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?
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:
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?
One of The Very Best V Names around is Viola, of course! Taken from our previous article, this name is still a rarity but could potentially gain popularity in the coming years.
The name Viola means "violet" in Latin. If Violet is too popular for you (it ranked #67 in 2014), try Viola. It is very similar in sound but it is ranking well below the Top 1000 chart.
As you may know, the viola is a bowed string instrument. Wikipedia says that "it is slightly larger than a violin in size and has a lower and deeper sound than a violin. Since the 18th century it has been the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello." This would be a great name choice for musical parents, specifically ones who may actually play this instrument.
The Viola is also a genus of flowering plants within the violet family of Violaceae. The name Viola would please not only musical parents, but those with an appreciation for nature. Additionally, literature lovers would recognize that Viola is the name of the heroine in Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night" (1602).
On top of all that, Viola can also be considered a vintage name since it was well-used a century ago and has the potential to come back into fashion again in the next few years if it can catch a ride on Violet's coattails.
What's not to love? She's a musical, literary, vintage nature name that happens to still be flying under the radar popularity-wise! Hollywood has an Emmy Award winning actress by the name of Viola Davis who has been helping to increase exposure to the name in the entertainment world recently.
Do you think Viola may start climbing the charts for modern babies soon? Viola has been in use in the US since 1880 when records began. It isn't very popular now but it once peaked even higher than the name Violet did. In 1918, there were 4,331 girls named Viola for a ranking of #59 (while Violet ranked at #83 in the same year.)
Since the 1920s, though, Viola has declined in popularity straight down the charts and out of the Top 1000 by 1973. While Viola remains uncommon, it is starting to inch its way back up. There were 192 girls given this name in 2014 for a rank of #1250.
Here are some sibling and middle name ideas for Viola:
Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Cecily, Coraline, Grace, Imogen, Lenore, Lucille, Rosalie
Brothers: Ambrose, Barnaby, Curtis, Henry, Leonard, Marcus, Thomas
Middle Name Ideas:
Viola Camille
Viola Genevieve
Viola Hettienne
Viola Maren
Viola Rose As a Middle Name:
Alice Viola
Belle Viola
Julianne Viola
Louise Viola
Tess Viola
What do you think of the name Viola? Or do you prefer Violet? What about Violetta?
The masculine name Ulysses is the Latin form of the excellent Greek mythological name Odysseus. Odysseus is said to be derived from the Greek οδυσσομαι (odyssomai) which means "to hate, wrathful". While that isn't the greatest meaning ever, both of these names are strong and interesting.
In Greek legend, Odysseus was a hero of the Trojan War. Homer's The Odyssey, follows Odysseus's journey back to his kingdom and his wife Penelope.
As for the name Ulysses, it was used as the title of a book written in 1920 by Irish author James Joyce. This story was loosely based on The Odyssey and was adapted into a movie in 1967.
The most famous man named Ulysses in American history is Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War. He later became the 18th President of the United States from 1869-1877. His full name was actually Hiram Ulysses Grant.
This was also the name of George Clooney's character name in the Coen brothers' film O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Other forms of the name include the feminine Ulyssa, the French Ulysse, the Italian Ulisse, the Portuguese Ulisses and the Spanish Ulises.
Ulysses has been used as a name in the US since records began in 1880. It has always ranked within the Top 1000 up until the mid-2000s. It received the most amount of births in a single year in 1999 which was 272. Currently, Ulysses ranks at #1109 in 2014 with 171 births.
If you're considering this handsome, strong name, here are some middle name ideas and sibling name ideas that you may enjoy:
Soren is a Scandinavian name that's starting to catch on with American parents today. There are three different ways to spell Soren. First, there's just the anglicized Soren which is typically pronounced Sorr-en.
If you venture into Scandinavia, there's also the Danish and Norwegian form the name spelled Søren and pronounced more like SUU-ren. Derived from that is the form that the Swedes and Germans tend to prefer: Sören, also pronounced SUU-ren or ZUU-ren.
