The Art of Naming

Trending Baby Names for Boys: The Rising Stars of 2023 that Skyrocketed in Use in the USA Naming trends can tell us a lot about cultural shifts, emerging influences, and the evolving tastes of new parents. The latest data on baby names reveals some fascinating changes from 2022 to 2023.  Let's explore the names that have skyrocketed in popularity and what might be driving these trends. Top Gainers in Male Baby Names 1. Izael  Rank Change: +860    - 2023 Rank: 806    - 2022 Rank: 1666    - Why it’s trending: Izael’s dramatic rise could be attributed to its unique sound and the growing popularity of names with a strong, distinctive flair. It has a biblical vibe but also a unique and modern style. 2. Chozen Rank Change: +666    - 2023 Rank: 813    - 2022 Rank: 1479    - Why it’s trending: Chozen’s appeal lies in its modern, empowering connotation. It’s a name that stands out and signifies a sense of purpose and destiny. And who doesn't want to be "the chosen one"? 3. Eid

Liam has been the #1 name in America since 2017 and is well loved by many around the world. Did you choose it for your son?  Is it a name that you like? If so, you may be considering his potential future siblings and what you'd name Liam's little brother. Future names are definitely something you should think about when naming your first kid.  Now's the time to ponder those options and I'm here to help! First, as you probably know, Liam is the Irish shortened form of William. According to Behind The Name, it became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, and elsewhere in Europe and the Americas after that. It has only become more popular here in the US. William comes from the Germanic name Willahelm meaning "will helmet", composed of the elements wil "will, desire" and helm "helmet, protection".  I could launch into a history lesson on all the Williams of the past , but let's continue on. In the American rankings (since 1880

Jones, Smith, Miller, Davis, Johnson, Williams, Brown, Moore, Taylor, Anderson... At least in America, these are some of the most common surnames.  There's no right or wrong in naming, but you definitely have a variety of options. In fact, you could choose anywhere from an incredibly popular name, to something nobody's ever heard of.  That's up to you! But here are some ideas for each of the surnames I listed above.  I am basing this on the presumption that we are naming a baby in 2020 and want to follow modern styles and popularity. Popular Names: Your surname is super popular, might as well go the whole nine yards and choose a super popular first name, too. There's nothing wrong with that. It happens often. There's something about the anonymity of being one of many if you value your privacy.  Here's some ideas for the ten surnames I listed. Mason Jones Liam Smith Noah Miller Oliver Davis Ethan Johnson Aiden Williams Sebastian Brown Lucas Moore

If music is your passion, take inspiration from this list of musical baby names! Many of these are derived from Latin or Italian terms found throughout music, some are names of famous musicians and composers. Girls: Allegra Aria Boheme Cadence Cadenza Calypso Carol Celeste Ceridwen Chantal Collet Casella Chantry Clementi Corisande Echo Hadley Harmony Harper Hymn Kalliope Lyre Lyric Madrigal Melody Minuet Musette Octavia Opera Piper Rhapsody Rossini Sonatina Scarlatti Sempre Senza Serenade Siciliana Sinfonia Sonata Song Toccata Viola Boys: Adagio Amadeus Apollo Artemy Bach Barret Brahm Bran Brio Bryant Cadeo Cello Dorian Elegy Florian Hymn Kohler Landler Larsen Lyric Mandolin Mozart Muzio Olivier Ottorino Rhapsody Reed Rock Rowley Rossini Rhythm Sebestian Wolfgang The above lists included musical terms and classical musicians. The following list is a little more modern. This includes the nam

Sometimes parents are attracted to more unusual names but they don't wish for it to be the first name that their child goes by on a daily basis. Here are three common first names for boys that have been paired with more unusual choices in the middle name spot. This way, you can have some familiarity with your uniqueness and the child can choose which one suits them better. Nolan is derived from an Irish surname  Ó Nualláin  meaning "descendant of Nuallán", which itself came from  nuall  meaning "noble, famous". Nolan dates back on record to the 1880s, but held steady for decades at a similar popularity. It started increasing in the 1990s, and entered the Top 100 in 2011. As of 2017, it ranked at #67. Nolan Maverick Nolan Marvel Nolan Colbalt Nolan Escher Nolan Ramsey Nolan Hawthorn Nolan Cordovan Nolan Sterling Nolan Quade Nolan Bingham Nolan Thackeray Nolan Wiley Nolan Lysander Nolan Huckleberry Nolan Peregrine Theodore  means "

