The Art of Naming

Being the "Name Nerd" that I am, I have been keeping a list of my favorite names per letter on a yearly basis. I recently compiled these lists and sorted them out alphabetically and chronologically. I started making the list back in 2010, the year I got married and we started pondering names for potential future children. We had a son in 2012 and a daughter in 2014 whose names made the list. I have continued to keep track of my favorite names since then, and will continue to do so, but after 8 years of this, I decided it would be fun to share my choices. I wanted to see how time has drastically changed my style for some letters, and yet has been untouchable for other letters. I have just finished posting these weekly on my Instagram if you would like to browse there and see my thoughts and explanations per letter. Here we go: 2010:  Bailey, Braden 2011: Brynna, Bennett 2012: Blythe, Brennan 2013: Bridget, Benedict 2014: Bryony, Benedict 2015: Bellamy, Bertram 2016...

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 daring 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! Cassia Emmeline Briar Genevieve Felicity Lane Ella Tempest Sonnet Jane Amaya Journey Lillia Myrtle Rowena Evening Anna Whisper Electra Maeve Avalon Belle Raven Serenity Victoria Echo Magnolia Eve Hazel Valentina Molly Cadence Augusta Reverie Nora Liberty Harmony Moon Liv Bellatrix Jessamine Skye Lucy Genesis Sable Quintessa Astoria Raine Juno Caroline Leona Sparrow Alethea Coral Lulu Florence Eveline Caithe Blythe Magdalena Nova Rosabel Elodie Wynne Poppy Gwenora Gemma Destiny Laureline Fable Thea Hermione Mavis Octavia Fleur Penelope Verity Lark Amabel June Wren Melisande Ivy Lorelei Brynn Eloise Iris Bellamy Alice V...

This series is finally in the last portion of the alphabet. We've looked at a lot of names ending with -y. Today we continue with -ry names.  Here are some of the best and most interesting options for this particular ending-sound. Which of these names catch your eye? Girls: Aimery Amory Aubry Audry Autry Avery Awtry Bellary Cabery Camry Cary Cathry Century Chandry Channary Cherry Clary Connery Cory Curry Dalary Dorry Dory Eiry Elery Ellery Ellory Embry Emery Emmary Emory Emry Fairy February Flannery Gentry Gerry Glory Hilary Hillary Ivory January Jenifry Jerry Kairy Kamry Kary Keary Kemery Kerry Kimery Kinnery Landry Lowery Mabry Maebry Mallory Malory Margaery Margery Marjory Mary Memory Merry Mindry Perry Rory Rosemary Sabry Saory Shannary Sherry Sonary Story Sury Terry Valery Victory Winry Boys: Alvary Amaury Amery Amory Ary Avery Avory Barry Berry Bravery Calvary Carbry Car...

Lately, I've been loving the name Thea. However, when I thought about longer, proper names, I just don't like Theodora or Dorothea enough to consider using those on the birth certificate with Thea as just a nickname. Some people like to skip that middle step and put nicknames or shortened forms directly on the paperwork. It occurred to me that shortening or contracting names could work for those wishing to honor a relative. You love grandma Wilhelmina but don't wish to use her exact name, so you contract it and go with Willa. Easy, right? Are there any names that you can think of that could be shortened to create interesting short forms? Maybe some that are a bit more unexpected than traditional? Sure, there's Thea from Theodora, and Tessa from Theresa. Are there any others that aren't as obvious? Just pick a name, drop a few letters and see what you're left with. Maybe it'll be the next big thing! Here are a few I came up with: Adelaide > Ada, Adla...

This series explores different names ending with -y. We've already seen quite a few. Today we'll look at the many interesting and unusual names that end with the letters "-ny". Girls: Adrianny Albany Aleny Anny Aubuiny Audny Bethany Betony Bonny Borgny Briony Britany Britny Brittany Brittny Bryony Bunny Christany Dagny Delany Destiny Devany Devony Ebony Elleny Epiphany Estefany Evany Evony Fanny Franny Genny Ginny Giverny Harmony Henny Idony Janny Jenny Jessany Jinny Khyany Kiffany Kilmeny Linny Mahogany Marigny Marny Melany Melony Oddny Penny Peony Rainy Romany Sidony Signy Steffany Stephany Sunny Symphony Tawny Tiffany Tiffiny Tinny Tiny Tiphany Yolany Boys: Anthony Antony Benny Berthony Danny Denny Donny Giovanny Johnny Jonny Jovanny Jovany Kenny Lanny Lemony Lenny Lonny Manny Ronny Sonny Sunny Tony Vinny Are there any names on this list that you would consider usin...

