The Art of Naming

Welcome to Part Two of our series that is focused on Baby Names Inspired by the Animal Kingdom! If you had a chance to view part one, you would remember that we mostly explored names related to bears, eagles, foxes, lions and wolves. Now we will look at names whose meanings relate to birds, insects, sheep, deer, and a handful of others. Take a look at the list below and if you spot any favorites, share your thoughts in the comments! Birds: Bertram "bright raven" from Germanic elements Bran "raven" in Irish/Welsh Branwen "beautiful raven" from Welsh Corbin "raven" from French Cormac "raven, son" from Irish Gaelic Fechín "little raven" in Irish Guntram "war raven" from Germanic elements Korbin "raven" from Latin corvus Raban "raven" from German Rambert "bright raven" from Germanic elements Ronne "raven" in Frisian Lonán "little blackbird" from I

Previously, I have made lists of bird names and nature names , but it just occurred to me that I did not have a list specifically for "animal" names. Now, there are two different directions we can go when considering this category. The first direction explores broad animal names like wolf, fox, bear and more.  The second direction looks deeper into meanings and various translations or associations. Here's the first: Bear Birdie Cat Fox Kitty Lion Tiger Wolf Here are some of the most-used bird names: Falcon Finch Hawk Jay Lark Lory Peregrine (falcon) Phoenix Raven Robin Sparrow Starling Wren Then there are names that aren't as obviously associated with animals. Some of them have meanings or elements within them that refer to a specific animal, and when you break down their etymology, it makes sense. I categorized them below: Bear: Adalbern "noble bear" from Germanic elements. Alfbern "elf bear"

At this point, The Art of Naming has covered Water Names, Rocky Names and Fire Names. Let's take a look at some names that are inspired by wind and air. Airy names can be quite refreshing like a gentle breeze, or much more powerful and interesting like the strong winds of a tornado or hurricane. Most of the names on this list are uncommonly used for modern children today, except for Aria which is climbing the charts for girls. Take a moment to browse through these names. Which are your favorites? Can you think of any others that could be added? Anil The name Anil is a masculine Sanskrit name meaning "air, wind". It has ranked in the US since 1959 but never received more than 45 births in a single year which happened in 1989. As of 2014, there were only 5 boys named Anil. Perhaps this decline in usage indicates that it is not currently fashionable within its culture. What do you think of it? Aria In Italian, this name literally means "air&quo

Today we will be exploring one of the most powerful things in nature: fire. Whether it is controlled in a fireplace or a bonfire, or raging out of control in destructive ways, it is hard to deny that fire is exciting. However, staring into the mesmerizing, continuous flicker of flames from a safe distance on a cool night might be one of the best ways to experience this phenomenon, especially if you have some marshmallows. Name-wise, though, there is a handful of excellent names that relate to fire. Let's explore them: Aidan/Aiden You may be wondering which names are the fieriest.  Perhaps the most popular name with a fiery meaning is Aidan . The name Aidan comes from a sizable family tree of related names . The original Ancient Irish name was Áed meaning "fire" . From that name came names like Áedán, Aodh, Aodhán and today's variations of Aidan such as Aiden, Aydan, Ayden and so on. The name Aodh, pronounced EE or AY, was very popular in early Ireland.

Water is everywhere. We use it for countless reasons every day. Heck, we're made of water. It is essential to life as we know it. What better way to honor our precious life-sustaining water than to choose a name inspired by it? Plenty of parents are already fans of nature names, why not filter those down to just the water-related ones? You'll find that you have many great options to choose from. Before we dive into the deep end, let's explore a bit of mythology. The God of the Sea is known as Poseidon in Greek mythology. One of his love interests was the Sea Goddess Amphitrite . Together they had a son named Triton who was the Messenger of the Sea.  The Roman equivalent of Poseidon is Neptune , the God of Freshwater and the Sea. Here are some of the best names inspired by water: Bodies of water that could be used as names: Bay Bayou Brook Cascade Cove Delta Fjord Frost Harbor Icy Laguna Lake Marsh Ocean Rain River Snow Names of falls

