Amandine

This week's name theme is food-inspired. I have previously featured two of the names that are on the list: Basil and Clementine. I thought I would choose one that is less obviously food-related and more wearable as a name: Amandine.

Did you know that Amandine is a culinary term that refers to almonds that are used as garnish? It is sometimes misspelled as almondine in cookbooks in the US.  Did you also know that Amandine is the French form of the feminine name Amanda? Makes sense, right?

This lovely French diminutive means "much-loved" and is a wonderfully unique twist on the previously-popular and somewhat-dated name Amanda. On that note, it would also do well to honor a relative named Amanda but still give the child a modern and unique choice.

The French word for almond is amande. If you pronounce Amandine the way the French do, it would be a-mawn-DEEN. This name recently ranked at #87 in France and is occasionally used in Belgium. However, it is exceedingly rare in the US.

Actor John Malkovich named his daughter Amandine in 1990 which may have caused the very first record of the name being used in the US: there were 6 births in 1991. After that, there were 6 girls born with the name in 1996, 5 in 1999, 34 between 2002 and 2008. There were 5 born in 2013 with this name for a ranking of #16,594. (Of course the records require at least 5 births for the year so there could have been a few more Amandines born in between then that were not recorded.)

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alessia, Beatrice, Camille, Eugenie, Juliette, Melisande, Nicolette, Rafaella, Vivienne
Brothers: Alexandre, Basil, Bastien, Florian, Jourdain, Lawrence, Mathieu, Olivier, Percival

Middle Name Ideas:
Amandine Belle
Amandine Colette
Amandine Elise
Amandine Faye
Amandine Giselle
Amandine Matilde
Amandine Noelle

Middle Name to Avoid:
Amandine Joie (essentially Almond Joy, a candy bar.)

As a Middle Name:
Claire Amandine
Isabelle Amandine
Natalie Amandine
Sophie Amandine

What middle name would you pair with Amandine? Do you have any more suggestions for a good sibling name? Let me know in the comment section!

Fruit and Spice and Everything Nice!: Food-Inspired Baby Names

When Gwyneth Paltrow named her baby girl Apple in 2004, many people had an opinion about it. To this day it is used as an example of "weird" and "awful" celebrity baby names.  But she isn't the only one who has used food names for their children. Just last year alone Hollywood has had at least 3 foody additions to the list: Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman named their daughter Olive,  Barry Watson named a daughter Clover Clementyne, and Jason Bateman named his little girl Maple.

Why is it that Apple is mocked but Olive and Clementine and Maple are not? Is Apple really that strange? I think I was one of the minority that secretly thought Apple was freakin' adorable! And Gwyneth gets to say she is the apple of her eye. Win!

If you're among those who are fond of food names, here is a list of the most wearable options.  Which of these might you actually consider adding to your short list? Which do you think should never be used?

Almond

Amandine
Anise
Apple
Banana
Barley
Basil
Berry
Cayenne
Cerise
Chai
Cherry
Cinnamon
Citron
Clementine
Clove
Coriander
Crispin
Fennel
Ginger
Honey
Huckleberry
Kale
Lemon
Maize
Maple
Mango
Mirabelle
Olive
Peaches
Pepper
Plum
Quince
Rosemary
Saffron
Sage
Yarrow

If you do have a craving for any of these names, what would you pair with it? Are you bold enough to use one of these in the first name spot or would you safely tuck it away in the middle?  Post your pairings in the comment section!

Cordovan

After compiling a list of color names that could potentially be used as baby names, the color Cordovan caught my eye. After searching in various baby name databases, I've found that this has never been used as a name in the U.S. I was struck by Cordovan because of its similarities to names like Sullivan and Donovan and Cor- names like Cordell, Corbeau, Cormac or Corbett. Cordovan sounds like it should be a trendy, modern name.

Cordovan is a Spanish name meaning "native of Cordova" which refers to a city in Spain called Cordoba. It was there that seventh century Visigoths began production of "shell cordovan leather." In this case, cordovan describes the color of the leather. It was first used as the name of a color in 1925 in English.  As a color, Cordovan is a rich burgundy color, or a dark shade of wine. If you'd like to see what color it is, the Hex number is #893F45.

As for popularity, it has never been used on a child in the US since it began keeping record in 1880. I managed to find Cordovan used as a surname in many death indexes and marriage records after a simple search. I also found one woman named Cordovan Denise R. from North Carolina. I wasn't able to track down any birth records in other countries.

