The Art of Naming

One of my favorite Greek names is Damian, which comes from the Greek name Δαμιανος ( Damianos ).  This name was listed on the Great Greek Names for Modern Boys list posted earlier this week. Damian is ultimately derived from the  Greek δαμαζω ( damazo ) meaning "to tame".  There was a saint by this name from the 4th century who was martyred with his twin brother Cosmo in Syria. There was also an 11th-century saint named Peter Damian who was a cardinal and theologian from Italy. In the US, Damian was first used on boys in 1912. It also gained a minimal amount of use for girls in 1968. For boys, this name gained momentum in the 1970s, peaking in 1977 before dipping a bit again. By the 1990s, it began an upward trajectory of usage. It actually cracked the Top 100 in 2012-2013 at #98 both years. Even though it has dropped again to #116 in 2015, Damian is a solid name with great usage. There's also a few spelling variations associated with different languages and cu

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 deriv

Today's featured name comes from this week's list of The Very Best C Names for Boys and Girls! While there are plenty of great C names, Conrad is the one that caught my eye. Conrad comes from the Germanic elements kuoni and rad that, when combined, mean "brave counsel".  This moniker comes across as strong and interesting. It is well-known enough to work for a modern boy but it is also rather uncommon which would make it refreshing to hear. As far as Con- names go, it falls into a sweet spot: it is bolder than Connor but not as bold as Constantine. In history, Conrad is both saintly and regal having been used by a 10th-century saint from Germany as well as several medieval German kings and dukes. England had a bit of love for the name during the Middle Ages but it wasn't common until the 19th century after being reintroduced there by the Germans. In the US, Conrad has been used consistently every year since at least 1880. It has never been popular th

Today's featured name comes from this week's list of Presidential Baby Names.   It is one of the greatest names that belonged to one of the greatest presidents: Theodore. The name Theodore comes from the Greek name Θεοδωρος ( Theodoros ) meaning "gift of god". In the past, this name has belonged to several saints. There was Theodore of Amasea, a soldier from 4th-century Greece; Theodore of Tarsus, the 7th century archbishop of Canterbury; and a 9th century Byzantine monk named Theodore the Studite. There have also been three Tsars of Russia known as Fyodor, the Russian form of Theodore; and of course our American President Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919). As a name, Theodore was quite common in Greece because of the aforementioned saints. Christians in particular have been drawn to Theodore because of the name's appealing meaning. However, it was very rare in Britain before the 19th century.  In recent years, it's ranked in England/Wales at #97.

Original post: 2/6/15 Revision: 5/14/17 The latest article featuring The Very Best B Names for Boys and Girls had such a great collection that it was difficult to choose just one. In the end, today's featured name is Bridget. Anglicized from the Irish name Brighid, Bridget means "exalted one".  It has also been suggested that Brighid could be derived from the Irish brigh  meaning "strength". Other spellings include Brigid, Bridgette, Brigit, and Bedelia . Variations in other languages include the Danish Britta , the Dutch Brigitta, the Finnish Riitta , the French Brigitte, the Italian Brigida , the Manx Breeshey , the Polish Brygida, and the Welsh Ffraid among many others.  Were you aware that Bridget was so internationally used? In Irish mythology, there was a goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom named Bridget or Brigid. It was also the name of Saint Brigid in the 5th century, a patron saint of Ireland.  This saint was so esteemed in Irela

There are so many lovely 4+ syllable names for girls ; narrowing it down to one was difficult but I decided on beautiful Seraphina. Seraphina is the feminine form of the Late Latin male name Seraphinus . This name comes from the biblical, Hebrew word seraphim meaning "fiery ones" and referring to an order of angels that had six wings each. The Seraphim were described by the prophet Isaiah in the bible.  Seraphina was also the name of a 13th century saint from Italy who was known for making clothing for the poor.  As a name, Seraphina was never really favored in the past. However, it is starting to take off as an usual but pretty name. Actors Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner named their second daughter Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck in 2009 which put the name on people's radars more, but yet it still remains mostly unused. The celebrity endorsement bumped Seraphina from having only 50 births in 2008 to having 88 in 2009 and 107 in 2010. How

Family is very important in Italy. So much so that there has been a very strong custom in place for how parents are expected to name their children. The first male is named after his paternal grandfather. The second male is named after his maternal grandfather. The first female is named after her paternal grandmother. The second female is named after her maternal grandmother. Any further children would then be named either for their parents, for a favorite aunt or uncle, for a saint, or for a deceased relative. There are always exceptions to this custom but this is typically the pattern that has been traditionally in use. If there was a child who died at a young age, for instance the first born son Emilio, his name would probably be reused for the next boy that was born in order to honor his paternal grandfather Emilio again. Sometimes if the first born was a girl, they'd use a female variation of the paternal grandfather's name. The pattern wasn't always follo