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 love

The beautiful, feminine name Flora is brought to you today in light of our previous post that featured The Very Best F Names for Boys and Girls. As a name, Flora has been in use since the Renaissance era in France. Diminutives of the name include Flo, Floretta, Florrie and Floella. In Dutch, Flora is known as Floor or Floortje. The French call her Flore and Florette, Hungarians say Flóra while the Welsh use Fflur. Flora could be used as a nickname for Florence but the two aren't actually related since they come from different roots. Another similar name is Fleur which is French for Flower; there's also Fleurette, a diminutive of Fleur. Flora It's no surprise that this lovely name comes from the Latin word flos meaning "flower".  Flora was the goddess of flowers and the season of spring according to Roman mythology. She was the wife of Favonius, who was the west wind and bringer of light spring and early summer breezes. This couple's Greek equival

Today is the first day of spring and what is spring without flowers and sunshine? If you're expecting a baby girl this season, perhaps you are searching for the perfect name to fit the occasion.  Look no further than this list! There are plenty of applicable nature names that would be beautiful on a spring-born baby girl. Here are some of the lovelier options: Amaryllis Azalea Aya - "bird" Beryl - A sea-green stone Birdie Blossom Bluebell Brooke Calla Chloe - "Green shoot" Daffodil Dahlia Daisy Dawn Deborah - "bee" Emerald Fleur Flora Hyacinth Iris Ivy Jade - A green stone Lilac Lily Magnolia Orchid Peony Peridot - A green stone Petunia Phyllida - "Green bough" Poppy Primrose Rain Robin Rose Spring Sunny Sunshine Tulip Violet Here are other ideas relating to spring, newness, and Easter that would apply and make for less-obvious but still lovely springtime names: Anastasia - "Resurrection&quo

Spring is a time for newness and growth. Everything is blooming and turning green! Nature is full of life! If you're also bringing forth a new life into the world, what better way to celebrate than to give him a handsome, timely name to fit the occasion? Here are some great baby names that would suit a spring-born boy. Some of these are nature names that also refer to an actual spring or stream of water as well. Which do you like best?: Atherton - "From the town by a spring" Attwell - "Lives by the spring" Aviv - "Spring" (Hebrew) Berilo - Variant of Beryl - a green stone Bloom Bradwell - "From the broad spring" Bud Caldwell - "From the cold spring" Denver - "Green Valley" Green Haruki - "Spring child" Irving - "Green water" Jarek - "Spring" (Slavic) Kelby - "Place by the fountain or spring" Leaf March Maxwell - "Mack's stream" Navin - "New

To complement Tuesday's post regarding the best V names for girls , and last week's post about the best V names for boys , I chose to feature the feminine name Savannah which contains the letter V. Savannah isn't just a city in the state of Georgia, USA. It comes from an English word that indicates a large, grassy plain. Originally, Savannah comes from a Taino (Native American) word zabana. Variants of the name include Zavanna and Savanna. It's a place name and a nature name. Savannah gained usage as a baby name in the 19th century. It has also been on record in the US every year since 1880 but its usage was very minimal until it suddenly boomed in the 1980s. This increase in births-per-year is most likely a result of the 1982 movie "Savannah Smiles". There were only 43 births in 1981, 118 in 1982 and in 1983, there were 434 Savannahs born. That means the name went from ranking in the 1100s to being #466 in just one year. The year 2000 had a record-h

The male Dutch name that I featured this week, Diederick, is relatively rare. The female name that I'm about to share is actually ranking pretty well in the Netherlands! Madelief is the name. It is pronounced mad-uh-LEEF and it's actually rather adorable! I think this could catch on in lieu of the more popular "Maddie" names like Madeline and Madison if more people knew about it. It would fit in well with other unusual Mad- names like Madigan and Madeleva as well as male choices like Maddox and Madden. It also goes hand in hand with botanical names that are gaining popularity today. The best part is that this adorable name comes from the Dutch word madeliefje which means "daisy". So it's actually an obscure nature name! I say that it is obscure because, well, it is. It may rank at #126 in the Netherlands, but here in the USA, Madelief is non-existent. There have never been at least 5 girls given this name in a single year. Anyone who has this nam