Since Cordovan has a strong association with leather, it has a masculine image behind it. Cute nicknames could include Cory, Cord, Cordy, Cordo or Van. What would you pair with this fantastic color name? What do you think of it?

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Brielle, Capri, Claret, Esme, Finlay, Hazel, Olive, Raven, Saffron, Scarlett, Wisteria
Brothers: Adler, Beckett, Cashel, Fletcher, Griffin, Jasper, MacAllister, Roan, Sterling, Zaffre

Middle Name Ideas:
Cordovan Blake
Cordovan James
Cordovan Lee
Cordovan Tate

As a Middle Name:
Andrew Cordovan
David Cordovan
James Cordovan
Parker Cordovan

Color Me Named: 106 Baby Names from Colors

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You've heard of color names like gray and scarlet, sure, but have you heard of options like these? Which color name is your favorite for a potential baby name? Let me know if I missed any!

Also, feel free to combine your favorite from the list below and post it as a first and middle name combination in the comments!  I'd love to know what sort of names you'd pair with these colors! :)

Amaranth Amber Amethyst Aqua Ash Auburn Aureolin Azure Beige Blue Brick Brown Burgundy Cadet Capri Carmine Celeste Cerise Cerulean Chamois Cherry Citrine Citron Claret Cobalt Cocoa Copper Coral Cordovan Crimson Cyan Dove Ebony Ecru Emerald Fawn Fuchsia Ginger Granite Gray Green Greige Hazel Henna Hyacinth Indigo Iris Isabelline Ivory Jade Jasmine Jasper Jet

Lavender Lilac Magenta Magnolia Mahogany Maize Marigold Mauve Moss Olive Orchid Peach Pearl Peridot Plum Poppy Rackley Rajah Raven Red Regalia Roan Rose Ruby Rufous Russet Saffron Sage Sapphire Scarlet Sepia Sienna Silver Slate Steel Sterling Tangerine Tawny Teal Thistle Topaz Tulip Turquoise Tuscan Tuscany Umber Vermilion Veronica Violet Viridian Wisteria Xanthene Zaffre Zinc

I like Kate Amaranth, Tawny Josephine, James Cobalt, and Sterling Alexander.  What about you?

Source

30 Years At A Time: Analyzing Top Baby Names

Just like fashion is constantly changing, so too are names! Occasionally, very old names will even become new and fresh again many years later!

I thought it would be interesting to see just how names have changed over the years. The data that I used comes in 30-year intervals, starting in 1892 and ending last year in 2012.

1892: Boys 1. John 2. William 3. James 4. George 5. Charles 6. Frank 7. Joseph 8. Robert 9. Harry 10. Henry 11. Edward 12. Thomas 13. Walter 14. Arthur 15. Fred 16. Albert 17. Clarence 18. Roy 19. Willie 20. Samuel

1892: Girls 1. Mary 2. Anna 3. Elizabeth 4. Margaret 5. Ruth 6. Florence 7. Emma 8. Ethel 9. Helen 10. Clara 11. Bertha 12. Minnie 13. Bessie 14. Alice 15. Annie 16. Grace 17. Ida 18. Edna 19. Mabel 20. Lillian

Much like present-day England and Wales, the 1880s in America saw the use of "nickname names" or diminutives of proper names that are used as given names. Examples above include Harry and Willie for boys, Minnie, Bessie and Annie for girls.

The majority of the male names are considered classic or traditional and still see plenty of usage, with the exception of Clarence and Fred which are not currently in the top 1000 anymore.  The female names have some classic choices, some vintage chic choices and some choices that might never come back in style.  Florence, Ethel, Bertha, Minnie, Bessie, Ida and Edna are nowhere near the top 1000 and of those, I cannot see Bertha ever being fashionable again, and I'd be surprised to see Bessie making waves. The others have a shot to rejoin the top 1000 but not all at once.

1922: Boys 1. John 2. Robert 3. William 4. James 5. Charles 6. George 7. Joseph 8. Edward 9. Richard 10. Frank 11. Thomas 12. Donald 13. Harold 14. Paul 15. Walter 16. Raymond 17. Henry 18. Jack 19. Arthur 20. Albert

1922: Girls 1. Mary 2. Dorothy 3. Helen 4. Margaret 5. Ruth 6. Betty 7. Virginia 8. Mildred 9. Elizabeth 10. Frances 11. Doris 12. Anna 13. Evelyn 14. Marie 15. Alice 16. Marjorie 17. Irene 18. Florence 19. Lillian 20. Jean

John and Mary continue to reign while Dorothy suddenly appears at #2. Many of the boys names are similar but the chart has an overall new crop of names on it compared to 1892.  The boy's list is pretty solid and full of classic names that don't waver much; in fact, all of these top 20 boy names are still on the present-day top 1000.