No matter how it is accented, the name originally comes from Severinus which is a Roman family name derived from Severus meaning "stern" in Latin.
This name has been well-used in Denmark. Just take a look at the long list of mostly Danish famous people on Nameberry. What about its popularity in America?
Soren first appeared on record in the US in 1912 but it wasn't more regularly used until the 1950s. It remained obscure until it entered into the Top 1000 names in 2003 at #958. It has been inching its way up the charts, ranking at #640 in 2014 with 408 male births.
There were also 20 female births in 2014. Soren gained usage for girls in 1994. While it is still far from being considered truly unisex, which gender do you prefer it on?
If Soren is a name that you're considering, here are some middle name ideas and sibling name ideas:
There is a very large Latin presence in the United States these days. Did you know that there are several Spanish, Italian and Portuguese names for boys that rank within the Top 1000 most popular names?
My favorite of the bunch is listed as the "Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Leonard" on Behind the Name. Leonardo fits all three origin categories with ease and yet it is familiar enough to English ears that it could be considered for American boys who do not have Latin origins. The part-Italian Leonardo DiCaprio has helped make the name more mainstream in America. Interestingly, his name was chosen when his pregnant mother felt him kick for the first time while his parents were viewing a painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
Leonardo isn't the only name that works across all three of these cultures though. Below are all of the Latinate names and their popularity rank for the year 2014 in the US.
Let's take a look at the first half of the Top 1000 first:
Angel #67
Jose #76
Juan #98
Luis #99
Mateo #106
Jesus #111
Leonardo #114
Santiago #115
Carlos #117
Giovanni #125
Diego #129
Antonio #139
Miguel #146
Alejandro #157
Luca #185
Jorge #207
Javier #216
Andres #222
Lorenzo #227
Francisco #232
Emiliano #254
Ricardo #256
Eduardo #261
Fernando #263
Manuel #265
Josue #269
Mario #270
Cristian #273
Cesar #279
Emilio #280
Cruz #290
Rafael #293
Sergio #307
Marco #308
Angelo #315
Fabian #325
Joaquin #326
Romeo #341
Roberto #343
Maximiliano #344
Pedro #354
Enzo #369
Adan #373
Matteo #375
Thiago #390
Esteban #392
Pablo #396
Armando #400
Gerardo #402
Marcos #404
Enrique #414
Raul #423
Leonel #430
Hugo #438
Julio #452
Jaime #468
Gustavo #482
Rodrigo #488
Within the Top 500, there are many very handsome, strong and stylish names for boys. Even though these are all of Spanish, Italian or Portuguese origin, some are no doubt given to boys who do not have those ancestries. For example, I could see a blond, blue-eyed boy sporting the names Luca, Cruz or Hugo these days. It would be inaccurate to claim that all of these Latinate names belong only to those with the corresponding heritage. Do you know anyone with these names?
Here are the names in the second half of the Top 1000 chart in the US for 2014:
Matias #503
Alberto #513
Gianni #515
Arturo #518
Alfredo #524
Alonzo #525
Arlo #539
Isaias #547
Neymar #548
Luciano #568
Ezequiel #569
Mauricio #577
Matthias #580
Mathias #582
Salvador #600
Lucian #608
Alessandro #623
Santino #632
Aldo #645
Ramon #647
Ernesto #651
Carmelo #653
Tomas #658
Guillermo #678
Alonso #708
Felipe #713
Lucca #740
Marcelo #741
Vicente #744
Aron #745
While most of these names are still very handsome, strong and stylish, they are also a bit more on the unusual side than the names at the top of the charts. The one name that stands out in this bunch is Arlo. It is a Spanish name but it has been climbing the charts rapidly in the last couple years which indicates that more than just Spanish boys are being given the name. Do you have any favorites in this bunch?