With crisp air, colorful leaves, bonfires and pumpkins in your mind, look no further than this list for some unique fall-inspired baby name ideas! Even though the first day of Autumn is still a couple weeks away on September 23rd, I thought we'd start pondering it as cooler weather approaches. If you're due with an Autumn baby in the next couple months and find yourself in need of the perfect name, perhaps you'll "fall" for one of these ideas! Amber                                               Anise Annona Apple Aster Aurelia Autumn Baize Berry Carmine Celeste Ceres Charde Cinnamon Crysanthemum Coral Crimson Crisanta Emerald Eve Fira Gaia Ginger Goldie Hazel Ivy Jade Jora Juniper Keziah Laurel Lavender Libra Lily Maize Maple Marigold Mauve Moon November Octavia Olive Opal Orla Paisley Persephone Rain Raven Rhea Roux Rowan Ruby Saffron Sage Sapphire Scarlet September Sienna Sorrel Sparrow Tabi

The first day of Autumn doesn't officially begin until September 23rd in the Northern Hemisphere this year, but I thought we'd start pondering it as cooler weather approaches. Perhaps you're due with an Autumn baby in the next couple months and find yourself in need of the perfect name. With crisp air, colorful leaves, bonfires and pumpkins in your mind, look no further than this list for some unique fall-inspired baby name ideas! Adam                                         Ash Asher Auburn Azure Bacchus Barley Blaze Birch Branch Bronze Browning Bruno Cedar Chard Chestnut Copper Cormac Crispin Demeter Dionysus Farmer Finley Finn Flint Forrest Frost Garner Garnet Gerald Gold Harkin Harvest Hawke Hay Hue Hunter Jasper Jet Kale Leaf Linden Mica Mountain Oak Octavius October Oliver Radley Red Reed Rory Roux Rowan Russet Rusty Rye Sawyer Scorpio Septimus Sorrel Storm Wheatley Woody Which of these do yo

The last post in our Summer Names segment is this lovely girl name. Pearl is considered a rather old-fashioned name but it is coming back into style today! I chose this name because it is the birthstone for June, a summer month. Historically, pearls were a favorite gem during the Roman Empire. Tudor England was even nicknamed "the pearl age" during the 1500s. They were probably so popular because they are said to give wisdom and bring wealth, protection and luck. They symbolize purity, generosity, integrity and loyalty as well. That's quite a lot for a baby girl to live up to if she's named Pearl! Pearls are also unique in that they're the only gems that come from living sea creatures. This means that they have a natural beauty that is not made or altered by man or machine. However, cultured pearls dominate the market in place of natural pearls and have since the 1920s. As a baby name, the English word pearl refers to the concretions formed in mollusk she

Summer is officially in full swing! That means it's the time of shorts and sunscreen, swimming pools and barbecues, sunshine and tan lines.  If you also happen to be baring a baby belly instead of a bikini, you may be in need of a wonderful summertime name!  I've composed a list of timely names that will suit any baby girl born in the summer heat! I'll be using one of these myself next month! Which of these names could you see yourself using for your little sunshine? Alexandrite America Augusta Berry Breezy Brooklyn Coral Daisy Julia Juliet July June Junia Lake Leonie Leonora Liberty Lillia Lily Marina Marisol Meadow Morwenna Nerida Nixie Oceana Oceane Peach Pearl Pelagia Peridot Plum Rae River Ruby Sailor Sandy Shelly Sky Suma Summer Sunny Sunshine Thalassa Waverly If you can think of more lovely summer names to add, let me know in the comment section below! Don't forget to also check out the list of Summer Names for Bo

