English Royalty Names for Males

How long have there been rulers in England? At least on record, we can trace their names pretty far back. For a while, the kingdoms were separate and set up differently than today. Currently, Queen Elizabeth II reigns over Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Scotland, Ireland and Wales have all had their own rulers over time before becoming united as they are now.

For this article, we will look strictly at the rulers of England. There will be posts in the future looking strictly at the names of the rulers of Wales and Scotland, but for now, let's focus on England.

There have been many ruling Houses overtime and those rulers have had some interesting names. I didn't include some of the really early rulers since their names are unlikely to be used today and there are so many of them. We'll look at some of the more traditional names that are still in use such as William, Henry and John.

I won't pretend to be a historian. This won't be a history lesson. We are simply taking a look at some of the names that have been in use in England in the past until now. I won't be including the names of every single ruler since that'd be a very long list, and borders and dates get a little complicated. This article will focus on the male rulers and our next article will feature female rulers.

The Æthels:

Æthelwulf (839-856)  "noble wolf"

Æthelbald (856-860) "noble and bold"

Æthelbert (860-866) "noble and bright"

Æthelred I (866-871) "noble counsel"

Athelstan (925-940)  "noble stone"

Ethelred II the Unready (978-1016) "noble counsel"

The Eds:

Edward: 

The name Edward comes from Old English elements meaning "rich guard". This is one of a few Old English names that survived time and was not replaced by the names brought to England by the Normans. In the US, Edward ranked best between the 1920s and the 1960s. In 2014, it was #160.

899-925 Edward the Elder
975-978 Edward the Martyr
1042-1066 Edward the Confessor
1272-1307 Edward I
1307-1327 Edward II
1327-1377 Edward III
1461-1483 Edward IV
1483 Edward V
1547-1553 Edward VI
1901-1910 Edward VII

Edmund:

Edmund comes from Old English elements meaning "wealth" and "protection". Like Edward, this name remained in use after the Norman conquest but unlike Edward, it became less common over time. It was used in the US around 1920, a bit through the 1940s and 1950s but it declined after that. It has not ranked in the Top 1000 since 1997. There were only 172 boys named Edmund in 2014.

940-946 Edmund
1016 Edmund Ironside

Edred:

Edred means "rich counsel". It comes from Eadræd from the Old English elements ead meaning "rich, blessed" and ræd meaning "counsel".  It has never been in use in the US.

946-955 Edred

Edwy

Edwy comes from Eadwig which is derived from the Old English elements ead meaning "wealth, fortune" and wig meaning "war".  It has not been used in the US.

955-959 Edwy

Edgar 

Edgar is derived from the Old English elements ead meaning "wealth, fortune" and gar meaning "spear". It ranked well around 1918, declined, then regained popularity recently through the 1990s-2000s. It's back on the decline now but still ranks at #300 in 2014.

959-975 Edgar

The Traditionals:

Alfred: 

Alfred means "elf counsel". It is derived from the Old English name Ælfræd, which is composed of the elements ælf meaning "elf" and ræd meaning "counsel". Alfred has always ranked in the Top 1000 but it's ranking down toward the bottom of it these days. It peaked in 1928 with 6,246 births. In 2014 it ranked at #799 in the US.

871-899 Alfred the Great

Harold:

From the Old English name Hereweald which is derived from the elements here meaning "army" and weald meaning "power, leader, ruler". It is also similar to the Old Norse name Haraldr which was popular with the Scandinavians living in England. Harold lost popularity after the Norman conquest until it was revived again in the 19th century.  It has really only done well in the US around 1920. It declined in usage after the 1940s but it still ranks within the Top 1000 even now. In 2014, it was at #828.

1035-1040 Harold I Harefoot
1066 Harold II

William:

William comes from the Germanic name Willahelm which was composed of the elements wil meaning "will, desire" and helm meaning "helmet, protection". This name was common with the Normans and very popular in England. William has almost always been a Top 10 name, never ranking lower than #20. It has ranked at #5 from 2012-2014 in the US.

1066-1087 William I
1087-1100 William II
1689-1694 William III of Orange and Mary II (jointly)
1694-1702 William III (alone)
1830-1837 William IV (King of Hanover)

Henry:

The name Henry means "home ruler". It comes from the Germanic name Heimirich which is composed of the elements heim "home" and ric "power, ruler". It was a popular royalty name in Germany, as Heinrich, for many years. France used Henri. The Normans took this name to England and it became common there as Henry. Henry ranked well around 1918 and in the 1940s. It has always ranked within the Top 200 names in the US, most recently gaining popularity again for a rank of #33 in 2014.

1100-1135 Henry I
1154-1189 Henry II
1216-1272 Henry III
1399-1413 Henry IV
1413-1422 Henry V
1422-1461 Henry VI
1485-1509 Henry VII
1509-1547 Henry VIII

Stephen:

Stephen comes from the Greek name Στεφανος Stephanos meaning "crown". Respecting the Greek pronunciation, it's said the same as its anglicized form Steven. This is another name made popular in England by the Normans. It was also commonly used by Christians in honor of St. Stephen. Stephen was most popular in 1952, the late 1960s and the mid 1980s. In 2014, its down in popularity, but it still ranks at #258 in the US.

1135-1154 Stephen

Eustace: 

Eustace is the English form of Eustachius which comes from the Greek Eustachys meaning "fruitful", or possibly it comes from Eustathius and Eustathios meaning "well-built, stable". Eustace was mostly used between the 1910s and 1960s but it was never popular. These days it is nearly extinct, but there were 7 births in 2014 and 5 in 2011. Before that, there weren't any since 5 in 1997. Rare indeed.

1152-1153 Count Eustace IV of Boulogne (appointed co-king of England by his father King Stephen)

Richard: 

The name Richard was introduced to England by the Normans. It means "brave power", derived from the Germanic elements ric meaning "power, rule" and hard meaning "brave, hardy".  In the US, Richard was a Top 10 name from 1920 to 1970. It's currently at a low point of #141 in 2014, but that still accounts for 2,857 births for the year.

1189-1199 Richard I
1377-1399 Richard II
1483-1485 Richard III
1658-1659 Richard Cromwell (Not a King, but the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland)

John:  

John comes from the Latin Iohannes which comes from the Greek Ioannes, which is derived from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning "YAHWEH is gracious". This is possibly the most popular boy name of all time. It first flourished in early Europe, eventually being given to 1 in 5 boys by the Middle Ages. In the US, it ranked at #1 from 1880-1923 and remained in the Top 10 until 1985.By 2014, it slipped to #26.

1199-1216:  John

Louis 

Louis is the French form of Ludovicus which is the Latinized form of Ludwig. Ludwig is derived from the Germanic name Chlodovech which comes from the elements hlud meaning "famous" and wig meaning "war". This name was used for 18 kings of France, but only an unofficial temporary ruler of England. It was usually spelled as Lewis in England, but not for royalty. Louis was most popular in the US around 1918. As of 2014, it ranks #289.

1216-1217 Louis VIII of France (unofficially ruled England)

James:

James has taken over as the new overall most-popular boy name of the last 100 years since John's popularity has fallen.  James comes from the Late Latin name Iacomus which comes from the Greek Iakobos and the Hebrew Ya'aqov. James was a Top 10 name from 1880-1992, including a number of years at #1. In 2014, it returned to #9.

1603-1625 James I (King of Scotland as James VI 1567-1625)
1685-1688 James II

Charles:

Charles comes from the Germanic name Karl, which was derived from a Germanic word meaning "man". Charlemagne (742-814) made this name very popular in Europe, but it wasn't common in Britain until the 17th century. In the US, it was a Top 10 name from 1880-1954. It's still in the Top 100 but as of 2014, it ranks at #51.

1625-1649 Charles I
1660-1685 Charles II

Oliver:

Oliver comes from the Norman French name Olivier which is a form of the Germanic name Alfher. That comes from the Old Norse Áleifr or Olaf meaning "ancestor's desendant". However, the spelling and meaning of Oliver was later altered by the Latin oliva which means "olive tree". While the name has always been in the US Top 1000, it's really climbed the charts in the past decade. In 2014, it was #32.

1653-1658 Oliver Cromwell (Not a King, but the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland)

George:

George comes from the Greek name Georgios which comes from the Greek word georgos meaning "farmer, earthworker". That name itself was derived from the elements ge meaning "earth" and ergon meaning "work".  In the US, George was most popular around 1920 and 1947. It declined since then but still ranked at #134 in 2014.

1714-1727 George I
1727-1760 George II
1760-1820 George III (Elector, 1760-1815, and King,1815-20, of Hanover)
1820-1830 George IV
1910-1936 George V
1936-1952 George VI

This is a somewhat limited list of rulers, but these are some excellent names. While you probably won't meet anyone named Æthelbald, you surely know someone with one of the more traditional names.

George was used recently for the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  If Will and Kate were to have another son, what do you think they would name him? Using the names above, what would you name a royal prince? 

Could These 1890s Names Ever Be Revived Again For Modern Girls?

We previously took a look at female names that were well-used throughout the 1880s. Today, we'll move forward through time to the next decade and examine 10 names that were hot for girls in the 1890s.

More specifically, we want to find names that ranked within the Top 200 back then, but also do not rank within the Top 1000 of 2014. So these names ranked then and do not rank now. What we want to consider is which of these may or may not have the chance to make a comeback for modern girls.