Unless I missed any, that makes 119 Spanish, Italian or Portuguese names for boys within the Top 1000! Which names do you love, which are you not keen on?
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?
Quincy was hand-chosen from our article that featured The Very Best Q Names for Boys and Girls. We'll take a closer look at it now.
Quincy is a surname that came from the place name Cuinchy which is a village in France. Cuinchy was originally derived from the Ancient Roman praenomen, or given name, Quintus which means "fifth" in Latin. Typically, Quintus was only given to the fifth born son but this isn't a necessary requirement for a modern boy named Quincy.
Perhaps the most famous bearer of this name is the sixth president of the United States, John Quincy Adams, who happened to be born in the town Quincy, Massachusetts which was named after his mother's grandfather Colonel John Quincy.
This interesting, quirky name has been in regular usage since name records were first kept in 1880 in the US. It was never all that popular until the mid 1970s. At its peak, Quincy ranked at #273 in 1977 with a total of 717 male births. Usage has now fallen to a steady 400-500 births per year. In 2014, 422 boys were named Quincy for a popularity rank of #622.
While I am featuring this name for boys, it has also been regularly used for girls since about 1913. Quincy has never ranked within the Top 1000 for girls, but it is up to #1468 in 2014 with 152 female births. It is gaining more and more usage for girls and could potentially be considered unisex and then surpass the boys, especially with the popularity of the similar name Quinn for girls these days.
Since we're focusing on the male Quincy for now, here are some ideas for sibling names and middle names:
Nova comes from the Latin word novus which means "new". A nova is also a space term for when there is a cataclysmic nuclear explosion on a white dwarf planet. It causes a sudden brightening of the star. A nova is slightly different than a supernova which is a stellar explosion that briefly outshines an entire galaxy with as much energy as the sun before fading.
As a name, Nova has been in use for girls since 1885 in the US but it was never popular until it exploded within the past 5 years. It ranked below the Top 1000 at #1133 in 2010. By 2013 it was up to #529. As of 2014 Nova ranked way up at #287 with 1,121 births for the year. It also ranks well in the Netherlands and Sweden.
Nova has recently spiked for boys, too. It has always been given to males here in the US but not regularly until 1996. In 2014 there were 102 boys named Nova for a rank of #1553. Do you like this name more for a boy or a girl?
Nova is an interesting celestial name that's gaining more popularity today than ever before. It's short and sweet with a vivid letter V. It's quirky and cool for a modern girl. If you're considering using Nova, here are a few ideas for sibling names and middle names:
Our featured boy name is Milo. It comes to us from our previous article that featured The Very Best M Names for Boys and Girls.
The origin of the name Milo is not fully known. Milo has been listed as being both Latin and Old Germanic. Sometimes it is said that it is a form of Miles, but it seems more likely that Milo came first.
According to Behind the Name, it's possible that Milo came from the Medieval Slavic name Milu from which names like Milan, Milena, Ludmila, and Miloslav come. It makes sense that Milo would be related to these names but apparently it isn't certain.
What we do know is that the name Miles came from the Germanic name Milo which was introduced to England by the Normans. The confusing part is that Milo is listed as the "Old Germanic form of Miles as well as the Latinized form." So according to Behind the Name, Milo gave rise to Miles which gave rise to Milo.
Either way, this name dates back to the Middle Ages where it was found being used in official documents. If it does indeed come from the Slavic name Milu, then it would mean "gracious". If it is associated with the Latin word "miles" then Milo would mean "soldier".
These days, Milo is a favorite among celebrities and the Nameberry community. It ranked as the 11th most popular name according to Nameberry's list they generate based on their pageviews.
In the US, though, Milo isn't quite that popular yet. Milo has been in consistent usage since records were first kept in 1880. It had a popularity boost from roughly 1913 thru the mid-1930s before it declined a bit.
Only recently has it started rocketing up the charts, joining the Top 1000 names in 2001. Now by 2014, Milo ranks at #311 with 1,109 male births. There were even 10 females births.
