Get To Know!: Meagan from TulipByAnyName

Welcome to my new segment "Get To Know!"  Recently, I've had the opportunity to meet a few fellow name bloggers and I decided it'd be lovely to let you get to know them too. The naming community is such a wonderful place! If you truly love names, it never hurts to follow more bloggers to get your daily name fix. 

Today, I had the honor of interviewing Meagan from TulipByAnyName.  She is most known for her work discussing interesting names on her YouTube channel. She is also one of the six Name Sisters who run a great YouTube channel collectively. 

Beyond videos, Meagan also has a successful blog and Instagram account that revolves around names. Most recently, she's become a new contributor to Nameberry's Berry Juice Blog, too! She is involved in lots of exciting name-related projects! Let's take a moment to learn more about her own personal name tastes and experiences with names:

1. What are your first and middle names?

My name is Meagan Elizabeth.

2. Do you like them or would you ever want to change them?

I really like my name.  It's not what I would have picked for myself, but I can't imagine being called anything else. I feel very connected to my middle name, Elizabeth.  It's one of my favorite names and a name that I would consider using.

3. If you had to change your name, what would you choose?

I love this question! My taste in names and my style tends to be a bit old-fashioned.  I think the name Rose would suit me.  I also really love the name Cordelia, so I'd rename myself Rose Cordelia.

4. When did you first become interested in names?

My first name memory was around age 3 or 4 when I renamed my cabbage patch doll.  He came with an adoption certificate and the name Otto, but I renamed him Murphy.  I have no idea where I got the name Murphy from!  All throughout elementary school I was naming and renaming dolls, stuffed animals, and inanimate objects.  As a teenager my interest in names progressed to looking up name meanings and making endless name lists.

5. What were some of the first names you remember loving? Do you still like them today?

My favorite girls names growing up were Samantha, Elizabeth, Stacey, Caroline, Hope, and Emmeline.  Stacey is the only one I've fallen out of love with.  I still love and would consider using Emmeline and Elizabeth.

For boys I loved Jeffrey, Patrick, Benjamin, Brayden, Dylan, Connor, Joshua, and James.  I think they're all nice names. I can't see myself using Jeffrey or Brayden.  I still really love Benjamin and James.

6. Tell us about your presence in the naming community. Where are your sites and what do you try to accomplish with them?

A few years ago I realized there were other name enthusiasts on the web. I started connecting with others through forums, which evolved into creating a YouTube channel about names. I really enjoy making videos and of course talking about names!  I created a blog as an extension of my YouTube channel, as well as an Instagram account @tulipbyanyname.  I truly enjoy learning about names and sharing my passion with others. 

7. What is your favorite girl name in the Top 100? Top 1000?

Top 100 -  Lillian #26

Top 1000 - Matilda #645

8. What is your favorite boy name in the Top 100? Top 1000?

Top 100 - Luke #34

Top 1000 - Bennett #194

9. What is your favorite first and middle combo for a girl?

Emmeline Elizabeth - nickname "Emmie". I've loved Emmeline since I was 12, and Elizabeth is a family name.

10. What is your favorite first and middle combo for a boy?

Lucas Gabriel - I'd call him Luke.

11. What are your favorite obscure/guilty pleasure names?

I've really loved the name Lavender lately! I think it would make a fun, unexpected middle name.  I also enjoy Avonlea, Everard, Frost, Wednesday, Winslet, Wolfram, and Forest. I'm not the bravest namer, but I do think these are the kind of names that would make great middle names!

12. If you had to name twins right now, what would you choose?

If it were solely up to me -

Girl/Girl - Emmeline Elizabeth & Lydia Genevieve

Girl/Boy - Lillian Victoria & Everett Reid

Boy/Boy - Lucas Gabriel & Oliver Jude

13. Are there any names or naming trends that you dislike?

I'm not too fond of creative spellings.  My name isn't spelled the most common way, so I don't mind a subtle change, I just don't like when a name is unrecognizable.  Place names with creative spellings are one of my naming pet peeves.

14. Who is your favorite name blogger?

Tough question! If I had to pick, I really admire Abby Sandel (Appellation Mountain). She puts so much research, thought, and heart into her articles.

15. What advice would you give to expecting parents who are looking for a name?

I think the most important thing is to pick a name YOU love! Many people will have an opinion, but ultimately it's your choice.  I think it's helpful to say the name out loud with your surname.  Also, reflect on if the name is one you or your partner would have liked to have been named.  There are so many names I adore, but wouldn't actually want to have been named.  My one big piece of advice comes back to following your heart and using a name you love!

I hope you enjoyed this interview and that you'll take a look at Meagan's sites! 

You can check out my interview over on Meagan's site here.  

Thanks for reading!

Gabriella Pearl - (Birth Announcements!)

This compilation of birth announcements came from a couple hospitals in Indiana, USA. This batch seems to be rather conservative and traditional. There aren't any wacky or odd names that stand out. If you could only name your child one of these names, which would you choose?

Girls: 

Abigail Rae
Adlee Dawn
Alisa Ray
Allison Renae
Alyssa Gale
Anna Jean
Annabelle Rose
Aria Marie
Athena Lee
Autumn Lynn
Avery Kay
Bailey Alexis
Breanna Lee
Cassandra Marie
Cora Mae
Daisy Faith
Delaney Carol-Sue
Emory Louise
Evelynn Jane
Gabriella Pearl
Gracie LouAnn
Hadley Caroline
Harper Rayne
Kiara Rose
Layla Lyda-Jean
Leyla Brianne Irene
Madison Faith
Maisie Claiborne
Mila Jean
Molly Suzanne
Rebekah Joy Hadessah
Reece Addison
Saria Jane
Savannah Nadine
Skylar Rose Mae
Sophia Fern
Sydney Amara
Zoey Kiana-Marie

Boys:
Benjamin Scott
Bryan Manuel
Bryce Andrew
Caleb Duane
Christopher Scott
Cooper Andrew
Cruz Michael
David Samuel
Elijah Lewis
Elijah Michael
Ezekiel Paul Christopher
Grant Keith
Jacob Donald
Jack Arnett Jiovanni
Jaxon Dane
Jett Robert
Jordan Michael Alexander
Joseph Lee
Judah Christopher
Kolton John
Kyler Edward
Landon Nathanel
Lincoln Jaye Owen
Luke Tyler
Matthew Francis
Micheal Anthony
Mikah Joseph
Nathaniel Joseph
Owen Jean
Wyatt Christopher
Wyatt Lee
Xavier Mikail

Let me know which of these you like most in the comment section below! 

Savannah

To complement Tuesday's post regarding the best V names for girls, and last week's post about the best V names for boys, I chose to feature the feminine name Savannah which contains the letter V.

Savannah isn't just a city in the state of Georgia, USA. It comes from an English word that indicates a large, grassy plain. Originally, Savannah comes from a Taino (Native American) word zabana. Variants of the name include Zavanna and Savanna. It's a place name and a nature name.

Savannah gained usage as a baby name in the 19th century. It has also been on record in the US every year since 1880 but its usage was very minimal until it suddenly boomed in the 1980s. This increase in births-per-year is most likely a result of the 1982 movie "Savannah Smiles".

There were only 43 births in 1981, 118 in 1982 and in 1983, there were 434 Savannahs born. That means the name went from ranking in the 1100s to being #466 in just one year. The year 2000 had a record-high amount of Savannahs born. There was 7,097 of them for a ranking of #37!

Since then, the name has declined a bit in popularity. As of 2013, it still ranks at #37 but that only accounts for 5,192 births.

This name is very cute yet classy. It has a elegant vibe to it but it is also a nature name that gives you the image of a grassy plain. It is both sweet and strong and great for a baby, a teen and a woman.

Right now, Savannah feels as though it is a bit underrated. It isn't high on the popularity radar in the active online baby naming community even though it ranks #37 in the country. It ranks down at #207 on Nameberry, which is based on pageviews on their site. It is being used well but at the same time, it isn't being overly talked about which makes it ideal. Even though Savannah is technically popular, it would still be refreshing to hear on a baby today.

What do you think of this name and its cute nicknames like Savy, Sanna, Van, and Vanna? What middle names would you pair with it? What would you name her siblings? Here are a few ideas:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Brooke, Gabrielle, Heather, Lucy, Madison, Mckenzie, Sydney
Brothers: Arlo, Dallas, Jacob, Levi, Oliver, Seth, Travis

Middle Name Ideas:
Savannah Alexis
Savannah Isobel
Savannah Jade
Savannah Lorraine
Savannah Paige

As a Middle Name:
Bailey Savannah
Chloe Savannah
Harper Savannah
Morgan Savannah
Riley Savannah

Aveline, Liv & Violet: The Best V Names for Girls

The letter V has a certain appeal to it that has been captivating modern parents, especially the Av- and Ev- names. This is a compilation of the best girl names that contain the letter V. It may seem long, but trust me, I narrowed it down quite a bit. There just happens to be a lot of lovely name options with a V in them! Which of these do you like best?