Behind the scenes, I am able to view the search terms, or keywords, that are entered into search engines that lead viewers here to my site. Often, people are searching for specific names. Some of these names I have already covered previously on other articles, but some of them are new. I thought it was about time that I addressed the names that people are actually looking for. This series will pull names directly from that Name Search Report and investigate closer. The current data that I am using to evaluate a name's popularity comes straight from the Social Security Administration's 2017 popular name database. And I will also include name meanings found via BehindtheName.com. Here's our first group of boy names that you  wanted more information about. Asa  - Short, Biblical, Interesting... Asa is both bold but familiar for a boy today. It has always been in use, dating back on record to 1880, but it didn't truly catch on until a hundred years later. Since

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 (

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

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? 

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?

Here are some interesting boy names that originate from Norman French or Old French origins. These have a variety of popularity and usage levels in the US. Amis/Amias/Amyas - medieval names taken from Amice and the Latin amicus meaning "friend". It was popular in the middle ages. There is also a medieval French poem titled "Amis and Amiles".  While Amis only landed on the US popuarity charts once with 5 births in 1928, Amias is skyrocketing. It first appeared in 2000, but since then has climbed its way up to the Top 1400 with 116 births in 2016. It should continue to gain popularity and break into the Top 1000 soon. Amyas is also starting to appear. Courtney - An aristocratic English surname taken from the French place name Courtenay , which came from currents from the Latin curtus meaning "short".  Courtney has always been unisex. Up until the 1960s, it was mostly given to boys, but after that the majority of usage went to the girls, especially i

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 unusual 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! Silas Merrill Truett James Beau Jameson Watson Lucas Ellison Burke Huxley Wyatt Brom Harrison Maxwell Ranger Eli Bennington Harley Reid Fletcher Henry Graham Bennett Merritt Ross Tilden Sumner Hayden Gabriel Zayne Upton Thorne Elijah Jasper Emmett Colton Lemuel Bridger James Branson Reid Archer Daniel Kingston Jack Lincoln Bradley Zane Percival Drake Richmond Thane Oliver Emery York Ryder Ellis Flynn Arrow Nolan Reid Greyson Tobias Landon Monroe Harley Roarke Rollin Foster Griffin Lark Sawyer Quill Emerson Gray Duncan Reid Rafe Archer Blaine Upton Phoenix Rourke Victor Armand Eleazar Forrest Viggo Henrik Milo Konrad

We took a look at all the names ending with the letters -my in the previous post. Today we'll pull one of those from the list and get to know it better. I chose Jeremy,  which may feel a bit dated to many of you but it still deserves usage today. Jeremy comes from the name Jeremiah, it is the Medieval English version of it. Jeremiah comes from the Hebrew name יִרְמְיָהוּ ( Yirmiyahu ) meaning "YAHWEH has uplifted". Jeremy was occasionally the form used in England in place of Jeremiah since the 13th century. It wasn't until the Protestant Reformation that Jeremiah gained more common usage. Interesting related diminutives include Jez, Jezza, Jem, Jemmy, Jere and Jerry .  Other languages and cultures offer interesting choices such as the Finnish Jorma, Jarkko, and Jarmo; or the Biblical Greek Ieremias , the Biblical Hebrew Yirmiyahu , and the Biblical Latin Hieremias .  The French favor Jérémie and the Spanish use Jeremías . Jeremy itself works internationall

One of my favorite Greek names is Damian, which comes from the Greek name Δαμιανος ( Damianos ).  This name was listed on the Great Greek Names for Modern Boys list posted earlier this week. Damian is ultimately derived from the  Greek δαμαζω ( damazo ) meaning "to tame".  There was a saint by this name from the 4th century who was martyred with his twin brother Cosmo in Syria. There was also an 11th-century saint named Peter Damian who was a cardinal and theologian from Italy. In the US, Damian was first used on boys in 1912. It also gained a minimal amount of use for girls in 1968. For boys, this name gained momentum in the 1970s, peaking in 1977 before dipping a bit again. By the 1990s, it began an upward trajectory of usage. It actually cracked the Top 100 in 2012-2013 at #98 both years. Even though it has dropped again to #116 in 2015, Damian is a solid name with great usage. There's also a few spelling variations associated with different languages and cu