If you're interested in using this name, here are some sibling name ideas and middle name ideas for you:
Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Adele, Emily, Lily, Matilda, Rosalie, Sadie, Zoey
Brothers: August, Ezra, Henry, Julian, Lucas, Oliver, Zane Middle Name Ideas:
Milo Alexander
Milo Carter
Milo James
Milo Nathaniel
Milo Sebastian
Milo Vaughn As a Middle Name:
Barnaby Milo
Dominic Milo
Jasper Milo
Robert Milo
Thaddeus Milo
Vincent Milo
Taken straight from our list of The Very Best L Names for Boys and Girls is the lovely name Luna.
While Luna is usually listed as either Italian, Spanish or both, it originates as a Latin name meaning "the moon". According to the ancient Roman mythology, the goddess Luna was considered the divine embodiment of the moon and was often portrayed as driving a white chariot through the sky. Her Greek counterpart is the goddess Selene.
As a baby name in the US, Luna dates back to the start of our modern records in the year 1880. Luna has been used on and off over the years, encountering a bit of a dry spell in the mid-60s. It was never popular until recently when it joined the Top 1000 names in 2003. It has been steadily rising on the popularity chart since then. 2,314 baby girls were given the name in 2014 for a ranking of #143. At this rate, it should continue to rise in popularity.
Luna is short and sweet. It carries beautiful imagery with it as it evokes peaceful vibes synonymous with the night sky. It works very well on Spanish and Italian girls but it is popular enough now to work on anyone without raising eyebrows.
Since it is relatively short, it best pairs with a longer-looking middle name, even if they might have the same amount of syllables. For more ideas of how to pair this name, view my suggestions for potential sibling names and middle names below:
Middle Name Ideas:
Luna Charlotte
Luna Delphine
Luna Mirabelle
Luna Penelope
Luna Tamsin
As a Middle Name:
Abigail Luna
Eleanor Luna
Marjorie Luna
Persephone Luna
Rafaela Luna
What do you think of the names I suggested? What would you pair with Luna? My favorite guilty pleasure pairing is Luna Sapphire for the image of a big blue moon.
While everyone will have differing opinions about which are The Very Best J Names for Boys and Girls, I'm sure many can agree that Juno is an interesting and unique choice!
The feminine name Juno is very mythological. The ancient Roman goddess was a daughter of Saturn, the wife (and sister!) of the Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. She was the goddess of marriage and childbirth and often looked after the women of Rome. Juno was also the Queen of the Gods, known as "Regina" which means Queen. Her Greek equivalent is the goddess Hera.
The meaning of the name Juno is generally thought to be unknown but some speculate that it is related to an Indo-European root word that means "youth". Juno is a variation of the Roman name Iuno. Other related names are Iunius, Junius, Iunia, and Junia.
As a name, Juno isn't very used in the US. It randomly charted way back in 1919 with 6 births and it wasn't heard from again until 1996.
This name really wasn't on anyone's radar until the popular Indie film Juno came out in 2007. There were only 7 girls with this name in 2006, but because of the film, 11 girls were given the name Juno in 2007 and 33 in 2008.
It has continued to slowly inch up the charts after that with a peak of 61 births in 2011. As of 2014, though, the name Juno has declined a bit to only 49 births for the year.
Interestingly, this name is also being used for boys despite the strong association with the goddess. It actually had more births in 2007 for a boy than for a girl but it didn't get a usage boost after that. It wasn't given to boys at all in 2010 but the year 2014 had 15 boys named Juno.
While I've seen this name get thrown around the baby naming community quite a bit, it has yet to catch on with mainstream America. However, that's probably a good thing because Juno can continue to remain a rare gem for the time being. If you are interested in using this unranked and unusual name, your child will be one of a kind in their school.
