The Art of Naming

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 ...

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 interesting name comes from our list of names ending with the letters "-gy" . There are not many -gy names. In fact, there were only two decent options for boys, Iggy and Ziggy. I chose to learn a bit more about Ziggy. Have you ever heard of this name before? Perhaps in the pop culture world, you've heard of the late Bob Marley's musician son named Ziggy. Where does the name come from? For Ziggy Marley, it's a nickname. His real name is David Nesta Marley. According to Bob Marley, Ziggy is just a nickname he gave his son meaning "little spliff".  He may have been inspired by David Bowie's album "Ziggy Stardust". Ziggy Stardust, of course, was David Bowie's alter ego. Bowie was quoted in Rolling Stone Magazine as saying that Ziggy was "one of the few Christian names I could find beginning with the letter Z". Later, he also said he was inspired by a tailor shop called Ziggy's. It is possible that Ziggy doesn...

This categorization of names is admittedly limited and unusual but it may strike a chord for certain parents seeking a specific sound.  Continuing our series that has already featured -ay, -by, -cy, -dy and -ey names, I present the interesting short list of -fy and -gy names. Since the list is so short, I combined the two and included -fie and -gie names as well. Many of these might actually be considered nicknames more so than given names. Most Americans are not big fans of this style of names, however in England and Wales, names like Effie and Alfie are considered full, stand-alone names and rank fairly well on the popularity charts. Girl names ending with -fy and -fie: Buffy Effy Saffy Sofy Taffy Tiffy Effie Elfie Safie Sofie Wolfie Boy names ending with -fie: Alfie Wolfie -- Girl names ending with -gy and -gie: Margy Peggy Tiggy Aggie Angie Georgie Maggie Margie Peggie Reggie Vangie Vergie Virgie Boy names ending with -gy and -gie:...

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...

While there are quite possibly hundreds of other companies around the world that produce candy, these are some of the ones whose names could work on a human as well. If you're looking for a sweet name for your little one, perhaps you'd draw inspiration from one of these brands. The following list is comprised of companies that manufacture candy and chocolate. Adams & Brooks - Adam is a classic, but Brooks is an up-and-coming surname name that ends with the trendy letter "-s" and ranks up at #232 in 2015. Either name would be a non-obvious nod to the makers of the "whirly pop". Albert's Candy -   If you're a fan of fruit chews and splash pops, you may like this name.   The company was started by Robert Lawrence Albert in 1916, which checks out since the name   Albert ranked the best back around 1920. There are still plenty of little Alberts being born today. Nearly 700 in 2015, to be exact. Allan Candy - Well known across Canada for their...

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...

No doubt you heard about the social security administration's yearly baby name list that came out a couple weeks ago for the US in the year 2015.  As you know, the #1 name for the year was Emma for girls. They also published the Top 1000 names for each gender. Did you know they also have data available for the names beyond the Top 1000? I often have parents ask me for "unique" name ideas. Now, it is hard to define what is truly unique because everyone has different definitions. Perhaps I've never met someone named Aspen or Mara but once I suggest those, you happen to have known a few and suddenly those aren't really all that unique to you even if they are to me. The best way to determine if a name is more on the unique side of things is to look at the data. If a name is in the Top 10, there will probably be many kids with those names in the same school, which some parents want to avoid. The farther down on the list you browse, the less likely it is you will...

We previously featured names that end with the letters -ay. Now we'll continue on to -by names in this new mini-series that dives into name endings. There is something so adorable about these names that end with the letters "-by". Many of these are unusual which is perfect for those seeking something special for their child. Take a look and see if you don't agree with me about their adorability factor: Girls: Abby Ashby Baby Catesby Colby Darby Debby Effaby Gabby Kelby Kirby Kolby Libby Maeby Quenby Ruby Shelby Tabby Interestingly, there are more -by names for boys than for girls: Boys: Alby Ashby Barnaby Bartleby Bixby Bobby Coby Colby Corby Crosby Darby Digby Gatsby Gibby Herby Jacoby Joby Kelby Kirby Koby Kolby Rigby Robby Roxby Saxby Selby Toby Willoughby Can you think of any more that could be added? Which are your favorites?! Be sure to view the rest of this series as it is published using the links ...

At last, we have arrived at the very end of the alphabet. I appreciate all of you who have stuck with me this long. It took a year and three months to finish the entire series!  Now, let's look at the zippy letter Z! Along with the rest of the tail-end letters, Z names are rather few and far between when compared to the letters at the start of the alphabet. However, that doesn't mean that there are unappealing options. Far from it! Z names are mostly bold, interesting and unusual but there are a few classics in there like Zachary, Zachariah and Zoe.  Which of these 50 Z names for boys and girls do you like most?  Zahara Zaila Zaire Zamora Zandra Zanna Zara Zariah Zarina Zasha Zaviera Zelda Zelia Zendaya Zenon Zia Zinnia Zion Zoe Zoey Zola Zora Zoraya Zorina Zuri Zacchaeus Zachariah Zachary Zaiden Zaire Zale Zander Zane Zavier Zealand Zebadiah Zebedee Zed Zeke Zelig Zenith Zenon Zephaniah Zephyr Zeppel...

