12 Months of Baby Names

I have seen the question arise quite often lately: "what is your favorite month name?" I believe this question is driven solely by everyone's sudden interest in the name August.

And as you'll see below, this name has come back to the forefront very quickly after not being seen much since its heyday in 1915. It is also pretty much the only logical boy option and parents are quickly falling in love with it.

The majority of these names are ruled by girls, the most obvious choices being April, May and June. However, you may find it interesting that 11 of the 12 months have been used many times over the years. Read below to see which month gets no love and which months are the most popular:

January:

This first frosty month has been given to baby girls since 1951 in the US. The name was most popular in the late 1970s. It had one big popularity spike in 1978 with 257 births and has fallen out of style since then. There were 26 births in 2012 for a ranking of #5274.

February:
Our shortest month has never had any recorded usage as a name for boys or girls. Parents probably opt to honor St. Valentine instead of the name of the month. Valent- names have had plenty of usage!

March:
March is not currently used as a name but it was used in the past. For boys, It was given to 5 babies in 1900 but wasn't seen again until 1916. It was sporadically given to a handful of babies until usage stopped in 1989.  Girls received the name most often in the 60s and 70s but it hasn't been seen since 1978.

April:
April has been used regularly for girls since 1917. It was even given to boys from 1959 up until 2004. For girls, April had a huge popularity spike in the 70s and 80s. There were at most 11,469 girls given the name in 1980. Today it has fallen to 778 births and a ranking of #396.

May:
The lovely May has been a consistently used name since records began in 1880. It is very nearly a classic name, being used often for girls. In 1963, it fell out of the Top 1000 and hasn't gotten close since then. With 106 births in 2012, it ranks at #1883.  This name has also been given to a handful of boys nearly every year from 1882 to 1996.

June:
This is surprisingly a unisex name, having been given to both genders every year since 1880. However, it is favored overwhelmingly by the girls. 1925 was June's best year with 6,649 feminine births. It has been on a steady decline since then until it began climbing again in the mid 2000s. 2012 had 710 births and ranked at #435.

July:

This hot month has never made for a hot baby name despite its similarity to other Jul- names like Julie. It has been used for girls since 1962 but it has never had more than 23 births in a single year, which happened in 2010 for a ranking of #5855.  For boys, July has been used since 1989 (except for 5 births in 1973) but the most births in a single year was 12 in 2009.

August:

If there ever was a boys' name that followed the 100 year rule, it'd be August. With a grand peak of 709 births in 1915, this name rapidly declined again until modern parents discovered it around 2000. 2012 had the most births ever for the name, 936 for a ranking of #333. I suspect it will only climb higher. Other variations like Augustus (#697) and Augustine (#999) are also doing well.

For girls, August has only been used since 1914 and is not nearly as popular as it is for a boy. It gained regular usage in 1963. The most births in a single year was 130 in 2012 for a ranking of #1635. Augusta has been used much more consistently but only received 30 births in 2012.

September:
September has been regularly used since 1955 for girls. There are no recorded male births. It has never been popular though. It received a peak of 51 births in 1980 which ranked it at #2059. There were 23 baby Septembers born in 2012 though. (#5827)

October:
Despite the cute nickname possibility of Toby for a boy, nobody has ever thought to do so. There are no recorded male births for the name October, however, it has been used for girls now and then since 1969. 2008 was her best year with 72 births and a rank of #2603. Since there aren't many month choices for boys, perhaps it can catch on for boys soon along with August. Or I can dream at least.

November:
Remember, remember the name of November -- which has only been given to baby girls since 1971 and never to a boy. I suppose it is cuter for a girl if she's called Nova or Ember. Not many agree though. It was only given to 33 girls in 2012, (#4432), which is the most the name has ever seen in one year.

December:
The name December has been given to girls since 1960. It'd be interesting to know if it was given most often IN that month in lieu of Christmas-themed choices like Noelle or Natalie or Holly. Either way, December received a record-high of 46 births in 2012. (#3453)


In the end, August seems to be the only logical month name to give to a boy with the exception of March and July and my own wishful thinking for October nn Toby. The rest of the months are very girl-dominated. By far, April was the name with the most popularity, reaching over 11k births for its peak. And poor little February gets no love!

