macy comes from a surname derived from towns called Massy in France. It may come from a Roman personal name that was Latinized as Maccius. Macy dates back to the late 1800s for both genders but has always been more commonly used on girls. It entered the Top 1000 in 1990 and peaked in 2003 with 1,483 births. As of 2016, it was given to 628 girls for a rank of #490. Maci is even more popular! It was given to 1,185 girls in 2016 with a rank of #265. Macey is not used as much with only 211 births. Which spelling do you like more?

Maëlys - The Feminine form of Maël which is the French form of the Breton name Mael. It originally comes from a Celtic word meaning "chief" or "prince". Maelys has only been on record in the US since 2008. From then until now, there have been a total of 69 females given this name, including 10 in 2016.  The diaeresis mark above the "e" may discourage use so many of these girls may or may not have it included. The record lists it without.

Marjolaine - This is a name that means "marjoram" in French, which is a minty herb.  I like this  name since it is reminiscent of Marjorie with the laine/line ending that is so popular. With the correct French pronunciation, it is MAR-ZHAW-LEN. Marjolaine was actually used in the US from 1922-1923 on record for a total of 11 births. This is another rare name.

Noëlle - This is the feminine name derived from the French word Noël meaning "Christmas".  Noelle has been on record since 1927 for girls. It is listed without the diaeresis mark above the "e", so it is unknown how many of these girls use it and how many are just Noelle. Either way, this name began gaining popularity in the early 1960s. It held steady for years until it gained another boost around 2012. In 2016, there were 1,260 girls given the name.

Océane - Meaning "ocean", this French spelling is pronounced AW-SE-AN. It is quite rare. It first appeared on the charts in the US in 2002 with 6 births. It hasn't climbed much since then. In 2016, there were 10 girls given this name.

Paris - The name of the capital city of France, which is derived from an ancient Celtic tribe called the Parisii.  Paris, as a name, can be used in reference to a person hailing from Paris, France. Paris is unisex. It was used for males in the US since 1881, but it was not given to females until 1917 on record. It had similar popularity over the years for both genders, but starting around 1985, it leaned more in favor of the girls. Paris had a booming year in 2004 with 2,150 births, a record high for girls.  Now it had 1,152 births for girls in 2016 and only 80 for boys.

Reine - This name comes from the French word meaning "queen" and is pronounced REN.  Reine has been consistently rare since the 1880s. It would get a handful of births, skip a couple years, then get a handful more, and repeat. It was not steadily used until 2007. In 2016, there were 12 girls named Reine. This spelling isn't popular, but there are similar names such as Raine, Raina, Rayne, Rayna and so on that have more usage. Reign is also popping up a lot.

Rose/Roselle/Rosette/Rosine - Rose was originially a Norman form of a Germanic name composed of the elements hrod and heid. The Normans introduced it to England as Roese and Rohese. It was later associated with the Latin rosa and grew popular as inspired by the flower. Roselle, Rosette and Rosine are French forms and diminutives derived from Rose.  Of course Rose is extremely popular and has always ranked in the top 400, its best years being around 1917. However, the other names are rare. Roselle had 12 female births in 2016, while Rosette and Rosine had less than 5. In fact, Rosine hasn't been used on record since 1961. If you want something unique but familiar-sounding, these names are for you!

Tracy - A first name that was taken from a surname, derived from a Norman French place name which meant "domain belonging to Thracius". That refers to the Thracia region of Europe which is divided between Greece and Turkey today. Tracy is also sometimes a diminutive of Theresa, the French form being Thérèse. Tracy was more popular for boys until the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1950 there were 178 girls named Tracy (#645 rank). In 1960 there were 5,768 (#84). But it was 1970 that exploded all over the charts. There were a whopping 18,468 girls named Tracy in 1970, which is a very impressive boost. It ranked at #10 that year. It declined again after that, leaving the Top 100 in 1985 and the Top 1000 in 2005. Now in 2016, there were only 92 girls named Tracy. This name will probably not return for several more decades, if ever.

Violette - The French form of the name Violet which is based on the flower.  Violette dates back to the late 1880s and saw decent usage around 1920. However, it grew rarer over time and was not used often until it gained a resurgence around the 2000s. Thanks to the popularity of Violet (#47 in 2016), Violette is now being used more than it ever was in the past with 196 births in 2016.

Which of these names do you like the most? Would you consider using any of them? Share your thoughts in the comments below!! Thanks for reading. Check out French Names for Boys too! 

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