Alivia                 Alva Ava Avabelle Avah Avalee Avalie Avalina Avaline Avalon Avalyn Avalynn Avani Avari Avaya Ave Avelaine Avelina Aveline Aven Averie Averil Averley Avery Avia Aviana Avianna Avie Avielle Avigail Avila Avis Aviva Avonlea Avra Avrielle Avril Belva Bev Beverley Beverly Bevin Chava Chavela Chevaune Chevelle Chevonne Clavel Clove Clover Dava Davalyn Daveigh Daveney Davette Davia Daviana Davida Davina Devan Devanie Devany Devanya Deven Devere Devereaux Devin Devina Devlyn Devon Devona Devony Devora Devra Dove Elva Elvera Elvia Elvina Elvira Eva Evadne Evalie Evalina Evaline Evalyn Evan Evandra Evangelia Evangelica Evangelina Evangeline Evania Evanna Evanne Evanora Evanthe Evanthia Evany Eve Evelia Evelien Evelina

Eveline               Evelyn Ever Everest Everild Everly Evette Evgenia Evia Eviana Evianna Evie Evienne Evolet Evonne Evony Evora Evy Evyenia Flavia Gavriela Gavriella Geneva Genevie Genevieve Genevra Genoveva Geovana Giavanna Ginevra Giovanna Giverny Godelieve Godiva Guinevere Gwenevere Havana Havannah Haven Havilah Heaven Heavenly Isavella Iva Ivaleine Ivana Ivani Ivanka Ivanna Ivelisse Ivette Ivona Ivonne Ivory Ivy Javiera Jenavieve Jeneva Jenevieve Jovana Jovie Jovienne Keavy Keeva Keva Kiva Lavender Lavera Laverna Laverne Lavina Lavinah Lavinia Lavonda Lavonne Leven Levina Lieve Liv Livana Live Livia Liviana Livianna Livienne Livvy Louvenia Lovetta Lovette Lovina Lovisa Ludovica Luvenia Luvia Luvianna Luvinia Madeleva Maeva Maeve

Mava                 Maven Mavis Mavra Méav Megève Minerva Morven Myava Natavia Natividad Nava Naveena Navy Neva Nevada Nevaeh Neve Nevena Nieva Nieve Nieves Nineveh Nívea Nova Novalee Novalie Novara Novella November Novia Octavia Octaviana Oliva Olive Olivera Olivette Olivia Oliviana Olivié Olivienne Olivina Olivine Ottavia Ovelle Parvana Parvati Pavla Petrova Pravina Primavera Primeveire Raven Ravenna Raviva Reeva Reeve Reva Reveka Revel Reverie Riva River Rivers Riviera Rivka Rivkah Rosalva Savana Savanna Savannah Savera Savina Sevanne Seven Severa Severena Severina Sévérine Sevi Sevilla Sevina Shavon Shavonne Silvana Silver Silvia Silviana Sivan Stevie Sunniva Svetlana Sylvana Sylvette Sylvia Sylvie Tavi Tavia Tavie Tavora Teva

Tova Tovah Treva Truvy Tuva Vada Vaida Val Valarie Valda Valdine Vale Valencia Valentia Valentina Valentine Valera Valeria Valerie Valery Valia Valkyrie Vandra Vanessa Vanna Vannie Vanora Vella Velvet Venetia Venus Vera Verily Verity Verona Veronica Veronique Vesper Vespera Via Vianna Vianne Vicenta Victoire Victoria Victoriana Victorina Victorine Vida Vienna Vienne Vierra Vincenza Vinia Vinnie Viola Violet Violeta Violetta Violette Viona Virginia Virginie Vita Vitória Vittoria Viva Vivaldi Viveca Vivetta Vivia Vivian Viviana Viviane Vivianna Vivianne Vivica Vivien Vivienna Vivienne Viviette Vlada Vladimira Vrai Waiva Wava Waverley Waverly Wineva Xavianna Xaviera Yeva Yvaine Yvana Yvette Yvie Yvonna Yvonne Zahava Zayva Zinovia Ziva

Don't forget to check out last week's list of The Best V Names for Boys too!

Donovan

Today's featured name is a strong, handsome Irish name that I hand-picked from this week's blog about boy names that contain the letter V!

The masculine name Donovan comes from an Irish surname which ultimately came from the Irish Ó Donndubháin which means "descendent of Donndubhán". That name is basically Gaelic for "dark brown".

Donovan has been in use in the US since 1900 and it has nearly always been in the Top 1000, save a few years early on. It peaked in 2003 with 2,210 births and a ranking of #176. Now in 2013, it has fallen to a respectable #281 with 1,224 births.  It also ranks at #380 in France.

Since this name is on the decline, it'll only become more and more unique. There probably isn't a danger of it sounding dated since it has been solidly established since 1900. It also wasn't incredibly popular. If it had peaked in the Top 50 and then immediately declined, it would be a different story. As it sits, it's still receiving good usage without being unusual or overly popular.

As far as namesakes go, there is a Scottish singer songwriter named Donovan who was most popular in the 1960s. There are many famous people with Donovan as a surname and a handful with it as a first name. Take a look at the full list here.

Nicknames may include Don, Donny, Dono and Van. What middle names might you pair with Donovan? What would you name his brother or sister? If you know anyone with this name, what are their siblings called? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Here are a few ideas:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alanna, Bethany, Delaney, Emily, Fiona, Keely, Maeve, Olivia, Tierney
Brothers: Aidan, Colin, Declan, Desmond, Logan, Oliver, Patrick, Rafferty, Vincent

Middle Name Ideas:
Donovan Finley
Donovan Murphy
Donovan Reid
Donovan Riley

As a Middle Name:
Garrett Donovan
Levi Donovan
Michael Donovan
Neil Donovan

Everett, Liev & Vincent: The Best V Names for Boys

The letter V provides one of my favorite sounds within a name. It is a striking but attractive letter that is popping up in various trends across the baby naming community. In order to celebrate the beauty of this great letter, I've put together a collection of the very best boy names that contain the letter V.

If you were to give all of your sons a name with the letter V in it, which of the following names would you choose? Share your favorite names and first/middle name combinations in the comments below!

Alvaro                  Alvin Arvel Averett Averill Avery Avett Avi Avory Avraham Avram Avrian Belvin Benvolio Bevan Bonaventure Brevin Brevyn Calvary Calvin Carver Cavan Cavell Cavin Chevalier Chevy Cleve Cleveland Clive Clovis Cordovan Corvin Cove Covington Davian David Davide Davin Davion Davis Davison Davy Delvin Denver Devan Devereaux Devin Devlin Devon Devonte Donovan Draven Elvin Elvis Ervin Estevan Evan Evander Evandro Evangelos Everard Everardo Everest Everett Everette Everton Evram Favien Feivel Flavio Garvey Gavin Gavino Gavriel Gervase Giovani Giovanni Giovanny Glover Granville

Grover             Gulliver Gustav Gustave Gustavo Harvey Haven Hervé Hervey Hoover Irvin Irving Istvan Ivan Ivanhoe Ivar Iver Ives Ivo Ivor Janvier Jarvis Javan Javier Javion Javon Jayven Jovan Jovani Jovanni Jovanny Jovany Jove Jovin Jovis Kalvin Kavin Kelvin Kevin Kiev Lavern Laverne Lavin Lavonte Lev Levar Levente Leverett Levi Leviathan Levin Leviticus Levon Liev Livingston Lovell Lovino Ludovic Ludvig Marvel Marvin Maven Maverick Melville Melvin Mervin Natividad Navarone Navarre Navarro Naveen Nevan Neven Neville Nevin Niven Norval Nova Novak

Octavian         Octaviano Octavio Octavius Olav Olivander Oliver Olivier Oliviero Orval Orvil Orville Orvin Osvaldo Ottavio Ovid Ovidio Pavel Pavlos Pavol Percival Raven Reeve Revere River Rivers Roosevelt Salvador Salvatore Saviero Savion Seaver Seven Severiano Severin Severn Severo Severus Silvan Silvano Silvanus Silverio Silvestre Silvio Sivan Stavros Steve Steven Stevenson Stevie Sullivan Sven Sverre Sylvain Sylvan Sylvester Sylvestre Sylvio Tarver Tavian Tavin Tavion Tavis Tavish Tavon Tevin Tolliver Traver Travis Travon Trayvon Trevin Trevion Trevon Trevor Treyvon Vadden Valdemar Valdino Vale Valen

Valente Valentin Valentine Valentino Valerian Valerio Valor Van Vance Vander Varren Vasil Vasile Vasili Vasilios Vasily Vassily Vaughan Vaughn Verdell Vergil Verle Vern Verne Vernell Verner Vernie Vernon Vernor Versilius Vester Vian Vicente Vickery Victor Victoriano Victorino Vidal Viggo Vikram Viktor Vilhelm Vin Vince Vincent Vincenzo Vinicio Vinnie Vinny Vinson Vinton Vinze Virgil Virgilio Vitaly Vito Vitorino Vittore Vittorio Viviano Vladimir Vogel Von Voyer Waverly Weaver Xaver Xavi Xavier Xzavier Yovanni Yuval Yvan Yves Yvon Zavian Zavien Zavier Zavion Zevan Zeven Zevin

Don't forget to stay tuned for next week's post featuring The Best V Names for Girls!