Reviving these names would indicate that they would now receive enough usage to begin climbing back up the charts and potentially ranking within today's Top 1000 again. Many vintage names have already been revived lately, could any of the following do the same?:

1. Minnie (#13 in the 1890s) 

Minnie is one of many nickname names that were fashionable around the turn of the century. Typically it is short for Wilhelmina, which comes from the German Willahelm meaning "will, desire" and "helmet, protection.  It could also be short for Minerva which is listed as Minnie Mouse's full name. Minerva is from the Latin mens meaning "intellect" and she is the Roman goddess of wisdom and war. As a name Minnie was popular from the 1880s-1900s, dipped a bit, then peaked between 1915-1920. It fell out of the Top 1000 in 1972. only 48 girls were named Minnie in 2014.

2. Edna (#17 in the 1890s)

 Edna is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Eithne which means "kernel". It could also be considered a biblical name meaning "pleasure" in Hebrew. This name was most popular from 1915-1925. By the 1990s it was no long ranking in the Top 1000 and now only 88 girls were named Edna in 2014. Could this name ever come back into style?

3. Beulah (#78)  

This unusual name is actually biblical. It means "married" in Hebrew and was used in the Old Testament to refer to the land of Israel.  As a name, it's been used in England since before the Protestant Reformation. Here in the states, it's only really been used before and around 1920. It hasn't ranked in the Top 1000 since 1959. Usage has been in or around single digits per year including only 11 female births in 2014. Is there any hope left for a Beulah revival?

4. Della (#82) 

Della is a diminutive of either Adela or Adelaide. Both of those names are said to mean "noble". This is another nickname type of name that were common during this time period. This name was most popular between the 1880s and the early 1960s. It fell out of the Top 1000 as of 1978. Since the 2010s, this name has started to tick upward again, nearing 200 births in a year in 2014. Could you see Della being used again today?

5. Theresa (#104) 

Theresa is possibly derived from the Greek theros meaning "summer" or the Greek therizo meaning "to harvest" or it could come from the name of the Greek island of Therasia. Clearly, the meaning is uncertain. This is the English, German and Scandinavian form whereas Teresa is the Spanish and Portuguese form. While Theresa ranked in the 1890s, it did better in the late 1920s and it peaked in 1961. Since it's been popular recently, it is unlikely to be revived for modern girls for another 40 years or so. But it also feels like it should be a classic name that is always used. It fell off the Top 1000 in 2011. Only 223 girls received the name in 2014.

6. Bernice (#114) 

Bernice is actually a biblical name, although it is only mentioned briefly as belonging to a sister of King Herod Agrippa II. It comes from the name Berenice which is the Latinized from the Macedonian Berenike which comes from the Greek Pherenike which means "bringing victory". It was commonly used by the Ptolemy family of Egypt. Berenice is related to the name Veronica as well. Bernice was used in the 1890s but it had its only popularity peak around 1921. It left the Top 1000 in the early 1980s, and only received 65 births in 2014. This name is a prime candidate for revival but will it?

7. Loretta (#128)  

Loretta either comes from Lora, Lauretta, or Loreto. If it is a form of the first two names, they both come from Laura which comes from the Late Latin name Laurus meaning "laurel". Loreto comes from the name of a town in Italy originally called Lauretana. So the exact origin and meaning isn't clear. It started rising in popularity in the 1890s, did well through the 1920s, peaked in 1938 and again in 1955. After that, it went down. By 1991 it was out of the Top 1000. Only 177 girls were named Loretta in 2014.

8. Lulu (#157)  

Lulu is nicknamey. It could be short for nearly any name starting with Lu-. If its short for Louise/Louisa, that comes from Ludovicus which is the Latinized form of Ludwig which comes from the German Chlodovech. It's composed of hlud meaning "famous" and wig meaning "war, battle."  Or much more simply, Lulu is also an Arabic name meaning "pearl". Finally we have a name that was most popular before the 1900s. It peaked in 1886 with 376 female births, declined a bit, then went back up to 198 births in 1916. Since then Lulu has only becoming increasingly rarer until lately. Around the mid 2000s, usage slightly increased again, but the most births per year was only 58 in 2013, and 51 as of 2014. People may love it as a nickname for a more formal first name, but even Louise doesn't rank in the Top 1000 and Louisa barely made the list recently at #973. Are there not many Lu- fans? Could any of these gain more usage in the coming years?

9. Marian (#179) 

While Marian is sometimes considered a combination of Mary and Ann, and it may well be, it is also a variant of Marion which comes from Marie, Maria, Mary. Ultimately, it comes from the Greek Μαρια from the Hebrew Miryam meaning either "sea of bitterness" or "rebelliousness" or "wished for child". This spelling of Marian seems to be considered the feminine spelling while Marion has always had decent usage for boys and girls alike. For girls, Marian and Marion have had very comparable usage but Marion was slightly more popular. However, Marian had two good peaks, one in the early 1920s and one solo run in 1954. After that, she's declined, leaving the Top 1000 in 1992 and only receiving 189 female births in 2014.

10. Selma (#187) 

Selma's true meaning and origin remains mostly unknown. However, it is possibly a short form of the name Anselma which is the feminine of Anselm. Anselm is a German name derived from the elements ans meaning "god" and helm meaning "helmet, protection". Selma ranked well through the 1890s but did even better through the teens up until the 1930s. By 1957, Selma fell off the Top 1000 chart. It has remained rare since then with only 108 female births in 2014. Could Selma gain more popularity in the coming years? We're approaching her 100-year mark since she was most popular in 1918 with 798 births. Time for a comeback?

--

Which of these 10 names do you think stands the best chance of revival?

Here's more of the Top 200 names from 1890 that do not rank within 2014's Top 1000:

Ethel Bertha Bessie Gertrude Myrtle Nellie Louise Agnes Carrie Mildred Gladys Jennie Maude Blanche Lula Mamie Fannie Dora Marion Willie Effie Pauline Nettie Susie Marguerite Sallie

Lizzie Lottie Flora Hilda Etta Addie Ollie Harriet Iva Henrietta Lela Ora Inez Nannie Goldie Maud Eula Eunice Lois Betty Mable Essie Verna Olga Flossie Alta

Frieda Ola Augusta Lucile Irma Ina Jean Thelma Doris Alberta Winifred Freda Janie Luella Nell Winnie Velma Mayme Tillie Rena Fern Elva Erma Norma Delia Virgie

What do you think of these names? Would you use any of these? If so, which ones? Which are realistically the best options for a modern girl?

Could These Boy Names From The 1890s Ever Come Back Into Style?

While looking at the Top 200 Names of the 1890s via the Social Security Administration's data, it is obvious that the most popular names of the decade include John, William, James, George, and Charles.  Even today, James and William still dominate the charts.

In fact, many of today's hottest boy names have actually been popular for decades, starting way back in the 1880s when records were first kept. Today, we're investigating the Top 200 names of the 1890s and you may notice that the same few traditional choices have stuck around from then until now.  But what about some of the more "old fashioned" names that are no longer in style today? Could they potentially be revived again in the future?


I combed through that list from the 1890's collective data for the whole decade and tossed out all of the names that still rank within 2014's Top 1000. Then I picked my 10 favorite names that I think should regain some popularity in the future. Which of the following ten names do you think really could come back for a modern boy?

1. Floyd / Lloyd (#53/#77 in the 1890s)  

There's Lloyd, and then there's its variant Floyd. Did you realize these were actually related? Lloyd comes from a surname that was derived from the Welsh llwyd which means "grey". Floyd is an English form of that. Both of these names are on this list today and impressively follow a nearly identical popularity pattern over time. Lloyd peaked in 1918 while Floyd followed in 1926. They both ranked well together from roughly 1912 to the late 1960s. Floyd fell out of the Top 1000 in 1999 and Lloyd followed suit in 2003. Neither name is common now; Floyd had 86 births in 2014 while Lloyd had 119. Which do you like better? Should either be revived for a modern boy? If so, when?

2. Bernard (#82 in the 1890s) 

This name has a strong, cool meaning. From the Germanic elements bern meaning "bear" and hard meaning "brave or hardy", little Bernards today would be brave little bears. This name was introduced in England by the Normans and was used as a replacement name for the Old English cognate beornheard.  There were several saints named Bernard. Barney and Bernie are both potential nicknames, and there are also female forms such as Bernadette and Bernadine. This name peaked in popularity in the 1920s, and actually ranked within the Top 1000 until 2008. As of 2014, there were only 157 boys given the name. Could it go up now with Senator Sanders being in the spotlight?

3. Archie (#89) 

Archie is a diminutive of the German name Archibald which comes from the elements ercan meaning "genuine" and bald meaning "bold". Archibald was introduced by the Normans to England and became common in Scotland during the Middle Ages. In the 1890s, Archibald wasn't within the top 200. Archie was, though. On it's own, it ranked as the 89th most used name of the 1890s. While both names have always been around in the US, Archie was more popular. It peaked in 1918 with 1,111 births for the year. Today Archie and Archibald both rank below the Top 1000, Archie having only 109 births in 2014, and Archibald with 46. If you would like to use Archie as a nickname for a longer name but you dislike Archibald, there is also Archer. Archer has been much more rare over the years but joined the Top 1000 in 2009 and skyrocketed up to #303 by 2014.

