The Art of Naming

Jones, Smith, Miller, Davis, Johnson, Williams, Brown, Moore, Taylor, Anderson... At least in America, these are some of the most common surnames.  There's no right or wrong in naming, but you definitely have a variety of options. In fact, you could choose anywhere from an incredibly popular name, to something nobody's ever heard of.  That's up to you! But here are some ideas for each of the surnames I listed above.  I am basing this on the presumption that we are naming a baby in 2020 and want to follow modern styles and popularity. Popular Names: Your surname is super popular, might as well go the whole nine yards and choose a super popular first name, too. There's nothing wrong with that. It happens often. There's something about the anonymity of being one of many if you value your privacy.  Here's some ideas for the ten surnames I listed. Mason Jones Liam Smith Noah Miller Oliver Davis Ethan Johnson Aiden Williams Sebastian Brown Lucas Moore

Today I want to take a closer name at a very rare and fantastical-esque name. I recently had the opportunity to recommend it to someone who had never heard of it before. They instantly fell in love with it and decided it might just be THE name they have been searching for. Perhaps you will enjoy it too! It is a rare feminine name of Scottish and English origin. It comes from the Medieval Gaelic name Forbflaith which means "overlord, ruler, or sovereign". There was an heiress in 13th-century Scotland who was named Ferelith. Aside from that, this name is very rare. According to the US record, there has never been at least 5 babies given this name in a single year. That means that the chances of you running into someone with this name are slim to none.  If you are looking for a beautiful, rare name, this would make your child truly one-of-a-kind! With its Medieval origins, it has a Renaissance vibe, and also feels fantastical. There are some other names that have a sim

We have recently started watching Netflix's The Witcher and I was instantly mesmerized by the names of the characters. I'm a sucker for the unusual. I may not use most of these for a real life child, but I do appreciate them in a fantastical fiction.  I made a list of them for your browsing pleasure: Male: Geralt Jaskier Istredd Cahir Dara Eist Lazlo Filavandrel Torque Foltest Danek Artorius Korin Fletcher Anton Nettly Yurga Eyck Chireadan Zigrin Adonis Hemet Remus Tsoka Filip Yannick Atlan Mikal Peregrine Nonim Vyr Female: Ciri Yennefer Triss Calanthe Fringilla Tissaia Sabrina Vanielle Danica Renfri Eithne Zola Tiffania Pavetta Toruviel Anica Marilka Téa Véa Kalis Fola Glacella Marites Sancia Isadora Adda Lilja Coral Kaveri Aridea There's definitely a few in there that would be suitable for a child, but the rest are truly just fun. Which do you like?

Charity  comes from the word charity meaning "generous love" from the Late Latin caritas , or "dear, beloved" from the Latin carus . It's known as a virtue name and was used by the Puritans. Surprisingly, Charity has been consistently -- albeit uncommonly -- used since records began in the US in 1880. It peaked from 1974-1980 or so, ranking as high as #183 in 1975. It left the Top 1000 in 2013. In 2017, there were 192 girls named Charity. Andrea  is the Italian form of Andreas, which comes from the Greek name Ανδρεας ( Andreas ), meaning "manly", and related to Andrew. Andrea can be both masculine and feminine. As a female name, it gained usage in the 17th century before becoming common more recently. It started climbing the charts in the 1940s for girls and continued to steadily climb, peaking in 1981 at #24 and over 11,600 births. Today it ranks at #128. Rose  may seem like a filler name now but it is truly an underrated classic with many lon

Sometimes parents are attracted to more unusual names but they don't wish for it to be the first name that their child goes by on a daily basis. Here are three common first names for boys that have been paired with more unusual choices in the middle name spot. This way, you can have some familiarity with your uniqueness and the child can choose which one suits them better. Nolan is derived from an Irish surname  Ó Nualláin  meaning "descendant of Nuallán", which itself came from  nuall  meaning "noble, famous". Nolan dates back on record to the 1880s, but held steady for decades at a similar popularity. It started increasing in the 1990s, and entered the Top 100 in 2011. As of 2017, it ranked at #67. Nolan Maverick Nolan Marvel Nolan Colbalt Nolan Escher Nolan Ramsey Nolan Hawthorn Nolan Cordovan Nolan Sterling Nolan Quade Nolan Bingham Nolan Thackeray Nolan Wiley Nolan Lysander Nolan Huckleberry Nolan Peregrine Theodore  means "

