The Art of Naming

Emma was at the top of the pack in 2018. We will find out very soon if she's managed to hold on to her tiara, or if, perhaps Olivia, has dethroned her.  Emma has always been a popular name. Well, at least since Ross and Rachel chose it back in 2004. She was destined for greatness though, and has proved it over the past decade. Even without "Friends," Emma was already climbing the charts. Emma ranked within the Top 100 from 1880 to 1941, decided to take a little break from her popularity before she reentered the Top 100 again in 1993. By 2002, Emma ranked as the 4th most popular name in the country. She snagged #1 in 2008, and again from 2014 to 2018. Girl is popular, but with good reason. Emma comes from a Germanic element " ermen " which means "whole" or "universal", which helps give this name her appeal.  So much so that Emma isn't only a top name in the US, it has also received plenty of usage in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sc

Brenda wrote to The Art of Naming on Facebook recently inquiring about name ideas for a third girl. She already has Elisabeth "Elsa", and Julia. I promised I would find 10 name ideas for her to consider. First, a bit of background info.  Elisabeth is an alternative spelling to Elizabeth; some may even find the "s" to be even more feminine than the standard "z". Both variants are gorgeous, in my book!  Elizabeth comes from  the Greek form of the Hebrew name אֱלִישֶׁבַע (' Elisheva ') meaning "my God is an oath".  I have written about Elizabeth's longevity in the past because she has proved to be the most enduring female name. Julia is one of my favorite names. I used Juliet for my own daughter's middle name, and I have always been drawn to the Jul- names. Julia is the feminine form of the Roman family name Julius that was possibly derived from Greek ιουλος ( ioulos ) meaning "downy-bearded" which implies youthf