Numerical Baby Names From One to Ten

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.
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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? Prima Una Secunda Tertia Quarta Quinta Quintina Sexta Septima September Seven Octavia October Nona November Decima December Thanks for voting!!

Whether you'd ever use it or not, which male name is most attractive? Primo Primus Uno Segundo Secundus Tertius Tres Quartus Quintus Quintin Quinton Sextus Sexton Septimus Seven Octavio Octavius Octavian Nonius Decimus Thanks for voting!!

Baby Naming Challenge! - Month Edition

This is the ultimate initial challenge! I do have to admit that I borrowed the idea from my friend over at nameddict.  I came across it at the perfect time since I was just about to post Tuesday's blog about month names. I found this challenge to be a genius idea that I hadn't seen before, and it is fun!  Imagine you have twelve babies to name and give it a try!

Using the three-letter abbreviations for each month, come up with the perfect baby name using those letters as a first/middle/middle combo. There's a Y and 3 U's that will make it a bit tricky!  I will post my names below. Feel free to share yours in the comment section or on Facebook!

My names:

JAN: Johanna Adelaide Nell
FEB: Frederick Evan Benedict
MAR: Marius Alexander Rafferty
APR: Amabel Penelope Rose
MAY: Matilda Alice Yvonne
JUN: Julius Ulrich Nathaniel
JUL: Josephine Uma Lenore
AUG: Alistair Ulysses George
SEP: Sebastian Evander Paul
OCT: Octavia Claire Tamsin
NOV: Nadia Olive Valentina
DEC: Dante Everett Cole

Johanna, Frederick, Marius, Amabel, Matilda, Julius, Josephine, Alistair, Sebastian, Octavia, Nadia & Dante. 6 girls and 6 boys!   What names would you choose?

June

The lovely name June has been used for girls as a given name since the 19th century!  Boys occasionally wear it too but not to the same extent as girls.  As a month name, June originally comes from the name of the Roman goddess Juno.

Juno's true meaning is unknown but it is said to possibly be related to a root name meaning "youth". Juno was the wife of Jupiter in Roman mythology and considered the queen of the heavens. She protected marriage, women and childbirth. That is one of the reasons that many weddings traditionally took place in the month of June.

This sweet name hasn't been very popular lately.  In fact, there was a twenty year dry-spell that ended in 2007 where June was not ranked within the Top 1000 names at all. Until recently, She's generally been considered an old-fashioned, grandma name because of her super-popularity that peaked in 1925. But as the 100 year rule goes, she's due to become a hot name once again and we're already seeing signs of her revival!

Back in the day, June rose to fame very quickly! She was always used in some capacity but right around 1914, her popularity skyrocketed. 6,649 baby girls were named June in 1925 (#39), setting a record that hasn't been matched since. After that year, the name began a steady decline in usage. Right around the 1970s, June had fallen to the middle of the pack and began receiving less than 1000 births a year.

In 2008, June jumped back in the game, ranking in at #869 with 320 baby girl births. Since then, June has continued to climb the charts, ranking in at #435 in 2012 with 710 births. Very soon we will find out where she stood in 2013 but I have a feeling she climbed a little bit higher once again.  Click here to view the dramatic popularity charts!

What do you think of June? Is it your favorite month name or do you prefer another? What would you pair with it? Here are some ideas I came up with:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alice, Celia, Elsa, Grace, Hazel, Ivy, Pearl, Rose, Tessa
Brothers: Arthur, Clark, Frederick, Henry, Isaac, Leo, Philip, Silas

Middle Name Ideas:
June Caroline
June Francesca
June Leonora
June Millicent
June Penelope
June Rosalind
June Theodora

As a Middle Name:
Adeline June
Charlotte June
Evelyn June
Lavinia June
Matilda June
Priscilla June
Vivian June

Most of these names have a similar vintage quality to them. I couldn't resist. :)

12 Months of Baby Names

I have seen the question arise quite often lately: "what is your favorite month name?" I believe this question is driven solely by everyone's sudden interest in the name August.