Today is the start of Irish week! We'll explore Irish baby naming traditions on my World-Wide Wednesday segment and learn more about an Irish girl name on Friday. Right now, let's investigate one of my favorite Irish boy names: Cillian. Cillian is pronounced KILL-ee-an which is made more evident with the alternate spelling Killian. Both names are said to come from the Gaelic ceall meaning "church". Other sources suggest that its meaning has something to do with war or a warrior and strife based on the Irish c eallach instead. The name Kelly also comes from the ceallach family tree. Despite sometimes being considered a softer name in Ireland, Americans tend to view Cillian as a tougher name with its meaning and that harsh first syllable. As far as associations go, there was an Irish saint who was known as Cillian in the 7th-century. A modern namesake is that of actor Cillian Murphy today. There is also the association with the brand of beer known as George Kil

Xenia is a cool and fun choice for a girl. It has that bold letter X at the beginning with a lovely and girlish -ia ending. I have seen it pronounced ZEEN-ee-uh and SEN-ya. Originally, this name comes from the ancient Greek Ξενια. It means "hospitality" in the language. However, as a word, it is more in depth than that. When translated, xenia actually refers to the Greek concept of the generosity and courtesy shown to guests of the household. This may have also included gift giving beyond the basic shelter, protection and food. It comes from the word xenos which is used in various forms throughout Greek mythology to explain a person who extends this hospitality to a stranger. Zeus was sometimes called Zeus Xenios because of his role as protector of travelers. Beyond its fellow Greek variant Xene, this name translates into several languages: Croatian: Ksenija English: Zena Finnish: Senja Macedonian: Ksenija Polish: Ksenia Russian: Kseniya, Oksana, Oxana, Ak

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

The Name of the Week is my favorite from the list of Bird-Inspired names. I took it from the Peregrine Falcon, but the meaning of Peregrine doesn't actually have anything to do with the bird. This is a name that is rarely used in the US because many have viewed it as an eccentric and extravagant name. However it has been considered elegant and even aristocratic in England. It was historically chosen as the name of the first English child born in America. The child, Peregrine White, was born on the Mayflower at what is known today as the Provincetown Harbor in Massachusetts. Interestingly, he had a brother named Resolved. Peregrine is also the name of several early saints, most notably Saint Peregrine Laziosi, the Patron Saint of Cancer Patients. The name comes from the Late Latin name Peregrinus which means "traveler" and more recently "pilgrim". The Italian form of the name is Pellegrino which you may recognize as a brand of mineral water, San Pellegri

The Name of the Week is the biblical boy's name Simeon. Its cuter than Simon but follows the coolness of Gideon. It is pronounced SIM-ee-ən. It comes from the Hebrew name שִׁמְעוֹן Shim'on which means "he has heard" or "God is listening."  In the Old Testament, Simeon was the second some of Jacob and one of the ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel. In the New Testament, Simeon was a man who blessed Jesus as a newborn.  There was also a powerful ruler in Bulgaria who bore this name in the 10th-century. Simeon has also been a popular name for saints. In 2012, Simeon popped back onto the US Top 1000 chart at #980, with 202 male births.  It has always been at the bottom of the chart, or just outside of it. It ranked as high as #360 back in 1880 (with 23 boys born).  It ranked as low as #2034 in 1928, but has always has usage.  Despite the number of births being higher today than ever, the name is still fairly rare but since it is biblical, its not unfamil

The Boy Name of the Week comes straight off the list of Spanish Boy Names: Javier! Javier is the Spanish form of the name Xavier. Both of these names come from the Basque place name Etxaberri which means "the new house". Over time, it became Exaberri, then dropped the beginning e and final i. The X was originally pronounced with more of a "sh" sound. With influences from English, French and Spanish, pronunciation varies. Javier is typically pronounced the Spanish way "hab-YAIR" with a sort of combined b and v sound. In Portuguese, it still has a "sh" sound in place of the X. French would say HAV-ee-ay, and in English it is most correctly said ZAV-ee-er even though famous characters like Charles Xavier from the X-Men comics have influenced the pronunciation of X-ay-vee-er. A notable Xavier was St. Francis Xavier, or San Francisco Javier in Spanish (1506-1552). Once he gained fame as a Jesuit priest and missionary, many places and people w

