The Art of Naming

Here are some interesting girl names that originate from Norman French or Old French origins. These have a variety of popularity and usage levels in the US. Amarante - Taken from the Amaranth flower, this is the French form of the name. It comes from the Greek amarantos  meaning "unfading".  This is a very rare name. It has been used a total of 23 times on record for boys, and none for girls, but the most recent year it was used was 1933. This means it is ripe for the picking! It deserved to be renewed as a fresh floral name for girls. Avril - This is the French form of April which possibly comes from the Latin aperire  meaning "to open" referring to the opening of flowers in the springtime month. Avril first gained recorded usage in the US in 1919. It has never been common but began gaining more births per year around 2003, presumably in line with the popularity of singer Avril Lavigne who hit the scene in 2002. Blanche - From a Medieval French nickname me

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 unusual 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! Silas Merrill Truett James Beau Jameson Watson Lucas Ellison Burke Huxley Wyatt Brom Harrison Maxwell Ranger Eli Bennington Harley Reid Fletcher Henry Graham Bennett Merritt Ross Tilden Sumner Hayden Gabriel Zayne Upton Thorne Elijah Jasper Emmett Colton Lemuel Bridger James Branson Reid Archer Daniel Kingston Jack Lincoln Bradley Zane Percival Drake Richmond Thane Oliver Emery York Ryder Ellis Flynn Arrow Nolan Reid Greyson Tobias Landon Monroe Harley Roarke Rollin Foster Griffin Lark Sawyer Quill Emerson Gray Duncan Reid Rafe Archer Blaine Upton Phoenix Rourke Victor Armand Eleazar Forrest Viggo Henrik Milo Konrad

Today we will take a look at one of the interesting boy names from our list of " Baby Names Ending With The Letters -ry ".   Destry is the English form of Destrier, a French surname derived from the Anglo-Norman word destrer meaning "warhorse".  The destrier is the best-known war horse of the medieval era. It carried knights in battles, tournaments, and jousts. Sources of its time called it the "Great Horse" due to its significance. In 1930, "Destry Rides Again" was published by Max Brand. This western novel introduced the name Destry to America, and brought forth films in 1939 and 1954, and a short-lived TV series in 1964.  Interestingly, according to Social Security records in the US, the name Destry was not in use until 1955, the year after that second movie was released. This name's most popular year coincided with that brief TV series in 1964 when 149 boys (and 5 girls) were named Destry. You could label this year as D

The baby name Dagny is our featured name, taken from our list of names ending with the letters "-ny". Dagny is an Old Norse name for females. It comes from Dagný, which was derived from the elements dagr meaning "day" and ný meaning "new". If you ask me, "new day" is an adorable meaning, and it would be especially sentimental on a rainbow baby. It is often used in Scandinavian countries, including Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.  Another form includes the Latvian Dagnija. This name first appeared on record in the US in 1893. It has never had significant popularity and it has never been commonly used. If you're looking for a truly rare name, Dagny is a safe bet.  The most births in a single year that were earned by Dagny is 80 in 2013, which is its highest popularity peak on record. There were only 37 girls named Dagny in 2016. This name has never ranked within the Top 1000 in the US. It did rank in Iceland in 2007 at #75. It

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

Congratulations on the little girl you're expecting in the near to distant future!  I couldn't be happier for you!  Not pregnant? No problem. If you're looking for an unusual name for a book character, pet, or simulated video game character, I'm happy that you've also stumbled across this page. Below are ten interesting names that have either had their heyday in your grandparents era, or have never quite taken off.  Either way, these names deserve consideration if you're into the uncommon. Go on, browse a bit, then be sure to check out the other six parts of this series  for even more ideas! Damaris (161 births - #1,428) Damaris was a woman in the New Testament who was converted to Christianity by Saint Paul. It is a Greek name from the word δαμαλις ( damalis ) which possibly means "calf, heifer, girl". The meaning is a little unusual but the biblical association makes up for it. Damaris has been used for girls in the US since 1916. It also ga