The girl's list feels like the wildcard here. Names like Betty, Mildred, Doris, Marjorie and Jean are new to the list but are not names we hear often in present day. Other choices like Margaret, Ruth, Elizabeth, Anna, Evelyn, Marie, Alice and Lillian are still rather popular today!

1952: Boys 1. James 2. Robert 3. John 4. Michael 5. David 6. William 7. Richard 8. Thomas 9. Charles 10. Gary 11. Steven 12. Joseph 13. Donald 14. Larry 15. Ronald 16. Kenneth 17. Mark 18. Dennis 19. Paul 20. Daniel

1952: Girls 1. Linda 2. Mary 3. Patricia 4. Deborah 5. Susan 6. Barbara 7. Nancy 8. Karen 9. Debra 10. Sandra 11. Kathleen 12. Carol 13. Donna 14. Sharon 15. Brenda 16. Diane 17. Pamela 18. Cynthia 19. Janet 20. Christine

Now things start to really change! 30 years can make such a difference. Mary and John are dethroned, replaced by James and Linda. Dorothy is nowhere to be seen and has been taken over by fresh choices like Patricia and Deborah. Actually, Mary is the only female name to last from 1922 to 1952, even Elizabeth fell.

So many of the boys names seem unshakable but we do see new options like David, Gary, Steven, Larry, Ronald, Kenneth, Mark, Dennis and Daniel.  Interesting to think about how this batch of baby names now belongs on grandparents.

1982: Boys 1. Michael 2. Christopher 3. Matthew 4. Jason 5. David 6. James 7. Joshua 8. John 9. Robert 10. Daniel 11. Joseph 12. Justin 13. Ryan 14. Brian 15. William 16. Jonathan 17. Andrew 18. Brandon 19. Adam 20. Eric

1982: Girls 1. Jennifer 2. Jessica 3. Amanda 4. Sarah 5. Melissa 6. Nicole 7. Stephanie 8. Elizabeth 9. Crystal 10. Amy 11. Michelle 12. Heather 13. Tiffany 14. Kimberly 15. Rebecca 16. Angela 17. Ashley 18. Amber 19. Christina 20. Erin

The 80's bring about an entirely different set of names.  There are a few boy's names that remain from 30 years earlier like Michael, David, James, John, Daniel, Joseph, and William, but there are no survivors on the girl's side from 1952 to 1982.

Many of you probably have these types of names as the current generation of parents, whether you are brand-new or a bit experienced. I grew up with plenty of classmates with these names. The boy's names feel so traditional to me that I don't have much to say about them and the girls names feel rather dated to this time period, even if a few are classic like Elizabeth and Sarah.

2012: Boys 1. Jacob 2. Mason 3. Ethan 4. Noah 5. William 6. Liam 7. Jayden 8. Michael 9. Alexander 10. Aiden 11. Daniel 12. Matthew 13. Elijah 14. James 15. Anthony 16. Benjamin 17. Joshua 18. Andrew 19. David 20. Joseph

2012: Girls 1. Sophia 2. Emma 3. Isabella 4. Olivia 5. Ava 6. Emily 7. Abigail 8. Mia 9. Madison 10. Elizabeth 11. Chloe 12. Ella 13. Avery 14. Addison 15. Aubrey 16. Lily 17. Natalie 18. Sofia 19. Charlotte 20. Zoey

These are the names that the 80s kids are now giving to their children. They are much different than the names we were familiar with on our friends as we grew up, and they're not the names of our parents either. There are a few exceptions like Emma, Abigail and Elizabeth for the girls that may have been the names of our grandmothers or even great-grandmothers.

The boys see a few "modern" choices sneak in among the traditional choices. There's Liam, Jayden and Aiden that seem different to me than all the others that are either biblical or very, very old. I am aware that Liam comes from William, but in this case, it's its own name.

In a way, these lists have changed dramatically, and yet, we see some of the same favorites repeat year-after-year. The only two boys names that have lasted the test of time are James and William.  None of the girls names last throughout all 5 lists. Elizabeth is on four of them, and would have been on all five had she not fallen to #22 in 1952. Elizabeth is the only female name to perpetually be in the top 30 since records began in 1880.