Which is your favorite month name? Would you ever use one of the months ending in -ber? Let me know your thoughts!

Cosmina

Like her Italian sister Cosima, the feminine, Romanian name Cosmina is a form of the names Cosmin and Cosmas which come from the Ancient Greek Κοσμας or Kosmas. That name was further derived from the name κοσμος or kosmos meaning "order, decency". It refers to the order and beauty of the universe.

Cosmo, Cosimo and Cosima are all currently beginning to gain slightly more attention after having a bit of celebrity usage, but until the new US name data for 2013 comes out, they may be limited to conversations rather than actual birth certificates. View the whole Kosmas family tree here.

Interestingly, the name Cosmina has never had any recorded usage in the US. Ever. And sister name Cosima has very little usage. A handful of births in the late 1980s and only a few in the 2000s. It had 8 births in 2012. These names are not popular but I've seen an increase in chatter about them, Cosima specifically, around the baby naming community. Do you think it may catch on eventually or remain in obscurity?

Sofia Coppola recently named her daughter Cosima. There is a Romanian footballer named Cosmina Dușa and also an actress named Cosmina Stratan.  In Romania, there is a Cosmina River as well.

Beyond this information, there is not very much to be said about the rare Cosmina. It is not listed in the databases of big-name sites like Nameberry and BabyNames.  There are a few other sites that do list very basic information. I got my information from BehindTheName.

I think Cosmina deserves some love. The nickname Mina is certainly cute and could also be spun into Minnie. If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind type of name for your daughter, you can be assured that she is not likely to ever meet another girl named Cosmina unless you live in Romania. Cosima is still a more viable option, one I've even considered, if you'd prefer that. Both are very rare and very beautiful!

Don't forget to take a look at the other Romanian-themed posts from earlier this week!

Here are some ideas for sibling and middle names for Cosmina:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Aurelia, Corina, Daciana, Elena, Irina, Lavinia, Magdalena, Ramona
Brothers: Augustin, Caspar, Constantin, Darius, Luca, Marius, Sorin, Theodor

Middle Name Ideas:
Cosmina Elisabeta
Cosmina Isabel
Cosmina Madeline

As a Middle Name:
Adele Cosmina
Lillian Cosmina
Maren Cosmina

World-Wide Wednesday: Romanian Names

By request, this edition of World-Wide Wednesday will zoom in on the naming traditions used in Romania and Moldova in eastern Europe.

In Romania, there are customs that revolve around man's three most essential human events: birth, marriage and death.  We're going to focus just on the birth customs and those surrounding children, their parents and their names.

TravelGuideRomania.com says: "Birth related customs regard the grown-ups: besides parents, there are the midwife and the godparents. When the baby suffered from an illness or faced danger, the custom was to change the baby’s name into “The Bear” (Ursu) or “The Wolf” (Lupu), in hope of avoiding the risk of being “recognized” again by that danger in future. This custom also implies the idea of the baby’s “death and resurrection”." It is interesting that they would change the child's name to avoid dangers. This is a new concept that I had never come across before. That site also discusses the other customs and daily life if you're interested in learning more.

Then there is the more ancient customs found in Romanian Folk beliefs. Many of the specific things are no doubt dated and not commonly practiced today, but this article from folklore.ee is full of information regarding these practices. It mentions the birth customs this way:  "The Romanians, as well as other nations have always expressed joy about the arrival of a new-born child in the world. An old proverb said: `The more children, the richer the Romanian'. So, one of the most ardent desires of the newlyweds, especially the bride's, is for the mighty God to bless them with sons and daughters."

Then it describes the very important guidelines that a pregnant woman needed to follow to remain healthy and avoid any harm falling upon her and the baby, whether it was physical or spiritual. There was much fear regarding evil spirits and becoming bewitched; these things would be blamed if the child were lost. Some of these practices may sound a bit strange to us in the modern day, but these were taken extremely seriously in order to protect the child.