4. Norman (#97) 

We've mentioned that the Normans often introduced many names to England. Who were they? Norman comes from an old German name meaning "northman" which referred to Vikings that settled on the coast of France in an area now known as Normandy. Before the Norman conquest, the names Norman and Normant were used in England, sometimes as a nickname referring to Scandinavian settlers. It lost its common-usage in the 14th century but came back in the 19th. As a name, Norman peaked in popularity in 1928 with 5,589 births. It dropped out of the Top 1000 in the US in 2005. As of 2014, there were only 170 births.

5. Cecil (#100)

 Along with feminine form Cecilia, Cecil comes from the Roman name Caecilius which is derived from the Latin caecus meaning "blind". So, right off the bat, the meaning isn't that great for these names, but that hasn't stopped parents in the past. Cecil was used during the Middle Ages in England and became common in the 19th century thanks to the prominent noble Cecil family of the 16th century whose surname was actually taken from the Welsh name seisyll. If you want a different meaning than "blind", perhaps go with this one which was derived from Sextilius and Sextus which simply means "sixth". Cecil peaked in the US in 1920. It fell out of the Top 1000 in 1998.  As of 2014, only 97 boys were given the name.

6. Glenn (#113)  

Glenn comes from a Scottish surname based on the Gaelic gleann meaning "valley". Glenn, and it's shorter form Glen, follow the same popularity pattern with Glenn being more common. They both rose around the late 1910s before peaking through the 1950s and 1960s. Glenn peaked at #55 in 1962. Glen dropped out of the Top 1000 by 2004 and Glenn followed in 2009. As of 2014, there were only 158 boys named Glenn, and 104 named Glen.Which spelling do you prefer? Do you think either could be revived?

7. Willis (#123)  

Just as you might suspect, Willis does come from William. It is an English surname that became a given name for boys. Like William, it is composed of the German elements wil meaning "will, desire" and helm meaning "helmet, protection". Willis was most popular between 1918 and 1930. It fell off the Top 1000 chart in 1994 and remains unranked in 2014 with only 78 male births. There are many other boy names that end with -s that are climbing the charts these days. With William's continued popularity and parents' love of surname names, could Willis come back?

8. Vernon (#134) 

Vernon comes from a Norman surname which was derived from a French place name. Both of those came from the Gaulish word vern which means "alder". An Alder is a tree in the birch family. Could Vernon pass for a nature name? Popularity-wise, Vernon peaked in 1920, plateaued through 40s and 50s, then declined after that. It left the Top 1000 in 2003 and was only given to 119 boys in 2014. Would you consider this name?

9. Elbert (#166) 

Elbert is the Dutch variant of the German name Adelbert or Adalbert, all of which are related to Albert. The element adal means "noble" and beraht means "bright". A famous Elbert, pictured above, is Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915), an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher. There may only be a one letter difference between Albert and Elbert, but Albert has had much more usage. It peaked around 1920 and continues to do well. Nearly a hundred years later, Albert still ranks at #436.  Elbert, though, hasn't been as popular. It never really had a high peak and dropped off the Top 1000 chart in 1983. Now it has fallen to a mere 14 male births in 2014. Why does Albert fare so much better? Which do you prefer?

10. Ross (#183)  

Ross is a region in Northern Scotland. Its name comes from the Gaelic word ros which refers to a "promontory" which is a headland, a point of high land that juts out into a large body of water. Ross could qualify as a nature name. This name has had many boosts in popularity. The first was between 1884 and 1890. The second came through the 1920s, then again in the 50s-60s. Its highest peak was in 1985. Ross declined in usage after that, dropping out of the Top 1000 in 2013. Only 184 boys were named Ross in 2014.

Which of these 10 names do you think stands the best chance of revival?

Here's more of the Top 200 names from 1890 that do not rank within 2014's Top 1000:

Fred Clarence Earl Ralph Herbert Elmer Herman Claude Tom Chester Jim Clifford Lester Luther Homer Leroy

Guy Lloyd Ed Leslie Dewey Ira Horace Charley Milton Bert Percy Sidney Marion Grover Emil Earnest

Otis Virgil Rufus Dave Dan Willard Lonnie Morris Wallace Jonnie Wilbur Hubert Jess Rudolph Perry Sylvester

Glen Adolph Ollie Irving Bennie Gus Orville Edmund Arnold Cornelius Roscoe Claud Clifton Bill Irvin Sherman

Which of these names would you have featured on your own Top 10 list? Should any of these be revived in the near future or should these stay uncommon?

Photo By User Tagishsimon on en.wikipedia - Project Gutenberg eText 12933 - http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/2/9/3/12933/12933-h/12933-h.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=334215

Finlay

Today we're featuring the name Finlay to go along with our recent post about the best names ending with "-ay".

Finlay is the anglicized form of the Gaelic name Fionnlagh. It means "white warrior" from the elements fionn "white, fair" and laogh "warrior". It was originally a masculine given name and also a surname. Alternatively, the name can also be spelled Finley, which is the more common spelling.

Recently, Finley ranked #36 in England/Wales while Finlay ranked #99. Finlay was #12 in Scotland.

The spelling Finley has always been in use in the US since records began in 1880, but it was far from common. It wasn't until 2006 that the name even entered the Top 1000 at #890. As of 2014, it ranks at #374 for boys. Additionally, it is considered unisex in America. There were also girls given the name Finley for a rank of #223. This is the more common spelling for both genders.

Finlay has only been used for a boy in the US since 1998 with this spelling (and since 2004 for girls). It remains very rare today with only 34 male births in 2014 for a rank of #3222. For girls, this spelling had only 8 births in the same year.

Which name do you enjoy more? The more common Finley or the rare Finlay? Or perhaps you're a fan of the even more rare spelling of Findlay, which only had 18 male births and 5 female births in 2014.

Are you considering using one of these names? Here's some sibling name ideas and middle name ideas to spark some inspiration for your own little one:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Avery, Brenna, Ella, Kerrigan, Maeve, Piper, Shayla, Violet
Brothers: Callum, Declan, Eamon, Keegan, Logan, Oliver, Rowan, Sullivan

Middle Name Ideas:
Finlay Craig
Finlay Jackson
Finlay Kenneth
Finlay Reid
Finlay Vaughn

As a Middle Name:
Cullen Finlay
Evan Finlay
Lucas Finlay
Sean Finlay
Wyatt Finlay

Which middle names would you pair with Finlay?

Names Ending with the Letters "-ay"

Welcome to a new mini-series featuring specific name endings. This list will explore the various names that end with the letters "-ay". The next article in the series will take a look at "-by" names, followed by "-cy" names, etc.

If you are searching for a specific sound and cannot find all that many options, allow me to assist you. This list of names ending with '-ay" is as neatly comprehensive as possible with only the most usable names on it.  There many be other spellings that lend to a similar sound but we are focusing primarily on the spelling. Can you think of any names that I may have missed? If not, tell me which of these you like most.

Girls:

Bay
Chardonnay
Day
Fay
Finlay
Friday
Gray
Halliday
Holiday
Holliday
Islay
Ismay
Janay
Jenay
Kay
Lindsay
Lyndsay
May
Saray
Shay
Sunday
Tueday
Wednesday

Boys:
Ajay
Barclay
Bay
Callaway
Carvay
Cejay
Chay
Clay
Conway
Deontay
Dontay
Findlay
Finlay
Gray
Jay
Macaulay
McKay
Murray
Nicolay
Ramsay
Ray
Sanjay
Shay
Vijay

Stay tuned for the next article of "-by" names.  Thanks for reading!

The Most Common Middle Names for Girls

In 2014, I posted a series of Birth Announcements pulled from real births in real hospitals around America. We explored the most common middle names for boys earlier this week. Similarly, I also collected together the twenty most common middle names for girls.

Disclaimer: This is very limited data. The following featured names appeared the most often in my small collection of birth announcements which can be found on the name lists page.  Of course, I would much rather have official data. If the Social Security Administration made a list of the most popular middle names, things would be easier and namers across the country would rejoice.  Since they don't seem to compile that data, I had to come up with my own.

What I noticed is that many of these names are fairly traditional. Not quite to the same extent as the male options, but the females may also receive names that honor a relative or an ideal such as grace or faith. This list will probably not come as a surprise to those familiar with names. Many of you might also refer to these names as "filler" names since they are often considered too common. Some may even feel that these names lack creativity when compared to other trendy, unexpected middle names that are available.

But then again, these middle names are popular for a reason. They are mostly timeless classics that flow very well with a variety of first names and surnames. When they also happen to honor relatives, they surely deserve to be considered as more than just "filler" names.

So, which middle name is most common for girls?:

1. Marie

(32 uses) Marie is the French form of Maria and Mary, both of which come from the biblical Greek names Mariam or Miryam. The meaning of these names isn't set in stone, but typically it is either "sea of bitterness" (or just "bitter"), "rebelliousness" or "wished for child". It could have also originally come from an Egyptian name derived partially from the letters mry meaning "beloved" or mr meaning "love".  Thanks to the biblical Virgin Mary, these names are incredibly popular with Christians. There have been Queens named both Mary and Marie. While Mary has been the longest reigning female name, Marie very much feels like one of the most popular middle names ever. On this limited list, it ranks as #1. It was most used as a first name in 1920 with a rank of #13, but in 2014, Marie only ranks at #579.