While I prefer older names to the modern and trendy choices of today, I think I would choose a name off of the 2012 list before any of the others, except for the oldest one 1892.  Which list is your favorite?

Primrose

Purple Primroses

I got this week's featured name from the list of Colonial names that I posted on Tuesday! It was apparently used back then but it sure is rare now!

There are many "Rose" names out there. Beyond just Rose, there are Rosa, Rosalie, Rosamund, Roseanne, Roselyn, Rosemary, Rosetta, Rosemarie, etc. I have never been a huge fan of any of these. And then I found Primrose. 

It switches the "rose" to the end of the name and is an entirely different flower altogether than a rose, which I like! I'm one of those odd girls that do not like roses just because everyone else does. The primrose is very lovely, though, and comes in many colors!  (Don't let the name fool you! The Primrose flower comes from the family Primulaceae and is not closely related to the rose family Rosaceae.)

This name was originally used as a Scottish surname but it ultimately derives from the Latin "prima rosa" which means "first rose". And as its name indicates, it has the word "prim" in it which lends to the saying "prim and proper." Many people view this name as somewhat uppity but I think it is uniquely cool.

Primrose has been used in several British novels and TV series so it does have a British air about it that may not work as well in America. But despite the general vibe that it gives, it is definitely a bold and attractive choice! It is a great alternative to other popular flower names like Lily and Daisy and Rose itself!

The most recent Primrose that may be familiar today is the character Primrose "Prim" Everdeen in the Hunger Games trilogy, who is of course the younger sister of Katniss.  I think that it was that exact character that influenced the 16 births of girls named Primrose in 2012.

Before 2012, there were no girls being given this name for 30 years! There were 5 born in 1982, 6 in 1973, 5 in 1960, 7 in 1940 and a total of 66 Primroses born between 1914 and 1932. Basically, this name is a rare gem! If you are looking for something pretty and unique, this is it! It has the beautiful image of flowers to back it up and she can still be called Rose or Rosie as a nickname. Win win!

I would pair this name with something somewhat classic or traditional since it is a very unique choice. Something short and sweet!  What do you think of this name? What would you pair with it?

[Sidenote: I had to choose Primrose after I chose Peregrine last week. They are my two favorite P-names and they just sort of "go together" in my mind. I would love to meet boy/girl twins named Peregrine and Primrose! Both super unique and rare and nature related! Pip and Prim or Perry and Rosie.  Just my thoughts!]  :)

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Amity, Cordelia, Everly, Honora, Junia, Lavinia, Magnolia, Octavia, Pearl, Verity
Brothers: Amadeus, Declan, Emmett, Faustus, Hawthorne, Merritt, Peregrine, Theodore, Ulysses, Vincent

Middle Name Ideas:
Primrose Eve
Primrose Hope
Primrose Kate
Primrose Lucille
Primrose Susanna

As a Middle Name:
Anna Primrose
Claire Primrose
Hester Primrose
Lydia Primrose
Tabitha Primrose

Colonial Names for Boys and Girls

The Freake Limner
(American Colonial Era Painter,
active 1670-c 1680)
Mrs Elizabeth Freake and Baby Mary 1674

British Colonial America was a very important time in our history. They are the ones that started it all with a sense of freedom and independence. The ones who made the voyage over were discovering a whole new land and developing their own rules in their own new towns.

They also had some interesting names, some of which you don't hear often today, and others that might just be cool enough to actually use again. These names were popular in colonial times, taken straight from the 18th century!

Some of these overlap with the Biblical names list, and they seem to be much different than the names popular in England during the Victorian era. If you're looking for some cool, historical choices, perhaps you'll find a name that you like here!

Boys:                              Abel Abiel Abijah Abimael Abner Abraham Absalom Adonijah Ajax Alden Amias Amiel Ammiras Amos Amzi Ansel Archibald Asa Asahel Azariah Balthasar Barnabas Bartholomew Bazel Benajah Boaz Chauncey Clement Comfort Constant Cotton Cyrus Duncan Ebenezer Elbert Eleazar Eli Eliab Eliakim Elias Elihu Elijah Eliphalet Elisha Emanuel Emory Enoch Enos Ephraim Experience Ezekiel Garvan Gawen Gerrard Gideon

Hannibal Hercules Hezekiah Hiram Holmes Homer Horatio Hosea Increase Isaac Isaiah Isham Israel Jabez Jared Jedidiah Jehu Jeremiah Jethro Job Jonas Josiah Jothan Kenelm Lazarus Lemuel Levi Linus Matthias Micajah Miles Nehemiah Noble Obadiah Philo Philomon Phineas Prosperity Reason Rufus Salmon Sampson Seth Silas Simon Solomon Thaddeus Theophilus Truth Zaccheus Zachariah Zadock Zebulon Zephaniah Zophar

I noticed that there were a lot of Ab- and El- names. The list includes some biblical names that are common and even popular today like Elijah, Isaac, Josiah and Seth to name a few.