If you are searching for a less-than-common name for a boy, this list has plenty of interesting and wearable options. We previously explored similar names from A-M.  The list below continues with the letters N-Z. If you're willing, choose 5 names from this list and pair them with a middle name of your choice to create an interesting sibling set! Post the results in the comment section below. Nash Nemo Nero Nico Niles Noam Noble Nova Nye Oberon Odin Olivander Orion Oslo Otto Ozias Pace Pasqual Pavel Pearce Penn Peregrine Philo Pippin Ptolemy Quade Quarry Quest Quill Quimby Quixley Rafael Ragnar Rasmus Remi Revere Rocco Rockwell Rolf Rune Sanders Sayer Severin Skandar Slater Soren Stark Stellan Sutton Tate Tavish Teague Thanos Thayer Theoden Thorsten Tobias Tomas Tyrion Ulrich Ulysses Upton Urban Usher Uziah Valentin Valor Vance Viggo Vulcan Ward Weston Whittier Wilder Wim Wolfe Wray Xanthus Xerxes ...

If you're looking for a name for a boy but you want something more unusual than most, try these for inspiration. Here you'll find 90 interesting names that are a bit outside the typical set of popular choices you hear everywhere today. Adler Alvar Andre Aramis Arlo Armin Arno Auden Augustin Axel Basil Bastian Benedict Benno Bram Brom Bruno Calix Casper Caspian Cato Conrad Constantine Corin Cosimo Cyan Cyril Dante Dashiell Diederick Dominic Dorian Eamon Edwin Elian Emery Emmerich Evander Fabian Felix Fergus Fletcher Fox Fritz Gael Gregor Gunnar Guthrie Havel Hawthorn Henning Hugo Indigo Isidor Ivo Iwan Jarlath Jasper Jaziel Jem Jericho Johan Jupiter Justice Kai Kasimir Keane Kennon Kit Knute Kylo Laird Larkin Leif Lemuel Leopold Levin Loic Luca Ludwig Lysander Marco Marius Matteo Maxim Mccoy Merrill Milan Murray Which of these names catch your eye? Choose five and give them interesting ...

We're halfway through our collection of names ending with the letter -y. We've seen plenty of common and rare names along the way as we've cruised through the alphabet. Next we will explore the few but interesting names ending with the letters -my. This series doesn't always feature a plethora of name options since these endings are more on the unusual side, but that's the beauty of it. How often have you stopped to think about names ending with these specific letters? Perhaps never. However, if someone is looking for that exact sound or letter combination with a sentimental purpose behind it, this list is sure to help. Take a look at the list below and share your thoughts in the comments. Can you think of any names that could be added? Girls: Aemy Alchemy Amy Bellamy Cammy Emmy Emy Jemmy Jessamy Jessemy Keimy Kimmy Kymmy My Naomy Nomy Remy Romy Stormy Tammy Boys: Barthelemy Bellamy Jeramy Jeremy Jeromy Jimmy Ptolemy Ramy ...

Last week we took a look at boy names that are either diminutives of ancient Greek names, or have had their spellings more Latinized or modernized over the years.  Now it's time to look at the feminine name choices. Many of these have been in use for a long time whether or not the wearers realize their Greek origins. Greek names tend to be very versatile. They easily cross bridges into several cultures and languages, allowing nearly anyone to use them in one form or another. Here are some of the best Greek names I could find that would work beautifully on modern girls. Which of these do you like best? Althea Anastasia Ariadne Calista Calliope Cassandra Catherine Chloe Cleo Daphne Delphina Diana Dorothy Elaina Ellen Esmeralda Eugenia Eulalia Evadne Helen Helena Hermione Iris Isadora Kyra Lydia Lysandra Melanie Melissa Oceana Odessa Olympia Ophelia Penelope Persephone Phaedra Philippa Phoebe Selene Sophia Sybil Thalia Thea Theodora Th...

Ahhh! Part Seven! Here we are! The series just keeps chugging along with another 10 boy names to choose from! These barely-used names do not rank within 2015's Top 1000 chart. Take a look at the names on this list, pick your favorite(s) and pair them with a great middle name in the comment section below! Cordell (129 births - #1342) Cordell is an interesting surname name taken from Middle English usage referring to the maker or seller of cord. Cordell actually first appeared in 1903 for females, and 1904 for males. However, over the years, it gained more traction for boys, despite being given to a handful of girls here and there until 1937. For boys, Cordell has ranked on and off in the Top 1000, doing the best in the late 1990s.  Now it has fallen off the charts again but still earns a decent amount of births per year. Is this a name that you'd consider? Middle Name Ideas:  Cordell William, Cordell Elijah, Cordell Frost, Cordell Thomas, Cordell Ryan, Cordell S...