2. Rose

(31 uses) Not just a lovely flower, Rose was originally the Norman form of a Germanic name. The elements hrod meaning "fame" and heid meaning "kind, sort, or type" went into the name Rose first in the Ancient German forms of Hrodohaidis and Rothaid then later as Roese and Rohese which were introduced by the Normans to England. It became associated with the word for the flower which was derived from the Latin rosa. In other languages internationally you get names like Rosette, Rosine, Rosalija, Rosalie, Róisín, Ružica, Rosella, Rosália, Ruža  and Raisa.  Lovely, fragrant, international, versatile. Great as a middle name and so common today. As a first name, though, it peaked in 1915 through the 1960s. In 2014, it ranks down at #194 and would be more unexpected as a first name than as a middle.

3. Ann/Anne

(18 uses) Let's break this name down in order starting at the origin. The Hebrew name Channah means "favour" or "grace". It leads to the names Hannah and Anna which seem to have been more interchangeable in the past than they'd be considered today. From Anna came the French form Anne which was also spelled Ann. Both were imported to England in the 13th century and were well-used in the Middle Ages. There have been English Queens by the name of Anne. This name works well in a variety of forms and languages and also as a suffix to certain names. Related names include Annette, Nancy, Hanna, Anaïs, Annabella, Annushka, Anica and more. Overtime, Ann was much more popular, peaking in 1957 at #44. Anne held her own and ended up surpassing Ann in popularity lately, ranking at #553 in 2014 while Ann ranks at #945.

4 . Lynn

(18 uses)  Lynn comes from an English surname derived from the Welsh element llyn which means "lake". Originally this name was used for males, especially before the start of the 20th century, but over time it became common for females instead. This is possibly because of the influence of the name Linda when it was mega-popular. And of course there are plenty of names now that are fashionable with -Lyn, -Lynn or -Line as the ending. Lynn is a common middle name for girls these days. As a first name, Lynn had a major popularity peak in 1956 but was not all that popular before or afterward for girls. It fell out of the Top 1000 in 1997 and there were only 87 girls named Lynn in 2014 (and also 16 males).

5. May/Mae

(16 uses) First of all, Mae is a form of May. Secondly, there are many possibly origins for these names. It could be inspired by the month of May which comes from Maia, the name of a Roman goddess. It could be inspired by the name of the hawthorn flower. Or it could simply be a short form, nickname for or diminutive of names like Mary, Margaret or Mabel. Many times May comes from Mary. On their own, though, May and Mae do stand tall as solid first names. Mae is actually the more popular spelling. It peaked in 1918 as a first name with 2,756 births for the year. In 2014, Mae ranked at #682 with 412 births, and May only had 136 births for a rank of #1581.  As a middle name, these both seem to be quite popular.

6. Elizabeth

(13 uses)  Elizabeth is a classic, go-to name for girls. The most evergreen of them all as a first, and very common as a middle name too. It comes from the Greek Elisabet which was derived from the Hebrew name Elisheva meaning "my God is an oath". There have been two Queen Elizabeths, including the current long-reigning Queen of England. There was a 12th century Saint Elizabeth of Hungary who was often honored in medieval England through the Spanish variant Isabel. Elizabeth works very well internationally and has spawned so many names and nicknames like Elise, Isabella, Lillian and more. There have always been thousands of Elizabeths born every year and it has always ranked within the Top 30. In 2014, Elizabeth was #14. Would you use this name as a first or a middle?

7. Grace

(11 uses) The name and the word Grace come from the Latin gratia. It is one of the many virtue names that were first used by Puritans in the 17th century. It seems to be a very popular middle name for girls these days. As a first name, it first peaked in 1918 before declining in usage a bit. It has always ranked within the Top 400 since 1880, though. Since around the early 1990s, it caught on again with modern parents and was revived well for a popularity high of #13 in 2003 and 2004. Since then it's fallen back down to #21 in 2014. It's hard to tell, but it seems to be more favored in the middle rather than as a first name. What's your experience?

8. Faith

(9 uses)  Like Grace, Faith is another Puritan virtue name from the 17th century. This one comes from the Latin word fidere meaning "to trust" and is a huge element of religion. It makes sense that parents would want to give their daughters sure a virtue as a name. It has been in use sine the 1880s, but it wasn't until recently that Faith gained popularity as a first name. It peaked in 2002 at #48 and as of 2014, it ranked at #81. As a middle name, it could be even more popular but it is hard to be certain. Within our limited data here, it ranks well at #8.

9. Jane/Jayne

(8 uses)  John is the 2nd most-used boy name of the last 100 years, and has been vastly more popular when you account for history and international variations. Jane is one of the female forms of John. There are many including Janice, Johanna, Ivana, Siobhán, Gianna and more. Jane/Jayne itself comes from Jehanne which comes from Iohannes, along with John. Iohannes comes from Yochanan meaning "YAHWEH is gracious" which is the name of the Hebrew God.  Jane has always ranked in the Top 500, peaking in the late 1940s at #35.  Her popularity as a first name waned after that. In 2014, Jane ranked at #322. Jayne has never been as popular, only gaining usage in 1906. It ranked in the Top 1000 from 1912 to 1973, but now ranks down at #2225 in 2014 with 84 births. Which do you prefer, Jane or Jayne? First name or middle?

10. Jean

(8 uses)  Jean is Jane's twin sister. Both names are the Medieval English form of Jehanne, which as we mentioned above, is related to Iohannes and the Hebrew Name Yochanan meaning "YAHWEH is gracious". Jean has been commonly used in England and Scotland since the Middle Ages. Pronounced JEEN, this name is not to be confused for the masculine, French name Jean pronounced ZHAWN, however they are related. Jean has always been used for both genders since 1880. It peaked in popularity as a first name for girls in the late 1920s at #12. It left the Top 1000 in 1995 and only received 74 births in 2014. Do you think it fares better as a middle name these days?

11. Faye/Fae

(7 uses)  Fay, Faye and Fae are all derived from the Middle English faie which means "fairy". It has been also used as a short form of Faith. As a first name, Faye ranked within the Top 1000 from 1880-1979 before losing steam. It sank pretty low for a while but has been reclimbing the charts, even ranking at #908 in 2014. Fae was sometimes used from the 1890s to the 1960s but nearly disappeared until recently. However, it only received 21 births in 2014. Fay only got 33. Faye is the most-used spelling. Do you know any girls with Faye as a middle name?

12. Lee/Leigh

(7 uses)  Leigh is sometimes considered the feminine form of Lee, but both names are unisex surname names that come from the Old English leah meaning "clearing". Lee and Leigh work well as a first, a middle or a last name for both genders which is a somewhat unusual feat for a name. Lee for a boy is most popular of them all. Leigh wasn't even used for girls until 1912, but it had been around for boys since 1882. Plenty of women were named Lee through the 1950s-60s, but as of 2014, only 23 girls received the name. In the same year, 55 girls and 8 boys were named Leigh, and 348 boys were named Lee for a rank of #701. Which spelling do you like best for which gender? First or middle name?

13. Nicole/Nichole

(7 uses)  Nicole is the feminine French form of Nicholas which comes from the Greek name Nikolaos meaning "victory of the people". Nichole is a variant of Nicole and not nearly as common with only 139 female births in 2014. Interestingly, Nicole wasn't used in the US until 1937. It suddenly boomed in the late 1960s, climbing as high as #6 in 1982. It has fallen since then to #129 in 2014. Some people may feel as though it's dated to the 70s and 80s because of its high popularity. Does it still work as a first name today or is it better off as a middle?

14. Rae/Ray

(7 uses) Rae is often thought of as the feminine form of the masculine Ray, but it is also a short form of Rachel. When derived from Rachel, it means "ewe", but when it's taken from Ray or Raymond, it could refer to a beam of light or be derived from a German element meaning "advice". If Star Wars' new heroine's name gets a boost, which is spelled Rey, then it would have the meaning "king" from the Latin rex or regis. This is take-your-pick kind of name. Obviously Ray has always ranked well for boys, but for girls, it has been spotty since the mid-90s when Rae seemingly took over. In 2014, 9 girls were named Ray while 87 were named Rae. We'll have to see if Rey pops up in 2015. All of these, though seem to be more popular as middle names.

15. Rain/Raine/Rayne

(7 uses) People love short middle names that start with R. We just saw Rae, now let's add the N sound to the end and toss in some nature. This unisex name simply comes from the English word rain referring to the precipitation. It comes from the Old English regn. However, you can't count out the possible regal angle that could be intended with spellings like Reign. Raine could be based on the French reine meaning "queen", just as Rey above refers to a king. Or perhaps these could be short forms of Lorraine, a region in France. Many possibilities are at play here. Most of these are all uncommon as first names. There were only 102 girls named Rain in 2014, and 92 named Raine, but there were 258 named Rayne which ranked it just short of the Top 1000.

16. Renee/Renae

(7 uses)  Just like the last two, Renee and Renae are well-used because they work well with a lot of first names.  The origin of these names is Renatus which is a late Latin name meaning "born again". It lead to the French male name René, of which the Renée is the female form. Without the accent mark, Renee and Renae are the English forms. There's also the related Renata. As a first name, none of these are hot right now. Renee peaked in 1962 so it's plausible that girls today receive Renee as a middle name in honor of their grandmothers. Renee was in the Top 100 from 1959 to the early 1980s but has been gradually declining since then. In 2014, it ranked at #962 so it may not rank in the Top 1000 by 2015. Renae only had 55 births in 2014 and has never been as popular.