Greek names are fascinating, however, many of them are too wrapped up in archaic spellings to be considered usable today. But over the centuries, some of those names developed diminutives or were passed through a process of modernization to make them easier on our ears today.  Here are some of the most usable Greek boy names around! Which do you enjoy most? Alexander Andrew Apollo Atlas Calix Christopher Damian Demetrius Erasmus Evander Flavian George Gregory Hector Isidore Jason Jericho Leander Leonidas Lucas Lysander Maximos Memphis Nicholas Odysseus Orion Peter Phillip Phoenix Sebastian Stephen Thaddeus Theodore Theon Thomas Timothy Titus Troy Xander Zacchaeus Zander Zephyr Are there any other traditionally Greek names that you could consider using on a modern boy?

Ahhh! Part Seven! Here we are! The series just keeps chugging along with another 10 boy names to choose from! These barely-used names do not rank within 2015's Top 1000 chart. Take a look at the names on this list, pick your favorite(s) and pair them with a great middle name in the comment section below! Cordell (129 births - #1342) Cordell is an interesting surname name taken from Middle English usage referring to the maker or seller of cord. Cordell actually first appeared in 1903 for females, and 1904 for males. However, over the years, it gained more traction for boys, despite being given to a handful of girls here and there until 1937. For boys, Cordell has ranked on and off in the Top 1000, doing the best in the late 1990s.  Now it has fallen off the charts again but still earns a decent amount of births per year. Is this a name that you'd consider? Middle Name Ideas:  Cordell William, Cordell Elijah, Cordell Frost, Cordell Thomas, Cordell Ryan, Cordell Sebastian, C

This name comes from our list of names ending with the letters "-ky". If you saw that article, you know that this is a very limited club of names, but there are definitely some cool choices. One of the coolest options from the list is Rocky. Rocky is given as a full name, but it is also treated as more of a nickname. It could be considered a diminutive of the name Rocco which is a Germanic name from the element hrok which means "rest". Rocco is the patron saint of the sick. However, as you may know, Rocky is not so much a saint as a famous fictional boxer. The Rocky franchise of movies starring Sylvester Stallone as Rocky began in 1976 and is possibly the most well-known association with this name. Another association comes from the old cartoons "The Bullwinkle Show" and "Rocky and His Friends" both of which aired in the 1960s. These featured a flying squirrel named Rocky and his moose pal experiencing a variety of adventures. Interestin

Welcome to Part Six of our Barely Used Boy Names series!! This list has some interesting and unsual options for you. Idris (138 births - #1286)   Idris possibly means "interpreter" in Arabic and it is the name of an ancient prophet in the Qur'an, typically equated with the biblical Enoch. Idris is also a Welsh name meaning "ardent lord". This name ranked at #280 in England and Wales recently, as well as #447 in France. It gained usage in the US for males in 1971 and has slowly been gaining births per year but it has yet to reach the Top 1000. Sheldon (137 births - #1294)  There are several locations in England called Sheldon. It generally means "valley with steep sides" and was both a place name and a surname before it was ever a given name. In the US, Sheldon has been given to boys on record since 1881. It has also been used infrequently for girls from 1931 to 2002. For boys, it gained entry to the Top 1000 in the early 1900s, earning as many

This series takes a closer look at a very limited set of names. If you're searching for a particular sound or spelling at the end of the name, this series may be for you. We've already considered names ending with -ay, -by, -cy, -dy, -ey, -fy, and -gy. All of these posts can be found here.   The only names that I could find ending with "-iy" are Andriy, Arkadiy, Arseniy, Bryliy, Dmitriy and Yuriy. I didn't find them common enough or appealing enough to earn their own post. We'll skip ahead to "-hy" names since there's a few more options available. Girls: Abernathy Amadahy Cathy Dorothy Dorthy Kathy Marthy Murphy Ruthy Sophy Stephy Boys: Adahy Joshy Malachy Murphy Timothy Would you ever use one of these? Which is your favorite?