Behind the scenes, I am able to view the search terms, or keywords, that are entered into search engines that lead viewers here to my site. Often, people are searching for specific names. Some of these names I have already covered previously on other articles, but some of them are new. I thought it was about time that I addressed the names that people are actually looking for. This series will pull names directly from that Name Search Report and investigate closer. The current data that I am using to evaluate a name's popularity comes straight from the Social Security Administration's 2017 popular name database. And I will also include name meanings found via BehindtheName.com. Here's our first group of boy names that you  wanted more information about. Asa  - Short, Biblical, Interesting... Asa is both bold but familiar for a boy today. It has always been in use, dating back on record to 1880, but it didn't truly catch on until a hundred years later. Since

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

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

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

I occasionally play video games with my husband. We enjoy what's called "massively multiplayer online role-playing games" or MMORPGs. These games connect us with thousands of other players across the country (and sometimes around the world). If you aren't familiar with these kinds of games, that's fine, it isn't super important for the point of this post. Basically, you create a character, design them from their hair and eyes to what sort of armor they wear. You choose what kind of class or profession you want them to have, even what race or species you prefer. Then the best part comes next: choosing an interesting name for them. Some games will even offer guidelines that follow the lore behind the characters to help you decide on an appropriate name for them based on their story. Not everyone follows this, but I always do. Some people don't put any thought into it and come up with random words or phrases (like "Thats Odd") rather than an

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

We previously explored some of the most unusual boy names from the 1910s . Now it is time to take a look at some interesting names given to females from 1910-1919. Now, there were so very many names to browse through and I'm sure there are dozens more that could be added to this list, but these are some of the top choices I could find.  All of these had either 5, 6 or 7 births for the year within the decade of the 1910s. The names came straight from the US Social Security Administration's data. Let's get started! While some aren't quite as unusual as others, browse slowly and try to imagine what it would be like to live with one of these names: Albirdia Allien Almeter Alphild Amparo Appie Areather Arloene Bannie Beedie Bernetha Binnie Birchie Bird Birdella Blandina Bleeker Blossie Bonzie Boots Borgny Brooxie Brownie Bular California Casilda Cellie Clatie Clesta Clevie Cliffie Clister Clova Cozy Creasie Cumi Dar

Today we are zooming in on the decade of the 1910s to discover some of the most unusual names given to boys at the time. I analyzed the data from the Social Security Administration and looked at the names at the very bottom for each year from 1910-1919. I pulled interesting names that only had 5-7 births per year, and I did so for each of those years. Take a look at this list and try to remember that these were once names given to baby boys. Some of the boy names that I found within the far-reaches of the data were straight up words. Here are some of the most interesting ones: Admiral Battle Bland Boss Boots Carless Castle Champion Chief Choice Colon Coma Commodore Concetto Converse Doctor Doll Dunk English Fess Flake Fleet Fort Friend Gentle Glee Happy Hooker Jolly Math Method Normal Orange Other Perfecto Precious President Press Seaborn Shade Smiley Speed Square Swift Tiny Tip Watt Welcome White Worthy Here are even

To continue our series, let's take a look at the many names that end with the letters -ly.  This list is not necessarily exhaustive, but it is fairly long and full of great options if -ly is your favorite end-sound. Girl names: Ally Amberly Aracely Beverly Billy Blakely Bly Caily Caitly Callalily Carly Cecily Chantilly Chavelly Cicely Connolly Daily Dolly Donnelly Eily Emily Everly Gilly Haverly Havily Heavenly Holly Ily Irely Italy Jessaly Joely Josaly July Kaily Karly Keely Keily Kelly Kessly Kimberly Kirrily Lily Linsly Lolly Lovely Marely Mariely Molly Nallely Nathaly Nelly Nerilly Noely Orly Paigely Pialy Polly Reilly Romilly Sally Shyly Sicily Siddaly Sonaly Tally Temily Tessaly Thessaly Tigerlily Tilly Truely Truly Tully Vally Verily Waverly Weatherly Yanelly Yanely Zaily Zeely Boy names: Anatoly Beverly Billy Chavelly Connolly Dally Daly Donnelly Early Huntly Karoly

We've covered nearly half the alphabet already. Sure, there are some letters that just won't fit into this category, so we have skipped a few of them. But here we are, arriving at letter K for a compilation of "-ky" names! How many can you name off the top of your head? Luckily, you don't have to since I did the legwork for you! I even went so far as to include names ending with "-kie" since the choices were slim for "-ky" names.  Enjoy: Girls: Becky   Jacky Lucky Nicky Pinky Ricky Sky Suky Vicky Beckie Cookie Frankie Jackie Lockie Markie Mickie Nickie Pinkie Rickie Rivkie Saskie Sookie Sukie Vickie Boys:   Chucky Dicky Franky Jacky Ky Melky Nicky Ricky Rocky Sky Starsky Dickie Frankie Mackie Mickie Nickie Rickie Can you think of any that I missed? Would you use any of these?

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