Casper

I chose to feature the name Casper this week because of its well-known association with "the friendly ghost" who is an animated character that's actually been around since 1939. It felt appropriate since today is Halloween and ghosts are a spooky staple of the holiday.

Beyond the ghostly association, though, resides a really fabulous family of names.  Casper is the Dutch and Scandinavian form of the name Jasper which comes from the ancient Hebrew word Gizbar meaning "Treasurer". Gaspar was traditionally the name of one of the wise men who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus Christ.  Other related names include Caspar, Kasper, Jesper, Gaspard, Gaspare, and Gazsi.

Casper is not an unfamiliar name to the ear in the US. However, it isn't being used all that often. It has been consistently used since records began in 1880, but it has never been popular. It was once ranking in the bottom half of the Top 1000 chart, but it fell off of it in 1933. That means it hasn't been high on parents' radars in at least 80 years!

There were 89 baby boys named Casper in 2013 for a ranking of #1665. There were only 15 given the hardly-used spelling of Caspar. Jasper, on the other hand, has had quite a bit of popularity lately, ranking at #248 in 2013 with 1,443 births for the year.

Casper is rather popular overseas, though! It has recently ranked #49 in Sweden, #87 in Norway, #90 in the Netherlands and #346 in England/Wales. I think if old-man Jasper can be stylish again in the US, the cool Casper can be relevant too now that the ghostly image is beginning to fade with time.

What do you think of Casper? Do you like one of the variations better? What middle names would you pair with Casper? Here are a few random ideas that I came up with:

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Alice, Delilah, Iris, Lucy, Pearl, Sabrina, Zelda

Brothers: Atlas, Chauncey, Dempsey, Emmett, Linus, Porter, Watson

Middle Name Ideas:

Casper Blaine

Casper Edmund

Casper Louis

Casper Owen

As a Middle Name:

Ellis Casper

James Casper

Milo Casper

Nicholas Casper

Is the "friendly ghost" association too much still? Share your thoughts on this name in the comment section below!

Spooky Baby Names

If you are expecting a baby this week and you still aren't settled on the perfect name, perhaps one of these timely choices will jump at you. From the sweet and sugary candy names to the spooky, ghoulish and bewitched options, you're sure to love this list, especially if Halloween is your favorite holiday.

Some of these may not be very obviously tied to Halloween, but upon inspection of their meanings or their associations to certain legends or myths, it will all make sense. Some of these names may be a bit on the questionable side of things so I'd recommend doing your research before signing the birth certificate!

Girls:

Autumn

Blair
Buffy
Candy
Carrie
Cat
Circe
Coco
Elvira
Endora
Eve
Glinda
Harlow
Hazel
Hermione
Isis
Lilith
Lolly
Luna
Maeve
Morrigan
Morticia
October
Oriole
Persephone
Raven
Reese
Regan
Rosemary
Sabrina
Samantha
Selene
Tabitha
Tarot
Tempest
Trixie
Tootsie
Wanda
Wednesday
Wendy
Zena

Boys:
Addams
Bram
Casper
Chucky
Crane
Damien
Darth
Draco
Edgar
Frank
Freddy
Griffin
Hannibal
Horus
Ichabod
Igor
Jack
Jason
Jett
Leaf
Lucifer
Norman
Osiris
Phoenix
Poe
Rune
Salem
Storm
Treat
Victor
Wolf
Zephyr

I'm sure there are plenty more options that could be categorized as somewhat spooky. Can you think of any more that I missed?

Austin Ford - (Birth Announcements!)

This month's set of birth announcements started out somewhat unusual as I began building the list, and as I continued, the names got a bit more traditional.  However, they are all mixed together because of being placed alphabetically.  Once again, the middle name choices seem to be very common or old-fashioned for most of the babies below. There are a few interesting exceptions like Yaamach and Kapri.

I wonder why so many parents choose "safe" middle name options. I feel like the middle name, since it is mostly tucked away, provides the perfect opportunity to use guilty pleasure names or the highly unusual.  Instead, there are more unusual first names being used such as Alithia, Zyanya, and Kipper. What thoughts spring to your mind as you browse through the following list?:

Girls:

Adele Grace
Alithia Brooke
Aliza Bethany
Allison Marie
Amy Rose Lei
Annabelle Rose
Ara Fae
Ariauna Danielle Linn
Athena Jene Leann Irene
Aubrey Faith
Aurora Kapri
Belle Madelyn
Carissa Faith
Eleanora Yaamach
Emma Rose
Grace Catherine
Hailee Mae
Hannah Marie
Hazel Jane
Isla Rose
Katy Rae
Kaylyn Elizabeth
Kensi Jean
Kylie Adele
Laney Rose
Laryssa Joyce
Lorelei Mae
Madelyn Grace
Makenna Lynn
Marleigh Ann
McKynlee Jean Carolynn
Megan Ann
Paisley May
Presley Ann
River Rae
Roselyn Geraldine
Sydney Joy
Vivian Fae
Willow Annette
Yoselin
Zyanya Emma-Rose

Boys:
Aiden Daniel
Alexander James
Austin Ford
Brayden Alexander
Carl Andrew-Leon
Carlos Alberto
Chase Alexander
Bryce Allen
Collin Anderson
Colten Lucas
Connor John
Declan Joseph
Dominic Elijah
Eithyn Ryen
Eligh Ivan
Evan Samuel
Gerald Fred
Gunner Joseph
Jayden James
Jonathon Davidd
Joseph Brandon
Josue Saul
Kade Samuel
Kingston Parker
Kipper Hayes
Kobe Lee Lucas
Lachlan Clyde
Mason Lynn
Nehimiah Alexander
Rylan James
Shelton Wayne
Spencer Reid
Tanner Joseph
Tanner Lee
Terry Archer
Trevor Ellerson Daniel
Tyler Logan
Wyatt Steven
Zackery Allan

Which of these names do you like most? least?

Madelief

The male Dutch name that I featured this week, Diederick, is relatively rare. The female name that I'm about to share is actually ranking pretty well in the Netherlands!

Madelief is the name. It is pronounced mad-uh-LEEF and it's actually rather adorable! I think this could catch on in lieu of the more popular "Maddie" names like Madeline and Madison if more people knew about it. It would fit in well with other unusual Mad- names like Madigan and Madeleva as well as male choices like Maddox and Madden. It also goes hand in hand with botanical names that are gaining popularity today.

The best part is that this adorable name comes from the Dutch word madeliefje which means "daisy". So it's actually an obscure nature name! I say that it is obscure because, well, it is. It may rank at #126 in the Netherlands, but here in the USA, Madelief is non-existent. There have never been at least 5 girls given this name in a single year. Anyone who has this name is definitely one of a kind.

In the 1970s, children's book author Guus Kuijer wrote a beloved series of books featuring a character named Madelief. It was made into a tv series in the 1990s too! However, most of it has never been translated into English. Beyond that, Madelief seems to be a relatively new name even in the Netherlands.

If you're looking for a name that's on trend but completely unique at the same time, this is it! I'd love to see this name get some usage in the US today!

What do you think of this rare name? What middle names would you pair with it? Share your thoughts below! Here are some ideas that I came up with:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Anneke, Esmee, Fenna, Helena, Mila, Sabine, Xandra, Zoe
Brothers: Bram, Constantine, Florian,  Lucas, Oscar, Pieter, Sebastian, Tobias

Middle Name Ideas:
Madelief Anne
Madelief Joelle
Madelief Kate
Madelief Norah
Madelief Tessa

As a Middle Name:
Chloe Madelief
Eva Madelief
Faye Madelief
Noa Madelief
Sophie Madelief

World-Wide Wednesday: Dutch Baby Names

Featured Dutch Names:
Diederick & Madelief

This month for our World-Wide Wednesday segment, we will be examining Dutch baby names. These are classified as names that are mostly found in the Netherlands as well as the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium known as Flanders.

Like many other countries, parents in  present-day Netherlands are attracted to internationally loved names like Emma and Luca: names that are a bit more anglicized and less traditionally Dutch.

While some things tend to change over time, there are still plenty of traditional names being given to Dutch babies. This article will focus on the interesting traditional choices available and how they were used in the past. However, many of these names are difficult for non-Dutch speakers to pronounce.

First, let's start with naming traditions. Like many other countries in the past, Dutch families tended to use and reuse the same few names over many generations. Patronymic names were big. According to DutchGenealogy.nl, the following naming conventions were most typically followed:

• In the case where one of the parents was a widower or widow, the first child of the gender of the deceased spouse was named after that spouse.
• The two eldest boys were named after the grandfathers and the two eldest girls were named after the grandmothers. In some regions only deceased grandparents were named. In most regions, the paternal grandfather and maternal grandmother were named first.
• If the first three children are all boys, sometimes a male version of the grandmother’s name is given to the third boy. If enough children are born, grandmother may have a girl named after her as well. The same is true vice versa, if the first three children are all girls.
• Children that had died were named. So if one son called Jan Hendrik died, the next one born would be called Jan Hendrik as well. Usually, if you see two children with the same name, the oldest one died before the youngest one was born. Be careful however, because if the two grandparents had the same first name, sometimes two children who were named after them ended up with the same first and last name!
• If all the grandparents, previous spouses and deceased children were named, siblings of the parents were named after, especially the ones who had died already.

