Jasper, Peter & Stone: Earthy Boy Names That Rock!

When it comes to earthy boy names, some of the coolest ones are related to rock and stone. There are some names that mean rock such as the Scottish surname Carrick from the Gaelic Carraig. 

The name Peter means "stone" and so does all of its variants and translations such as the French Pierre, the Spanish Pedro, and others such as Piers, Pierce, Pierson, Piet and Pietro.  

If it's a down-to-earth name you want, the list below features a few more names with rocky and earthy meanings:

Cephas Clayton Cole Craig Dunstan Ebenezer Haldor Halle Halstein Halvard Harlow Hermes Leofstan Malachite Mason Seneca Stanford Stanley Terran Torsten Winston Wystan

"rock" "clay settlement" "charcoal" "crag, rock" "dark stone" "stone of help" "Thor's rock" "rock" "rock, stone" "rock guardian" "rock hill" "piles of stones" "beloved stone" "mallow stone" "stoneworker" "place of stones" "stone ford" "stone clearing" "land, earth" "Thor's stone" "joy stone" "battle stone"

If those aren't for you, perhaps you'd be a fan of names that come from actual stones, minerals or rocky landscapes:

Canyon Carnelian Clay Cliff Cobalt Copper Dale Dune Flint Garnet Glen Jasper Jet

Knoll Mica Obsidian Onyx Quartz Ridge Shale Slate Sterling Stone Terrace Vale Zinc

Did I miss any good ones? What is your favorite rocky name for a boy?

Ruby

Based on this week's list of The Very Best R Names for Boys and Girls, I've chosen the vintage, gem name Ruby.

Ruby is derived from the Latin word ruber which means "red". As you might know, it is the name of a precious stone with a red hue that serves as the birthstone of the month of July. Along with other gem names, Ruby was first used as a name in the Victorian Era.

As a baby name, Ruby gained usage in the 19th century. It has been in use since name records were first kept in the US in 1880. Ruby was particularly well-used in the early 1900s, peaking from 1918-1924 with over eight thousand births each year.

Vintage names like Ruby that were popular around 1920, declined in usage and then began climbing the charts again in recent years are fashionable now. There are many that follow this same pattern that's sometimes called the 100 Year Rule which basically states that once-popular names tend to come back in style after about 100 years have passed.

Currently, Ruby is on its way back up the charts. In 2014 there were 3,383 girls given the name for a rank of #90. It will no doubt keep inching upward and could very well get over eight thousand births in a year once again within the next 5-10 years. If this happens, Ruby will be an excellent example of a vintage name that follows the 100 Year Rule.

Ruby is beautiful, spunky, and interesting. While it worked so well for the older generation, it does work once again for modern girls.

If you'd like to contribute to Ruby's cause for gaining popularity, here are some ideas for middle names and sibling names:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Amelia, Eleanor, Hazel, Lila, June, Olive, Stella
Brothers: Benjamin, Dean, Hugh, Jack, Nolan, Samuel, Travis

Middle Name Ideas:
Ruby Abigail
Ruby Madeline
Ruby Ophelia
Ruby Susannah
Ruby Victoria

As a Middle Name:
Caroline Ruby
Elizabeth Ruby
Helena Ruby
Martina Ruby
Tessa Ruby

What do you think of the name Ruby? What middle name would you pair with it?