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 Sebastian, C

Let's explore another ten female names that are more on the unusual side. If you are tired of the same popular names that you hear on every 4th child you meet, here are ideas that are much less common these days. Some may have been common in the past, but for this current generation of babies being born, they're not as frequently used. The information below comes from the US Social Security Administration's 2015 list of the most commonly registered names. The first number listed is the number of births for the year, followed by the ranking number when compared to all other names. It's possible that one or more of these names could suddenly gain more usage from one year to the next. Which name do you think has the best chance of gaining a small popularity boost in 2016, if any? Marcella (170 births - #1,380 in 2015)  This is the feminine form of Marcellus which is a Roman family name, a diminutive of Marcus. That was most likely derived from the Roman god Mars who

Welcome to Part Six of our Barely Used Boy Names series!! This list has some interesting and unsual options for you. Idris (138 births - #1286)   Idris possibly means "interpreter" in Arabic and it is the name of an ancient prophet in the Qur'an, typically equated with the biblical Enoch. Idris is also a Welsh name meaning "ardent lord". This name ranked at #280 in England and Wales recently, as well as #447 in France. It gained usage in the US for males in 1971 and has slowly been gaining births per year but it has yet to reach the Top 1000. Sheldon (137 births - #1294)  There are several locations in England called Sheldon. It generally means "valley with steep sides" and was both a place name and a surname before it was ever a given name. In the US, Sheldon has been given to boys on record since 1881. It has also been used infrequently for girls from 1931 to 2002. For boys, it gained entry to the Top 1000 in the early 1900s, earning as many

Ah yes, the Puritans. They were around when America was just gaining an origin story. People tend to have Colonial America on their mind around Thanksgiving time. They like to discuss the Puritans and the Pilgrims, so why not take another look at some of the interesting names they used to use. The Art of Naming has covered Colonial Names several times. Not only the virtuous names like Hope, Grace and Faith, but also the more uncommon choices like Charity, Prudence, Prosper and Resolved . We also looked at names drawn from the bible like Lydia and Levi since these were common then and now. Today, we're going to look at a list of names that most people would agree are unusual and rather unpractical for use today.  There's no need to explain these since they're quite straight forward, but yes, these were actually given to people as names back in the day.  Are there any that strike you as a guilty pleasure? Abuse-not Acts-Apostles Aid-on-high Be-courteous Be-strong

If you're reading this, you've made it to part five in this series featuring barely-used girl names. We are well below the #1300s now, which makes these names rather uncommonly used in the US. Harriet (179 births - #1314)  Harriet is the feminine form of Harry, and a sister name to Henriette. These all come from Henry which, of course, comes from the German Heimirich and Heinrich meaning "home ruler". Harriet has been in use in the US since 1880 on record. It was in the Top 1000 until 1971. While it declined for a while, it is inching back up the chart. Clover (178 births - #1319)  This quirky name comes from the wild flower. It is derived from the Old English clafre . While unusual, this name dates back to 1897 in the US for women. It has never been close to ranking in the Top 1000, but it is inching upward now. Would you consider it? Roxanne (178 births - #1324)  Roxanne is the French and English form of the Greek Ρωξανη (Roxane) which was taken from the Pe

For our fifth article in this series, we will take a look at 10 interesting boy names that are currently not ranking within the Top 1000 chart. This chart maps out the most popular names according to Social Security data every year. The year we're focusing on is 2015. As you know, the more articles there are, the further down on the charts we explore. We've hit the 1,200s now. These names are getting more and more rare as we go! So let's get started! Murphy (148 births - #1225) -  Murphy comes from an Irish surname, Ó Murchadha, meaning "descendant of Murchadh".  Murchadh comes from the Gaelic elements muir meaning "sea" and cadh meaning "warrior". In the US, Murphy has been around since the 1880s. It has never had more than 100 births per year until recently. Since 2010, the name has started inching upward for boys. Since 1987, it has been given to girls too. Brighton (147 births - #1228) -  Brighton is said to be an English surname