17. Sophia

(7 uses)  It makes sense the the former #1 girls' name would also make for a great middle name.  It is a Greek name meaning "wisdom". The phrase Hagia Sophia, meaning 'Holy Wisdom" was the name of a large basilica in Constantinople. This name was common through the Middle Ages with European royalty. It became popular in Britain when the German House of Hanover took power in the 18th century. As a name, Sophia does have international appeal with translations such as Sofia, Sofiya, Sonja, Žofie, Sonia, Szonja and more. Sophie is also a popular option that ranked at #91 in 2014. Of course, Sophia was #3 after three years at #1, and Sofia ranked at #12. Which do you prefer as a first? As a middle?

18. Joy

(6 uses)  The name and the word Joy come from the Norman French word joie which came from the Latin gaudia. As a first name in the US, it has been in use since 1885. It has ranked rather well over the years, especially from the late 1920s through the mid-1980s, peaking in 1957 and 1974. In 2014, it ranked at #462 for girls. Joy has also always been giving to boys, but only in handfuls per year. There were 23 boys named Joy in 2014. Do you think Joy is better as a first name or a middle name?

19. Louise

(6 uses) This is the French, feminine form of the male name Louis which comes from Ludovicus, the Latinized form of the German Ludwig which comes from Chlodovech. Tha tname is composed of the elements hlud meaning "famous" and wig meaning "war". Other female diminutives include Louella, Lula and Lovisa. Louise itself seems to be used more as a middle name than a first name. It's a name that is heard often, but surprisingly hasn't ranked within the Top 1000 since 1991. Louise was most popular in 1918 and declined in usage after that. Only 199 girls received the name in 2014. However, for the first time since 1969, sister-name Louisa did rank at #973. Could Louise join the Top 1000 soon, too?

20. Michelle

(5 uses)  Michelle is the French feminine form of the male name Michel which is the French form of Michael. Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha'el meaning "who is like God?"  From Michelle also come names like Micheline and international versions like Michaela, Mikaela, Michalina, Miguela and Mykhaila.  As a first name, Michelle wasn't used in the US until 1915. It entered the Top 100 in 1954 and ranke as high as #2 in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Then it declined, falling out of the Top 100 in 2008. As of 2014, it ranks at #187. What do you think of Michelle as a first and as a middle name?

Does this list seem somewhat accurate to you or do you think there are other middle names that might be more popular than the ones listed above? There are definitely more names out there that might have deserved a spot above. For example, other middle names that appeared frequently within The Art of Naming's birth announcements but didn't make the cut for this list include Christine, Catherine/Katherine/Kate, Caroline, Charlotte, Alexandra/Alexandria/Alessandra, Victoria, Ruth, and Josephine. 

Beyond these names mentioned above, anything else that you choose for a middle name will probably not be quite as commonly used, however, since this data is very limited, there are surely names more or less popular in specific locations. Other middle names that could be added in as "modestly popular" may include Abigail, Belle, Beth, Brooke, Claire, Dawn, Elaine, Elise, Evangeline, Evelyn, Frances, Jo, Juliet/Juliette, June, Kay, Lane, Lillian, Madeline, Margaret, Noelle, Olivia, Pearl, Skye, Taylor, Violet, Virginia, and Vivian/Vivienne.

There's bound to be a lot of discrepancies between this data and what you may experience in your particular area, so this list is meant as a basic guide to which names are most likely popular for middle names if that is something you're trying to avoid.

So tell me, which middle names do you hear most often for girls in your area?

The Most Common Middle Names for Boys

In 2014, I posted a series of Birth Announcements that were taken from real hospitals across the US. After combing through all of the names and tallying them up, I came across the twenty most commonly recurring middle names for boys.

Disclaimer: This is very limited data. The following featured names appeared the most often in my small collection of birth announcements which can be found on the name lists page.   Of course, I would much rather have official data on that. If the Social Security Administration made a list of the most popular middle names, things would be easier and namers like me would be thrilled. Since they don't compile that data, I had to improvise.

What I noticed, though, is that we tend to like our male names to be on the traditional side. It may be that many parents use the middle name spot to honor male relatives. Many may simply favor solid, classic choices above the more modern and trendy, while others pair a trendy first name with a classic middle name for balance.

So which names are the most popular middle names? We can't be totally sure, but the following names were most commonly used on the birth announcements curated by The Art Of Naming:

1. James

(31 uses) James is the English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus, which means James and Jacob are related. It may be safe to assume that James is the most popular middle name for boys. The data used here is admittedly limited, but James is very prevalent elsewhere too. As a first name, it ranked at # 9 in 2014.  It is also the #1 male name overall for the past 100 years combined, out ranking all other male names. Girls are being named James now too. There were two girls within this data that were given James as a middle name. If you are wanting something uncommon, this is not the name for you.

2. Michael

(15 uses) Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha'el meaning "who is like God?". Michael was the #1 boys' name in America from 1954 to 1998. It still ranks well today as a first name, falling only down to #7 in 2014. As a middle name, according to my small data set, Michael was the 2nd most recurring with 15 births.  While Michael has always been given to boys as firsts and middles, it has also been used for girls since the early 1900s.

3. Alexander/Alejandro

(13 uses) This is the Latinized form of the Greek name Alexandros which means "defending men". This strong name for boys has always ranked well in the US. It's also sometimes given to girls even in lieu of the feminine forms like Alexandra. Since the late 1980s, Alexander has been massively popular. It ranked as high as #4 in 2009. Currently it is the 8th most popular name for boys as of 2014.  Within our small data set here, there were 13 instances of Alexander being used as a male middle name, which puts it at #3 on The Art of Naming.

4. John/Jon/Jean

(13 uses)  The name John is the English form of Iohannes, which comes from the Greek Ioannes which comes from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning "YAHWEH is gracious". John has always been a typical name, (think John Doe), but it is no longer the most popular overall boy name since James took that title. John was #1 from 1880-1923 and ranked in the Top 10 until 1986. Currently, John ranks at #26 in the US.

5. Joseph

(11 uses) The Hebrew name Yosef lead to the Latin and Greek Ioseph, which brought about the English Joseph as we know it.  It means "He will add". There are many saints with this name, including the husband of the biblical Mary. The name Joseph was more common among Jews in the Middle Ages than with Christians. Later Joseph gained popularity in Spain and Italy then in England. This name has a ton of variations and translations across different languages around the world (things like Yosif, Josepe, Peppe, Giuseppe, José, and more). Joseph, itself, has never ranked lower than #22 in the US. It has spent decades in the Top 10. In 2014, it was #20.

6. Lee

(11 uses) Lee comes from a surname that was derived from the Old English leah meaning "clearing". This name is predominately masculine but it has always been given to females too, which means it can be considered unisex. It ranked at its best for males in the 1940s and 1950s. It spiked for females through the 1950s and 1960s, too. Popularity has declined for both genders recently with only 348 male births (#701) and 23 female births in the US in 2014. It seems likely that Lee (and possibly the feminine equivalent Leigh) are used more often as middle names than first names now.

7. David

(10 uses) The Hebrew name dawid probably comes from the Hebrew letters dwd meaning "beloved". As a name, David has been used since the Middle Ages in Britain and was huge in Wales and Scotland. It has vast international appeal and recently ranked within the Top 100 in nearly 30 different countries. In English, it's DAY-vid, but many languages opt for the dah-VEED or DAH-vit pronunciations. This name has always within the Top 35 names in the US. It was a Top 10 name between 1936 and 1992, even ranking at #1 in 1960. It currently ranks at #18 in 2014. This name really spans all ages as a first name, and seems to be common as a middle name too.

8. Thomas

(10 uses) Thomas is the Greek form of the Aramaic name Ta'oma meaning "twin". This is a biblical name that was introduced to England by the Normans and grew in popularity. There were a couple saints and philosophers with this name, and also a president and an inventor. A good, traditional name that works as a first name or a middle name nicely. This name has always been popular, consistently ranking within the Top 15 from the 1880s through the 1960s. After that, it dropped a bit but still remains within the Top 70; it was #54 in 2014.

9. Anthony

(9 uses)  Anthony is the English form of Antonius which is a Roman family name. Its meaning, though, is not certain. It has been incorrectly associated with the Greek anthos, meaning flower, which added an h to the name which was originally not there.  A famous bearer was Mark Antony, (or Marcus Antonius) who ruled the Roman Empire with Augustus. He wound up with a tragic story along with his mistress Cleopatra; their story was later told by Shakespeare in 1606's "Antony and Cleopatra".  As a name in the US, Anthony is much more common than Antony. It has almost always ranked within the Top 100, peaking at #7 in 2007. It's currently ranked at #21 as of 2014.

10. Daniel

(9 uses)  Daniel means "God is my judge" as derived from the Hebrew name Daniyyel. A biblical prophet wore this name which upped the popularity in England through the Middle Ages.  It grew rare again after that until it was revived after the Protestant Reformation. Other noteable bearers include authors, mathematicians and frontiersmen. This is is another traditional, biblical name that has never ranked lower than #55. It has ranked as high as #5 in a number of years; and currently is #10 in 2014.

11. Scott

(9 uses) Scott comes from an English surname but it originally referred to someone from Scotland or someone who speaks Scottish Gaelic. Its root is the Latin Scoti which literally means "Gaelic speaker". Even though this name still ranked at a respectable #425 in 2014, you're probably more likely to find this name on someone born between 1960 and 1975. It was very popular during that time, ranking as high as #10 in 1971. Today, you may encounter it more often as a middle name.