Knowing this information can also prove useful when tracking down ancestry lines. For our purposes today, it is mostly meant to be interesting. I enjoy learning traditions of the past since many of them are no longer popularly practiced.

Even today, birthing traditions of old are still in place. Dutch parents tend to wait to find out the baby's gender until it is born. If they happen to discover it in advance, they won't reveal it. These days, more and more mothers are choosing to give birth in a hospital but the majority still follow tradition by having a natural home birth.

Since the 17th century, it is customary for people to celebrate with a special liquor called "Hansje in the cellar". When a baby is born, the new mother is treated to plenty of food and gifts from visitors. In return, the new parents  provide a kind of biscuits to their visitors. These snacks typically had a layer of butter and sugar sprinkles called muisjes. These sprinkles only come in pink, white and blue and are used to indicate the baby's gender.  The muisjes are aniseed sprinkles that are said to represent fertility and scare away evil spirits. It is also good for the mother's milk supply.

This snack is known as "Beschuit met meisjes". Muisjes literally means "little mice" and draws its name from the fact that the aniseeds sometimes look like they have little tails when dipped into sugar. This snack is still used to celebrate the arrival of a new baby today.

Now, let's get to the actual names! Wikipedia lists a whole lot of information about Dutch names. For the sake of time and space, I'll touch on the highlights you need to know:

Dutch children are sometimes given several names but not always. Half of them only receive one name, about 30% get two names, 17% have three names and only 2.5% of children receive four names. Rarely are there more given. The first name is usually the one used in daily life and will sometimes be shortened to a diminutive form as a nickname. The naming rules for the Dutch are loose. Nearly any name is allowed as long as it isn't too similar to an existing surname, or inappropriate.

Over time, Dutch names have evolved. There are four major periods of time that saw differing naming traditions:

1. Germanic names were highly used. (Migration Period and before until the High Middle Ages)
2. Medieval names derived from Christian saints replaced Germanic ones. (High middle ages until the Early Modern era)
3. Patronymic names were most common. Children were named after relatives. (Early Modern era–1945)
4. Less emphasis on religious names and family names. Foreign names were adopted.  (1945–Present)

In the first period of naming history, the Germanic names lasted the longest. Most Germanic names are composed of two elements. The second usually indicated the gender. These elements could be drawn from two names and combined to create a new one with an appealing meaning that also honored two people. For example, a father named Hildebrant and a mother named Gertrud might name their child Gerbrant or Hiltrud.

The second period of time began around the 12th century. Christian names were huge.  Some Germanic elements still remained if they happened to also be the name of a saint. However, it was not the church that initiated this naming transition. There were no regulations in place regarding names. Religion and various current events had a big influence on naming tradition. Christian names became fashionable as larger cities began to flourish. Citizens with wealth and influence became trend-setters. It was then that the more typical Dutch names emerged such as "Kees" (Cornelis), "Jan" (Johannes) and "Piet" (Petrus).

The third period of naming history was one of stability. Some parents just picked names that they liked because they could, or they'd choose something relevant to the family's occupation. For instance, a butcher who planned on training his son to also become a butcher would probably name him Sint Joris which is the Dutch version of Saint George, the patron saint of the butchers. At the time, there was even a strong superstition that a name had a bit of a reincarnation effect  which led to many naming children after a deceased relative.

The practice of passing down familial names gained momentum. They were generally given in this pattern:

• First-born son is named after paternal grandfather
• First-born daughter is named after maternal grandmother
• Second son is named after maternal grandfather
• Second daughter is named after paternal grandmother
• Subsequent children were often named after uncles and aunts

Once the first four were named, the pattern relaxed a bit and parents were afforded more liberties to choose any name they liked for the following children. Names were reused if one of the children were to die.

The fourth and last period of time extends to today. Once World War II ended, people found themselves a bit less tied to keeping to traditions. They grew less religious and stopped using Christian names as often. Many names became a bit more anglicized and children weren't named after relatives as much. Today, children might have a traditional official name for a middle name and a more modern choice for their first name. Boys tend to have traditional Dutch names more often than girls and are still given family names. Girls simply receive names based on the parents' taste and love for it.

If you'd like to learn more about how surnames are given, click here. I'm going to skip over that information to keep this article from growing too long.

There are many traditional names out there. I went through Behind the Name's collection of Dutch names and chose some that I liked most to share with you. If you'd like to view more, I suggest visiting their website for the extensive list. I'm going to focus on the names that are Dutch versions of names from other origins, and names that are only Dutch:

Boys:

Aart                   Adriaan Aldert Ambroos Andries Antoon Arie Arnoud Bartel Bastiaan Bonifaas Boudewijn Brecht Broos Cas Cees Christiaan Cobus Constantijn Cornelis Daan Damiaan Diede Diederick Elbert Elian Ewoud Faas Femme Filippus

Floris               Fons Frits Gerben Gerolt Gijsbert Gillis Godfried Gustaaf Hein Henny Hubrecht Huub Ignaas Izaak Jaap Jef Jeroen Joep Joord Joost Joris Jozua Jurgen Kees Kerneels Kobus Koert Laurens Lieven

Lodewijk         Lowie Ludo Luuk Maarten Maas Maikel Mannes Marijn Marnix Matthijs Maurits Meint Mozes Nicolaas Niek Niels Pauwel Pier Pieter Pim Quirijn Radboud Raf Reinier Reinout Rembrandt Rens Rien Robbe

Robrecht Roel Rogier Rutger Sebastiaan Servaas Sieuwerd Sjaak Sjors Staas Stef Stijn Teunis Theodoor Theun Thijs Tiede Tijn Tjaard Toon Tygo Wiebe Wilbert Wilhelmus Willem Wim Wouter Yorick Yvo Zef

Girls:

Aldegonda       Aleida Angelien Angelique Anneke Annelien Anouk Brechtje Carolien Cato Coba Cokkie Diantha Drika Elian Elsje Emmy Esmee Evelien Feline Femke Fenna Floor Floortje Geertje

Geertruida       Gerarda Gerdina Gertruida Godelieve Greetje Griet Gusta Hadewych Hannie Heintje Heleen Helma Hendrina Hennie Hilde Ima Jacintha Jacoba Jacomina Jenneke Jantje Jasmijn Jeltsje Jennigje

Jetta               Johanneke Jozefien Katelijne Katrien Klasina Leonie Lieke Lien Liesbeth Lieve Lisanne Liselot Loes Lysanne Maaike Madelief Margriet Marieke Marijke Marijse Marjan Marjolein Marloes Mechteld

Meintje Mieke Miep Myrthe Nicolet Noortje Paulien Pietronella Ria Roosje Sabien Saskia Stefana Sterre Stien Teuna Thera Thirza Tineke Trijntje Truus Veerke Willemijn Willemina Xandra

Can you tell what other names these are related to? Which do you like best? Let's take a look at the more modern-day top choices:

Girls                  1. Tess 2. Sophie 3. Julie 4. Emma 5. Lisa 6. Fenna 7. Mila 8. Sara 9. Lotte 10. Zoë 11. Eva 12. Anna 13. Fleur 14. Isa 15. Lynn 16. Evi 17. Lieke 18. Saar 19. Noa 20. Sanne

Boys 1. Sem 2. Levi 3. Bram 4. Daan 5. Finn 6. Milan 7. Lucas 8. Luuk 9. Jesse 10. Jayden 11. Tim 12. Thomas 13. Thijs 14. Noah 15. Julian 16. Ruben 17. Liam 18. Lars 19. Stijn 20. Sam

Which of 2013's Top 20 names in the Netherlands are your favorites? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

[Note: I am not Dutch nor have I ever been to the Netherlands. If any of this information seems incorrect, please let me know so it can be fixed. If you have further insight, do share!]

Source | Source | Source | Source | Source | Source | Source

Diederick

The male name Diederick is the Dutch form of the Germanic name Theodoric. Both mean "ruler of the people". Theodoric is completely different than the similar sounding Greek name Theodore which means "gift of God".

There was a Theodoric the Great in the 6th-century who became the ruler of Italy. He was also called Theodoricus but the original Gothic version of the name may have been Þiudreiks which is where Diederick comes from.

Pronounced DEE-də-rik, this cool and unusual Dutch name has some equally cool counterparts in other languages like Theoderich, Derek, Derrick, Dirk, Thierry, Tiede, Dierk, Dietrich, Thilo, Tielo and Tudor.

However, as a baby name in the USA, Diederick is unexplored territory. There are zero births on record since records were first kept in 1880. Since the Social Security Administration does not report births for a name unless there was at least 5 in one year, it's possible that there have been a few boys named Diederick born in the US at some point, but they weren't recorded officially. This means that if you were to use this name, your son would nearly be one of a kind!