And as you'll see below, this name has come back to the forefront very quickly after not being seen much since its heyday in 1915. It is also pretty much the only logical boy option and parents are quickly falling in love with it.

The majority of these names are ruled by girls, the most obvious choices being April, May and June. However, you may find it interesting that 11 of the 12 months have been used many times over the years. Read below to see which month gets no love and which months are the most popular:

January:

This first frosty month has been given to baby girls since 1951 in the US. The name was most popular in the late 1970s. It had one big popularity spike in 1978 with 257 births and has fallen out of style since then. There were 26 births in 2012 for a ranking of #5274.

February:
Our shortest month has never had any recorded usage as a name for boys or girls. Parents probably opt to honor St. Valentine instead of the name of the month. Valent- names have had plenty of usage!

March:
March is not currently used as a name but it was used in the past. For boys, It was given to 5 babies in 1900 but wasn't seen again until 1916. It was sporadically given to a handful of babies until usage stopped in 1989.  Girls received the name most often in the 60s and 70s but it hasn't been seen since 1978.

April:
April has been used regularly for girls since 1917. It was even given to boys from 1959 up until 2004. For girls, April had a huge popularity spike in the 70s and 80s. There were at most 11,469 girls given the name in 1980. Today it has fallen to 778 births and a ranking of #396.

May:
The lovely May has been a consistently used name since records began in 1880. It is very nearly a classic name, being used often for girls. In 1963, it fell out of the Top 1000 and hasn't gotten close since then. With 106 births in 2012, it ranks at #1883.  This name has also been given to a handful of boys nearly every year from 1882 to 1996.

June:
This is surprisingly a unisex name, having been given to both genders every year since 1880. However, it is favored overwhelmingly by the girls. 1925 was June's best year with 6,649 feminine births. It has been on a steady decline since then until it began climbing again in the mid 2000s. 2012 had 710 births and ranked at #435.

July:

This hot month has never made for a hot baby name despite its similarity to other Jul- names like Julie. It has been used for girls since 1962 but it has never had more than 23 births in a single year, which happened in 2010 for a ranking of #5855.  For boys, July has been used since 1989 (except for 5 births in 1973) but the most births in a single year was 12 in 2009.

August:

If there ever was a boys' name that followed the 100 year rule, it'd be August. With a grand peak of 709 births in 1915, this name rapidly declined again until modern parents discovered it around 2000. 2012 had the most births ever for the name, 936 for a ranking of #333. I suspect it will only climb higher. Other variations like Augustus (#697) and Augustine (#999) are also doing well.

For girls, August has only been used since 1914 and is not nearly as popular as it is for a boy. It gained regular usage in 1963. The most births in a single year was 130 in 2012 for a ranking of #1635. Augusta has been used much more consistently but only received 30 births in 2012.

September:
September has been regularly used since 1955 for girls. There are no recorded male births. It has never been popular though. It received a peak of 51 births in 1980 which ranked it at #2059. There were 23 baby Septembers born in 2012 though. (#5827)

October:
Despite the cute nickname possibility of Toby for a boy, nobody has ever thought to do so. There are no recorded male births for the name October, however, it has been used for girls now and then since 1969. 2008 was her best year with 72 births and a rank of #2603. Since there aren't many month choices for boys, perhaps it can catch on for boys soon along with August. Or I can dream at least.

November:
Remember, remember the name of November -- which has only been given to baby girls since 1971 and never to a boy. I suppose it is cuter for a girl if she's called Nova or Ember. Not many agree though. It was only given to 33 girls in 2012, (#4432), which is the most the name has ever seen in one year.

December:
The name December has been given to girls since 1960. It'd be interesting to know if it was given most often IN that month in lieu of Christmas-themed choices like Noelle or Natalie or Holly. Either way, December received a record-high of 46 births in 2012. (#3453)


In the end, August seems to be the only logical month name to give to a boy with the exception of March and July and my own wishful thinking for October nn Toby. The rest of the months are very girl-dominated. By far, April was the name with the most popularity, reaching over 11k births for its peak. And poor little February gets no love!

Which is your favorite month name? Would you ever use one of the months ending in -ber? Let me know your thoughts!