12. Alan/Allen

(8 uses) Allen is a variant of Alan, but both names have a few different etymologies. The name was first introduced to England by the Bretons in the 11th century. Possible meanings include "deer" in Breton and Welsh, "little rock" in Irish,  or "beautiful/handsome" in Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Another possibility is that it's English and French via the Indo-Iranian name alans. So the meaning is unknown, but most layman baby name sites list it as "handsome". In the US, Allen started out as the more popular choice, then they both ranked together in the Top 100 from the late 1930s to the late 1960s. Then Alan became the more common choice. Today, as of 2014, Alan ranks at #170 and Allen ranks at #367. Which do you prefer?

13. Andrew

(8 uses)  Andrew is the English form of the Greek Andreas, which itself came from andreios meaning "manly" or "masculine", a derivative of aner which means "man." It is theorized that the biblical Andrew was called that as a nickname for or a translation of his real Hebrew name, but that name is unknown. Andrew was popular in the Middle Ages with Christians. Saint Andrew wore the name, along with 3 Hungarian Kings and an American President. In the US, Andrew has always ranked within the Top 90. It spent time in the Top 10 many times since 1986 and currently ranks at #22.

14. Christopher

(8 uses)  Derived from Christophoros and Christos to mean "bearing Christ", the Greek name Christopher was popularly used to indicate that the bearer literally carried Christ in their hearts. As an English name, it has been used since the 15th century. There are a few different translations of this name, such as Christoffer which was used on 3 Danish Kings. Famous bearers include explorers and playwrights. In the US, the name has always been well-used, ranking in the Top 10 from 1967 to 2003. As of 2014, it's #30.

15. Matthew

(8 uses)  Matthew comes from the Greek Matthaios which came from the Hebrew name Mattityahu meaning "gift of YAHWEH". Saint Matthew was also called Levi and was one of the twelve apostles who also penned a Gospel book. The English used this name since the Middle Ages. Here in the US, Matthew has ranked within the Top 100 since 1956, peaking at #2 in 1995-1996. Today it is the 16th most popular name in the US as of 2014.

16. William

(8 uses) William comes from the Germanic name Willahelm which is composed of the elements wil "will, desire" and helm meaning "helmet, protection". This name was brought to England by the Normans and remained very popular through the Middle Ages until now. The most famous William of today is England's Prince. Before him, the name was worn by kings and conquerors. It has also been the name of many writers and poets. In the US, William ranked within the Top 10 for nearly a century. It descended to #20 in the 1980s and 1990s, but currently climbed back up to #5 in 2014.

17. Edward

(8 uses) Edward is composed of the Old English elements ead meaning "wealth" and weard meaning "guard" which makes the meaning "wealthy guard". Edward is a regal name with use in England. This name has international spellings such as Eduardo, Eduard, Edvard, Ekewaka, Duarte and Edorta. This name ranked within the Top 100 from 1880-1996. Despite Twilight, the popularity of the name Edward wasn't really affected. In 2014, it ranked at #160.

18. Richard

(7 uses) A German name made from the elements ric meaning "power, rule" and hard meaning "brave, hardy" which makes Richard means "brave power". The Normans brought this name to Britain and it has always been common there. It was even used by 3 kings. It was most popular in the US in the 1940s and 1950s.  Richard always ranked in the Top 100 up until 2006. As of 2014, it is now at its lowest rank of #141.

19. Charles

(7 uses)  Charles is said to come from the German name Karl which means "man", however it is also possible that it came from the German hari meaning "army, warrior". And yet, layman baby name sites like to list it as meaning "free man". Take your pick, I suppose. This name was popular in Europe during the time of Charles the Great, or Charlemagne (742-814). Beyond him, there have been many Kings of France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary and England by the name. Even some Holy Roman Emperors. Add in Darwin, Dickens and others, this name has been well used. In the US, it has always ranked within the Top 70. There were over 40k boys named Charles in both 1947 and 1949. These days, you'll only find about 7k boys per year. It ranked #51 in 2014.

20.Paul

(6 uses) Paul comes from the Roman family name Paulus meaning "small" or "humble" in Latin. This was the name of an important Christian figure, Saint Paul, whose Hebrew name was originally Saul. There have been many other St. Pauls along with six popes by the name, too. This name was not common during the Middle Ages; it took until the 17th century for the name to catch on. This name translates very well across the languages such as Paolo, Pavel, Pól, Pasha, Pablo, Paulos and others. Here in the US, Paul ranked within the Top 100 until the year 2000. It had the most usage per year through the 1950s and 1960s, but recently, the name has fallen to the rank of #201 in the US in 2014. Perhaps it has more usage now as a middle name to honor all those grandpas born in the 50s and 60s.

Other middle names that appeared frequently within The Art of Naming's birth announcements but didn't make the cut for this list include Lucas, Arthur, Patrick, Robert, Lewis/Louis, Steven/Stephen, Timothy, Wayne, Samuel, Ryan, Frederick, Lawrence, Ray and Wesley.

Beyond these 35 names mentioned above, anything else that you choose for a middle name will probably not be quite as commonly used, however, since this data is very limited, there are surely names more or less popular in specific locations. Other middle names that could be added in as "modestly popular" may include Vincent, Xavier, Gabriel, Dean, Benjamin, Oliver, Cole, Everett, Grant,  Isaac, Jacob, Isaiah, Nathaniel, Reid, Russell, and Vaughn.

There's bound to be a lot of discrepancies between this data and what you may experience in your particular area, so this list is meant as a basic guide to which names are most likely popular for middle names if that is something you're trying to avoid.

So I ask, which middle names do you hear most often for boys in your area?

Zoey

Our final featured name for this alphabetical name series is the female name Zoey. Did you get a chance to view the final list of The Very Best Z Names for Boys and Girls earlier this week?

The name Zoey is actually a variant of Zoe. Interestingly, while Zoe has been in use in the US since before 1880, Zoey has only been around since 1967. Despite that, Zoey is the more popular spelling today. Both names are currently ranking within the Top 40 though.

Zoey joined the Top 1000 chart in 1995 and entered the Top 100 in 2008. Now, as of 2014, Zoey is the 22nd most popular name in the country with over 7,300 female births.

Zoe peaked quicker, entering the Top 1000 in 1983. By 2000, Zoe was the 82nd most popular girl name. Even though Zoey has surpassed Zoe, Zoe still ranks at #32 in 2014 with over 5,800 births.

After breaking down those American popularity statistics, which name do you prefer?

If you're not sure, let's take a closer look at the names. Zoe is a Greek name that means "life". According to Behind the Name, Zoe was historically considered a translation of the name Eve by Hellenized Jews.

There are two early Christian saints named Zoe, both were martyred in their day. In the Byzantine Empire, Zoe was actually a commonly used name for women including an empress in the 11th century.

There are plenty of variations of Zoe, including the one we are featuring today, Zoey. There's also Zoie and Zowie. The Dutch like the spelling Zoë, the French use Zoé, the Polish go with Zoja, while Russians and Ukrainians prefer Zoya.

Then of course there's the spelling Zooey which is popularized in Hollywood by actress/singer Zooey Deschanel. While she pronounces her name the same as Zoey or Zoe, the name Zooey is better known as a masculine nickname for Zachary or Zechariah. Author J.D. Salinger used the name Zooey for a male character in his book "Franny and Zooey". Deschanel was named after that character.

Believe it or not, the name Zoe has broad international appeal. In recent years, it has ranked within the Top 100 in at least 17 countries around the world including The Netherlands (#7), Hungary (#9), and France (#11). Click here to view a complete list of recent popularity rankings.

Are you considering using the name Zoe or Zoey? Here's some suggestions for middle names and sibling names:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alyssa, Esme, Keira, Lila, Mara, Olivia, Tessa, Violet
Brothers: Damian, Finn, Gavin, Isaac, Levi, Max, Tyler, Zachary

Middle Name Ideas: 
Zoey Abigail
Zoey Colette
Zoey Harper
Zoey Madeline
Zoey Roxana
Zoey Taylor

As A Middle Name:
Amelia Zoey
Catherine Zoey
Evelyn Zoey
Lorelei Zoey
Magnolia Zoey
September Zoey

Thanks for following this series for the past year! Tell me in the comments which name you prefer and what middle name you'd pair with it!

The Very Best Z Names for Boys and Girls

At last, we have arrived at the very end of the alphabet. I appreciate all of you who have stuck with me this long.

It took a year and three months to finish the entire series! 

Now, let's look at the zippy letter Z! Along with the rest of the tail-end letters, Z names are rather few and far between when compared to the letters at the start of the alphabet.

However, that doesn't mean that there are unappealing options. Far from it!

Z names are mostly bold, interesting and unusual but there are a few classics in there like Zachary, Zachariah and Zoe. 

Which of these 50 Z names for boys and girls do you like most? 

Zahara Zaila Zaire Zamora Zandra Zanna Zara Zariah Zarina Zasha Zaviera Zelda Zelia Zendaya Zenon Zia Zinnia Zion Zoe Zoey Zola Zora Zoraya Zorina Zuri

Zacchaeus Zachariah Zachary Zaiden Zaire Zale Zander Zane Zavier Zealand Zebadiah Zebedee Zed Zeke Zelig Zenith Zenon Zephaniah Zephyr Zeppelin Zeus Zion Zoltan Zubin Zuma

Are there any I missed that you like more? Share your thoughts in the comments! If Z isn't your letter, there are 25 others to explore! Use the links below and thank you for following this series.