Here are some ideas for sibling names and middle names for Juno:
The list of The Very Best I Names for Boys and Girls offered plenty of interesting choices. This week is the boys turn for a featured name and the options were hard to choose from. In the end, Ignatius was the victor.
The name Ignatius comes from the Roman family name Egnatius. Originally, Egnatius had an unknown meaning from the ancient Etruscan origin. As time went on, the spelling was altered so it would be similar to the Latin word ignis which means "fire". Because of this, the Etruscan Egnatius became the Latin Ignatius and inherited itself a meaning.
There were several saints named Ignatius. The most well-known St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was the founder of the Jesuits. Interestingly, his birth name was Íñigo which is sometimes regarded as a form of Ignatius, but it is probably just because of its association with this saint. (Inigo was also one of our featured I names that I nearly chose. It is Spanish but comes from the name Eneko which is derived from Basque elements. It doesn't seem to actually relate to Ignatius.) Inigo is a great alternative, though, if you like Ignatius but think it is a bit too big of a name for your tastes.
Now that Ignatius means fire, it is certainly a red-hot choice for bold namers. It has several variants in other languages including the Spanish Ignacio, the Italian Ignazio, the German Ignatz, the Portuguese Inácio, the Dutch Ignaas, the Russian Ignatiy and more. Iggy, Nate or Natius (nay-shus) seem to be popular nicknames for Ignatius while the Spanish Ignacios can sometimes be called Nacio or Nacho for short. There's also Ignacia for a girl who could potentially go by Nancy.
How does this international name rank in the US? Ignatius has been steadily in use since 1885. It had the most usage in terms of births per year in 1920 when the name was given to 97 boys. It declined in usage after that, not even ranking in 1980 at all.
However, Ignatius is slowly climbing back up the charts, possibly receiving a tiny revival along with other more popular Latin -us names like Atticus or Maximus. Ignatius was given to 40 boys in 2014 for a ranking of #2896. So it isn't in the Top 1000 names but it is being used. It would be a unique choice for a modern boy!
What do you think of this name? Do you like Ignatius or one of the variants better? If you're considering this name, here are some ideas for siblings and middle names:
Middle Name Ideas:
Ignatius Benedict
Ignatius Joseph
Ignatius Matthew
Ignatius Vincent
As a Middle Name:
Arlo Ignatius
Henry Ignatius
Jonathan Ignatius
Robert Ignatius
This name is a bit difficult to pair up but it seems to work best as a middle name with a 2 syllable more-traditional first name. Henry Ignatius and Robert Ignatius are my favorites. However I couldn't resist going with Ignatius Benedict despite how very saint/pope it is. What would you pair Ignatius with? Share your thoughts below!
It was the Normans who introduced the name Honora to England and Ireland. Honora is a variant of the name Honoria which is the feminine form of Honorius.
Honorius is a Late Latin name meaning "honor". It has been worn by a few saints and popes as well as an emperor.
In addition to the lovely Honora, there is also the Irish Onóra and the English Annora. Nora is an excellent nickname for all of these, and diminutives include the similar Norene, Noreen, Norah and Nóirín.
While some parents like the shorter and simpler name Honor to reflect its virtuous meaning, others opt for a bit more of an elaboration with Honora or Honoria. These types of abstract virtue names were popular with the Puritans after having been introduced to Britain by the Normans.
Today in modern America, Honora is very under-the-radar. It has been used quietly but consistently since records were first kept in 1880 but it has never been popular. The year 1919 received the most usage for this name in a single year but that only accounted for 28 births. In 2013, there were only 20 baby girls given the name Honora in the US for a ranking of #6282.
The name Honor was a bit more popular. There were 133 girls named Honor in 2013 and there weren't any births on record for the name Honoria. On the flipside, 64 boys were also named Honor which proves that this virtue name could work for either gender.