Click here to view an updated report on the 10 Best Colonial Names for Boys and Girls!

As for the girls, the list is a bit more limited. Again, there are some biblical names but also some virtue names that were popular with the puritans.

Girls:                       Abigail Abitha Amity Anne Aphra Aurinda Azuba Candace Catherine Charity Charlotte Chastity Clarity Comfort Cornelia Constance Dorcas Edith Eleanor Electa Elizabeth Emeline Esther Fanny Fidelity Georgine Harriet Hecuba Helen Henrietta Hepzibah

Hester Isabella Jane Joy Judith Keturah Keziah Lydia Mahala Martha Mary Mercy Modesty Patience Phila Phoebe Primrose Prudence Rebekah Remember Rosanna Sarah Selah Silence Susanna Tabitha Temperance Theodosia Verity Virginia Zipporah

Do you find any of these names completely unusable for a modern baby? Which is your favorite?

Baby Name Popularity By The Letter

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Have you ever wondered which beginning letters seem to be most popular when it comes to baby names? I know that I tend to favor a certain few letters and then there are those letters that continuously stump me when searching for a favorite or even one that I can tolerate.  Have you ever tried to pick a single favorite name for each letter of the alphabet? I cannot narrow down my favorites for A or C or E, but when I get to the tail-end of the alphabet, choosing a decent one seems to be an impossible task!

It begs the question, why do we prefer these letters and side-step those ones? Does it have to do with the sounds? I see trends that favor soft letters like vowels and L's and M's, (think names like Lila and Emma). Are there letters that just have really, really bad name choices all bunched up together?  For instance, I was reminded of this article that discusses F names and how there is only ONE in the entire Top 100 in 2012 but there were 9 in 1880. Parents aren't naming their children Floyd and Fannie anymore. The article asked the question "Is F an unattractive sound for parents nowadays?"

Tell me what you think. Is it related to the basic sound of the name, or does it have more to do with the names themselves?  Below is a tally of how many names start with each letter in the US Top 100 for each gender.

Boys Top 100 By Letter:

Beginning Letter	# of Boy Names in 2012
A	11
B	7
C	12
D	5
E	5
F	0
G	3
H	3
I	3
J	19
K	2
L	7
M	3
N	5
O	2
P	1
Q	0
R	3
S	2
T	3
U	0
V	0
W	2
X	1
Y	0
Z	1

It is no surprise that the letters of the first half of the alphabet are dramatically more popular than the second half.  J is definitely the most popular letter in the top 100 for boys. At first, I was a bit surprised at the amount of J names, but then it just seemed right after I thought more about it. So many of the timeless, biblical choices start with J, and many of those are in the top 100.

The next most popular letters are C with 12 names, then A with 11. After that, B and L both have 7.

Letters that are completely absent from the Top 100 for boys include F, Q, U, V,and Y. Additionally, P, X and Z only have one representative each.

Girls Top 100 by Letter:

Beginning Letter	# of Boy Names in 2012
A	22
B	4
C	5
D	0
E	7
F	1
G	4
H	3
I	1
J	3
K	7
L	8
M	10
N	3
O	1
P	2
Q	0
R	2
S	11
T	2
U	0
V	2
W	0
X	0
Y	0
Z	2

Not surprisingly, the letter A dominates feminine names. 22 of the names in the Top 100 start with A and 32 of them end with A, including the top 5! If you count names that end in the A-sound, like Hannah with the -ah, then you get a total of 37 names that end with the popular A-sound.

In second place is the letter S with 11 names, and then M with 10.  I was a bit surprised to see S be so popular since there were only 2 boys names in the top 100 that start with S.  However, the favorite boy letter is J and the girls only have 3 of those on their side.

Unpopular letters for the girls side include D, Q, U, W, X and Y all with 0 names.

It is interesting to note which letters parents favor and how it differs for each gender.  Just the letters A, S and M alone make up 43% of girl names. 42% of boys names begin with A, C and J.