In the Netherlands, I could not find an official ranking for the popularity of Diederick there, but I did find out that it didn't rank within the Top 500 or so names in 2013. Today's Dutch parents highly favor short names. Diederick is rather long is it may be rather rare and unusual everywhere which makes it all the more fun, especially with a nickname like Dee, Derick, Rick or Ricky.

What do you think of the name Diederick? Is it cool that it's so rare or do you think it deserves to remain in obscurity? Share your thoughts in the comments below!  Also, what would you pair with it? Here are some ideas:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Anneke, Caroline, Fenna, Leonie, Madelief, Sanne, Thera
Brothers: Constantine, Lieven, Milan, Nicolas, Pieter, Sem, Willem

Middle Name Ideas:
Diederick Finn
Diederick Lucas
Diederick Pim
Diederick Ruben

As a Middle Name:
Bram Diederick
Jesse Diederick
Levi Diederick
Noah Diederick

Top Vintage Names for Girls from 1920

Just like last week's post about boy names from 1920, here are some wonderful vintage classics for girls as well as some names that are no longer very fashionable. It is interesting to see how many names remain popular over time and how many have returned to the limelight after a vacation from the Top 1000. Which of these do you like most?

Enduring Classics

Names that are in the Top 100 for both 1920 and 2013 and have always been within the Top 1000:

Elizabeth
#8 in 1920
#10 in 2013

Anna
#10 in 1920
#35 in 2013

Evelyn
#12 in 1920
#20 in 2013

Lillian
#18 in 1920
#26 in 2013

Ruby
#26 in 1920
#93 in 2013

Grace
#37 in 1920
#22 in 2013

Katherine
#45 in 1920
#77 in 2013

Emma
#46 in 1920
#2 in 2013

Sarah
#50 in 1920
#48 in 2013

Julia
#55 in 1920
#75 in 2013

Eva
#58 in 1920
#88 in 2013

Charlotte
#79 in 1920
#11 in 2013

Lucy
#94 in 1920
#66 in 2013

Returning Vintage Faves

Names that were within the Top 200 in 1920 but fell out of the Top 1000 over the years only to return to 2013's Top 100 again!

Violet
#77 in 1920
#69 in 2013

Stella
#82 in 1920
#70 in 2013

Ella
#88 in 1920
#15 in 2013

Sophie
#129 in 1920
#76 in 2013

Sadie
#174 in 1920
#50 in 2013

Faded Memories

Names that were in the Top 100 in 1920 but have fallen from the Top 1000 in 2013:

Mildred
Betty
Doris
Florence
Louise
Gladys
Edna
Ethel
Thelma
Jean
Pauline
Lois
Bernice
Gertrude
Marion
Rita
Agnes
Shirley
Bertha
Viola
Geraldine
Juanita
Ida
Myrtle
Norma
Lorraine
Bessie
Phyllis
Marian
Willie
Nellie
Wilma
Maxine
Minnie
Marguerite
Mattie
Jennie

So many of these scream "old fashioned!" to me. My great grandmother's name was Thelma. Most of these fit right in the "still too musty" category, but do you think any will make a comeback? I think Louise has the best chance of any of them; Viola could potentially ride Violet's coattails back up the charts too. What do you think?

Boy Names from 1920 vs 2013

The year 1920 was big and booming for many baby names. I thought it would be fun to take a look at a few different categories of names from 1920 and see how they compare to the recent 2013 list.

Enduring Classics

Names in the Top 100 both in 1920 and 2013:

John
#1 in 1920
#27 in 2013

William
#2 in 1920
#5 in 2013

Robert 
#3 in 1920
#62 in 2013

James
#4 in 1920
#13 in 2013

Charles
#5 in 1920
#57 in 2013

Joseph
#7 in 1920
#20 in 2013

Thomas
#11 in 1920
#61 in 2013

Henry
#17 in 1920
#37 in 2013

Jack
#20 in 1920
#40 in 2013

David
#25 in 1920
#18 in 2013

Anthony
#43 in 1920
#19 in 2013

Samuel 
#44 in 1920
#25 in 2013

Andrew
#49 in 1920
#22 in 2013

Michael
#50 in 1920
#7 in 2013

Daniel
#52 in 1920
#10 in 2013

Benjamin
#83 in 1920
#14 in 2013

These names just keep hanging in there as the years pass by. Other names have not been so lucky.

Faded Memories

Names in the Top 100 in 1920 that are no longer in the Top 1000 in 2013:

Ralph
Howard
Clarence
Earl
Fred
Herbert
Elmer
Bernard
Norman
Chester
Lloyd
Clifford
Floyd
Vernon
Herman
Lester
Milton
Cecil
Glenn
Gordon
Willard
Arnold
Claude
Wallace
Wilbur
Johnnie
Homer

Imagine how many more names have fallen off the Top 1000 chart since then too, but I can't list all of them. Do you think any of these will ever make a comeback?

Team Switchers

Names that were used more for boys in 1920 but are now used more for girls in 2013:

Sidney

Leslie

Aubrey

Lynn

Clair

Emory

Emery

Alva

Emerson

Sydney

McKinley

Shelby

Raleigh

Kelly

Avery

Arden

Lacy

Meredith

Dana

Blair

Ivory

Lauren

Elza

Stacy

Tracy

Whitney

Lindsay

Allison

Lindsey

Lesley

Bailey

Courtney

Note: Some of these were rather unisex in 1920 and/or are still rather unisex today, but I based it on the number of births in 1920 and 2013 to compile the list: i.e. more boy births in 1920 and more girl births in 2013. The middle-ground was all over the place.

What do you think of these lists? Will any of the Team Switchers ever switch back to the opposite gender? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below or on Facebook!

Double Letter Names for Girls

If you are expecting a child and dreaming of a name with double letters within it, this is your ultimate resource.  This list contains baby girl names that contain the letter sequences "ee", "ll", "nn", "rr", "ss", and "tt". You're sure to find a great double-lettered name here but keep in mind that this list doesn't feature every possible name out there, just some of the best options available! Which do you like most?

Double-E Names: 
Aberdeen, Absidee, Adalee, Adlee, Aileen, Aimee, Ainslee, Aleena, Aleesha, Alizee, Amalee, Amberlee, Ameera, Amelee, Analee, Andree, Andreea, Annalee, Anslee, Arleen, Ashlee, Aubree, Audree, Avalee, Aylee, Bailee, Baylee, Beverlee, Brailee, Brandee, Braylee, Bree, Breeanna, Breena, Breezy, Brilee, Brinlee, Brittnee, Brooklee, Brylee, Brynnlee, Cailee, Caitee, Cambree, Carlee, Carolee, Cassadee, Cathleen, Caylee, Ceegan, Charlee, Charleen, Chelsee, Colleen, Coralee, Cree, Creeda, Cydnee, Daphnee, Davinee, Dee, Deena, Desiree, Destinee, Doreen, Eileen, Eleena, Emalee, Emberlee, Emilee, Emmalee, Esmee, Estee, Evanee, Everlee, Freeda, Geena, Genavee, Genesee, Gracee, Greenlee, Greer, Hadlee, Hailee, Harlee, Haylee, Ilee, Jackleen, Jaimee, Jaleesa, Jasleen, Jaycee, Jaylee, Jayleen, Jenilee, Jodee, Jolee, Joleen, Journee, Jubilee,

Kaidee, Kailee, Kambree, Karalee, Kareena, Karlee, Kathleen, Kaycee, Kaylee, Keegan, Keeley, Keersten, Keesha, Keeva, Kelcee, Kellee, Kenadee, Khaleesi, Khloee, Kimberlee, Kinlee, Kinslee, Kree, Kylee, Landree, Laureen, Lee, Leeanne, Leela, Leelou, Leena, Leesa, Leslee, Kinzee, Loreena, Lucee, Lyndee, Mareesa, Marlee, Marleen, Maureen, Maylee, Meera, Merrilee, Mylee, Nancee, Natalee, Naveena, Neena, Noralee, Noreen, Novalee, Oaklee, Paislee, Preslee, Queenie, Quinlee, Randee, Rasheeda, Raylee, Reece, Reegan, Reena, Reese, Reeva, Renee, Renesmee, Rosalee, Rylee, Saydee, Seersha, Sereen, Sharlee, Shawnee, Shaylee, Sheena, Shelbee, Shirlee, Shylee, Siddalee, Steele, Sydnee, Tawnee, Taylee, Teegan, Tracee, Treena, Veera, Whitlee, Yasmeen, Zaidee, Zaylee, Zeely

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Double-L Names: 
Abriella, Adabelle, Adell, Adella, Adrielle, Aldabella, Alla, Allaire, Allayna, Allegra, Alleta, Allie, Allison, Allure, Ally, Allyssa, Amaryllis, Amorelle, Anabella, Anabelle, Aniella, Annabelle, Antonella, Apolline, Apollonia, Arabella, Arabelle, Ardelle, Arella, Ariella, Astella, Aubriella, Audrielle, Aurielle, Averill, Axelle, Bella, Bellamy, Bellarosa, Belle, Bellefleur, Bellerose, Billie, Birdelle, Bluebell, Bonelle, Briallen, Briella, Brielle, Calla, Callalily, Calleigh, Callie, Calliope, Callista, Camellia, Camilla, Camille, Camillia, Campbell, Carabelle, Carroll, Chanelle, Chantelle, Chantilly, Cheryll, Christabella, Christabelle, Christella, Cielle, Cilla, Clarabella, Clarabelle, Clotille, Colleen, Collette, Collins, Corabelle, Cordella, Cyrille,