Spanish baby-naming traditions vary slightly from country to country, but overall, they are very similar. These customs appear in Spain, Mexico, certain islands in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. The latter four are grouped together and called "Hispanic America." In Spain, people today tend to bear a single given name and two surnames, or perhaps a "composite first name" like Juan Pablo followed by two surnames. The first surname is the father's first surname, and the second is the mother's first surname. Occasionally, the father's and mother's surnames could be reversed, but every sibling must have the same two surnames in the same order. It is so important that if the parents cannot agree on whose surname goes first, it is taken to court for an official to decide. For example, if a man named Alberto Sanchez Hernandez and a woman named Maria Ruiz Gonzales have a son named Eduardo, the child's name would most likely be Edua

The Girl's Name of the Week comes straight from this week's list of top baby names from Switzerland: Clara. It ranked at #8 in French-Speaking Switzerland. Clara is a Latin name that means "bright or clear." It originates as a feminine form of the Late Latin name Clarus which itself was the name of a few early saints. Saint Clare of Assisi made this name popular in the 13th century. She left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns called the Poor Clares. Clare was the most popular form through the middle ages, and Clara became hot in the 19th century. It has also been featured on my up-and-coming vintage names list according to the 100 year rule . It was most popular in 1918 when 5,778 baby girls were born! Source Somewhere around the 1950s, the name declined in usage. Around 2000, Clara began picking up steam again, hitting a modern high-rank of #136 with 2,311 births. In recent years, Claire has been the more popular sister, while Clara was ve

The Boy's Name of the Week is the bold and playful Felix.  Beyond "Felix the Cat," this is a Latin name that means "happy and fortunate". Felix has been the name of four popes and a whopping 67 saints! A biblical Felix was the governor of Judea who imprisoned Saint Paul.  In Ancient Roman times, General Sulla adopted the name Felix because he felt as though the gods blessed him with luck and fortune. Felix has been all over various literature and films, too many to list. There are also many modern day examples and a couple celebrity babies. If you zoom out and look internationally, the name Felix is very diverse! It works well in Spanish, German, Austrian, Russian and Polish. It is also quite popular in England/Wales, Denmark, France, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Here in the U.S., it is definitely picking up steam! It ranked at #316 in 2012 when 1,025 boys were born. There were even 15 female births, but Felix comes across as an all-boy name to

The Boy Name of the Week is the strong and bold Benedict. I prefer this choice over the more-common Benjamin and Bennett. Benedict is a Latin name meaning "blessed." It is also the name of Saint Benedict, an Italian Monk who formed the Benedictine Order in the 6th century. Additionally, a whopping sixteen popes have worn the name. Benedict hit England in the 12th century and became insanely popular. The alternate spelling, Benedick, probably won't fly for a modern baby but it was used for a character in the Shakespeare piece Much Ado About Nothing. Of course there will always be that link to the infamous traitor Benedict Arnold, but he died in 1801 so I'm willing to look past that now, are you? To switch gears, a modern day Benedict is a new rising star. The British stage, film and TV actor named Benedict Cumberbatch is gaining popularity in the States now. Let's look at the popularity stats of Benedict. It recently ranked at #420 in England/Wales, bu

The Girl Name of the Week is Adelaide. I chose this name off of my latest blog post "Old-Fashioned, Vintage Girl Names." The name Adelaide has been around since the SSA began recording names in 1880. It comes from the German "Adalheidis" which is composed of the elements "adal" meaning "Noble" and "heid" meaning "kind, sort, type."  Some variations that stem from the same root word as Adelaide are Alicia, Alice, Heidi, Alix, Alise and Allison. Diminutives include Ada, Addie, Addy, and Della. The name Adelaide was borne in the 10th century by Saint Adelaide, the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great. She was known as "a marvel of beauty and goodness." In the 19th century, the name became common in Britain due to the popularity of the German-born wife of Britain's King William IV, "Good Queen Adelaide." The city of Adelaide, Australia was named in 1836 after her.  So this name not only

Today's Name of the Day might raise your eyebrows at first. The Greek boy name Basil means "Regal" or "King" and is a quirky choice! The most famous bearer of this name is Basil Rathbone who portrayed the very British Sherlock Holmes in 1939. And of course, many of you probably already thought of the basil herb. It is usually pronounced Baz-uhl rather than Bays-uhl like the herb. Let's try to see it from a different perspective than the above: From the Greek name Βασιλειος (Basileios) which was derived from βασιλευς (basileus) meaning "king".  There were many Byzantine Empire rulers named Basil, as well as some Eastern Orthodox saints. Saint Basil the Great was a 4th century bishop who helped to found the early Christian church. Basil is rich in history. Despite its past-bearers, this name is definitely unique today. It has been used very steadily since 1880. It was most popular from 1912-1969. It fell off the Top 1000 chart in 1970 an