I wanted to see this kind of data to see how my own naming preferences match up.  33% of America and I love A names.  For a girl, A, C, E, and M tend to be my letters, whereas for the boys, I prefer A, D, E and M.  My problem letters include B, F, J, K, N, P, S  and T, besides the obviously tricky U and Y.  It can sometimes feel a bit limiting.

Which letters do you tend to favor and which do you have trouble with?

Peregrine

The Name of the Week is my favorite from the list of Bird-Inspired names. I took it from the Peregrine Falcon, but the meaning of Peregrine doesn't actually have anything to do with the bird.

This is a name that is rarely used in the US because many have viewed it as an eccentric and extravagant name. However it has been considered elegant and even aristocratic in England.

It was historically chosen as the name of the first English child born in America. The child, Peregrine White, was born on the Mayflower at what is known today as the Provincetown Harbor in Massachusetts. Interestingly, he had a brother named Resolved.

Peregrine is also the name of several early saints, most notably Saint Peregrine Laziosi, the Patron Saint of Cancer Patients. The name comes from the Late Latin name Peregrinus which means "traveler" and more recently "pilgrim". The Italian form of the name is Pellegrino which you may recognize as a brand of mineral water, San Pellegrino.

There is also a character in a novel by Tobias Smollett called Peregrine Pickle. And you can't forget little Peregrin Took, a hobbit from "The Lord of the Rings" series, also known as Pippin.  Pippin or Pip are darling nicknames for Peregrine, and there is also Perry.

Clearly, Peregrine has history behind it from Saints to fictional characters to pilgrims. Statistically in the US, Peregrine has only been in use since 1998 with a total of 70 baby boys ever given the name, the most being in 2010 with 12 births. There have also been 12 girls given the name but it is solely considered a male name.

I would pair a traditional or classic name with Peregrine to balance out the rarity. What would you pair with the name and what do you think of it? Let me know!

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Aurora, Cecily, Daciana, Evangeline, Imogen, Juniper, Lark, Marigold, Simone, Vivienne
Brothers: Atticus, Benedict, Caspian, Felix, Hadrian, Magnus, Quentin, Soren, Thayer, Vesper

Middle Name Ideas:
Peregrine James
Peregrine Arthur
Peregrine Cole
Peregrine Andrew
Peregrine Lee

As a Middle Name:
Henry Peregrine
Lennox Peregrine
Wiley Peregrine
Alaric Peregrine
Leo Peregrine

P.S.  I have edited all of the previously featured names and added the above sibling and middle name categories for each of them!  Take a look!

Not Just For The Birds: 76 Bird-Inspired Baby Names!

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The following is a list of names that are inspired by birds! In some cases, the name may be a color name that describes the color of the bird like Scarlet and Tawny. In other cases, it is the name of the person who either discovered the bird or had the bird named after them like Tristram's Starling and Elliot's Pheasant.  Of course there are the cool, common ones like Falcon and Wren.

Take a look at the list and let me know which one of these you would consider using! Both male and female options are mixed together.

Adelie (Adelie Penguin) Anna (Anna’s Hummingbird) Argus (Great Argus) Blue (Blue Jay) Blyth (Blyth’s Tragopan) Brent (Brent Goose) Brewer (Brewer's Blackbird) Cara (Caracara) Carolina (Carolina Wren) Cassin (Cassin's Finch) Clark (Clark's Grebe) Cliff (Cliff Swallow) Cooper (Cooper's Hawk) Corella (Little Corella) Cory (Cory's Shearwater) Dunlin Eagle Elliot (Elliot’s Pheasant) Emerald (Emerald’s Toucanet) Falcon Finch Fischer (Fischer's Turaco) Fox (Fox Sparrow) Grey (Grey Plover) Griffon (Griffon Vulture) Harris (Harris' Hawk) Hawk Hazel (Hazel Grouse) Hudson (Hudsonian Godwit) Hyacinth (Hyacinth Macaw) Iago (Iago's Sparrow) Ibis (Glossy Ibis) Iora Ivory (Ivory Gull) Jacana Jack (Jack Snipe) Jackson (Jackson's Widowbird) Jacobin (Jacobin Cuckoo)