<-- The Very Best Y Names for Boys and Girls |||  The Very Best A Names for Boys and Girls -->

Aria, Gale & Zephyr: These Windy, Airy Names Will Blow You Away!

At this point, The Art of Naming has covered Water Names, Rocky Names and Fire Names. Let's take a look at some names that are inspired by wind and air.

Airy names can be quite refreshing like a gentle breeze, or much more powerful and interesting like the strong winds of a tornado or hurricane. Most of the names on this list are uncommonly used for modern children today, except for Aria which is climbing the charts for girls.

Take a moment to browse through these names. Which are your favorites? Can you think of any others that could be added?

Anil

The name Anil is a masculine Sanskrit name meaning "air, wind". It has ranked in the US since 1959 but never received more than 45 births in a single year which happened in 1989. As of 2014, there were only 5 boys named Anil. Perhaps this decline in usage indicates that it is not currently fashionable within its culture. What do you think of it?

Aria

In Italian, this name literally means "air". Most will also know, though, that it refers to a song or a melody, both of which are sometimes listed as the name's meaning. An aria is an elaborate vocal solo in an opera.

As a name, it has been in use since 1900 in the US but it was not at all common until recently. It joined the Top 1000 chart in the year 2000 and then made it into the Top 100 by 2012. Most recently, Aria has ranked as the 31st most popular name with nearly 6k births in 2014.

Aura

Aura is an English word most typically defined as "the distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place," according to Google. But as a name, it is said to be derived from Greek via Latin with the meaning of "breeze", according to Behind the Name.

This is a rare name and has not ranked within the Top 1000 in this modern age of naming, but it has been used on record since way back in 1881 in the US. It technically ranked a few times in those early years but it hit #641 with only 16 births in 1888 which is very unlike today's popularity stats. Today, 85 births in the year 2014 gives Aura the popularity ranking of #2201.

Awen

This is a beautiful Welsh, Cornish and Breton word that means "(poetic) inspiration". You may be wondering where the "air" theme comes into play. Awen is a very flowy name. Awen is said to be a flowing spirit, and that spirit is the essence of life. The airy part, though, comes from the word itself. Its Indo-European root "-uel" means "to blow" and has the same root as the Welsh word awel which means "breeze".

This breezy, whimsical name is truly unique in the US since this name has never been given to at least 5 girls in a single year. It is, however, sometimes ascribed to poets and musicians.

Gale

A gale is defined as "a very strong wind". As a name, Gale can either be derived from the Middle English gaile which means "jovial" which is considered a masculine name. It could be a variant short form of Abigail, which would be feminine. The same applies to the spelling Gayle, but this name could be used for either gender.

Gale peaked in popularity for females in 1957 at #245 with a total of 1,208 births for the year. After that, the name declined and is not in constant use today. It nearly died out altogether in the 1990s and 2000s, but there were a few births such as 6 in 2011 and 6 in 2013.

For males, it peaked in 1947 with 377 births and a rank of #352. Currently, it's also fading away but there were 9 births in 2014. It goes without saying that this name isn't currently fashionable for either gender. Do you think it could come back in style?

Keanu

We have all heard this Hawaiian name on its most famous bearer, actor Keanu Reeves. Since this is an unusual name, he will probably continue to be the biggest associaton with the name for some time. This name can actually be given to either males or females. It means "the cool breeze" from the Hawaiian ke, a definite article, and anu meaning "coolness".

Mr. Reeves may be the reason this name gained usage in the US. It wasn't given to children at all until 1990 for boys and 1991 for girls, right around the time the actor began becoming more well-known in Hollywood.  Usage ceased for girls in 2006, but it is still being used for a good amount of boys each year.

In 1990, there were 8 male births, by 1992, there were 105, and the name joined the Top 1000 chart by 1994 with a rank of #755. Today, in 2014, there were 141 boys named Keanu for a rank of #1259.

Nasim

Nasim is a unisex Arabic name that means "breeze". It does have some spelling variations such as Naseem and Nassim in Arabic, Naseem in Urdu, and Nesim in Turkish. Pakistanis use this name.

Here in the US, both Nasim and Naseem were originally given more often to girls from the mid-1970s to the early 2000s, but usage has nearly stopped. For boys, Nasim and Naseem gained usage in the 1990s and managed to keep it consistently since then. There were 5 boys named Nasim (and 5 girls too) in 2014. There were 22 boys named Naseem (but zero girls) in the same year.  Which of these two spellings do you like more?

Shu

Shu might not be a name that is on the radar for American parents, but it is interesting to note. Shu is the name of an Egyptian god. He is known as a personification of air, or the "God of the wind and air." He is also associated with sun and light.  Shu means "emptiness" and "he who rises up" in Egyptian. 

Interestingly, the name Shu does have a sprinkling of usage over the years for both genders.   On record, there's been a total of 12 females named Shu (births in 1978, 1983 and 2007). For boys, there has never been more than 8 births in a single year, starting on record in 1992 for a total of 52 recorded male births. There could be even more people named Shu out there but we will never know about them since the SSA doesn't record fewer than 5 births. If there were only 3, they wouldn't be on the list.  What do you think of Shu?

Sky / Skye

If you're looking for a ton of wide open air, where else would you look but up? The Earth's sky looks blue during the day because air scatters blue sunlight more than it scatters red.  While Skye and Sky aren't directly associated with wind, the sky is massive and full of air. 

Originally in the US, Sky was given to males and Skye was given to females starting in the mid-1950s. Since 1970, both names now have moderate usage for both genders. As of 2014, Sky is ranked at #740 for girls and #1402 for boys.  Skye is the most popular spelling overall with a ranking of #368 for girls. For boys, Skye is down at #2258. These stats suggest that while it is a unisex name, it is more commonly given to females. Which spelling do you prefer and for which gender?

Storm / Stormy

A storm is defined as "a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow." We're all familiar with storms. We've surely all been caught in one before. Wind storms can vary depending on the wind speeds, but the faster they are, the more destructive. They could escalate into dust storms, blizzards, tornadoes or hurricanes.

The names Storm and Stormy have been used for both genders since the mid-1940s. The one with the most use is Stormy for a girl. As of 2014, Stormy was given to 104 girls and only 6 boys.  Storm was given to 58 girls and 61 boys. Stormie is also given to girls; there were 69 born in 2014.  Which spelling do you prefer? Which gender?

Windy

Windy has been used as a name in the US since 1948 for females. It even ranked in the Top 1000 from 1967 to 1980. Alternate spelling Wendy was much more popular during the same time period, ranking as high as #28 in 1970.

However, Windy is more of a nature name inspired by actual wind which is defined as "bulk movement of air".  Wendy is typically a shortened form of the Welsh name Gwendolen and other similar names.  So Windy and Wendy aren't actually related.  Which do you like more?

Zephyr

Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind, so the name Zephyr also means "the west wind". This name is typically masculine since it is the name of a male god, but in the US, it was originally given to females way back starting in 1905 to 1937. Nobody received this name on record after that until it popped up for boys in 1975, and again for girls in 1981.  These days, there were 99 boys and 21 girls named Zephyr in 2014.

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According to Wiki, "the practice of using names to identify tropical cyclones goes back many years, with systems named after places or things they hit before the formal start of naming. The system currently used provides positive identification of severe weather systems in a brief form, that is readily understood and recognized by the public."  The first person to begin naming storms was a meteorologist named Clement Wragge. He named systems between 1887 and 1907, but after that, the practice fell into disuse until World War II.

Today, tropical cyclones are named by one of eleven meteorological services. It is said that using names for storms helps eliminate confusion, especially if there are multiple storms in an area at at time. Significant storms will have their names retired and replaced by another. The lists start alphabetically and continue down the list depending on how many storms there are in a year. Here just two of the lists for 2016:


List of Eastern Pacific tropical cyclone names for 2016:

Agatha Blas Celia Darby Estelle Frank Georgette     Howard

Ivette Javier Kay Lester Madeline Newton Orlene Paine

Roslyn Seymour Tina Virgil Winifred Xavier Yolanda Zeke

List of Atlantic tropical cyclone names 2016:

Alex Bonnie Colin Danielle Earl Fiona Gaston

Hermione Ian Julia Karl Lisa Matthew Nicole

Otto Paula Richard Shary Tobias Virginie Walter

There are many more lists like these that you can browse through if you'd like! What do you think of all the above names? Are there any more air or wind related names that could be added?

Aidan, Ignatius & Seraphina: Hot Names Inspired By Fire!

Today we will be exploring one of the most powerful things in nature: fire. Whether it is controlled in a fireplace or a bonfire, or raging out of control in destructive ways, it is hard to deny that fire is exciting.

However, staring into the mesmerizing, continuous flicker of flames from a safe distance on a cool night might be one of the best ways to experience this phenomenon, especially if you have some marshmallows.

Name-wise, though, there is a handful of excellent names that relate to fire. Let's explore them:

Aidan/Aiden

You may be wondering which names are the fieriest.  Perhaps the most popular name with a fiery meaning is Aidan. The name Aidan comes from a sizable family tree of related names. The original Ancient Irish name was Áed meaning "fire". From that name came names like Áedán, Aodh, Aodhán and today's variations of Aidan such as Aiden, Aydan, Ayden and so on.