Now as far as names go, I found this excellent "naming practice guide" for many different countries. Under the Romanian category, it states that depending on the occasion, names can be given in different orders:

• Personal Name + family name is typically used in conversation.
• Family name + personal name is typically used in official documents.
• A Romanian will often introduce himself with his family name first, particularly in any official context. 

Common endings for Romanian family names include: -escu (meaning "son of"), -eanu, and -aru.

Traditionally, it is appropriate for a wife to take her husband's family name. Very few woman choose to keep their maiden name instead, but it does happen. Also, children do inherit their father's family name.

There are many baby names that are listed as usable in Romania along with many other counties. However, I'd like to list the names that are a bit more specific to the country. Here are some names that BehindTheName lists as strictly Romanian:

Girls: Anca                                   Andreea Brândușa Camelia Cătălina Catina Constanța Cosmina Crina Daciana Doina Dorina Ecaterina Elisabeta Georgeta Ilinca

Ionela Lenuța Luminița Mădălina Miruna Nicoleta Oana Raluca Rodica Ruxandra Sanda Sorina Ștefania Stela Vasilica Viorica

There happen to be a lot more "Romanian Only" names for boys than there were for girls. However, that does not mean that the girls' names are limited. There are so many more listed for common usage in Romania but they are also used in other countries. I only included the ones that are strictly Romanian.

Boys:                                     Alexandru Alin Carol Cătălin Cezar Ciprian Claudiu Constantin Cornel Corneliu Cosmin Costache Costel Costică Costin Cristi Dănuț Decebal Dinu Dionisie Dorin Doru Dragos Dumitru Emilian Fane Flaviu Florin Ghenadie Gheorghe Grigore Haralamb Horațiu Horea Horia Iancu Ilie

Ionel Ionuț Iulian Iuliu Laurențiu Liviu Mihai Mahăiță Mircea Mitica Neculai Nelu Nicolae Nicu Nicușor Ovidiu Petrica Pompiliu Radu Râzvan Sandu Serghei Sergiu Silviu Simion Sorin Stan Ștefan Stelian Tiberiu Traian Tudor Valeriu Vali Vasile Veaceslav Viorel Virgiliu

If you would like to see the other names that are commonly used in Romania or learn more about the listed names above, I encourage you to view BehindTheName's extensive list!   Which of these Romanian names do you like best? Do you have any thoughts about any of them?


[Note: I am not Romanian nor have I ever traveled to Romania. If any of this information seems incorrect, please let me know so I can correct it. Thanks!]

Constantin

Welcome to the week of Romanian-inspired names. On Wednesday you'll see the traditions and customs surrounding birth and baby naming in Romania. On Friday you'll get a featured Romanian girl name, and today you get a boy name!

The male name Constantin ranked in as the #14 name of 2009 in Romania according to this website. I couldn't find much more information beyond that.

Constantin is the Romanian (and French) form of the name Constantinus. Other Romanian variations of this are Cosatche, Costel, Costică, Costin, and Dinu. Of course, the name The English Constantine is probably most used and most familiar outside of Romania. All of these names are derived from the Latin Constantinus which comes from Constans meaning "constant, steadfast".

The first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity was named Constantine the Great (272-337). He's famous for establishing Constantinople which is now known as Istanbul.  Be sure to view the family tree of all these names related to Constans. There are numerous variations in multiple languages.

Both Constantin and Constantine have previously been viewed as too big of a name for a modern boy, but along with the rise of other big Latin names, they are now a bit more acceptable for usage! However, obvious nicknames are still a bit unappealing to today's parents, and that is probably the only reason these names haven't caught on well in the US. Nicknames Con, Connie, Stan or Tino just don't fly too well. But using the whole name is definitely a handsome choice. It seems long, but it is only three syllables. How many other three syllable names do you like in whole? Probably a few!

Constantin is rather rare in the US. It was given to 5 boys in both 1913 and 1917, but was not seen in the records again until 5 more were born in 1963. After that, a handful were named from 1987-1990, and 1999-2001. It has been use regularly since 2005, but the most births in a single year has never topped 15 in 2006. Click here to view popularity stats for Constantin.

