Ferelith

Today I want to take a closer name at a very rare and fantastical-esque name. I recently had the opportunity to recommend it to someone who had never heard of it before. They instantly fell in love with it and decided it might just be THE name they have been searching for. Perhaps you will enjoy it too!

It is a rare feminine name of Scottish and English origin. It comes from the Medieval Gaelic name Forbflaith which means "overlord, ruler, or sovereign". There was an heiress in 13th-century Scotland who was named Ferelith. Aside from that, this name is very rare.

According to the US record, there has never been at least 5 babies given this name in a single year. That means that the chances of you running into someone with this name are slim to none.  If you are looking for a beautiful, rare name, this would make your child truly one-of-a-kind! With its Medieval origins, it has a Renaissance vibe, and also feels fantastical.

There are some other names that have a similar feel to them such as:  Aerith, Allifair, Caisséne and more.  If you're a fan of Ferelith, here are a variety of middle name ideas:

Ferelith Maeve
Ivy Ferelith
Ferelith Rose
Nola Ferelith
Ferelith Riley
Tieve Ferelith
Ferelith Rhiannon
Kathleen Ferelith

What would you pair with Ferelith? I do like mainstream Irish names like Maeve to go with it. Is this a name you might add to your list?

Finlay

Today we're featuring the name Finlay to go along with our recent post about the best names ending with "-ay".

Finlay is the anglicized form of the Gaelic name Fionnlagh. It means "white warrior" from the elements fionn "white, fair" and laogh "warrior". It was originally a masculine given name and also a surname. Alternatively, the name can also be spelled Finley, which is the more common spelling.

Recently, Finley ranked #36 in England/Wales while Finlay ranked #99. Finlay was #12 in Scotland.

The spelling Finley has always been in use in the US since records began in 1880, but it was far from common. It wasn't until 2006 that the name even entered the Top 1000 at #890. As of 2014, it ranks at #374 for boys. Additionally, it is considered unisex in America. There were also girls given the name Finley for a rank of #223. This is the more common spelling for both genders.

Finlay has only been used for a boy in the US since 1998 with this spelling (and since 2004 for girls). It remains very rare today with only 34 male births in 2014 for a rank of #3222. For girls, this spelling had only 8 births in the same year.

Which name do you enjoy more? The more common Finley or the rare Finlay? Or perhaps you're a fan of the even more rare spelling of Findlay, which only had 18 male births and 5 female births in 2014.

Are you considering using one of these names? Here's some sibling name ideas and middle name ideas to spark some inspiration for your own little one:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Avery, Brenna, Ella, Kerrigan, Maeve, Piper, Shayla, Violet
Brothers: Callum, Declan, Eamon, Keegan, Logan, Oliver, Rowan, Sullivan

Middle Name Ideas:
Finlay Craig
Finlay Jackson
Finlay Kenneth
Finlay Reid
Finlay Vaughn

As a Middle Name:
Cullen Finlay
Evan Finlay
Lucas Finlay
Sean Finlay
Wyatt Finlay

Which middle names would you pair with Finlay?

Tallulah

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 occasionally used until 1956 when it took a hiatus. It regained usage in 1979 but it was still spotty until 1995.

Now the name is gaining a following and climbing the charts. It has yet to rank within the Top 1000 names but with 139 female births in 2014, it is getting close. It also ranked recently at #265 in England and Wales.

As for famous namesakes, there was an American actress by the name of Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968) who was named after her grandmother. Her grandmother may have been named after the beautiful waterfall at Tallulah Falls in Georgia.

Tallulah strikes an interesting chord as a name. Its Native American roots give it an earthy yet whimsical vibe, but it also seems sweet, sassy and elegant in other lights. This name seems rather versatile and definitely unique. If you're considering it, you could go many different directions when it comes to finding middle names and sibling names that would pair well. Here are a few ideas I came up with:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Augusta, Delilah, Francesca, Jemima, Lorelei, Ophelia, Penelope, Theodora
Brothers: Ambrose, Benedict, Heathcliff, Horatio, Matthias, Maximilian, Stellan, Tristan

Middle Name Ideas:
Tallulah Belle
Tallulah Jane
Tallulah Noelle
Tallulah Scarlett
Tallulah Vivienne

As a Middle Name:
Audrey Tallulah
Emme Tallulah
Ivy Tallulah
Margaret Tallulah
Sophie Tallulah

What would you pair with Tallulah? What do you think of it?

