Barely Used Boy Names: Hollis, Dashiell & Shepherd [Part Three]

Are you looking for a name that is not currently popular, but also isn't strange? You've come to the right place! Today we explore part three of our series that uncovers names barely being used for boys today. This list breaks into the #1100s, which indicates these names are way down below the Top 1000 most popular names in the country for 2015.

Hollis (176 births - #1094) Since Hollis was derived from the Middle English word holis which refers to "holly trees", it was originally used as a surname by people who lived near such trees. Hollis had the most number of births in the year 1921 but left the Top 1000 in the 1970s. It is currently gaining a bit of popularity for both genders but it still ranks below the Top 1000 with 176 births for boys in 2015 and 106 for girls.

Cormac (175 births - #1099) This Irish name may have been derived from the Irish Gaelic word corb meaning "raven" and mac meaning "son". There was even a King of Ireland in the 3rd century named Cormac. The Scottish equivalent is Cormag. This name wasn't used in the US until the late 1950s. It wasn't until the 1980s that it gained consistent usage year-over-year. It is climbing the charts now but still remains below the Top 1000.

Dashiell (173 births - #1102) Dashiell's origins and meaning are relatively unknown. However, it is said to be an Anglicization of the French surname de Chiel. Dashiell popped up in the US in 1979 with 8 births on record. The name has never been in the Top 1000 but it is inching closer every year.

Shepherd (173 births - #1108) As indicted, Shepherd is an Anglo-Saxon occupational name that refers to a "sheep herdsman". This name has been used on and off in the US records since about 1912. It wasn't consistent year-over-year until 1994. Its usage has begun increasing recently but not enough to score a spot in the Top 1000...yet.

Brenton (169 births - #1120) Brenton comes from a surname taken from an English place name meaning "Bryni's town". In Old English, Bryni means "fire". This hot name is hardly being used in the US. It first appeared in 1912 and joined the Top 1000 from 1966-2013, aside from dipping below in 2010. Brenton ranked highest in 1984. Is this name on its way out or could it gain more usage again?

Mordechai (167 births - #1133) Mordechai is the Hebrew spelling of the Persian Mordecai which means "servant of Marduk". The spelling Mordecai was the first to be used in the US, popping up in 1912, whereas Mordechai wasn't used until 1950. By the 1970s, Mordechai quickly became the more popular spelling. It even made it into the Top 1000 twice, once in 2003 and again in 2012. Could it ever have a long-term spot?

Finnian (164 births - #1142) Finnian comes from finn meaning "white" in Old Irish. It was also the name of several Irish saints. The names Finn and Finnegan both rank in the Top 500, but their quirkier brother Finnian has yet to accomplish such feats. In the US, Finnian has only been used since 1993 on record. It is currently at a high point, but that still falls short of the charts. Could it be the next big thing?

Lathan (164 births - #1144) Lathan is an unusual one. There doesn't seem to be a concrete origin for it. Many sites list it as a rhyming variant of Nathan, or maybe a form of Latham which is even rarer. In the US, it has been used on and off since 1912. Only in the last decade has it gained a bit of usage, even ranking in the Top 1000 from 2010-2011. It is down a bit since then. Will it ever gain traction?

Kennedy (163 births - #1151) Kennedy is an Anglicization of an Irish surname. It comes from Ó Cinnéidigh which means "descendant of Cennétig". The name Cennétig means "armoured or misshapen head" and was the name of an Irish King. Kennedy is often given in honor of our late American President John F. Kennedy. It's also very popular for girls, ranking at #57 in 2015, even though it wasn't used for girls until the 1980s. For boys though, it was first used back in 1912, but it was never more popular than it was in 1964 when it ranked #516. It briefly ranked again from 1994-2005 at the bottom of the charts. Will this ever be popular for boys or is it too feminine now?

Linus (161 births - #1156) The name Linus comes from the Greek name linos meaning "flax". In the legends, he was the son of the god Apollo. Linus was also the name of the 2nd pope. In the US, it dates back to 1882 but wasn't used regularly until 1909. Interestingly, it was never popular in the past. It is receiving more births per year now than ever before. Could it catch on for the first time ever?

So which of these names do you like the most? Could you see any being catapulted to the top half of the charts in the near future? Or should these stay right where they are? Which would you use?

Thanks for reading!

Melody

Taken straight from our list of names that end with the letters -dy, is the lovely Melody.

This name is also an English word with which you're no doubt already familiar. Melody is derived from the Greek melos meaning "song" and combined with aeido meaning "to sing", which forms the name Melodia. Via Late Latin and Old French, you get the name Mélodie. After that, it winds up as the English word and name Melody.  Google defines it as "mel·o·dy -ˈmelədē. noun: a sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying."

This musical name has been around in the US on record since 1914, but it wasn't until 1942 that the name arrived on the scene. It joined the Top 1000 in that year and continued to climb in popularity until it peaked in 1960 at #153 with 2,757 births. Its numbers declined a bit through the 1980s and 1990s, but since the start of the aughts, Melody has started climbing up the charts again.  In 2015, there were 2,168 girls given that name for a popularity ranking of #148.

Could this name continue to linger within the Top 200 or could it eventually break into the Top 100 for the first time? What do you think of Melody?

If this is a name you are pondering for a daughter, here are some middle name ideas and sibling name ideas that all go nicely together:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Adriana, Danielle, Hazel, Laurel, Olivia, Sienna, Tabitha, Violet
Brothers: Blake, Casey, Everett, Gavin, Jackson, Owen, Ryan, Teagan

Middle Name Ideas:
Melody Charlotte
Melody Grace
Melody Katherine
Melody Rose
Melody Victoria
Melody Wren

As a Middle Name:
Alice Melody
Joanna Melody
Lila Melody
Nora Melody
Rebecca Melody
Sophia Melody

Melody is a bit difficult to pair with. Which names would you choose?

Names Ending with the Letters "-dy"

Up until now, we've discovered names ending with the letters -ay, -by and -cy. Now it is time to explore -dy ending names.

It's sometimes difficult to do specific searches for names with specific criteria so I thought I'd compile some of the best -dy names that I could find. Can you think of any others?

Girls:

Addy
Biddy
Brandy
Cady
Candy
Carmindy
Cassidy
Cindy
Goldy
Haddy
Haidy
Heidy
Hildy
Indy
Jody
Judy
Kady
Kandy
Kassidy
Kennedy
Lady
Liddy
Lindy
Maddy
Mady
Mandy
Melody
Mindy
Randy
Rhapsody
Rudy
Sandy
Teddy
Trudy
Wendy
Windy
Zandy


Boys:

Andy
Brady
Brody
Buddy
Cassidy
Claudy
Cody
Eddy
Freddy
Gennady
Grady
Hardy
Huddy
Indy
Jody
Jordy
Kassidy
Kennedy
Kody
Mardy
Randy
Roddy
Rowdy
Rudy
Sandy
Teddy
Woody

Do you spot any new favorites from this list? Would you use any?