Java (Java Sparrow) Jay Kea Koel (Asian Koel) Kori (Kori Bustard) Lark (Crested Lark) Linnet Lory (Red Lory) Martin Myna (Golden Myna) Nene Oliva (Olivaceous Woodcreeper) Peregrine (Peregrine Falcon) Prinia (Graceful Prinia) Robin Rock (Rock Ptarmigan) Ross (Ross's Gull) Rosy (Rosy Starling) Ruby (Ruby Topaz) Saffron (Saffron Finch) Sage (Sage-Grouse) Savanna (Savanna Hawk) Scarlet (Scarlet Ibis) Scott (Scott's Oriole) Shelley (Shelley's Sparrow) Sparrow Socorro (Socorro Mockingbird) Socotra (Socotra Sunbird) Sora Starling Tawny (Tawny Owl) Tristram (Tristram's Starling) Victoria (Victoria Crowned Pigeon) Violet (Violet Sabrewing) Virginia (Virginia Rail) Willow (Willow Ptarmigan) Wilson (Wilson's Storm-petrel) Wren

5 Lovely and Rare Names for Girls

This poll from the sidebar of The Art of Naming blog closed quite a while ago! You voted! Now it is time to find out which of the five options won the poll!  Here are the contenders and the results:

Emmeline  17 votes (32%)

Ariadne  14 votes (26%)

Calliope  8 votes  (15%)

Bryony  7 votes (13%)

Lavinia  6 votes  (11%)

Let's learn more about each of these names!  Which is your favorite?

Emmeline is a name that I fear is rising fast! With the popularity of Emma and Emily, as well as -line names like Caroline and Madeline, Emmeline seems like a shoo-in!  It is a French name that comes from German elements that mean "work."  It ranked just outside of the US Top 1000 in 2012 at #1078.  click here to read even more about this lovely choice. 

Ariadne is an Ancient Greek name that means "most holy." I first heard it in the move Inception (Ellen Page's character) and I liked it right away for being different but full of history. It is pronounced ar-ee-AD-nee. In Greek Mythology, she was the daughter of King Minos and eventually married the god Dionysus. This would be a cool alternative to the more-popular Aria and Ariana. It ranked #1762 in 2012.

Calliope is pronounced cuh-LIE-oh-pee and is a Greek name that means "Beautiful Voice."  In Greek Mythology, she was one of the 9 muses, the goddess of epic poetry and eloquence. To me, this name should be quite common since I hear it so often, but it has never ranked in the top 1000. Its gaining momentum but still only ranks at #1535 as of 2012.  Read more about this name here.

Bryony is another rare name! Pronounced BRIE-ə-nee, it ultimately comes from the Greek βρυω (bryo) meaning "to swell". It is the name of a Eurasian vine that was formerly used for medicinal purposes. I first heard this name (spelled Briony) from the movie "Atonement" and rather liked it. There were only 13 girls named Bryony in 2012. Its only been occasionally used in the US since 1976.

Lavinia was the first name that I featured on the blog. It is of Roman/Latin origin with an unknown meaning. It ranked as high as #360 in 1880 and is quite an old-fashioned gem that many are unaware of. Lavinia was the mother of the Romans and the wife of the Trojan hero Aemeas who named Lavinium, Italy after her. The name hasn't been on the charts since 1929, but I hear it quite often. It was the name of a character on "Downton Abbey," which is where I first heard it. There were only 52 girls given this name in 2012! Read more about it here.

Girl Name of the Week: Zola

The Girl Name of the Week is an African Name keeping in tradition of the past two blog posts. The name is Zola.

First of all, this name is also a Literary Surname, taken by famous French-Italian writer Emile Zola (1840-1902). This form of Zola tends to be feminine despite being a surname originally. However, it is said that this form of Zola does not have a known meaning as it may have been invented as a surname. Emile Zola's father's surname was actually Zolla.  Either way, it has been used occasionally in English-speaking countries since the 19th century.

The version of the name that I'm featuring today is typically female when it is used as a first name, but it is sometimes used on African males as well. It is of Southern African or Zulu origin and it means "quiet or tranquil" in Zulu.

 The name is on record for having been used in the US since 1880. Zola's biggest year was 1924 when 184 baby girls were born. Usage declined after the 20's but it has always been in regular use. In 2012, there were 92 baby girls named Zola, ranking the name at #2075. The name gained some popularity from 2011's 57 births, and the 44 Zola's born in 2010.

It is impossible to know if parents who used the name Zola for a daughter were inspired by the writer or by the Zulu name, or possibly neither! I'd like to know how many of them were inspired by Zola, the adopted African daughter of Derek Shepherd and Meredith Grey on the TV show Grey's Anatomy. She first appeared on TV screens in May 2011, but saw more screen time in fall 2011/spring 2012. Perhaps she helped to boost the usage in 2012! Who knows!