This is the fourth installment of our "barely used names for girls" series. I have compiled ten interesting names that do not receive enough births per year to rank within the US Top 1000 chart, as defined by the Social Security Administration. If you are looking for a name that you don't hear every day, this list could offer inspiration. (And don't forget to also check out the other three articles that came before this. There will be more to follow, as well.) Which name on this list do you like the most? Which do you think could be the first to rank higher? Winnie (211 births - #1189) - Winnie can easily stand on its own as a name, but it is sometimes considered a diminutive of Winifred. Winnie the Pooh was named after a real bear at the London Zoo named Winnipeg. Winnie was a hot name back in 1919, it's best year yet. It had 541 births for a rank of #275. It hasn't done that well since then, leaving the Top 1000 in the mid-1950s. However, it has done

Welcome to Part Four of our series that features names that are barely used in America today. These names all rank beyond the Social Security Administration's Top 1,000 chart. You could even say they are "unranked" since that chart is the official list of the most popular names and it ends at 1,000 on their site unless you download the full set of data. So are you looking for an unranked name? If so, you are following the right series! I combed through the data and found interesting options that aren't similar to any other names that do rank. These are one of a kind and very wearable for a modern boy. More than half of them are originally surnames, which is part of a trend these days: surname names for given names.  Let's get started: Broderick (158 births - #1166 in 2015)  This is a surname derived from both the Irish and Welsh languages. It is Anglicised from the Irish Ó Bruadair, meaning "descendant of Bruadar". In Welsh, it is Anglicised fr

This is part three of our series that highlights names that rank below the Top 1000 in the US in 2015. That list is put together by the Social Security Administration every year based on the number of registered births throughout the country. Since the names on this list don't rank, they are all great options for parents who don't want a super popular name. These would be unique enough to sound refreshing and might even guarantee that the child would be the only one with her name in her class. If you're tired of meeting dozens of Emmas and Sophias, check out the following: 1. Maren (229 births in 2015 - #1114)  Maren is the Danish form of Marina which comes from the Latin Marinus meaning "of the sea". In the US, Maren popped up on the record in 1916. This name was most popular in 1979 with 226 births and a rank of #733. It hit the #900s again in the mid 2000s, but currently ranks below the Top 1000 chart. Could this name ever catch on? 2. Opal (229 births

Are you looking for a name that is not currently popular, but also isn't strange? You've come to the right place! Today we explore part three of our series that uncovers names barely being used for boys today. This list breaks into the #1100s, which indicates these names are way down below the Top 1000 most popular names in the country for 2015. Hollis (176 births - #1094)  Since Hollis was derived from the Middle English word holis which refers to "holly trees", it was originally used as a surname by people who lived near such trees. Hollis had the most number of births in the year 1921 but left the Top 1000 in the 1970s. It is currently gaining a bit of popularity for both genders but it still ranks below the Top 1000 with 176 births for boys in 2015 and 106 for girls. Cormac (175 births - #1099)  This Irish name may have been derived from the Irish Gaelic word corb meaning "raven" and mac meaning "son". There was even a King of Ireland in

Welcome back to our "by decade" series that takes a hard look at the Top 200 combined names of a decade and compares it today's statistics. The Social Security Administration has an aspect of their site that combines the popularity of names between 1900-1909 and compiles it to make a Top 200 list. That's where I pulled this data. The rankings next to each name below is where that name ranked in the 1900s. I pulled out some of the best names from then that do not currently rank within 2015's Top 1000 list. In fact, each of these names are far, far below the Top 1000 chart. They were once decently used but their time has since passed. Could they ever receive a second chance? Would you ever consider any of the following names for a modern daughter? 1. Ethel (#12 overall from 1900-1909) Did you know that Ethel is a sister name of Adele, Alina and Adelina? They all come from the Old English element æðel meaning "noble".  Ethel was revived in the 19th