<-- Names ending with "-cy"  |||  Names ending with "-ey"  -->

Shall We Bring Back These Girl Names from the 1900s?

Welcome back to our "by decade" series that takes a hard look at the Top 200 combined names of a decade and compares it today's statistics. The Social Security Administration has an aspect of their site that combines the popularity of names between 1900-1909 and compiles it to make a Top 200 list. That's where I pulled this data. The rankings next to each name below is where that name ranked in the 1900s.

I pulled out some of the best names from then that do not currently rank within 2015's Top 1000 list. In fact, each of these names are far, far below the Top 1000 chart. They were once decently used but their time has since passed. Could they ever receive a second chance? Would you ever consider any of the following names for a modern daughter?

1. Ethel (#12 overall from 1900-1909)
Did you know that Ethel is a sister name of Adele, Alina and Adelina? They all come from the Old English element æðel meaning "noble".  Ethel was revived in the 19th century and has been used in the US since records began in 1880. In fact, it ranked very well way back then, hitting a high point in 1918 with over 8,000 births for the year. It left the Top 100 in 1939 and the Top 1000 by 1976. In 2015, there were only 12 Ethels born. Could this name ever again achieve the greatness it once knew?

2. Gladys (#14)
This name has one of two possible origins. It either came from the old Welsh name Gwladus, which may have been derived from gwlad meaning "country". But Gladys has also been used as the Welsh form of the name Claudia, which comes from the Latin claudus meaning "lame, crippled". Not the greatest meaning, but Gladys has been popular in Wales in the past. Here in the US, it ranked very well around 1915-1925. It hit a high of 8,819 births in 1920 alone. It started its decline through the 1940s-1960s, finally leaving the Top 1000 by 1998. Only 83 girls were named Gladys in 2015. Could this name be fashionable again or is it still very much a grandma name?

3. Myrtle (#35)
Myrtle comes from the Greek μυρτος (myrtos) and is the name of an evergreen shrub. Nature and plant names are in style these days, but Myrtle has not been used much at all lately. It ranked consistently from 1880-1997 with a high point in 1918. Other than 6 births in 2005 and 9 in 2014, there were zero births on record after 1997. This name is currently not used, which is a shame. Myrtle would be very lovely on a modern girl. Will it ever come back?

4. Thelma (#41)
Thelma's meaning is not known but some have claimed that it is derived from the Greek θελημα (thelema) meaning "will", but it is not all that likely.  Thelma became popular at the end of the 19th century after British author Marie Corelli used it as the name of the heroine in her 1887 novel "Thelma". It peaked between 1915-1925 in the US but it started declining gradually after that. It left the Top 1000 in 1983 and now only has 27 births as of 2015. Has Thelma had its time? Could this name rise again?

5. Dora (#85) Dora is a short form of the names Dorothy, Isidora, or Theodora. This is a case of "pick your own meaning". Both Dorothy and Theodora mean "gift of god", while Isidora means "gift of Isis", the Egyptian goddess. Dora ranked in the Top 100 from 1880-1909, but it received the most births per year in 1921 with 2,026. It declined in usage and dropped out of the Top 1000 in 1993.

6. Inez (#104)  Inez is a form of the Spanish Inés which comes from Agnes. Agnes is Latinized from the Greek names Hagne and hagnos meaning "chaste". Later the name was associated with the Latin agnus meaning "lamb". In use in the US since 1880 on record, Inez had the most births in a year in 1920 with 2,107 girls given the name.  It declined after that and left the Top 1000 altogether by the mid-1970s. Could Inez or Agnes reclaim a place on the charts in the near future?

7. Jean (#109) Jean is the Medieval English variant of Jehanne, from which Jane also derives. Ultimately, it is a feminine form of John which comes from the Greek Ioannes and the Greek Yochanan meaning "YAHWEH is gracious". Jane was common in England and Scotland in the Middle Ages before becoming rare up until the 19th century. Jean was in the Top 100 from 1907-1963. It saw the most births in 1927. It declined after that, leaving the Top 1000 in 1995. It may be used more often as a middle name these days.

8. Alberta (#116) Alberta is the feminine form of Albert which is derived from the Germanic name Adalbert from the elements adal meaning "noble" and beraht meaning "bright". Alberta was the name of one of Queen Victoria's daughters and it was for her that the Canadian province was named. While this name has always been used, it's become very rare. It fared the best in 1919 with 2,017 births for the year, but Alberta left the Top 1000 by 1971, dwindling down to a mere 9 births in 2015.

9. Goldie (#125) Goldie may simply come from a nickname for someone with golden hair but it is also a variant of the name Golda which means "gold" in Yiddish.  Goldie has been around since records started in 1880 in the US, briefly doing its best from 1915-1918. She was quick to decline in popularity, leaving the Top 1000 by 1959. There has been a slight uptick in girls named Goldie in the past couple years; there were 79 born in 2015. Will Goldie resurface?

10. Alta (#170) It is possible that the name Alta is derived from either the Latin altus or the Italian and Spanish word alto, all of which mean "high". Alto is a musical term that refers to the second highest part of a vocal range. Alta has been in use since 1880 in the US and hit a peak in 1918 with 820 births for the year. It dropped off the charts by 1957 and hasn't seen any increases since then. Should Alta get more love?

Would you ever consider any of these now-rare names? They all ranked well back in the 1900s but they are overlooked today. Which name deserves to come back the most?

Let's Bring Back These Boy Names from the 1900s!

This is the third article in this series that takes a look at faded names, one decade at a time. Today, we'll look at the names that ranked within a combined Top 200 from 1900-1909. This information is according to the Social Security Administration. The list that I used can be found here.

First, I tossed out all of the names from that list that currently rank in 2015's Top 1000. While those are all great names too, we want to find the more obscure ones. The names on the list below are not often heard on modern boys, but that could change if any of these catch on again with parents.

But it isn't always that easy. If a name is not fashionable or trendy enough, (or a family name), it may not stand much of a chance until those definitions of style change. Old names come back around all the time, so these could be favored again in the future, if not now. What do you think of them?

1. Elmer (#41 overall from 1900-1909):
Elmer isn't actually as fuddy as you'd think. It comes from the cool Old English name Æðelmær whose elements mean "noble" and "famous" from the German Adelmar with the same great meaning. Just Elmer, though, isn't quite as popular as it was back in 1918. In fact, once the 1940s ended, the name started going downhill. It hung around until dropping off the Top 1000 chart in 2008. Now in 2015, there were 148 boys with the name for a rank of #1223.

2. Clifford (#63):
This name is as straightforward as they come. Clifford refers to a "ford by a cliff". It is that place name that later became a surname, then a given name; all in Old English. It has always been on record in the US since 1880 and was used most between 1915 and 1964. It started declining in the 1990s and dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2006. It ranks down at #1241 in 2015 with only 145 births for the year. Could it rise again or is it too "big red dog" for modern boys?