When you think of warm weather and outdoor activities, perhaps a body of water comes to mind. Whether you enjoy the pool or the ocean, water is a huge part of summertime. Since we're discussing summer names this week and next, I thought I'd feature the name River for my boy name choice even though I'm aware of how unisex it is. Of course, River comes from the English word that refers to a flowing body of water. Many people enjoy rafting down a river during the summer or camping near one. Ultimately, the word river is derived from the Latin ripa meaning "riverbank". As a name, River was considered masculine first but the girls staked their claim on it fairly quickly. It is still more popular for boys though. As a nature name, River offers a great tranquil vibe, but also one of adventure. Pluralizing it as Rivers is also an option but it doesn't receive as many births per year as the singular River. There have been a few celebrities who have used this na

Summertime officially began at the end of June! Next, we'll get to watch the fireworks light up the summer sky! After that, it's time to start pondering more about that baby name you're looking for. Your summer baby will be arriving soon! If you're having trouble narrowing down the right name for your little guy, perhaps one of these timely choices will best suit him! Take some of that warmth and sunshine and happiness associated with summer and apply it directly to naming and you'll have yourself the perfect moniker! Check out this list for ideas: August Augustine Augustus Azul Bay Beach Birch Bodhi Brody Cain Calder Dax Dune Dylan Field Finn Julian Julio Julius July Junius Junot Kai Lake Leaf Leo Marlin Marino Murphy Ocean Pacifico Ray Rip River Sandy Shade Sheldon Somerset Storm Sumner Sunny Tanner Theros Thunder Tide Tripp Which of these names could you see yourself using for your baby boy? Don't forget to

The lovely name Ivy comes from the English word for the climbing plant with the same name. It ultimately comes from the Old English word ifig . This plant is known for its clinging vines and its small yellow flowers. Ivy actually symbolizes faithfulness and fidelity and was traditionally presented in the form of a wreath to newlyweds in ancient Greece. However, there is of course the association with the "poison ivy" plant that can causes rashes and skin irritations upon contact. Based on the nature of this plant comes the fictional character who uses these toxins for criminal activity. The DC Comics supervillainess, who is aptly named Poison Ivy, has been an enemy of Batman since her creation in 1966. She is essentially an eco-terrorist who is obsessed with botany and uses it to her advantage.  Modern little girls named Ivy will either think she is super cool or they will resent the association, so think carefully on this topic before committing to the name Ivy. Ther

The name Juniper is most notably a type of evergreen shrub in the cypress family whose berries are used to flavor gin. This name joins the ranks of other tree names such as Acacia, Hazel and Willow. However, it triples as a nature name, a place name and a saint name.  Saint Juniper , or Brother Juniper, was called "the renowned jester of the Lord" and was one of the followers of St. Francis of Assisi. He died in 1258. This name is ultimately derived from the Latin word iuniperus or juniperus  which is a combination of the word junio which means "young" and parere which means "to produce". These put together equal "youth producing" or evergreen. Beyond this, Juniper could also be a derivation of the Welsh name Guinevere. Click here for even more information about this possible connection. This name has become more than just a guilty pleasure as evidenced by the way it has skyrocketed up the charts in the past five years.  Juniper first g

Purple Primroses I got this week's featured name from the list of Colonial names that I posted on Tuesday! It was apparently used back then but it sure is rare now! There are many "Rose" names out there. Beyond just Rose, there are Rosa, Rosalie, Rosamund, Roseanne, Roselyn, Rosemary, Rosetta, Rosemarie, etc. I have never been a huge fan of any of these. And then I found Primrose.  It switches the "rose" to the end of the name and is an entirely different flower altogether than a rose, which I like! I'm one of those odd girls that do not like roses just because everyone else does. The primrose is very lovely, though, and comes in many colors!  (Don't let the name fool you! The Primrose flower comes from the family Primulaceae and is not closely related to the rose family Rosaceae.) This name was originally used as a Scottish surname but it ultimately derives from the Latin "prima rosa" which means "first rose". And as it