Constantine is a bit more popular. That letter E really helps to round out the name. It first appeared in 1885-86 and 1897 before gaining regular usage in 1906. It did well through the 1920s but has remained unpopular. The year with the most baby boy Constantines was 2007 with 107 births for a ranking of #1485. There were 106 born in 2012. (#1503)

What do you think of these names? Do you prefer Constantin, Constantine or one of the other variations?

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Amabel, Cordelia, Ginevra, Imogen, Josephina, Leonora, Sunniva
Brothers: Augustus, Cosmo, Ferdinand, Heathcliff, Sebastian, Thaddeus, Vladimir

Middle Name Ideas:
Constantin August
Constantin Emil
Constantin Lucius
Constantin Max
Constantin Sorin

As a Middle Name:
Axel Constantin
Benedict Constantin
Dominic Constantin
James Constantin
Oliver Constantin

Replace Constantin with Constantine for even better flow and pronunciation in the above suggestions.

Why Baby Name Meanings Should Be Important To YOU

Many people today have no idea what their name means nor are they very concerned with discovering it. Many  new parents don't take it into consideration and just consider it "a nice bonus" if the name they chose happens to mean something pleasant. That is what the overwhelming majority of you believe also, according to the poll on the sidebar of the blog. However, there are a few that believe that having a good, positive meaning behind their child's name is essential to the naming decision.

After all, part of what makes a name beautiful is its meaning. There are even some cultures that put meaning at the forefront of the naming decision (see African and Japanese names) and yet it tends to get overlooked in many English-speaking countries. Why?

Why is the meaning of your name, or your child's name, important? Or rather, why should you view it as an important factor in the naming decision process?

First of all, we can all agree that names are essential in life. It is how we are identified from day to day. Often, people will go above and beyond in their respective fields to ensure that their name stands for something now and in the future. People have a desire to make a name for themselves and see their name in lights. Names are important.

Shouldn't the meaning of our name have some kind of impact on us? Shouldn't the meaning of our name give us a deep-rooted sense of identity beyond what our personality or job title may offer?

Some may argue that they have never known what their name means and were no better or worse for it. I think that is a narrow-minded view. Perhaps you don't view it as necessary in your life, but it doesn't diminish the importance that the meaning of a name may have on the lives of others. You shouldn't deny your children of a nice meaning. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps it will mean a lot to them. After all, wouldn't it be nice to have something to identify with? A basis for the way you view yourself and treat others?  It couldn't hurt!

As I mentioned before, other cultures place much significance on the meaning of a name. In Africa, names are meant to give children something positive to strive toward. Many believe that it will have a major influence on the lives of the child and the family as a whole.  There is a delicate balance between giving a child a name that is too ambitious and a simple name that may not yield high enough expectations.

Many African names also reflect the parents' hopes, aspirations and dreams for the child, or they may have to do with their fears, their religious beliefs and their own philosophies about life and death. Sometimes these names can provide outsiders with an idea of the culture and events surrounding the time of their birth. While the parents should never impose their own belief system on their child, it is beautiful to give them a foundation to build upon as they make their own choices in life. Perhaps they'll suit their name or perhaps not, but at least the parents tried to provide something positive.

While I can agree that the above example could be more on the extreme side of the naming spectrum, I like the idea of providing a sense of guidance right from birth. With a name that means faithful, happy, pure or loved, the child can have something to work toward. When you think of the contrary, having a name that means something like dark, bald, crooked nose, or even something like "field by the river", it does not provide much for the child to work with.

I like to stress the importance of at least acknowledging the meaning of your child's name. You do not have to write names off simply because they don't have a "perfect" meaning. But do at least consider options that have something good behind it. There are many names that mean noble, friend, wise or strong. Any of these would be so very lovely to grow up with. There is also something beautiful and poetic about having a first and middle name whose meanings flows nicely into one long phrase.

However, we are all different with different lives we lead and different meanings behind our names. I'd like to encourage you to research your own name and think very thoroughly about the names that you have picked or may pick for your children. Perhaps if you find it difficult to choose between two name choices, you could go for the one with the greater meaning.  This is a great method for narrowing down options.

What do you think about the importance of the meaning of a name? If the meaning of your name has never had any impact on you, perhaps now is the time to reflect on it.