3. Milton (#89): This is another straightforward surname derived from a place name. Milton means "mill town" in Old English. It has been used in the US since records began in 1880. Right around 1912, this name gained popularity until it peaked in 1920 with 2,592 births for the year. It remained well-used through the 1960s but gradually declined until it left the Top 1000 in 2009. Now it ranks at #1205 in 2015, which accounts for 152 births. Does Milton feel a bit too dated to be fashionable right now? If so, do you see it coming back in the future?

4. Willard (#119): Willard is an English surname that comes from the Germanic name Willihard and the Old English Wilheard.  Willihard is taken from the elements wil meaning "will, desire" and hard meaning "brave, hardy". In the US, the name has been around since 1880 on record. It had a particularly impressive peak of popularity in 1915 when it rapidly climbed to #58 with 2,889. It continued to rank well through the 1950s, but slowly lost popularity. It left the Top 1000 in 1990 and has only continued to fall since then. Only 44 boys were named Willard in 2015. With William ranking so high, why doesn't Willard get more love?

5. Roosevelt (#121): Roosevelt comes from a Dutch surname that means "rose field". This was the surname of two American presidents. As depicted in our photograph above, Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945). It may be a Dutch name, but it feels strongly American. The name was at its peak in 1933 and remained in the Top 1000 until 1994. Only 50 boys received the name Roosevelt in 2015.

6. Rufus (#140): This Latin name means "red-haired" and belonged to several saints. It was occasionally used as a nickname on redheads, including a king of England named William II. It has always ranked in the US since 1880, doing fairly well, especially through the 1920s. It remained in the Top 1000 until 1989. Only 43 boys were named Rufus in 2015. Could it work on a modern boy?

7. Arnold (#141): Arnold is a German name derived from arn meaning "eagle" and wald meaning "power".  It replaced the Old English name Earnweald after being introduced to England by the Normans. It lost usage after the Middle Ages until the 19th century. It has been used in the US since 1880 on record, even landing in the Top 100 between 1912 and 1931. By 2005, it left the Top 1000, and had only 95 births in 2015. Could it be more common in the future?

8. Orville (#149): It's possible that this name was meant to mean "golden city". It appears to have been invented by an 18th century writer named Fanny Burney. It was made familiar by airplane-inventor Orville Wright. The name has been around since 1880 when records started. It saw its highest level of popularity from 1914 through the 1920s. It left the Top 1000 in the mid 1970s. Now it is down to 12 births a year in 2015. Will it ever be common?

9. Alton (#177): This Old English name comes from a surname that was based on a place name meaning "town at the source of a river". Alton has ranked rather well since 1880, with its best year being 1928. It very gradually lost steam and dropped out of the Top 1000 in 1999. Could it be in line with modern trends again in the near future?

10. Roscoe (#199): Roscoe comes from an English surname that derived from an Old Norse place name meaning "doe wood". Roscoe was most popular in 1920, but it ranked within the Top 1000 from 1880 to 1975. After that, it declined in usage and currently earned 71 births for the year 2015. Is Roscoe potentially stylish enough to come back in the future?

Now that you've browsed through the ten names here, which do you like the most? Which do you think stands the best chance of revival? Which will never see the Top 1000 any time soon?

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Spelling Variations: Which are Legit and Which are Excessive?

Some names only offer one or two simple, accepted spellings and very little room to be creative. Short names like Ruth or Hope are not easily tweaked, but other names like Caitlin, Catelyn, Kaitlyn, Katelynne, etc, can have many different potential spellings.

The question is, which of these are easy to live with and which might only lead to confusion?

If you think about it, the Top 1000 chart contains fewer than 1000 distinctive names. Hear me out. Take for example the name Madelyn.  It ranks at #59, which is even higher than the more standard spelling of Madeline (#90).

However just within the Top 1000, there is also Madeleine (#301), Madilyn (#315), Madelynn (#415), Madilynn (#497), Madalyn (#570), and Madalynn (#685) which are all essentially the same thing.  They sound alike but they are spelled differently. Those add up to making the overall name much more popular out-loud than the data suggests on paper.

While all of these spelling variations are legitimate, (meaning they have been used, are being used, and will be used in the future), how necessary are they? Could the world get by with fewer variations? Or does "the more the merrier" apply here?

Pause for a moment and ponder how you feel about spelling variations. Sure, one or two options can be a great thing, like Nora and Norah. How do you feel about names that don't really give you a specific image in your head regarding its spelling? If someone says "Hi, I'm [kay-lee]", which spelling pops into your mind first?

Kaylee? Kayleigh? Caylee? Caleigh? Kleigh? Khailey? Caelee? Khaylee? Cayle? Cailey? Kaley? Cailie? Keighley? Kaylea? Caeley? Okay, I think you see my point. I could have listed more. In all, there's more than 70 possible spellings of this name on record, according to the data pulled together in 2015 by Name Nerds. You can download the data here. It really is fascinating to browse the spellings that people come up with.

However, male names are not immune to Multiple Spellings Syndrome. There are plenty of boy names that I could list, or you could take a look for yourself at Name Nerd's boy list too.  Right off the top of the list, though, is Jackson. Or do you prefer Jaxson, Jaxen, Jaxxon, Jaxsyn, Jaxzon, Jaksen or maybe Jacksin?

The same thing happens to many more boy names. Even traditional ones can't escape "creative respellers". David becomes Deyvid; James becomes Jaymez; and Nathan becomes Neithen. Are these really all that creative though? To me, they look wrong. I'm sure I'm not the only one that would think that the parents either couldn't spell or tried too hard to be "unusual".  This is not the first time that I've discussed the advantages of choosing statistically uncommon names over mangled respellings of common ones. Spelling really is a big factor to consider when searching for a name.

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. Which spellings do you think are acceptable and which do you think are a bit too excessive? Where do you draw the line?

Barely Used Girl Names: Joelle, Taryn & Magdalena [Part Two]

Welcome to part two of this series that features ten barely used names per month. We started this thing by investigating names just outside of the US Top 1000. We'll explore our way down the list and uncover more and more uncommon names as we go.

There are plenty of great names that are not currently popular. The best thing about their "unpopularity" is that it does not denote that there's something wrong with the names, they simply aren't on everyone's radar right now. They may have been used more in the past, or perhaps they are yet to be discovered. Either way, these great, overlooked names would be excellent choices for parents who want something you don't hear everyday.

The ones that I've handpicked from 2015's data are all very usable for a modern girl despite being uncommon at the moment.  In the parenthesis, the number of births for 2015 is listed, followed by the popularity rank as published by the Social Security Administration.

Shannon (248 births - #1059)  The longest river in Ireland is called the River Shannon, or Abha na tSionainn. The name Sionainn comes from Sionna, a goddess in Irish mythology whose name means "possessor of wisdom". As a name, Shannon had male usage first but once it was given to females, the girls took over. It entered the Top 1000 in 1937 and hit the Top 100 in 1968. Shannon's two best years (for girls) was 1970 and 1976 with an all-time high rank of #17. It dropped from the Top 100 in 1998 and the Top 1000 by 2014. Is this a came-and-went name or could it be revived again in the future?

