The Art of Naming

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 sim

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

Original post: 2/6/15 Revision: 5/14/17 The latest article featuring The Very Best B Names for Boys and Girls had such a great collection that it was difficult to choose just one. In the end, today's featured name is Bridget. Anglicized from the Irish name Brighid, Bridget means "exalted one".  It has also been suggested that Brighid could be derived from the Irish brigh  meaning "strength". Other spellings include Brigid, Bridgette, Brigit, and Bedelia . Variations in other languages include the Danish Britta , the Dutch Brigitta, the Finnish Riitta , the French Brigitte, the Italian Brigida , the Manx Breeshey , the Polish Brygida, and the Welsh Ffraid among many others.  Were you aware that Bridget was so internationally used? In Irish mythology, there was a goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom named Bridget or Brigid. It was also the name of Saint Brigid in the 5th century, a patron saint of Ireland.  This saint was so esteemed in Irela

Today's featured name is a strong, handsome Irish name that I hand-picked from this week's blog about boy names that contain the letter V! The masculine name Donovan comes from an Irish surname which ultimately came from the Irish Ó Donndubháin which means "descendent of Donndubhán". That name is basically Gaelic for "dark brown". Donovan has been in use in the US since 1900 and it has nearly always been in the Top 1000, save a few years early on. It peaked in 2003 with 2,210 births and a ranking of #176. Now in 2013, it has fallen to a respectable #281 with 1,224 births.  It also ranks at #380 in France. Since this name is on the decline, it'll only become more and more unique. There probably isn't a danger of it sounding dated since it has been solidly established since 1900. It also wasn't incredibly popular. If it had peaked in the Top 50 and then immediately declined, it would be a different story. As it sits, it's still receivi

Closing out Irish Week, I present to you a very Irish girl name. The name Caoimhe is pronounced KWEE-va and sometimes just KEE-va is accepted. It has been anglicized to produce the variants Keeva and Keavy. It comes from the Gaelic caomh which means "beautiful, gentle, kind". So while it may be difficult for the non-Irish to know how to pronounce, it definitely has a lovely meaning!  It is also used in Scotland with the same spelling, meaning and pronunciations. According to the most recent stats on BehindTheName , Caoimhe ranks at #16 in Ireland and #35 in Northern Ireland. Nameberry confirms that this name has been consistently popular for quite a while, usually ranking in the Top 20 or so. In the US, Caoimhe is definitely hindered by pronunciation issues. It has only been given to girls since 1996 but it has never had more than 19 births in a single year. In 2013, there were 18 births for a ranking of #6734. Revision: As of 2016, the name only had 11 births.

Welcome to World-Wide Wednesday! Today we'll take a look at Irish baby names and naming traditions! First, let's start with a bit of trivia.  Irish babies are typically named for their relatives, especially in the past. This trend may not be as prominent today as it once was, but there is a pattern that Irish families tended to follow: First born son named after his father's father Second born son named after his mother's father Third born son named after his father Fourth born son named after his father's oldest brother Fifth born son named after his father's 2nd oldest brother or his mother's oldest brother First born daughter named after her mother's mother Second born daughter named after her father's mother Third born daughter named after her mother Fourth born daughter named after her mother's oldest sister Fifth born daughter named after her mother's 2nd oldest sister or her father's oldest sister Another fun tradi

Today is the start of Irish week! We'll explore Irish baby naming traditions on my World-Wide Wednesday segment and learn more about an Irish girl name on Friday. Right now, let's investigate one of my favorite Irish boy names: Cillian. Cillian is pronounced KILL-ee-an which is made more evident with the alternate spelling Killian. Both names are said to come from the Gaelic ceall meaning "church". Other sources suggest that its meaning has something to do with war or a warrior and strife based on the Irish c eallach instead. The name Kelly also comes from the ceallach family tree. Despite sometimes being considered a softer name in Ireland, Americans tend to view Cillian as a tougher name with its meaning and that harsh first syllable. As far as associations go, there was an Irish saint who was known as Cillian in the 7th-century. A modern namesake is that of actor Cillian Murphy today. There is also the association with the brand of beer known as George Kil

I came up with a short list of unisex names to potentially feature and it was hard for me to decide between them, so I took the question to the wonderful people on Instagram! The first poll narrowed the list to three names, but the voting was very close on the final three. It came down to Finley, Lennon or Phoenix. In the end, I tallied all of the votes from both polls together and Lennon was the winner! Upon hearing the name Lennon, the first thought that may come to many peoples' minds is that of the late John Lennon of super rock group The Beatles. Beyond the musical connection, which is probably a huge reason parents choose the name, Lennon actually comes from an Irish surname. It has been anglicized from Ó Leannáin which is basically a patronymic name meaning "descendant of Leannán" . Leannán itself is said to mean "lover" in Gaelic. Lennon is now considered a unisex name. Originally, it was only given to boys from 1913 to 1980 in the US. Girls we

