The Art of Naming

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 "

While a lot of this could be subjective, the names on this list have a bit of a modern, spunky vibe.  Some could be somewhat unisex as well. Girls today are receiving more and more names that are beyond the scope of traditional, classic choices. Surname and occupational names are huge, unisex names or even boy-names-on-girls (BNOG) are gaining popularity, and many Irish names and word names are catching on. The following list was compiled by me in an effort to showcase some of the best modern names and offer ideas for first/middle combinations to anyone in the market for one: Mackenzie Hollis Riley Valentina Darcy Magnolia Hazel Kinsley Kennedy Lace Piper Connolly Mercy Willow Presley Morgan Addison Hadley Teagan Everly Bailey Summer Delaney Sloane Ashton Lindsay Reese Jessamine Cassidy Ryanne Paige Emerson Tatum Siobhan Kerrigan Fallon Sylvie Madigan Madison Serenity Berkley Joss Sable Amaya Taylor Felicity Whitley Harper Auden Bristol Finlay Marlowe El

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

In 2014, I posted a series of Birth Announcements that were taken from real hospitals across the US. After combing through all of the names and tallying them up, I came across the twenty most commonly recurring middle names for boys. Disclaimer: This is very limited data.  The following featured names appeared the most often in my small collection of birth announcements which can be found on the  name lists page.    Of course, I would much rather have official data on that. If the Social Security Administration made a list of the most popular middle names, things would be easier and namers like me would be thrilled. Since they don't compile that data, I had to improvise. What I noticed, though, is that we tend to like our male names to be on the traditional side. It may be that many parents use the middle name spot to honor male relatives. Many may simply favor solid, classic choices above the more modern and trendy, while others pair a trendy first name with a classic middl