Araceli (247 births - #1060) This beautiful Spanish name means "altar of the sky" from the Latin ara meaning "altar" and coeli meaning "sky". It has been around in the US since the 1940s. It joined the Top 1000 in 1968 but recently dropped out in 2014. The highest it has ever ranked was in 2002 at #487.  This name feels pretty and unexpected. Do you think it could gain usage?

Taryn (247 births - #1062) According to Behind The Name, Taryn may have been created as recently as 1953. Actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian gave this name to their daughter in that year, most likely as a feminine form of Tyrone. The data supports this. The name wasn't on record in the US until 1953. If that's really the case, then Taryn would have the same meaning as Tyrone which is derived from Irish Gaelic Tir Eoghain meaning "land of Eoghan". It's also possible that it is meant to be an alternate spelling to Terran, which refers to the earth or "terra". Taryn's best year to date was 1985. It only fell off the Top 1000 chart in 2015. Does it deserve the drop?

Sonia (243 births - #1071)  Sonia is a variant of Sonya, which is a Russian diminutive of Sophia. Sophia, of course, means "wisdom" in Greek. Sonia was first used in the US in 1895 with Sonya's usage following in 1904 on record. Sonia was in the Top 1000 from 1909-2014. At their peak in the late 1960s, Sonya was more popular than Sonia. Today neither rank in the Top 1000, however Sonia is ranked higher. Which spelling do you prefer?

Etta (242 births - #1075) Etta is usually said to come from the name Henrietta, but it could very well be a nickname for any other -etta name. In this case, Henrietta comes from Henry which is German meaning "home ruler". On its own, Etta was most popular in 1920 and was always in use on record since 1880. It left the Top 1000 in 1967 and fell to record lows such as a mere 7 births in 2001. Now it has climbed up again with 242 births in 2015. Could it stand alone and rise on the charts soon?

Ramona (242 births - #1076) Ramona is the feminine form of Ramón which is the Spanish form of Raymond. Raymond comes from the Germanic name Raginmund which ultimately means "advice" from the element ragin and "protector" from mund. Ramona spiked in popularity in 1928 in the US and continued to rank within the Top 1000 until 1989. Now it is on the outskirts of the charts with 242 births in 2015. Should it be allowed reentry?

Joelle (241 births - #1077) This is the feminine form of the Hebrew name Joel which means "YAHWEH is God". The US popularity record for Joelle shows 5 births in 1918 but it wasn't consistently used until 1933. It joined the Top 1000 in 1966 and dropped back out in 2004. It has lingered just beyond the charts since then. Could it rise in the future?

Gwyneth (236 births - #1091) Gwyneth is either a varient of the Welsh name Gwynedd, or it simply comes from the Welsh element gwyn meaning "white, fair, blessed". It has been well-used in Wales since the 19th century. Here in the US, it has only been used since 1915. Surprisingly, Gwyneth has only ranked with in the Top 1000 in the years 2004, 2011 and 2013. Will it ever be more commonly used here?

Magdalena (233 births - #1104) Magdalena is the Latinate form of Magdalene, which comes from a title meaning "of Magdala". The bible character Mary Magdalene was called this because she was from Magdala, a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was a popular saint in the middle ages, giving the name Magdalene popularity. Magdalene ranked in the US Top 1000 from 1880-1944, but never again after that. Magdalena ranked well from 1880-2010, aside from a couple dips in the 1980s. Why is it that this name is beginning to fade? Could it regain usage?

Maxine (231 births - #1109)  This is one of the only Max names for females. It probably means "greatest" from the Latin Maximilianus which comes from Maximus.  Maxine was first used in 1884, peaking in usage from the 1910s - 1940s. It dropped out of the Top 1000 in the late 1970s and flickered on and off before it stayed off as of 1996. Could it be seen as stylish again in the near future?

Which of these ten names appeals to you the most? Would you ever consider putting it on your list? Do you know any children with these names?

Barely Used Boy Names: Leif, Roderick & Gerard [Part Two]

Welcome to part two of this series! Today we'll investigate ten interesting names that are currently not ranked within the US Top 1000. A couple were popular years ago and are uncommon now, while others have yet to hit their stride. Let's see if any of these could potentially start [re]climbing the charts in the coming years or if they are likely to remain barely-used. Share your thoughts in the comments below. Do you know any youngsters with these names?

Within the parenthesis, you'll find the number of births the name received in the year 2015, along with the names' corresponding popularity rank.

Denzel (186 births - #1060) Denzel is a form of Denzil which is a surname that indicated a person from the manor of Denzell in Cornwall. The spelling Denzel was made popular by Denzel Washington, an American actor. The name in the US has been around since 1906. It was rare until the early 1990s, peaking in 1993 at #311. It has since fallen off the Top 1000 chart.

Leif (186 births - #1063) This is an Old Norse name that comes from Leifr meaning "descendant, heir". The most famous bearer of this name is Leif Eriksson, a Norse explorer from the 11th century. As a name, Leif has been in use in the US since 1912. It ranked in the Top 1000 from 1959 to 1987. It is very close to rejoining the chart again, do you think it could ever be commonly used?

Octavio (185 births - #1065) Octavio is the Spanish form of the Latin Octavus meaning "eighth". There are not any Oct- names in the Top 1000, Octavio is the highest ranked for boys. It gained usage in the US in 1908. It ranked in the Top 1000 from the 1970s to 2010. It fell recently but isn't too far down. Could Octavio ever be more commonly used? Do you prefer Octavius? Octavian?

Roderick (185 births - #1066)  This name comes from  the Germanic elements hrod meaning "fame" and ric meaning power "power"; so it could mean "famous power". It was the name of a Visigoth King in the 8th century, but the name died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived again by Sir Walter Scott's 1811 poem called "The Vision of Don Roderick". It's always been used in the US and nearly always ranked within the Top 1000 until recently.

Lyle (183 births - #1072) Lyle is an English surname that is actually a bit of a play on words. It comes from the Norman French word l'isle which means "island" and is pronounced the same as Lyle.  The name as always been around in the US, perhaps being most popular in the 1920s. It fell off the Top 1000 chart in 1996, dipped down and is now back up on the outskirts. Could it rejoin soon?

Clarence (180 births - #1080)  Clarence derives from the Latin title Clarensis which may mean "clear, illustrious". This was a title used by the British royal family that comes from the name of the town of Clare in Suffolk. Clarence has always been used in the US, doing its best around 1920 and remaining a Top 100 name through the 1940s. It gradually fell, dropping out of the Top 1000 in 2009. Could it make a come back or will it continue to hover just below the charts?

Gerard (179 births - #1086) Gerard comes from the Germanic element ger meaning "spear" and hard meaning "brave, hardy". This name was often confused with similar-sounding name Gerald but it has never been nearly as popular. Gerard has been in use since 1886 in the US, but was never popular enough to rank higher than the 200s. It dropped out of the Top 1000 in the early 2000s. Could it be fashionable again in a couple decades?