Fan-Chosen Boy Name of the Week: Kinnon

Our first "Fan of the Week" contest winner was a woman named Kiira who chose two interesting European names! I will feature the girl's name next Thursday.

The boy's name is Kinnon. It is a Scottish name that originated as a Gaelic surname. It comes from the name Mac Fhionghuin which means "son of the descendant of the well born".  The source was a bit confusing, but I believe it was first recorded in 728 a.d. as Mac Fhionghuin.

Over time, the name has had many different spellings. One of the first recorded spellings of this family name was on a man named Lachlann Makfingane in 1409. After that came Fingonivs, and it evolved to M'Fynwyn around 1490, Makfingoun in 1560, and then Kynnane in 1587. The spelling McKynnoun was around in 1621, McKinin came in 1680, and by 1781 it was typically spelled MacKinnon. Other variations include McKinnon, MacKinning, MacInnon, MacKinnen and MacFingon.

As a baby name, it is said to mean "fair born". Interestingly, there was only one baby born in Scotland in 2012 with the name Kinnon.

In the US, Kinnon is virtually unheard of! There have only been 7 babies on record who were given the name and they were all born in 1996. Keep in mind that the record covers 1880-2012.

If you are looking for a truly unique name, try Kinnon! It works well as an alternative to similar-sounding names like Keenan or Keegan (although those two are Irish and Kinnon is Scottish.)

What do you think of this rare name? I love that its not only rare in the US but it's rare in Scotland where it originates!  Thanks again, Kiira, for suggesting the name!

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Ailsa, Caitir, Elspeth, Finlay, Fiona, Isla, Lorna, Mackenzie, Moira, Paisley, Rhona, Sheena
Brothers: Alistair, Brody, Calder, Callum, Duncan, Ewan, Finley, Kenneth, Lachlan, Macaulay, Malcolm, Ramsey, Stuart

Middle Name Ideas:
Kinnon Ross
Kinnon Alasdair
Kinnon Eideard
Kinnon Fionnlagh
Kinnon Ellis

As a Middle Name:
Frasier Kinnon
Douglas Kinnon
James Kinnon
Taggart Kinnon
Roy Kinnon

Boy Name of the Week: Ewan

The Boy Name of the Week is the Scottish form of a Gaelic name: Ewan. It is pronounced YOO-un.

It comes from the Gaelic name Eoghan. There were several legendary Irish figures with the name Eoghan, which possibly means "born from the yew tree" in Irish. Some say it may be derived from Eugene which comes from Greek words meaning "well born."  I've also seen some sites say that Ewan means "Youth" but I'm not sure where they got that information from.

So while I can't seem to get a clear picture on what it really means, it is still a very handsome name. Ewan can also be spelled Euan, Ewen, Ewyn or even Ouen, depending on where you live.  Sometimes it is said to be a variation of names like John, Owen, Evan, Hugh and again Eugene. Owen is actually the Welsh spelling of the name, also spelled Owain.

If you do more research on Eoghan, you'll see that it also has various spellings and that its true meaning is heavily debated.  The encyclopedia of Irish Names (1981, 1990) disputes any connection with Eugene and derives the name from Old Irish: Eógan meaning "born of the yew". So I think I'll go with that!

As you can see, Ewan has plenty of possible roots and brother-names.  What I think makes it so special is its unique sound, spelling and the fact that it isn't super popular. Sure, you've heard of the Scottish Actor Ewan McGregor, but how many others do you know? I can't say I've met one.

You may need to click the image to see it better.  Source

Let's look at the stats! This name wasn't heard of in the US until 1972. It did not catch on at all until 1997. The most usage that Ewan has received was in 2006 when there were 148 babies born. That wasn't enough for the name to crack the Top 1000 though.

In 2012, there were 140 baby Ewans born, ranking the name at #1245. Compare that to the 7,851 baby boys named Evan (#47), and the 8,630 baby boys named Owen (#38).

I like Ewan for how under-the-radar it still is.  What do you think of it?

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Ainsley, Caitlin, Clara, Fiona, Isla, Maeve, Rosalie, Siobhan
Brothers: Aiden, Callum, Finn, Gavin, Kellan, Lachlan, Ronan, Teague

Middle Name Ideas: 
Ewan Bryant
Ewan Cashel
Ewan Dempsey
Ewan Flannerry
Ewan Malone
Ewan Rafferty
Ewan Reilly