If you are considering using Honora, here are some ideas for sibling and middle names:
Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Annaliese, Cordelia, Laurel, Leonie, Matilda, Octavia, Sabrina
Brothers: August, Henry, Lucius, Miles, Rafferty, Sebastian, William
There was once a time back in Ancient Rome when it was common to have several children. So many that parents sometimes numbered them via their names. If you couldn't imagine naming your children one, two, three, four, five... you're not alone.
Fortunately, there are Latin options that sound much cooler than that if you happen to find the idea of numbering your offspring to be appealing. There are also some updated modernized versions of these old Latin names that are faring better than their ancient counterparts.
Many ancient names are being used again today with a renewed sense of style such as all the -us names like Atticus, Maximus, Cyrus, Augustus, etc. But does this interest extend to these numerical names? Do they stand any chance for revival? Let's take a look at some of the possible choices per number.
One (1):
Prima
Gender: Female
Last year used: 2004
# of births in that year: 6
Most recorded usage: 14 births in 1975
Primo
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 11
Most recorded usage: 31 births in 1921
Primus
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2009
# of births in that year: 5
Most recorded usage: 10 births in 1920
Uno
Gender: Male
Last year used: 1923
# of births in that year: 5
Most recorded usage: 15 births in both 1918 & 1919
Una
Gender: Female
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 39
Most recorded usage: 217 births in 1921
Primo is probably the most usable of the Prim- names with it's ancient roots and stylish -o ending, but it still lacks a bit of modern flair which prevents it from gaining any real traction with parents. These will always be rare. Uno is nonexistent as a name today. Una is the most used out of all of them and would actually be rather stylish for a girl today.
-
Two (2):
Secunda
Gender: Female
Last year used: 1977
# of births in that year: 5
Most recorded usage: 5 births in 1964 & 1977. Total. Ever.
Segundo
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2012
# of births in that year: 5
Most recorded usage: 12 births in 2002
Secundus
Gender: Male
Last year used: Never in US
# of births in that year: None
Most recorded usage: None
One may be the loneliest number, but hardly anyone seems to value the number two when it comes to names. Segundo for a boy has done the best out of all of these but its numbers are minuscule. These may not be inclined for any kind of popularity but they're interesting to at least acknowledge.
-
Three (3):
Tertia
Gender: Female
Last year used: 1985
# of births in that year: 5
Most recorded usage: 5 births in 1971 & 1985. Total. Ever.
Tertius
Gender: Male
Last year used: 1987
# of births in that year: 6
Most recorded usage: 6 births in 1987. Total. Ever.
Tres
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 8
Most recorded usage: 17 births in 1993 & 1998
These Latin Tert- names aren't faring very well in the US. Tertia has potential if pronounced ter-shuh, similar to Portia. Tertius might just be too much tert, even if pronounced ter-shuss. The French Trois hasn't been used at all but the Spanish word for three, Tres, has had some usage for a boy which is as good as it gets for these number names!
-
Four (4):
Quarta
Gender: Female
Last year used: Never in US
# of births in that year: None
Most recorded usage: None
Quartus
Gender: Male
Last year used: Never in US
# of births in that year: None
Most recorded usage: None
The US has zero love for the number four. Nobody has ever used these names. However, it would take 5 uses in a single year in order for it to be recorded, so it is possible that there's a couple out there that we don't know about. Similarly, there's no love for Quartia, Quartina, Quartessa or Quartella. Nothing for Quatro or Quatre either. Poor number four!
-
Five (5):
Quinta
Gender: Female
Last year used: 1997
# of births in that year: 5
Most recorded usage: 15 births in 1977
Gender: Male
Last year used: 1995
# of births in that year: 5
Most recorded usage: 8 births in 1977
Quintina
Gender: Female
Last year used: 2004
# of births in that year: 5
Most recorded usage: 54 births in 1976
Quintus
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 19
Most recorded usage: 30 births in 2012
Quintin
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 248
Most recorded usage: 405 births in 1997
Quinton
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 479
Most recorded usage: 871 births in 1996
The more modernized names Quintin and Quinton are commonly used today and are the most popular number names that we've looked at so far. Quintus has real potential to gain a popularity boost along with the other -us names that are rising. The female options don't quite strike the right chord for today's tastes, though.