This categorization of names is admittedly limited and unusual but it may strike a chord for certain parents seeking a specific sound.  Continuing our series that has already featured -ay, -by, -cy, -dy and -ey names, I present the interesting short list of -fy and -gy names. Since the list is so short, I combined the two and included -fie and -gie names as well. Many of these might actually be considered nicknames more so than given names. Most Americans are not big fans of this style of names, however in England and Wales, names like Effie and Alfie are considered full, stand-alone names and rank fairly well on the popularity charts. Girl names ending with -fy and -fie: Buffy Effy Saffy Sofy Taffy Tiffy Effie Elfie Safie Sofie Wolfie Boy names ending with -fie: Alfie Wolfie -- Girl names ending with -gy and -gie: Margy Peggy Tiggy Aggie Angie Georgie Maggie Margie Peggie Reggie Vangie Vergie Virgie Boy names ending with -gy and -gie:...

As we reach the end of the month of August, let's take a moment to look at the related Aug-/Ag- names that could be used on a person today. Generally, these names all come from the Latin augere meaning "to increase", but other meanings came to include "great" and "venerable". Augustus was a title that Octavian, the first Roman emperor, was given. He was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. There are many options available for both boys and girls. Some are more popular than others, but these are mostly rather uncommon here in the US.  Are there any that you would use? By Unknown Till Niermann (Own work)  [ GFDL , CC-BY-SA-3.0  or CC BY-SA 2.5 ], via Wikimedia Commons Agostina   (Italian form of Augustinus - feminine - zero births on record for 2015 in US) Agostino   (Italian form of Augustinus - masculine - 5 births on record for 2015) Ágúst (Icelandic form of Augustus - masculine - zero births in 2015) Agust (Swedish form of August - masculi...

We've explored letters A-D so far in this "ends with -y" series. Today's list is perhaps one of the most plentiful. It was difficult to narrow it down to only the best options that end with the letters "-ey". The names below all have their endings in common, but they differ greatly in terms of style and popularity. Let's play a little game with these names. Let's suppose that you are having triplets and you have your heart set on cutesy rhyming names for them. Choose three that you like most, and give them their own middle names. You can choose either the gender combinations.  Have fun! Girls: Adley Abbey Ainsley Ansley Ashley Aubrey Audrey Bailey Briley Brinley Britney Carley Casey Courtney Delaney Destiney Finley Gracey Greenley Hadley Hailey Haley Harley Hayley Jacey Journey Kailey Kaley Karley Kasey Kayley Kelsey Kenley Kiley Kinley Kinsley Lacey Lainey Laney Lindsey Linley Macey Marley McKinle...

Up until now, we've discovered names ending with the letters -ay, -by and -cy. Now it is time to explore -dy ending names. It's sometimes difficult to do specific searches for names with specific criteria so I thought I'd compile some of the best -dy names that I could find. Can you think of any others? Girls: Addy Biddy Brandy Cady Candy Carmindy Cassidy Cindy Goldy Haddy Haidy Heidy Hildy Indy Jody Judy Kady Kandy Kassidy Kennedy Lady Liddy Lindy Maddy Mady Mandy Melody Mindy Randy Rhapsody Rudy Sandy Teddy Trudy Wendy Windy Zandy Boys: Andy Brady Brody Buddy Cassidy Claudy Cody Eddy Freddy Gennady Grady Hardy Huddy Indy Jody Jordy Kassidy Kennedy Kody Mardy Randy Roddy Rowdy Rudy Sandy Teddy Woody Do you spot any new favorites from this list? Would you use any? <-- Names ending with "-cy"  |||   Names ending with "-ey"  -->

Welcome to part two of this series that features ten barely used names per month. We started this thing by investigating names just outside of the US Top 1000. We'll explore our way down the list and uncover more and more uncommon names as we go. There are plenty of great names that are not currently popular. The best thing about their "unpopularity" is that it does not denote that there's something wrong with the names, they simply aren't on everyone's radar right now. They may have been used more in the past, or perhaps they are yet to be discovered. Either way, these great, overlooked names would be excellent choices for parents who want something you don't hear everyday. The ones that I've handpicked from 2015's data are all very usable for a modern girl despite being uncommon at the moment.  In the parenthesis, the number of births for 2015 is listed, followed by the popularity rank as published by the Social Security Administration. ...