Dallas, Daniella, Danielle, Dashielle, Della, Dolly, Donatella, Donella, Drusilla, Dulcibella, Elisabelle, Elizabella, Ella, Elle, Elleanor, Ellen, Ellena, Ellery, Ellia, Elliana, Ellie, Elliette, Ellina, Ellinette, Ellinor, Elliott, Ellis, Ellison, Elloise, Ellora, Ellowyn, Emmanuelle, Eriella, Esabella, Estella, Estelle, Estrella, Evabelle, Fallon, Fenella, Fiorella, Gabriella, Gabrielle, Gaelle, Gianella, Gillian, Gisella, Giselle, Graciella, Guillermina, Halle, Halley, Hallie, Hazelle, Hellen, Hillary, Holland, Holliday, Hollis, Holly, Idabelle, Illyana, Isabella, Isabelle, Isabelline, Isobella, Israella, Izabelle, Jaelle, Janelle, Jazelle, Jenelle, Jill, Jillian, Jillianne, Joelle, Joellen, Josielle, Junella, Kallie, Kalliope, Kallista, Kamilla, Keller, Kelley, Kellie, Kelly, Kendall, Kyrielle,Killia,

Lillian, Lilliana, Lillibet, Lillith, Lilly, Lillyana, Lionella, Liselle, Llewella, Louella, Lucille, Luella, Lynnelle, Mabelle, Mallory, Manuella, Marabella, Marciella, Maribelle, Maybelle, Maybelline, Mayella, Mellie, Mellissa, Miabella, Michelle, Milla, Millicent, Millie, Mirabella, Mireille, Molly, Nayelli, Nell, Nellie, Nelly, Nialla, Nicolle, Noella, Noelle, Novella, Odell, Orabella, Pella, Perenelle, Petronella, Phillipa, Phyllis, Polly, Priscilla, Prunella, Quelle, Rachelle, Rafaella, Raphaella, Raquelle, Rashelle, Reilly, Rochelle, Romilly, Rosabella, Sabella, Sally, Sevilla, Shanelle, Shantelle, Shelley, Sibella, Stella, Sybill, Talullah, Tennille, Tillie, Tilly, Trillian, Tullia, Tully, Tulla, Vallie, Vanellope, Vella, Willa, Willamina, Willia, Willow, Xabelle, Ysabella, Zella, Zoelle

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Double-N Names:
Abrianna, Acelynn, Adalynn, Adelynn, Adrianna, Adrianne, Adrienne, Aislinn, Aiyanna, Alanna, Alianna, Amberlynn, Ann, Anna, Annabel, Annabella, Annabelle, Annabeth, Annalee, Annaliese, Annalina, Annalise, Annamaria, Annastasia, Anne, Anne-Marie, Anneka, Anneke, Annelie, Anneliese, Annelise, Annella, Annelore, Annemarie, Annessa, Anneth, Annetta, Annette, Annica, Annie, Annika, Annise, Annissa, Anniston, Annona, Annora, Aoibhinn, Aquinnah, Arianna, Arianne, Ashlynn, Aubrianna, Aubrynn, Audrianna, Avalynn, Avianna, Ayanna, Azlynn, Belladonna, Bellanne, Bethannie, Bianna, Bonnie, Braelynn, Breann, Breanna, Breanne, Brenna, Brianna, Brianne, Brienne, Brinn, Brooklynn, Brynn, Brynna,

Caitlynn, Caoilainn, Carlynn, Carolynn, Catelynn, Cayenne, Channing, Chardonnay, Charlianne, Chevonne, Cheyenne,Christianna, Christianne, Cianna, Connie, Corinna, Corinne, Courtlynn, Cynthianna, Dannie, Dannielle, Dannika, Deann, Deanna, Dennise, Devonne, Dianna, Dianne, Donna, Dorianne, Elanna, Elianna, Elynn, Emberlynn, Emmalynn, Enna, Erianna, Erinna, Evalynn, Evanna, Evienne, Evonne, Fabienne, Faelynn, Fannie, Felienne, Fianna, Finnley, Finnula, Fionna, Fionnuala, Franny, Gabrianna, Gennifer, Genny, Georgianna, Georgianne, Gianna, Giannetta, Giavanna, Ginnie, Ginnifer, Ginny, Giovanna, Giulianna, Gracelynn, Gwendalynn, Gwenn, Gwynneth, Hanna, Hannah, Hannalore, Hannelore, Hannie, Havannah, Henrienna, Hosanna, Ianna, Ioanna, Irelynn, Ivanna,

Ivonne, Jacelynn, Jacquelynn, Jaelynn, Janna, Jannelle, Jannette, Jannie, Jasmynn, Jaylynn, Jazlynn, Jeanna, Jeanne, Jeannette, Jeannie, Jeannine, Jenna, Jennie, Jennifer, Jenny, Jessalynn, Jillianne, Jinny, Joanna, Joanne, Joannie, Jocelynn, Johanna, Johannah, Johnna, Jonna, Jordanna, Jordanne, Jordynn, Josslynn, Jovanna, Jovienne, Joyanna, Julianna, Julianne, Julienne, Kailynn, Kaitlynn, Kamrynn, Karenna, Karianne, Katelynn, Katianna, Kellyanne, Kenna, Kennadie, Kennedy, Kianna, Kimberlynn, Kinnia, Korinna, Korinne, Lakelynn, Lanna, Lauralynn, Laurianna, Lavonne, Leanna, Leanne, Lenna, Lennon, Lianna, Lilianna, Lilianne, Lilyanna, Linnae, Linnea, Lisanne, Livianna, Lizanne, Lorianne, Louanne, Lowenna, Luanne, Lucienne, Luvianna, Lynne, Lynnette, Mackenna,

Madalynn, Madelynn, Maiwenn, Makenna, Marianna, Marianne, Marilynn, Maryanna, Maximilienne, Mckinnley, Meghann, Michonne, Minnie, Morwenna, Nannette, Oceanna, Oceanne, Olivienne, Onnika, Orianna, Orianne, Pavanne, Penna, Pennilyn, Pennington, Penny, Pollyanna, Prianna, Prynne, Quinn, Quinna, Quinnie, Raeanne, Raelynn, Rainn, Rainna, Ravenna, Rayanna, Reanna, Reilynn, Reyanne, Rheanna, Rhianna, Rhiannon, Rianna, Rihanna, Roanne, Ronnie, Rosalynn, Rosanna, Rosanne, Roseanna, Roseanne, Roselynn, Roxanna, Roxanne, Rozanne, Rozlynn, Rubianna, Ruthanne, Ryanne, Sanna, Sarianne, Savanna, Savannah, Seanna, Senna,

Sevanne, Shaelynn, Shanna, Shannelle, Shannon, Shaunna, Shavonne, Sheyenne, Shonna, Shosanna, Shoshanna, Shoshannah, Shyanne, Sianna, Sienna, Simonne, Sonnett, Sunniva, Sunny, Susanna, Susannah, Susanne, Suzannah, Suzanne, Synnove, Taralynn, Tarynn, Tatianna, Tennille, Texanna, Tianna, Torianna, Trianna, Tyanna, Vanna, Vianna, Vianne, Vienna, Vienne, Vinnie, Vivianna, Vivianne, Vivienna, Vivienne, Winnie, Winnifred, Wrenna, Wynna, Wynne, Savianna, Yannah, Yianna, Yohanna, Yulianna, Yvonna, Yvonne, Zanna, Zenna, Zinnia, Zuzanna

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Double-R Names
Arriane, Arrietty, Arrow, Azurra, Carrabelle, Carreen, Carrie, Carrigan, Carrington, Carrol, Carroll, Carryn, Cherry, Ciarra, Ciarran, Cierra, Corran, Corrie, Corrigan, Corrine, Corryn, Darrah, Dorrie, Dorris, Errika, Errin, Farrah, Farrow, Ferrin, Florrie, Gerri, Gerrianne, Harriet, Harriett, Harriette, Jerri, Jerrica, Jerrie, Karren, Karri, Karrigan, Karrington, Karrisa, Kerra, Kerri, Kerrigan, Kerrstin, Kerry, Kierra, Kirra, Kirrily, Kirryn, Korra, Korrelia, Korrie, Lorraine, Lorrie, Marryn, Merran, Merridan, Merrie, Merrigan, Merrilee, Merrilyn, Merry, Merryn, Mirra, Mirren, Moirrey, Monserrat, Montserrat, Morrigan, Perri, Quorra, Serra, Sharron, Sherri, Sherry, Sherryl, Sierra, Socorro, Sorrel, Sparrow, Starr, Surrey, Tarra, Tarren, Terra, Terri, Tiarra, Torrie, Vierra