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Six (6):
Sexta
Gender: Female
Last year used: None
# of births in that year: None
Most recorded usage: Never used in the US
Sextus
Gender: Male
Last year used: None
# of births in that year: None
Most recorded usage: Never used in the US
Sexton
Gender: Male
Last year used: 1975
# of births in that year: 5
Most recorded usage: 6 births in both 1917 & 1920
It's no surprise that people aren't readily putting the word "sex" into their children's names. I'd be more worried if these names were popular. These can stay right where they are: in obscurity.
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Seven (7):
Septima
Gender: Female
Last year used: None
# of births in that year: None
Most recorded usage: Never used in the US
Septimus
Gender: Male
Last year used: None
# of births in that year: None
Most recorded usage: Never used in the US
September
Gender: Female
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 31
Most recorded usage: 51 births in 1980
Seven:
Gender: Female
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 42
Most recorded usage: 50 births in 2012
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2013
Births in that year: 75
Most recorded usage: 112 births in 2008
Septima and Septimus feel like they should have some usage and that they could actually fit in with other revived ancient names. September is more of a month name than a number name these days. The calendar shifted around and pushed the month down to the ninth spot, but September still comes from the Latin word for seven. September has had regular usage since 1955 and has the potential for more. Lastly, some parents have even decided to straight up use the number "Seven" as a name without any need to Romanize it.
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Eight (8):
Octavia
Gender: Female
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 73
Most recorded usage: 446 births in 1987
Octavio
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 175
Most recorded usage: 437 births in 2003
Octavius
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 51
Most recorded usage: 126 births in 1991
Octavian
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 43
Most recorded usage: 58 births in 2007
October
Gender: Female
Last year used: 2013
# of births in that year: 44
Most recorded usage: 63 births in 2010
Octavio currently has the most usage of these Oct- names, but Octavia has been most consistently used over the years. Octavius should fit right in with other ancient -us boy names but it isn't currently hitting the spot. Octavian would be a cool alternative to other modern boy names ending with -n. October is another month name. It was originally set as the 8th month but with changes to the calender, it was bumped down to the 10th spot today. It is solely used for girls but it would also suit a boy well, especially with the nickname Toby.
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Nine (9):
Nona
Gender: Female
Last year used: 2013
Births in that year: 23
Most recorded usage: 359 births in 1950
Nonius
Gender: Male
Last year used: None
# of births in that year: None
Most recorded usage: Never used in the US
November
Gender: Female
Last year used: 2013
Births in that year: 43
Most recorded usage: 43 births in 2013
Nona has had an impressive run. It isn't ranking today, but it ranked in the 300-500s for decades up until the mid 1950s. It has potential to comeback again with either the ancient crowd or as a vintage name. Nonius hasn't been used but that isn't too surprising. November, even though it is more in the Month Name Camp, has had some decent usage. It was originally the ninth month even though it is currently the 11th. It comes from the Latin novem meaning "nine".
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Ten (10):
Decima
Gender: Female
Last year used: 2013
Births in that year: 5
Most recorded usage: 9 births in 1914
Decimus
Gender: Male
Last year used: 2012
Births in that year: 8
Most recorded usage: 8 births in both 2006 & 2012
December
Gender: Female
Last year used: 2013
Births in that year: 33
Most recorded usage: 46 births in 2012
These names deserve much more usage than they're getting. Both Decima and Decimus are cool and attractive and should be revived along with other ancient names for modern babies. Like the other month names, December was originally the 10th month even though it is now our 12th.
Which of these "Numerical Names" do you like best? Are there any that I missed that could be included? Vote for your favorite on the polls below!
Whether you'd ever use it or not, which female name is most attractive?
Whether you'd ever use it or not, which male name is most attractive?
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