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...

Our final boy name of the A-Z series is Yannick. It comes straight from the list of The Very Best Y Names for boys and girls. Yannick  is a diminutive of the name Yann which is the Breton form of the name John. Yann is well-used by the French, recently ranking at #113. Yannick is a bit more unusual but it did rank at #288 in The Netherlands recently. Nameberry says that Yannick is "not likely to appeal to many American ears," but I disagree. It may never be popular but it isn't strange either. It could even be unusually refreshing to meet a little Yannick. There have been many names ending with -ick over the years. In the 1960s in particular, names like Derrick, Erick, Dominick, Frederick and Patrick ranked well. They all declined in usage after that but they are all ticking upward again today. Add to that list Maverick and Kendrick too for more modern options. Perhaps, though, they are referring to the "yann" part rather than the "ick". Y N...

The name Xanthe is brought to you today in honor of a previous article featuring The Very Best X Names for Boys and Girls. This name is Greek and is derived from ξανθος (xanthos) meaning "golden, yellow" or "fair hair". While this is a very beautiful name, there can be some annoying pronunciation issues that go along with it. Fortunately, the overwhelming consensus that I've found among typical English speakers is that they pronounce it ZAN-thee . ZAN-tha is another possibility. Some claim that it is pronounced more like ZAN-they or KSAN-thee. If you'd like to read a discussion about it, click here. For the purposes of this article, I will be assuming the pronunciation ZAN-thee. Xanthe is a name used twice on the planet Mars. Once for the Xanthe Montes which is a mountain range, and once for a region referred to as Xanthe Terra. Additionally, there is an asteroid called 411 Xanthe. There were also a few minor mythological characters with this nam...

Imagine an alternate universe where the alphabet was arranged differently. I surmise that people love the letter A so much because it is #1, but what if it wasn't?  What if the letter U came first? What if there were an abundance of favorable baby names that began with the letter U? What if common A names had their spellings changed to start with U and everyone loved them? If that is hard to imagine, perhaps you should take a moment to stop and smell the U-scented roses. There is a surprising amount of lovely names that begin with this under-appreciated letter. I narrowed it down to the best I could find. Here are the 50 best boy and girl names that start with the letter U: Ujana Ulani Ulla Ulyana Ulyciana Uma Umay Umeko Umi Umika Ummi Una Unique Unity Ura Urania Uriela Urja Ursa Ursula Usra Utari Uttara Uva Uzuri Uba Uchenna Uday Udell Ugo Ulmer Ulrich Ulysses Umberto Umed Umi Unique Uorsin Upton Urbain Urban Urbano Uri...

Around this time of year, America tends to reflect on our interesting origins as a country. One of the most popular tales revolves around the early settlers who arrived on the east coast in the 1600s.  The fourth Thursday in November is Thanksgiving, a national holiday that commemorates the thanksgiving that the Pilgrims held for barely surviving their first winter in 1621. Tomorrow, this holiday will be observed by many. The Puritans were a quirky group of English Protestants who settled mostly in the Boston area. There were about 10 Massachusetts Bay Puritan settlers to every 1 Pilgrim from Plymouth but they ended up merging together around 1691. While these two groups were initially very different, they and their descendants together form the popular image of America's early settlers that most people think about on Thanksgiving. Let's take a moment to look back at some of the unusual names that popped up in Colonial America. Most of the common names were traditional o...

There is something intriguing about feminine names that end with the "oh" sound. Many of these names have a spunky elegance to them. Since this ending sound is somewhat unusual for girls, the majority of these names are far from popular. Willow ranks the highest at #138 in 2014. Harlow ranks at #508, and Shiloh is at #608. A name to watch is Margot. It is catching on fast, ranking at #749 in the US. These are some of the best options I could find that end with "oh". If you are searching for names that are interesting and uncommon, you've found the right list! Which of these do you like most? Can you think of any names that I missed? Amiko                             Arlo Arrow Callisto Cielo Cleo Clio Coco Devereaux Dido Echo Farrow Flo Gwenno Halo Harlow Hiro Indigo Io Isabeau Jo Juneau Juno Kahlo Keiko Kimiko Lilo Lucero Margeaux Margo Margot Mariko Marlo Marlow Marlow...

Beyond the popular Olivia, Oliver and Owen, there aren't very many popular names that start with O. In fact, most names that start with the letter O are rather obscure. Orion and Orlando are rather common now for boys, but many familiar female names like Ophelia or Octavia do not rank within the Top 1000 names and they haven't for decades. Do you have any favorite O names on your shortlist? If not, you have now found a treasure trove of unique options! Just browse the list below and name with boldness knowing that your little one will have a great, uncommon name! So tell me, which of the 25 very best O names for girls, and 25 for boys, do you like best? Oakley                    Oceana Octavia October Odelia Odessa Odette Odile Oksana Olenna Olga Oliana Olive Olivia Olympia Ondine Opal Ophelia Oriana Oriole Orla Osanna Ottavia Ottilie Ottoline Oakes Obadiah Oberon Ocean Octavian Octavius ...