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Double-S Names
Alessa, Alessandra, Alessia, Alissa, Alyssa, Alyssandra, Anastassia, Anissa, Annessa, Annissa, Arissa, Assisi, Basilissa, Bess, Bessa, Bessie, Blessing, Bliss, Blossom, Calissa, Caressa, Carissa, Cass, Cassandra, Cassara, Cassia, Cassidy, Cassie, Cassiopeia, Charissa, Chrissa, Chrissy, Clarissa, Clarisse, Contessa, Cordessa, Corissa, Corliss, Cressa, Cressida, Cypress, Denisse, Dessa, Elissa, Elyssa, Elysse, Essence, Essie, Essra, Flossie, Gessica, Gisselle, Hadassah, Ilyssa, Iridessa, Ivelisse, Jalissa, Janessa, Jenessa, Jess, Jessa, Jessalyn, Jessamine, Jessamy, Jessany, Jessenia, Jessica, Jessie,

Joss, Josseline, Jossie, Josslynn, Julissa, Kalissa, Karessa, Krissa, Kassady, Kassandra, Kassia, Kassidy, Kassie, Katniss, Kessie, Kesslee, Klarissa, Krissy, Larissa, Laurissa, Lissa, Lissette, Lissy, Lyssa, Marissa, Matisse, Melissa, Missie, Missy, Morissa, Narcissa, Nerissa, Nessa, Nessie, Odessa, Olyssia, Princess, Quintessa, Rossana, Rosslyn, Sessilee, Sissy, Soliesse, Taissa, Teressa, Tess, Tessa, Tessara, Tessie, Thalassa, Thessaly, Tressa, Tressie, Trissa, Ulyssa, Vanessa, Yassamin, Yessenia, Yessica, Yulissa

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Double-T Names
Aletta, Alette, Alouette, Ammorette, Anetta, Anette, Annetta, Annette, Antoinette, Antonetta, Arietta, Arlette, Arrietty, Audette, Aurorette, Babette, Benedetta, Bernadette, Bette, Bettina, Betty, Birgitta, Birgitte, Bretta, Bridgette, Brietta, Brigitta, Britta, Brittany, Britton, Carlotta, Charlotta, Charlotte, Claudette, Colette, Concetta, Coretta, Cosette, Cozette, Danette, Dottie, Eliette, Elisabetta, Ellinette, Elliott, Etta, Ette, Evette, Fiammetta, Fleurette, Garnett, Georgette, Gianetta, Guiletta, Harriett, Hattie, Henrietta, Hetty, Isabetta, Islette, Ivette, Jacquetta, Janette, Jeanette, Jetta, Jette, Joetta,

Jolette, Josette, Julietta, Juliette, Junette, Kenyatta, Kitty, Lanette, Lauretta, Lettice, Letty, Lieselotte, Linette, Lisette, Lorelotte, Loretta, Lottie, Lovette, Lucetta, Lunette, Lynnette, Margaretta, Marietta, Martta, Mattea, Mattie, Michellette, Mietta, Minette, Mittie, Nannette, Nettie, Nicolette, Odette, Olivette, Orietta, Ottaline, Ottavia, Ottilie, Ottoline, Patty, Paulette, Renatta, Retta, Rosetta, Roxette, Scarlett, Scarlette, Simonetta, Sutton, Suzette, Tattina, Valetta, Villette, Violetta, Violette, Vittoria, Vivetta, Wynette, Ygritte, Yvette, Zetta

Double Letter Names for Boys

An easy resource for parents in search of a specific name. This post features double-letter names, specifically boy names that contain the repetitive letter sequences "ll",  "nn", "rr", "ss", "tt". If you're trying to fit a sib-set that consists of names with double-letters in them, here are some of the best options:

Double-L Boy Names:
Achilles, Allen, Allison, Antonello, Apollo, Ardell, Averill, Ballard, Bellamy, Billy, Bramwell, Caldwell, Callahan, Callan, Callaway, Callisto, Callum, Campbell, Cavell, Cillian, Clellan, Collin, Connell, Cullen, Cyrill, Dallas, Dashiell, Darnell, Darrell, Dillion, Donatello, Donnell, Ellery, Elliott, Ellis, Ellison, Farrell, Fitzwilliam, Gallagher, Guillermo, Gulliver, Haskell, Holland, Hollis, Howell, Jarrell, Kellan, Kellen, Keller, Kelly, Kendall, Killian, Llewellyn, Lloyd, Lowell, Lyall, Macallister, Marcell, Marshall, Maximillian, Maxwell, Merrill, Millan, Miller, Mitchell, Neill, Niall, Ollie, Othello, Pellegrino, Pharell, Phillip, Powell, Quill, Quillan, Raffaello, Randall, Reilly, Rockwell, Rolland, Rollin, Rollo, Romilly, Russell, Stellan, Sullivan, Terrell, Tolliver, Tyrell, Wallace, Wendell, Willard, William, Willis, Willoughby

Double-N Boy Names:
Banner, Bannon, Bennett, Benno, Benny, Brannock, Brannon, Brennan, Brenner, Cannon, Channing, Connell, Connor, Danny, Dennis, Denny, Donnell, Donny, Etienne, Finn, Finneas, Finnegan, Finnian, Finnick, Finnigan, Fionn, Flynn, Gannon, Gianni, Giovanni, Glenn, Gunnar, Hennessy, Jenner, Johannes, Johnny, Jonny, Jovanni, Kennedy, Kenneth, Kenny, Kinnon, Konnor, Lann, Lanny, Lennon, Lennox, Lenny, Linnaeus, Lynn, MacKinnon, Manning, Manny, Penn, Quinn, Renner, Ronny, Sonny, Tanner, Tennessee, Tennyson, Vinny, Wynn, Yannick

Double-R Boy Names:
Arrow, Barrett, Barry, Carrington, Carroll, Corrin, Darragh, Darrell, Darren, Darrius, Darryl, Derrek, Derrick, Errol, Farrell, Ferris, Forrest, Forrester, Garrett, Garrison, Harrington, Harris, Harrison, Harry, Huckleberry, Jarred, Jarrell, Jarrett, Jerricho, Jerrod, Jerry, Kerry, Larry, Merrick, Merrill, Merritt, Morris, Morrison, Morrissey, Murray, Navarro, Norris, Orrin, Perry, Pharrell, Pierre, Sparrow, Terrell, Terrence, Terry, Thierry, Warren, Warrick

Double-S Boy Names:
Alessandro, Alessio, Arliss, Burgess, Cassander, Cassel, Cassian, Cassidy, Cassiel, Cassio, Cassius, Corliss, Cresson, Cypress, Douglass, Hassan, Hennessy, Jesse, Joss, Massimiliano, Massimo, Messiah, Morrissey, Mossimo, Odysseus, Ossian, Ross, Russ, Russell, Tennessee, Ulysses, Vassily, Wesson

Double-T Boy Names:
Abbott, Atticus, Averett, Avett, Barrett, Beckett, Bennett, Brett, Corbett, Crockett, Elliott, Emmett, Everett, Garnett, Garrett, Hewitt, Hutton, Jarrett, Jett, Leverett, Matt, Matteo, Matthew, Matthias, Mattox, Merritt, Mitt, Ottavio, Otto, Patton, Potter, Prescott, Rhett, Ritter, Ryatt, Scott, Scotty, Sutton, Truett, Vittorio, Whittaker, Wyatt

Stay tuned for a list of the best double-lettered names for every letter!

Lily Raphaella - (Birth Announcements!)

Birth announcements can be even more telling of what names are actually being used than even the most official lists of statistics and data. The US Top 1000 chart may show the most popular names, one spelling of that name at at time, but it does not make any mention of middle names. I like to see name combinations: firsts and middles put together.

Like I mentioned in last month's birth announcement list, the middle names that many people seem to use are rather common or "filler". I'd like to do another quick tally of the repeated middle names on today's list:

Girls: 
Ann: 2
Elizabeth: 3
Louise: 2
Lynn: 2
Marie: 3
Rose: 8

Did you see all those Roses? It seems to be a very popular choice! And then there's the adorable and old-fashioned middles like Sue, Joan, and Mae. Which of the following names do you like best?

Girls:
Aerabella Lee
Adley Ann
Anastasia Rose
Aniyah Rose
Aria Rose
Aubrey Virginia
Brynn Renee
Carly Rae
Catherin Marceline
Elaina Sue
Emily Joan
Evolet Arletha Ann
Gracelyn Rose
Harley Daidre
Hayden Elizabeth
Haylee Rose
Karly Mae
Katelyn Marie
Lanah Reyn
Leah Marie
Lillyann Faith
Lilyanna Christine
Lily Raphaella
Lyla Maelee
Madelynn Marie
Maia Lillian
Marissa Nicole
Mayliana Brielle
Natalie Rose
Olivia Rose
Paislee Lane
Penelope Louise
Rachel Lilly
Rori Rayne
Roslyn Louise
Sarah Elizabeth
Skylar Lynn
Sofia Elizabeth
Summer Taylor
Taylor Rose
Zoe Lynn
Zophiah Aurora

For the boys, I was surprised to see so many "proper old man" type names in the middle spot: Edsel, Edward, Richard, Gerald, Kenneth, Harold, John, and so on. There are actually 3 Geralds on the list! What do you think of the boy names? Like any?