Sidney (179 births - #1088) Sidney is a surname that also comes from place names in England that mean "wide island" based on the Old English sid meaning "wide" and eg meaning "island". Sidney could also be based on a town in Normandy called Saint Denis. Say that quickly with a French accent and there you go, but there isn't much evidence for this. In the US, Sidney has always been in use for both genders. And there's also the spelling, Sydney, which is popular for girls. Sidney ranked well for boys until it dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2014. Is Sydney's female influence too strong for Sidney to hold popularity for boys?

Aston (178 births - #1089) Aston could be derived from an Old English place name that means "east town"; or it could be a form of Æðelstan which is derived from the Old English elements æðel meaning "noble" and stan meaning "stone".  On record, Aston popped up in 7 different years between 1915 and 1930, each with a handful of births. It wasn't until the early 1980s that this name gained regular usage on boys. It is occasionally used on girls as well, but minimally. Aston has never been in the Top 1000 but it is inching awfully close. Could it be there in the next year or five?

Dale (177 births - #1092) Dale is a nature name and a surname that refers to a person who may have lived near a dale or valley. This name has always been in use in the US for both genders, but it's more commonly a male name. It peaked in 1958 at #46 and 8,478 births. It declined after that, falling off the Top 1000 chart in 2010. It's been lingering on the outskirts, could it ever make a comeback or is it still too recently dated to feel fresh?

Which of these names do you like best? Could any rise in popularity soon or are they better off where they are?

Percy

Today's featured boy name is pulled from the list of names ending with the letters -cy.

Percy is is male given name that comes from an English surname. There is a commune in Normandy in Northwestern France called Percy-en-Auge from which the surname was derived. The House of Percy (or Perci in Old French) was one of the most powerful noble families in northern England.

There are still members of the Percy family to this day who are Dukes of Northumberland. Their surname comes from the manor of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy which was their home during the Norman Conquest. The name Percy started out being used as a given name in their honor.

The Greek Perseus is similar in sound and could be assigned the nickname Percy. It means "to destroy" in Greek and was the name of a mythological hero who killed Medusa and founded the ancient city of Mycenae.

Percy can also be considered a short form of the name Percival. The name Perceval, with this spelling, was created by a French poet named Chrétien de Troyes in the 12th century. He wrote a poem called "Perceval, the Story of the Grail" in which Perceval was one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table.  It is likely that the name Perceval was based on the name of a Welsh hero, Peredur, which means "hard spears" in Welsh. Perceval may have also been influenced by the Old French words percer val meaning "to pierce the valley".

So what does Percy actually mean? Take your pick!  How about its usage?

Percy has been in use on record in the US since 1880. It was used the most in 1920 with 601 births. It fell off the Top 1000 chart as of 1989 and is now a rare name. It only had 58 male births in the year 2015 for a rank of #2275. Despite being a possible short form of Percival, the name Percy on its own has ranked way better over the years. Percival has never scored more than 25 births in a single year.

What do you think of the name Percy? Would you consider it? If so, here are a few middle and sibling name ideas to help you out:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alina, Cordelia, Georgia, Helena, Leonora, Matilda, Rose
Brothers: August, Clyde, Jasper, Lucien, Maurice, Simon, Willis

Middle Name Ideas:
Percy Ambrose
Percy Edmond
Percy James
Percy Randall
Percy Sebastian

As a Middle Name:
Charles Percy
Everett Percy
Finnegan Percy
Jonathan Percy
Nolan Percy

What would you pair with the name Percy? Or do you prefer Percival or Perseus?

Names Ending with the Letters "-cy"

This is a very specific series. We are taking the time to look for names ending in specific letters. We already looked at "-ay" names and "-by" names. Now we are going to investigate all the possible names ending with the letters "-cy".  There could be more out there in other languages around the world but these are some of the best options for an American kid.

Which do you like best?  Can you think of any others that could be added?

Girls:

Cecy
Clancy
Clemency
D'Arcy
Dacy
Darcy
Delancy
Jacy
Kacy
Lacy
Lucy
Macy
Marcy
Mercy
Nancy
Quincy
Stacy
Tacy
Tancy
Tracy
Valancy

Boys:
Chancy
Clancy
Cy
Darcy
Delancy
Ignacy
Jency
Legacy
Percy
Piercy
Quincy
Stacy
Tracy
Yancy

Share your thoughts on these names in the comments below! Take a look at our other articles:

<--- "-by" names ||| "-dy" names --->

Girl Names with Only One Common Spelling

Uniqueness. What does that word mean to you? When it comes to names, it may refer to a name that is seldom heard. What about the spelling? It seems to be a trend lately to take a common name and "make it unique" by tweaking the spelling. But after all, by ear, aren't Emily, Emilee, Emaley, Emylee and Emmalea all pronounced the same? Why not opt for the common spelling to avoid headache and confusion?

(Plus, if you really want a unique name, wouldn't it make more sense to use one that is statistically uncommon rather than respelling a common name?)

If you'd love to steer clear of the constant "could you spell that for me?" questions, and actually be able to find your name on default personalized keepsakes, perhaps you'd prefer a name that doesn't have a ton of spelling options. In fact, maybe you'd like a name with only one common spelling.

Creative namers could be able to twist some of these around, but those variations wouldn't be common. The names on this list will most likely give you an easy time when it comes to having your name spelled correctly when spoken. Can you think of more names that are hard to respell creatively?

Agatha Alba Alessia Alma Althea Amanda Anita Antonella Ariadne Arizona Astrid Audra August Avalon Azul Belen Belinda Bernadette Beth Blanca Brenda Charity Clementine Cordelia Dawn Demi Dixie Dominique Donna Doris Dulce Echo Elle Ember Emerald Emma Esperanza Estelle Etta Eunice Eve Felicity

Fernanda Florence Georgina Giada Gloria Guadalupe Harper Hattie Heather Henrietta Hollis Hope Ida Imogen Indigo Ingrid Ireland Iris Jessica Joelle Joyce Jubilee Judith June Juniper Liv Lois Lotus Louisa Louise Lucero Lucinda Luz Magdalena Magnolia Margarita Marie Martha Mary Meadow Merida Milagros

Moira Mona Monroe Octavia Opal Paloma Pamela Parker Paula Pepper Petra Pippa Poppy Princess Ramona Regina Rhiannon Romina Rosalind Ruth Sabine Salma Salome Sawyer Scout Selma Shannon Sheila Soleil Summer Sylvie Tess Valencia Vida Viola Virginia Whitney Wilhelmina Willa Yolanda Zelda Zinnia

This list is far from complete. What other names can you think of that may have only one common spelling? Would you refute any of these?

Robert or Bobby? - Full Given Names or Nicknames on the Birth Certificate?