The name Aodh, pronounced EE or AY, was very popular in early Ireland. It was used by many different figures in Irish mythology as well as several kings. Interestingly, Aodh was traditionally anglicized as the name Hugh rather than any of the Aidans.

Aidan's distant cousin is the name Keegan by way of the diminutive name Aodhagán turning into the surname Mac Aodhagáin. There's also the Scottish Iagan and Edan. More or less, all of these names mean "fire" or descendant of the fiery one, at least.

Like I said, Aidan is very popular. I'm sure many of you are tired of this name and its soundalikes such as Braden, Cayden, Hayden, etc. That's probably because of how incredibly fast this name rose from out of nowhere. It wasn't even used in the US until 1957. It didn't rank in the Top 1000 until 1990 at #889. Suddenly, by the year 2003 there were over 10k boys given the name for a rank of #39.

However, it was actually the spelling Aiden with an E that was vastly more popular. It rose slower than Aidan but has hung on longer. It had half the popularity of Aidan in 2003, but climbed the charts while Aidan declined. Aiden's peak came in 2009 with exactly 16,000 births and a rank of #12. But it went on to rank higher at #9 in 2010 and 2011 with slightly fewer births per year.

Currently, Aidan ranks at #187 in 2014 while Aiden holds steady at #14. They are both finally overstaying their welcome a bit and creeping back down the charts. Which spelling do you prefer?

Ash 

This name can refer to the residue of a fire, but it is more typically associated with the Ash Tree or it is simply a short form of names like Ashley, Asher or Ashton. However, it has to be noted that these longer forms don't have meanings having to do with fire.

Ash was first regularly given to boys as a name in the US in 1996. Most parents probably prefer longer forms of the name since Ash has never been popular on its own. There were a record-high 66 male births in 2014.  Would you ever use Ash on its own? Do you like any of the longer forms?

Blaze

Blaze is an English word meaning "a very large or fiercely burning fire". As a name, though, it is a modern variation of Blaise. Even though these two names are technically related and share a pronunciation, Blaise has nothing to do with fire since it is a Roman name meaning "lisping". 

Blaze popped up in the US as a boy name in 1953. While it has never been popular, it entered the Top 1000 in 2000 and currently resides at #775 fourteen years later. Blaze could be a more edgy alternative to Blake. 

Ember

Ember is an English word meaning "a small piece of burning or glowing coal or wood in a dying fire." As a name, Americans have used it since 1946 but it never has much steam until recently. It entered the Top 1000 in 2009 and shot all the way up to #435 in 2014. Even though embers are a dying fire, the name Ember is glowing brightly.

It is very similar in sound to the name Amber which was huge in the 1980s-1990s, ranking as high as #13 in 1986. Since Amber's popularity is starting to fall, perhaps Ember is rising to take her place. If that seems like a stretch, though, Ember is also very close in sound to other popular Em- names such as #1 names Emma and Emily. Ember could be similar enough to those yet unique enough to be catching parents' attention today.

Flint

A flint is a hard stone with which one could start a fire if the stone is struck hard enough. As a name, Flint comes from the Old High German word flins and usually refers to a dark stone made of the mineral quartz. Since it is a hard stone, it has been used in the past as a nickname for a tough guy.

Flint might immediately bring to mind the cartoon character Fred Flintstone. But also, with the recent news out of Flint, Michigan concerning the toxic water scandal, Flint might not currently be a name you want at the top of your shortlist. 

Ignatius 

The name Ignatius comes from the Roman family name Egnatius. Originally, Egnatius had an unknown meaning from the ancient Etruscan origin. As time went on, the spelling was altered so it would be similar to the Latin word ignis which means "fire". Because of this, the Etruscan Egnatius became the Latin Ignatius and inherited itself a meaning. 

Now that Ignatius means fire, it is certainly a red-hot choice for bold namers. It is used well internationally under various translations, but here in the US, it remains rare. Ignatius was only given to 40 boys in 2014.

Phoenix

Of course the Phoenix is perhaps the most beautiful image aside from fire itself. The immortal bird from Egyptian and Greek mythology is known for being consumed by fire and then rising from its own ashes every 500 years. The Greek word phoinix actually means "dark red". 

In other English-speaking countries, Phoenix is mostly used for boys, but here in America, this name is hot for both genders as both a mythological name and a place name for the capital of Arizona. It was given to girls first but caught on more quickly for boys. For boys, it entered the Top 1000 in 1995; girls followed in 2003. Here's 2014's stats: 59% boy / 41% girl. Boys: 901 births (#355).

Girls: 629 births (#494). Which gender do you prefer?

Seraphina

The lovely, underused Seraphina comes from the biblical word seraphim that means "fiery ones" and refers to an order of angels.


It is rather surprising that this name has never caught on. Even more surprising is that it was never used in the US before 1981. Even today, Seraphina is nowhere near the Top 1000.  In 2014, there were only 175 girls given this name. Do you think it'll blaze up the charts someday or remain forever uncommon?

Tyson

Tyson is an English surname that is said to mean "firebrand" based on the Old French word tison. In the past it has also been used as a nickname for a quarrelsome person.

This name has been around in the US since 1912, It never ranked all that well until it joined the Top 1000 in 1966. It ranked well through the 1980s but declined again in the 90s. Tyson peaked in popularity in 2009 with nearly 1,500 births for the year and a rank of #237. These days it's down to #282.  What do you think, is the name Tyson hot or not?

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Names that mean "fire" in other cultures:

Agni (m) "fire" Sanskrit
Azar (m&f) "fire" Persian
Brandr (m) "sword or fire" Scandinavian
Cinaed (m) "born of fire" Gaelic
Conleth (m) "chaste fire" Irish
Fajra (f) "fiery" Esperanto
Fiammetta (f) "fire" Italian
Fintan (m) "white fire" Irish
Hurik (f) "small fire" Armenian
Keahi (m&f) "the fire" Hawaiian
Nina (f) "fire" Quechua
Ognyan (m) "fiery" Bulgarian
Plamen (m) "flame, fire" Slavic
Shula (f) "flame" Arabic
Şule (f) "flame" Turkish
Ugne (f) "fire" Lithuanian

So what do you think of these fiery names? Can you think of any that I missed?

Yannick

Our final boy name of the A-Z series is Yannick. It comes straight from the list of The Very Best Y Names for boys and girls.

Yannick  is a diminutive of the name Yann which is the Breton form of the name John. Yann is well-used by the French, recently ranking at #113. Yannick is a bit more unusual but it did rank at #288 in The Netherlands recently.

Nameberry says that Yannick is "not likely to appeal to many American ears," but I disagree. It may never be popular but it isn't strange either. It could even be unusually refreshing to meet a little Yannick. There have been many names ending with -ick over the years. In the 1960s in particular, names like Derrick, Erick, Dominick, Frederick and Patrick ranked well. They all declined in usage after that but they are all ticking upward again today. Add to that list Maverick and Kendrick too for more modern options.

Perhaps, though, they are referring to the "yann" part rather than the "ick". Y Names in general aren't popular. They're not even common. There's no denying that. But if you were to choose one, Yannick is one of the cooler options.

Yannick has been in use in the US since 1981. It has never been popular but it is regularly used. The most births in a single year that it has received was 34 in 2013, and it is currently down to 33 in 2014.

Since it is a form of John, Yannick means "God is gracious".  This name could very nicely honor a relative with any number of related John names, especially if the family has any French or Breton ancestry. If you're looking for something French and unusual with a solid lineage, Yannick would be a great choice. Here are some ideas for sibling and middle names.

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Angeline, Coralie, Eugenie, Helene, Lenore, Manon, Valorie
Brothers: Armand, Gerard, Hugo, Mathias, Remi, Roland, Sebastien

Middle Name Ideas:
Yannick Augustin
Yannick Damien
Yannick Julien
Yannick Laurent
Yannick Ross

As a Middle Name:
Beau Yannick
Evan Yannick
Hugh Yannick
Michael Yannick
Victor Yannick

What do you think of Yannick? Is there another Y name you would have chosen instead?

The Very Best Y Names for Boys and Girls

Let's face it. There just aren't very many popular Y names. You occasionally hear them, my own middle name starts with a Y, but as a whole, Y names just aren't hitting the spot for mainstream parents.

Isn't that something we should change?  There are many more names that start with Y out there than I even thought there were.

I found a couple hundred per gender to browse through which means this letter has enormous potential if only someone would get the trend going.

If you're into the unique and unusual, this letter can be your best friend! Take a look at the 25 Y names for girls and the 25 Y names for boys that I picked out and let me know which ones you love most!

Yadira Yaella Yamileth Yara Yareli Yaretzi Yasmine Yeardley Yelena Yesenia Ygritte Ynez Yohanna Yolanda Yoselin Yosephina Ysabel Ysadora Yseult Ysolde Yuliana Yulisa Yveline Yvette Yvonne

Yale Yannick Yarden Yardley Yarley Yarrow Yasser Yates Yeardley Yeats Ygnasio Yorick York Yosef Young Yovan Ysaac Ysidor Ysidro Ysmael Ysrael Yule Yuri Yves Yvon

What do you think of the letter Y? If it isn't the letter for you, use the links below to browse other letters.

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