Welcome to part two of this series! Today we'll investigate ten interesting names that are currently not ranked within the US Top 1000. A couple were popular years ago and are uncommon now, while others have yet to hit their stride. Let's see if any of these could potentially start [re]climbing the charts in the coming years or if they are likely to remain barely-used. Share your thoughts in the comments below. Do you know any youngsters with these names? Within the parenthesis, you'll find the number of births the name received in the year 2015 , along with the names' corresponding popularity rank. Denzel (186 births - #1060)  Denzel is a form of Denzil which is a surname that indicated a person from the manor of Denzell in Cornwall. The spelling Denzel was made popular by Denzel Washington, an American actor. The name in the US has been around since 1906. It was rare until the early 1990s, peaking in 1993 at #311. It has since fallen off the Top 1000 chart. L...

Uniqueness. What does that word mean to you? When it comes to names, it may refer to a name that is seldom heard. What about the spelling? It seems to be a trend lately to take a common name and "make it unique" by tweaking the spelling. But after all, by ear, aren't Emily, Emilee, Emaley, Emylee and Emmalea all pronounced the same? Why not opt for the common spelling to avoid headache and confusion? (Plus, if you really want a unique name, wouldn't it make more sense to use one that is statistically uncommon rather than respelling a common name ?) If you'd love to steer clear of the constant "could you spell that for me?" questions, and actually be able to find your name on default personalized keepsakes, perhaps you'd prefer a name that doesn't have a ton of spelling options. In fact, maybe you'd like a name with only one common spelling. Creative namers could be able to twist some of these around, but those variations wouldn't...

We previously featured names that end with the letters -ay. Now we'll continue on to -by names in this new mini-series that dives into name endings. There is something so adorable about these names that end with the letters "-by". Many of these are unusual which is perfect for those seeking something special for their child. Take a look and see if you don't agree with me about their adorability factor: Girls: Abby Ashby Baby Catesby Colby Darby Debby Effaby Gabby Kelby Kirby Kolby Libby Maeby Quenby Ruby Shelby Tabby Interestingly, there are more -by names for boys than for girls: Boys: Alby Ashby Barnaby Bartleby Bixby Bobby Coby Colby Corby Crosby Darby Digby Gatsby Gibby Herby Jacoby Joby Kelby Kirby Koby Kolby Rigby Robby Roxby Saxby Selby Toby Willoughby Can you think of any more that could be added? Which are your favorites?! Be sure to view the rest of this series as it is published using the links ...

Welcome to a new mini-series featuring specific name endings. This list will explore the various names that end with the letters "-ay". The next article in the series will take a look at "-by" names, followed by "-cy" names, etc. If you are searching for a specific sound and cannot find all that many options, allow me to assist you. This list of names ending with '-ay" is as neatly comprehensive as possible with only the most usable names on it.  There many be other spellings that lend to a similar sound but we are focusing primarily on the spelling. Can you think of any names that I may have missed? If not, tell me which of these you like most. Girls: Bay Chardonnay Day Fay Finlay Friday Gray Halliday Holiday Holliday Islay Ismay Janay Jenay Kay Lindsay Lyndsay May Saray Shay Sunday Tueday Wednesday Boys: Ajay Barclay Bay Callaway Carvay Cejay Chay Clay Conway Deontay Dontay Findlay Finlay Gray Jay ...

At last, we have arrived at the very end of the alphabet. I appreciate all of you who have stuck with me this long. It took a year and three months to finish the entire series!  Now, let's look at the zippy letter Z! Along with the rest of the tail-end letters, Z names are rather few and far between when compared to the letters at the start of the alphabet. However, that doesn't mean that there are unappealing options. Far from it! Z names are mostly bold, interesting and unusual but there are a few classics in there like Zachary, Zachariah and Zoe.  Which of these 50 Z names for boys and girls do you like most?  Zahara Zaila Zaire Zamora Zandra Zanna Zara Zariah Zarina Zasha Zaviera Zelda Zelia Zendaya Zenon Zia Zinnia Zion Zoe Zoey Zola Zora Zoraya Zorina Zuri Zacchaeus Zachariah Zachary Zaiden Zaire Zale Zander Zane Zavier Zealand Zebadiah Zebedee Zed Zeke Zelig Zenith Zenon Zephaniah Zephyr Zeppel...