Here in America, we tend to like putting the long, proper form of the name on the birth certificate even if we end up calling them by something else as a nickname. Other countries sometimes cut to the chase more often and just name them the short form to start with.

However, it isn't unheard of here in the US. The #2 boys' name of 2015, Liam, is essentially the second half of the name William. It's considered the Irish form, but it still ranks higher than its longer companion.

I thought it would be fun to browse the Top 1000 and find some names that are typically thought of as nicknames (or diminutives or short forms) more often than given names. Most of these are considered nicknames for something longer and many have probably stood alone for years. You may be surprised at how well some of these more abrupt names actually rank on their own:

Liam #2

Luke #28
Jack #40
Eli #53
Jace #75
Leo #91
Max #118
Jayce #132
Alex #134
Jase #182
Mark #196
Jake #205
Xander #207
Jax #214
Zander #249
Johnny #310
Andy #323
Enzo #330
Thiago #333
Drew #363
Jay #394
Theo #408
Danny #426
Alec #455
Nico #464
Ty #484
Jaime #485
Jerry #491
Tony #504
Chris #507  
Hank #534
Sam #554
Larry #556
Randy #570
Jimmy #575
Ricky #584
Joe #596
Niko #636
Mack #661
Terry #664
Eddie #668
Marc #673
Toby #689
Zeke #704
Tommy #705
Ray #713
Clay #718
Jon #737
Bobby #738
Ben #740
Joey #758
Ronnie #771
Willie #775
Maxim #779
Harry #781
Trace #801
Billy #8009
Jamie #821
Van #826
Will #834
Rudy ##868
Jordy #874
Franco #878
Kenny #890
Rey #903
Jessie #918
Rocky #927
Louie #967
Freddy #990
Frankie #992

Would you ever use any of these names alone or would you opt for Edward with the nickname Eddie or Kenneth with the nickname Kenny instead?  Can you think of any other names like these that you would consider?

Barely Used Girl Names: Mavis, Antonella & Poppy [Part One]

No doubt you heard about the social security administration's yearly baby name list that came out a couple weeks ago for the US in the year 2015.  As you know, the #1 name for the year was Emma for girls. They also published the Top 1000 names for each gender. Did you know they also have data available for the names beyond the Top 1000?

I often have parents ask me for "unique" name ideas. Now, it is hard to define what is truly unique because everyone has different definitions. Perhaps I've never met someone named Aspen or Mara but once I suggest those, you happen to have known a few and suddenly those aren't really all that unique to you even if they are to me. The best way to determine if a name is more on the unique side of things is to look at the data.

If a name is in the Top 10, there will probably be many kids with those names in the same school, which some parents want to avoid. The farther down on the list you browse, the less likely it is you will find another kid with the same name. If you completely avoid the Top 1000 altogether, you are more likely to be "unique" than not. At least in your area.

To increase your chances of having an uncommon, one of a kind name, it helps to toss out names that are simply respellings of popular names. For example, in this series, I will not be featuring any names that are similar to one that already ranks in the Top 1000.  Since there are names like Adeline (#135), Adelyn (#193), Adelynn (#275) and Adelina (#545) in the Top 1000, I would not be featuring Adilene (#1136) or Addalynn (#1150) because of their similarity. However, there aren't any other names like Poppy so it will be discussed below.

With all of that said, I want to welcome you to this new series that features ten barely used names per month. We'll explore our way down the list and cover more and more uncommon names as we go. In the parenthesis, the number of births for 2015 is listed, followed by the rank. First up:

Mavis (263 births - #1012)  

Mavis comes from the Old French word mauvis which means "thrush" and relates to a bird called the song thrush. Mavis may also mean "purple" in Greek. It was first used in the US for girls in 1893. It was most popular in the 1920s and 1930s, but it has declined in popularity since then. It dropped out of the Top 1000 by 1964, only recently has it gained usage, climbing up to its current rank which is just shy of the Top 1000.

Mercy (263 births - #1013)  

Mercy was one of the 17th century Puritan names, now considered a virtue name. It comes from the Latin merces which means "wages, reward" and is a version of the Latin merx meaning "goods, wares". It has been in use on record in the US since 1881. It was never within the Top 1000 names until it sneaked in at the bottom from the years 2012-2014. It dipped back down in 2015. Could it continue upward in the coming years?

India (261 births - #1015)  

The name India comes from the name of the country which is named after the Indus River. The river's name is Sanskrit meaning "body of trembling water, river". India has been in use in the US since 1880 on record.  It has been on and off the Top 1000 chart over the years, with its most impressive run from 1985 to 2005. The name has dipped down in 2015.

Antonella (260 births - #1018) 

Antonella is a female form of the Latin Antonius, which is a Roman family name. Its original meaning and origin are unknown but this family of names has become associated with the Greek anthos which means "flower." That's why that "h" is added into the boy name Anthony, but is generally left out of other forms like Antonella and Antonia. Antonella has only been around since 1954 on record in the US and is getting close to making its first appearance in the Top 1000. Sister name Antonia is ranked only 4 spots higher in 2015.

Robin (260 births - #1020) 

Robin is a unisex name that comes from Robert. Robert is a German name "bright fame". It is also the name of a red-breasted bird. It currently ranks for boys at #973, cracking the Top 1000 for the first time since 1999. But for girls, it is still laying low. Female Robin ranked in the Top 1000 from 1932 to 2004. It peaked in 1961 at #169. Today, it's getting close to reclaiming a top spot again.

Cambria (259 births - #1024)  

Cambria is the Latin form of the Welsh name Cymru which is actually the Welsh name for the country of Wales meaning "the people". So this is a place name. It has only been in use in the US for girls since 1963. It cracked the Top 1000 in the years 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014. It currently dipped back down. Could this name be more popular in the near future?

Poppy (257 births - #1033)  

While this name is very rare in the US, it's extremely popular in the UK, ranking as high as #5 in England and Wales recently. It comes from the Old English popæg which is also where the red flower gets its name. It first had usage in the US in 1919 as a name, but it has been inconsistent. It wasn't sued between 1983 and 1998 on record. Now, it's knocking at the door of the Top 1000.  Will it join soon?

Ellery (254 births - #1039)  

Ellery is an English surname which came from the medieval masculine name Hilary. It was derived from the Latin hilaris and the Greek Hilaros which mean "cheerful". Ellery was first used for boys as far back as 1884 in the US. The first female usage came in 1959. It only had 13 male births in 2015, but for girls, it is inching closer and closer to the Top 1000 every year.

Temperance (249 births - #1052)  

Temperance implies moderation and self-restraint. Like Mercy, it is also a virtue name used by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. In the US, though, it wasn't used on recent records until 1972. It has increased since 2006, likely influenced by the main character from the TV show Bones . It ranked in the Top 1000 from 2011 to 2014 but dipped below in 2015. Could it climb again or has it had its fun?