The name Cara comes from an Italian word of endearment that means "beloved". In Latin, Cara means "friend" which is also true for the Irish Gaelic origination. However, the Spanish word cara means "face" and the word kara means "dark" in Turkey. On the Isle of Man, in traditional baby naming books, Cara referred to "a songster". My name is Kara and I pronounce it CARE-uh. Most people that I meet initially say CAR-uh, though, which is something to ponder. Behind the Name gives three different pronunciations for Cara: KAHR-ə (English), KER-ə (English), KAH-rah (German).  Baby Names Hub has an extensive list of comments from ladies named Cara who have shared their experience with the name and its [mis]pronunciations. Many of them also mentioned how often this name can get confused for Sara, Tara, Clara, Karen or Carol. Keep that in mind if you are considering this name. Variants of this name include Kara and Karaugh; diminutives

Today I'm featuring my favorite boy name that I took from my upcoming World-Wide Wednesday post that features names from Australia!  This name is also used in other English-speaking nations but it is extremely rare in the US! The name is Rafferty. I can't help but love it. I think it is adorable, and yet, it really doesn't have your typical "American" feel. I love that Australians like it though! Over there, it is ranked at #292 with a total of 17 births for the year in Victoria. It is actually an Irish surname that originates from Ó Raifeartaigh which came from  O’Raithbheartaigh. It means "Abundance" or "Prosperity Wielder". It is still very much used as a surname today. Thanks to the rough sound of Rafferty, it works better on a boy than on a girl as a first name. Some surnames could go either way, but this one has a boyish vibe to it. In fact, the term "Raffish" means "unconventional and slightly disreputable, espec

In honor of Monday's post about names that are considered unisex, I thought I'd choose my favorite of the bunch. I'm not personally a fan of unisex names, I prefer to keep things gender-specific and obvious, however, I do like Rowan and cannot decide which gender I like it better for. What do you think? The name Rowan comes from an Irish surname. It is an Anglicized form of Ó Ruadháin which means"descendent of Ruadhán".  Sometimes this name is associated with the rowan tree which has red berries. It is also said to mean "little redhead".  This name is said to have been used for both genders since the middle ages, most commonly in Scotland and Ireland. In 2012, this name ranked #301 for boys with 1,138 births. On the girl side, there were 678 births which ranks the name at #455 in 2012. It isn't quite a 50-50 split, but it is more evenly distributed than some of the other names that are considered unisex.  Additionally, there were 234 baby boys

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 ency

The Girl Name of the Week is a short and sweet Irish name in honor of the one-syllable girl names post from yesterday. This name belonged to a legendary ancient Irish queen: Maeve. Today, it is starting to come back into favor with modern parents for both a first and middle name. Maeve is the anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Medb" which means "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a powerful, warrior Queen of Connacht. Her fight against Ulster and the hero Cúchulainn is told in the Irish epic "The Cattle Raid of Cooley." In Ireland, the Irish spelling Meabh is used more frequently. It is in the top 100 names there, but that spelling isn't recommended for usage in the US. Meabh actually comes from  "Medb" which is the original Irish form of Maeve. Other variants include Meadhbh, Mave, Maive, Mayve, Maeva and Meave. However, Maeve is my favorite. It is gaining popularity in the US. It has the lovely nickname Mae/Ma

In honor of my "One-Syllable Boy Names" post  from yesterday, I chose a one-syllable name to feature.  This Boy Name of the Week has had a very sharp increase in usage from one year to the next. The name is Flynn. You probably already know why it is suddenly more popular.  The Disney movie "Tangled"  was released in November 2010 starring a cool character called Flynn Ryder. In 2011,  the name landed on the Top 1000 chart for the first time at #940 (up from #1806) with a total of 210 baby boys born (up from just 86 in 2010.) Actor Orlando Bloom and his model wife Miranda Kerr recently named their son Flynn, which may or may not have had a lasting influence. Flynn is an Irish surname. It is an anglicized form of "Ó Floinn" meaning "descendant of Flann." It is also said to mean "son of the red-haired one."  Flynn has a casual charm to it with a very handsome appeal. In 2012, the name ranked #692 which is its highest ranking ev

Today's Name of the Day is Desmond, one of my favorite Irish names. Yes, it is originally an Irish surname, but I can't help but love it for a boy's first name. It is bold but sophisticated. With the possible nicknames Des/Dez or Desi/Dezi, this name is starting to gain popularity in the US. Desmond first appeared on 8 US birth certificates in 1904. It slowly picked up steam every year after that with its largest naming spike in 1992 when 1,067 boys were born, ranking it at #264 on the Top 1000 chart. As of 2012, there were 920 baby boy Desmonds born, putting the name at a rank of #339. There have also been a handful of girls named Desmond almost every year since 1975. However, usage began slowing down in the 2000s, ending its female usage in 2007. Source Desmond comes from an Irish surname which was derived from Deas-mhumhain meaning "South Munster", originally indicating a person who came from that region in Ireland. Therefore, Desmond means "