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As for boys named Zola, there have only been 21 boys named Zola in recorded US history. 11 from 1916-1917, and 10 from 1922-1923.  I do not have statistics for the number of boys who are given this name in Africa but I saw a few comments from different people saying that they know of men with this name.

Click here for a list of famous people who either have the surname Zola, or their first name is Zola. Among them is Eddie Murphy and Nicole Mitchell's daughter named Zola Ivy Murphy.

If I wanted to choose a traditionally African name to pair with Zola, I would use Zola Dumisani (which means "give praise" in Zulu) or Zola Mbali (which means "flower" in Zulu).

However, for those of us who like the name but are not African, here are some cute Americanized combos with a French influence:

Zola Camille
Zola Genevieve
Zola Isabelle
Zola Juliette
Zola Madeleine
Zola Simone

What do you think of the name Zola? Would you ever use it? What would you pair with it?

World-Wide Wednesday: African Names

For the third installment of World-Wide Wednesday, we'll take a look at the naming traditions in Africa.

Featured African Names: Kato & Zola

For most Africans, baby-naming is extremely important. They place a high value on the name choice and its meaning. 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.

Of course, Africa is a very large continent and it is home to hundreds of different languages and customs. Traditionally, African parents like to give names that reflect the time and day of the birth, the environment in which the baby was born or other related circumstances like gender or birth order.

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.

Northern Africa sees a lot of Muslim names being used since many are Muslim. In Central and Southern Africa, there is a bit of European influence on names since many in that region are partially Christian and may speak French, English or Portuguese.

In Nigeria, the meaning of names is so important that Nigerians will actually introduce themselves and then explain to people what their name means. Names are viewed as a promise, a vocation and a list of expectations for one's life. Their name IS their identity.

Sometimes, the process of choosing a name is carefully decided upon by not only the parents, but also grandparents and extended family members. Naming a child is so important that it sometimes takes a whole village! When the child is finally born, there is an extensive naming ceremony, sometimes including prayers recited by a religious teacher and animal sacrifices. The reason for the ceremony is to formally give the child the selected names.

Traditionally, the child will receive three names, one from the parents, and two from the maternal and paternal grandparents. In some places, the first name is the personal name, the second is their praise name that reflects the hopes for the child's life, and the third name ties in the family and community.

With such high expectations put on a child through their name, the parents tend to use that against them when they misbehave. African Proverbs are used to help parents drive home the messages to their children. The name is used to steer the child through life in a positive direction that was carefully chosen before the child was even born.

Examples of names and their meanings:

Abena - "Born on Thursday"
Abeni - We asked for her, and behold, we got her"
Abidemi - "Born during father's absence"
Abioye - "Born into Royalty"
Babirye - "First of twins"
Bongani - "Be grateful"
Bosede - "Born on Sunday"
Chiamaka - "God is Beautiful"
Chidubem - "Guided by God"
Dada -  "Curly hair"
Delu - "The only girl"
Dubaku - "Eleventh born child"
Ebele - "Mercy, Kindness"
Emeka - "Great deeds"
Farai - "Rejoice"
Funanya - "Love"
Gbemisola - "Cary me into wealth"
Hassain - "Handsome"
Idowu - "Born after twins"
Ikenna - "Father's power"
Iniko - "Born during troubled times"
Jelani - "Mighty"
Jurodoe - "faithful"
Katlego - "Success"
Kato - "Second of Twins"
Kirabo - "Gift"
Lerato - "Love"
Lumusi - "Born face down"
Makena - "Happy one"
Melisizwe - "Leader of the nation"
Monifa - "I am lucky"
Ndidi - "Patience"
Nkiruka - "The best is still to come"
Nonye - "Stay with us"
Nosizewe - "Mother of the nation"
Ochieng - "Born when the sun shines"
Olufemi - "God loves me"
Oni  - "Born in sacred bode"
Paki - "Witness"
Rufaro - "Happiness"
Sanaa - "Art"
Sauda - "Dark Complexion"
Simba - "Lion"
Tafari - "He who inspires awe"
Tatenda - "Thank you"
Udo - "Peace"
Wekesa - "Born during harvest"
Xolani - "Peace"
Zola - "Quiet, tranquil
Zuri - "Beautiful"

I've always taken the meanings of names seriously but there are many parents who don't care about it and don't think that the meaning of the child's name will have any impact on their life. Here is an entire continent that says differently. Meanings are our identities, according to African parents.  Which of the above meanings do you like best?

Note: I am not African and have never been to Africa. If I have gotten any information wrong, please let me know so I can correct it.

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