Belle (248 births - #1053) 

Despite the super popularity of Isabella (and Isabelle, Isabel, Isobel, etc), Belle has somehow managed to remain uncommon. While it may be considered a short form of one of those (or other -belle names), on its own, it is the French word for "beautiful". It had the most usage between the 1880s and the 1930s before dipping down low. It's climbing a bit lately and is just on the outskirts of the Top 1000 chart now, on which it has not ranked since 1934.

Which of these barely-used girl names do you enjoy most? Do you think any of these could gain more usage soon and become common or even popular in the coming years? 

Barely Used Boy Names: Harris, Bridger & Merrick [Part One]

We hear about common and popular names often. The social security administration's yearly baby name list came out a couple weeks ago for the US in the year 2015. Everybody loves to focus on the #1 names and the top 10. Quickly rising names are noted as ones to watch and quickly falling names get even more parents jumping overboard.

What about all of the names that float under the radar? There are still plenty of great names beyond the Top 1000 list. These would be excellent choices for parents who want something more unique rather than something popular. The ones that I've handpicked from 2015's data are all very usable for a modern boy despite being uncommon at the moment.

Welcome to my new series that features ten barely used names per month. We'll explore our way down the list and cover more and more uncommon names as we go. In the parenthesis, the number of births for 2015 is listed, followed by the rank. First up:

Harris  (202 births - #1002)  

Harris comes from a surname that's derived from Harry, which of course is a diminutive of Henry. Harris has been in use in the US since 1880 on record. It fell off the Top 1000 chart in the 1970s, but it's currently just outside of it and could rejoin again in the next year or five. Which do you like more, Harris, Harrison or Harry?

Jericho (198 births - #1014)  

Jericho is the name of a biblical city in Israel, mentioned in the Old Testament. It isn't clear what the name truly means, but it is associated with the Hebrew word yareach which means "moon", or it could possibly be related to the Hebrew word reyach meaning "fragrant". The name has only been in use in the US since 1970 but it's always been outside the Top 1000 except for twice in 2013 and 2014.

Teagan (198 births - #1016) 

Teagan comes from an Irish surname. It is the anglicized form of Ó Tadhgáin which indicates a "descendant of Tadhgán."  Tadhgán itself comes from the name Tadhg, pronounced TIEG, which means "poet" in Irish.  Teagan is used much more often for girls. It ranked at #228 in 2015 on the female side, but for boys it slipped out of the Top 1000 for the first time since 2003.  In all, it has only been in American use since 1986.

Bridger (197 births - #1019)  

Just as the name suggests, Bridger comes from an English surname which refers to a person who lived near or worked on a bridge. Americans have used this name occasionally since 1974. The few times it has ranked within the Top 1000, it was never higher up than #907 which was its peak in 2013. Will it become the next big occupational surname name for boys? Will it ever rise higher than the bottom of the charts?

Keanu (197 births - #1020)  This handsome Hawaiian name means "the cool breeze" from the elements ke and anu. It is indeed a cool name, but does its Hollywood star-power make it unusable or does Mr. Reeves give it the right amount of familiarity? It may indeed be because of him that the name has received usage at all because it's only been around on record in the US since 1990, coinciding with the actor's popularity. It ranked in the Top 1000 from 1994-2005, could it rejoin again soon?

Foster (195 births - #1030) 

Foster is an English surname that has several different possible origins. First, it could be a contraction of Forester, referring to a keeper of the forest. Second, Foster may come from an Old French occupational name, forcetier, which is a scissor maker; or perhaps fustrier which is a woodworker. Lastly, it may be derived from the word foster which means to encourage or promote development, and would refer to those who care for children who are not their own. Foster has been in use in the US since 1880, ranking until the early 1960s. It was in the Top 1000 again in 2013-2014 but fell as of 2015. Could it make its way up the chart?

Randall (193 births - #1035) 

It comes from Randel which is a diminutive of Randolf and other similar names that start with rand- which is a Germanic element meaning "rim (of a shield)".This name is admittedly much more dated than the rest. It ranked very well from the early 1950s to the early 1960s, hitting as high as #53 in 1955. It may feel more like a dad/grandpa name right now, but it has always been in use and could work on modern boys still today. However, data indicates it is on its way down since it dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2015 for the first time since 1905. Is it time for this name to fade or does it deserve to stick around?

Howard (192 births - #1037)  

The surname Howard comes from either the German given name Hughard or the Ancient Scandinavian name Haward / Hávarðr. The first is composed of the Germanic elements hug meaning "heart, mind" and hard meaning "brave, hardy". The second has Old Norse elements há meaning "high" and varðr meaning "guardian, defender". So which is it? Well, Howard may also be derived from ewehirde which is a Middle English term for a ewe herder. I'll let you choose your favorite.  This name has always been in use but it peaked in 1921 and again in 1947. It has always ranked within the Top 1000 except for the years 2013 and 2015. Do you think it will continue to fall?

Garrison (191 births - #1042) 

Garrison is a word that refers to a body of troops stationed within a fortified stronghold in order to protect it. It also refers simply to the city, fortress or ship used by the military base. Garrison comes from the French word garnison, from the verb garnir meaning "to equip". It is also an English surname meaning "son of Garrett". Garrison has been used as a given name in the US since 1912. It didn't rank in the Top 1000 until 1986. The highest it has ranked is #566 in 1999. As of 2015, it's dipped back below the Top 1000.

Merrick (190 births - #1046)

 Merrick comes from an English surname which was originally derived from Meurig, the Welsh form of the name Maurice. Now, Maurice comes from the Roman name Mauritius or Maurus which is Latin for "dark skinned". The name Merrick dates back to 1905 in the US for boys. It does have occasional usage for girls since 1981, but it has never ranked within the Top 1000 for either gender. As of 2014 for boys, it was as close as it has ever been with a rank of #1036, but it dropped a bit by 2015. Will it ever crack the list?

Which of these ten names do you like most? Which do you think could be the first of them to rank on the Top 1000 chart in the coming years? Which names will only decline more?

Darby

From our new series, Darby is today's featured "-by" name.

Darby is both a masculine and a feminine name. It originally comes from the name Derby which is an Old Norse name meaning "deer town". Derby is the name of a town in England which lent itself to becoming an English surname as well. That's where Darby comes from.

There is an interesting proverbial phrase used by the British called "Darby and Joan" which refers to a married couple who are celebrated for their mutual devotion to one another. It is used to describe a couple that are content to share a quiet life together.

This saying was first mentioned in print as a poem by Henry Woodfall in 1735 which featured John Darby and his wife Joan as the main characters. Another poet named St. John Honeywood wrote something similar as well shortly after. These two poems aren't the only mentions for Darby and Joan since it is a common phrase.

As a name, Darby was first used in the US on males in 1913. Female usage began in 1936. Overtime, the number of births per year remained steady for males, but increased for females. Darby joined the Top 1000 chart on the girls' side from 1994 to 2002. It ranked as high as #499 in 1995. As of 2014, female Darbys rank down at #1891 with only 105 births. Male Darbys rank even lower with only 28 births for 2014.