Boys:
Andrew Harrison
Anthony Chase
Ayden Edsel
Caiden Lee
Declan Edward
Denim Richard
Eli Matthew
Ethan Riley
Gadsden Lee
Gage Gerald
Gavin James
Gerald Alexander
Harper
Hayden Allen
Hendrix John
Hnter Andrew
Isaac Jay
Jace Kenneth
Kyloe Gary David
Jameson Jake
Landon Edward
Landon Scott
Lane Andrew
Lane Harold
Lincoln Gerald
Logan Hunter
Marcus Mathias
Merritt John
Miles River
Owen Lucas
Remington Levi
Sawyer Edward
Thomas Hugh
Warryn Paul
William Patrick
Wyatt Arthur James

Twins:
Ezra John & Elsa Diann

What do you think of matchy names for twins? Are Ezra and Elsa a little too similar or do they work well? What do you think? Tell me your favorites by leaving your thoughts in the comment section below or on our Facebook page! 

Luciana

To round out Italian Week, let's take a look at a lovely Italian girl name: Luciana.

This name not only has Italian usage, but also Spanish, Portuguese and Ancient Roman.  It is the feminine form of the Latin Lucianus which is a Roman family name. It is derived from Lucius which comes from the Latin word lux meaning "light".

For girls, names like Lucia, Lucilla, Lucetta, Lucinda, Lucienne and Lucy are all related to Luciana. Male variations include Luciano, Lucianus, Lucius, Lucio and Lucian.  Of these, Lucia is hot in Spain.

Luciana has a couple different pronunciations. The Italians say loo-CHAH-nah and the Spanish will say loo-THYAH-nah or loo-SYAH-nah. You'll probably hear the last one most in the US.

In the US, Luciana has occasionally been used since 1897. It was very sporadic and with only a handful of births per year until there was a sudden boost from 1974-1977.  1976 was the biggest year with 317 births and a ranking of #546.

Luciana has only ranked in the Top 1000 from 1974-1976 and from 2006 -2013.  Most recently, there were 572 births in 2013 for a ranking of #515. This is the most the name has ever been used!  With Lucy being an appealing nickname, Lucia (#241) and Luciana will probably continue to gain usage in the near future.

What do you think of the lovely Luciana? Do you prefer Lucia or just Lucy instead?  What would you name her siblings? What middle names might you give her? Here are a few ideas:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alessandra, Bianca, Constance, Graciela, Magdalena, Noelle, Serena
Brothers: Antonio, Constantine, Leonardo, Matteo, Raul, Teodoro, Victor

Middle Name Ideas:
Luciana Claire
Luciana Pearl
Luciana Rose
Luciana Violet

As a Middle Name:
Ada Luciana
Emma Luciana
Maren Luciana
Vivian Luciana

World-Wide Wednesday: Italian Baby Names

Family is very important in Italy. So much so that there has been a very strong custom in place for how parents are expected to name their children.

• The first male is named after his paternal grandfather.
• The second male is named after his maternal grandfather.
• The first female is named after her paternal grandmother.
• The second female is named after her maternal grandmother.

Any further children would then be named either for their parents, for a favorite aunt or uncle, for a saint, or for a deceased relative. There are always exceptions to this custom but this is typically the pattern that has been traditionally in use. If there was a child who died at a young age, for instance the first born son Emilio, his name would probably be reused for the next boy that was born in order to honor his paternal grandfather Emilio again.

Sometimes if the first born was a girl, they'd use a female variation of the paternal grandfather's name. The pattern wasn't always followed in the exact same way from family to family. This makes predicting ancestry records a bit more complicated than you may expect.

These traditions could be confusing when more than one of a man's sons named their first born sons after him. Then you'd have cousins with the same name. This happened frequently so to distinguish the boys from one another, nicknames were used. In some small towns where naming traditions are still upheld, the nickname trend is still in use. These nicknames tend to come from some kind of personal characteristic among other things.

If the above traditions weren't followed for some reason, you could probably bet money that the children all had a saint's name, especially if the family was Italian Catholic.

The majority of typical male Italian names end in -o but there are some that also end in -e, -a or -i like Salvatore, Luca or Giovanni. If it ever ends with a consonant, the origin is probably foreign such as Cristian or Oscar. Female names mostly end with -a but there are also some that end with -e or -i.  Often, names will have a diminutive ending on them such as -ino/-ina, -etto/-etta, -ello/-ella, or -uccio/-uccia. Many male names have the prefix Gian- (John) or Pier- (Peter) in names like Gianluca or Giancarlo and Pierpaolo or Pierangelo. The feminine name Maria was also occasionally given to boys like Gianmaria or Anton Maria.

Over time, the most common given names have been the following:

• For males: Marco, Giuseppe, Antonio, Luca, Alessandro, Giovanni, Roberto, Andrea, Stefano, Francesco, Mario, Luigi.
• For females: Anna, Maria, Sara, Laura, Valentina, Giulia, Rosa, Giuseppina, Angela, Giovanna.

Modern Italian names may have roots that come from ancient Latin names, but they tend to not be entirely equivalent. Most Latin-based origins such as Italian, Spanish, and French will have some correlation, of course, but there tends to be a big stylistic difference between names viewed as Italian and names considered Latin or Roman. Ancient Romans had a limited inventory of given names that they used so very few modern Italian names are actually derived directly from the classical Roman names.

As far as surnames go, Italians actually have the largest collection of surnames in the world. There are over 350,000 surnames in use. Men in ancient Rome began to inherit a specific surname around the year 1450. In 1564, it became mandatory to register baptismal names and marriages in parishes.

A very large amount of Italian surnames end with the letter -i. This is said to have started as a medieval habit of identifying a whole family by pluralizing their name with the letter -i on the end. Even if the family name was Ormanno, they were known as the Ormanni. So Lorenzo from the Ormanno family would be known as Lorenzo degli Ormanni which means "Lorenzo of the Ormannos". Eventually, the possessive portion of the name phrase that was used to identify someone ("of the") was dropped. They just remained pluralized: Lorenzo of the Ormannos was just Lorenzo Ormanni.  Many of these family names were originally rather patronymic indicating ancestry through the paternal line such as Francesco de Bernardo meaning "Francis the son of Bernard". He would later just be known as Francesco Bernardi.

Some surnames originated as place names. People would only have first names and they'd be known by where they lived, whether it was a town, a geographical marker like a mountain or some other landmark like a tower. For example, the Rosa who lived in the town of Vinci would eventually be named Rosa da Vinci. Sometimes, ancestors' occupations determined a surname: Contadino which means "farmer" or Marin which means "sea" and indicates a fisherman. Other times, physical characteristics gave rise to surnames: Rossi comes from rosso which means "redhead".  Occasionally, you'll find an Italian family surname that has preserved its Medieval Latin form such as De Laurentiis.

Now, as for modern baby names, here are the current Top 10 names per gender in Italy:

Girls                                                 1 Sofia 2 Giulia 3 Giorgia 4 Martina 5 Emma 6 Aurora 7 Sara 8 Chiara 9 Gaia 10 Alice

Boys 1 Francesco 2 Alessandro 3 Andrea 4 Lorenzo 5 Matteo 6 Mattia 7 Gabriele 8 Leonardo 9 Riccardo 10 Davide

What do you think of these Italian baby names? For an even more extensive list of traditional name ideas, be sure to look at Behind The Name's wonderful list.

[Note:] As far as I know, I am not Italian. I have never had the pleasure of visiting Italy and I unfortunately have never learned the language. If any of this information is incorrect or lacking, please let me know so corrections can be made. 

Source | Source | Source | Source 

Lorenzo

Welcome to Italian week! On Wednesday, we'll look at Italian baby naming traditions, and Friday will bring a lovely girls name. Today, we're looking at the Italian boy name Lorenzo.

Lorenzo is actually both the Italian and Spanish form of the Latin Laurentius or Laurence. This name means "from Laurentum" which is a city in ancient Italy probably derived the Latin word laurus meaning "laurel".  

In history, Lorenzo de Medici was the ruler of Florence during the Renaissance. He was known as the Magnificent and was a patron of the arts. He actually employed great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli and others. Click here to view other namesakes in history.

Lorenzo currently ranks #4 in Italy and short-form Enzo ranks at #4 in France.  Renzo is another nickname option or even Leo.

This name has always done fairly well in the US too! It is one of those exotic but not too exotic choices that parents love. Since 1880, Lorenzo has consistently ranked in the 200-400 range. As of 2013, it ranked at #237 representing 1,498 total male births.

What do you think of Lorenzo? Which nicknames would you use? What middle name might you pair with it? What would his siblings be named?  Here are a few ideas that I came up with:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Cristina, Emilia, Isabella, Juliana, Marina, Sophia, Viviana
Brothers: Antonio, Dominic, Francisco, Julian, Luca, Reuben, Vincent

Middle Name Ideas:
Lorenzo Daniel
Lorenzo Elliott
Lorenzo Marcus
Lorenzo Raphael

As a Middle Name:
Felix Lorenzo
Nathan Lorenzo
Peter Lorenzo
Victor Lorenzo