Xenia

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, Aksinya
• Serbian: Ksenija
• Slovene: Ksenija
• Ukrainian: Oksana, Oxana

Xenia was the name of a Roman Saint from the 5th-century. There was also a Greek Saint Xenia who was considered a great-martyr in 318. And also the Saint Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg in the 1700s, a Russian Saint.  In addition to the saints, there are several other well-known Xenias from around the world that you can read about here.  There are also plenty of things and places given the name.

As a baby name, Xenia has received near-regular usage since 1912, but it first appeared in the US in 1894 for 3 brief years and only a handful of births. This name has never been popular, nor has it even reached the Top 1000 chart. Xenia had 71 births in 1996 for a ranking of #1992. The only year with more births was 2011 with 73 births. Because of the increased variety of names these days, it only ranked in at #2499 that year. 2012 saw 51 births and a rank of #3234 in the US.   It also recently ranked at #85 in Catalonia.  Click here to view the name's popularity history.

Based on this data, this name will most likely never soar to the top in the US but that makes it a great, under-the-radar choice! It has plenty of history to make it familiar so I would recommend this rare gem to modern parents today!

What do you think of Xenia? Here are some sibling and middle name ideas just in case you love it!:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Calliope, Eloise, Liliana, Maia, Odessa, Seraphina, Yvette
Brothers: Adrian, Apollo, Deacon, Demitry, Julius, Maximus, Sebastian

Middle Name Ideas:
Xenia Eleanor
Xenia Madeline
Xenia Ruby
Xenia Violet

As a Middle Name:
Abigail Xenia
Charlotte Xenia
Phoebe Xenia
Sylvie Xenia

Xcellent Names for Girls

For parents who are looking for a strong but feminine name, look no further than these! This is a compilation of girl names that contain the letter X.  While this letter is a bit hotter for masculine names, there are still plenty of lovely choices for a girl.

From the traditional Alexandra to the elegant Margeaux and the spunky Roxanna, this list is a treasure trove of amazing gems! What is your favorite feminine name that has the letter X in it?

Aixa                     Alex Alexa Alexana Alexandra Alexandrea Alexandretta Alexandria Alexandrina Alexandrine Alexea Alexi Alexia Alexie Alexina Alexis Alexius Alexus Alexxia Alexys Alexzandria Alix Alixia Alixana Allexis Alyxandria Alyxia Anaxandra Anaxandria Aphixia Arantxa Aranxa Araxie Aurex Auxerre Axelina Axelle Beatrix Bellatrix Bijoux Brinxlee Brinxley Calixta Calyx Cinxia Devereaux Dexlee Dextra Dixie Elexandra Elexia Elexis Elexius Eudoxia Evdoxia Exaviera Exene Exie Fairfax Felixa

Fenix                   Foxglove Galaxia Galaxy Haddix Ixchel Ixia Ixora Jaxyn Jexi Juneaux Laxmi Lennox Lexa Lexi Lexie Lexina Lexine Lexus Lexy Lexzandra Loxley Lumex Lux Luxe Lynnix Lynx Margaux Margeaux Maruxa Max Maxena Maxene Maxie Maxima Maximilienne Maximina Maxina Maxine Moxie Nix Nixie Nyx Olexa Onyx Oxana Pax Paxton Phoenix Pixie Polyxena Polyxeni Rexana Rexanne Rexelle Rixa Roxana Roxane Roxani Roxann

Roxanna Roxanne Roxelana Roxie Roxolana Roxy Sioux Siouxsie Sixtine Texanna Texas Texie Trixie Viatrix Vixen Xabelle Xabrina Xaida Xaiya Xandie Xandra Xandri Xandria Xanthe Xanthea Xanthia Xanthippe Xanti Xasha Xaverie Xavienna Xaviera Xavierre Xena Xenia Xenobia Xevera Xhesika Xhuliana Xia Ximena Xina Xiomara Xiomya Xionara Xochitl Xoe Xoey Xosha Xristina Xuan Xylah Xylia Xylina Xymeria Xyra Xyzah Xzianne Yanixia Zixi

If you liked this list, be sure to take a look at the Xcellent Names for Boys list too!