So what do you think of this name? Would you use it for a boy or for a girl? Since we're highlighting it as a girl's name today, we'll also explore some middle name ideas for her, along with ideas for names that would work for a sibling of a Darby:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Addison, Bridget, Fallon, Harper, Kendall, Mackenzie, Shannon, Teagan
Brothers: Ashton, Casey, Donovan, Griffin, Keegan, Rory, Stellan, Tristan

Middle Name Ideas:
Darby Caitlin
Darby Eleanor
Darby Laine
Darby Susannah
Darby Violet

As a Middle Name:
Alanna Darby
Evelyn Darby
Julianne Darby
Olivia Darby
Rebekah Darby

What middle name would you pair with Darby? And what would you name her siblings? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Names Ending with the Letters "-by"

We previously featured names that end with the letters -ay. Now we'll continue on to -by names in this new mini-series that dives into name endings.

There is something so adorable about these names that end with the letters "-by". Many of these are unusual which is perfect for those seeking something special for their child. Take a look and see if you don't agree with me about their adorability factor:

Girls:

Abby
Ashby
Baby
Catesby
Colby
Darby
Debby
Effaby
Gabby
Kelby
Kirby
Kolby
Libby
Maeby
Quenby
Ruby
Shelby
Tabby

Interestingly, there are more -by names for boys than for girls:

Boys:

Alby
Ashby
Barnaby
Bartleby
Bixby
Bobby
Coby
Colby
Corby
Crosby
Darby
Digby
Gatsby
Gibby
Herby
Jacoby
Joby
Kelby
Kirby
Koby
Kolby
Rigby
Robby
Roxby
Saxby
Selby
Toby
Willoughby

Can you think of any more that could be added? Which are your favorites?! Be sure to view the rest of this series as it is published using the links below:

<--- Names ending with the letters "-ay"  ||  Names ending with the letters "-cy" -->

Potentially Hyphenated Names Used for Girls in the US

There could be a number of reasons why parents would opt for a hyphenated name. Maybe they have 3 or 4 favorites that they just cannot narrow down. Maybe they'd like to honor two people in one name. Maybe they just like how it sounds. Whatever their reasons, hyphenated names do get used quite often, even here in the US, it's just that none of them have managed to get enough births per year to rank all that high.

I tried to avoid smoosh names, like -leighs and -annas and -lynnes, and only pull out the ones that are plausibly hyphenated. However, it is hard to tell since the SSA's data doesn't account for any hyphens and writes it all as one name. Perhaps the name could have been intended to be written as one, but most of these are most likely hyphenated, especially the longer ones.

There could be some that were written with spaces. For example, I doubt that Mariadejesus is one word or hyphenated, but that's how it came up in the data. Perhaps they put Maria de Jesus in the "first name box" and then something else as a middle name in addition to it. Again, the data makes it a bit difficult to know. Many of the more Spanish names on this list may not actually be hyphenated. Another is Mariadelcarmen or Maria del Carmen. Both of these names, and others like them, are probably spaced as two+ first names, but since I can't prove otherwise, I decided to include them.

I may have missed some names, but let me tell you, there ended up being way more names on this list than I anticipated:

Maria-Jose (119 births in 2014)
Ava-Marie (84 births)

Emma-Rose (64 births)
Ana-Maria (59 births)
Emma-Grace (55 births)
Ella-Mae (54 births)
Bella-Rose (42 births)
Anna-Grace (38 births)
Ellie-Mae (37 births)
Maria-Fernanda (36 births)
Anna-Sophia (33 births)
Mary-Kate (33 births)
Ella-Marie (29 births)
Mary-Elizabeth (28 births)
Ava-Grace (27 births)
Emma-Jean (27 births)
Ella-Rose (26 births)
Mary-Grace (26 births)
Ana-Paula (24 births)
Harley-Quinn (24 births)
Lily-Rose (24 births)
Mary-Lou (24 births)
Mary-Ellen (23 births)
Anna-Rose (22 births)
Dulce-Maria (22 births)
Ana-Victoria (21 births)
Ana-Sophia (19 b irths)
Bella-Marie (19 births)
Maria-Elena (19 births)
Mary-Alice (19 births)
Anna-Claire (18 births)
Hannah-Grace (17 births)
Ella-Grace (16 births)
Maria-Guadalupe (16 births)
Anna-Sofia (15 births)
Ella-Kate (15 births)
Lilly-Mae (15 births)

Bella-Grace (14 births)
Mary-Bella (14 births)
Mary-Catherine (14 births)
Mary-Rose (14 births)
Olivia-Grace (14 births)
Sophia-Grace (14 births)
Sophia-Marie (14 births)
Anna-Kate (13 births)
Emily-Rose (13 births)
Lily-Belle (13 births)
Mary-Katherine (13 births)
Stella-Rose (13 births)
Amelia-Rose (12 births)
Mary-Margaret (12 births)
Olivia-Rose (12 births)
Amber-Rose (11 births)
Briar-Rose (11 births)
Emma-Kate (11 births)
Ivy-Rose (11 births)
Leah-Marie (11 births)
Sarah-Grace (11 births)
Ana-Rosa (10 births)
Autumn-Rose (10 births)
Gracie-Mae (10 births)
Isabella-Rose (10 births)
Layla-Marie (10 births)
Maria-Isabel (10 births)
Mary-Claire (10 births)
Mary-Frances (10 births)
Sadie-Mae (10 births)
Scarlett-Rose (10 births)
Sophia-Rose (10 births)

Ana-Brenda (9 births)
Angel-Marie (9 births)
Emma-Claire (9 births)
Emma-Jane (9 births)
Emma-Marie (9 births)
Faith-Marie (9 births)
Maria-Clara (9 births)
Maria-Luisa (9 births)
Zoey-Jane (9 births)
Ana-Isabel (8 births)
Anna-Lucia (8 births)
Bella-Rae (8 births)
Daisy-Mae (8 births)
Emma-Sofia (8 births)
Evelyn-Rose (8 births)
Isabella-Marie (8 births)
Jada-Marie (8 births)
Layla-Rose (8 births)
Lily-Grace (8 births)
Luz-Marie (8 births)
Sadie-Ann (8 births)
Aaliyah-Rose (7 births)
Annabel-Lee (7 births)
Annie-Mae (7 births)
Ellie-May (7 births)
Eva-Rose (7 births)
Gianna-Marie (7 births)
Jayla-Rose (7 births)
Jessa-Mae (7 births)
Lillie-Mae (7 births)
Mary-Angel (7 births)
Mary-Carmen (7 births)
Mary-Clare (7 births)
Mary-Cruz (7 births)
Mary-jo (7 births)
Rosa-Isela (7 births)
Sarah-Jane (7 births)
Sofia-Grace (7 births)

Aaliyah-Marie (6 births)
Abigail-Grace (6 births)
Abigail-Marie (6 births)
Abigail-Rose (6 births)
Allie-Mae (6 births)
Anna-Paula (6 births)
Ava-Jane (6 births)
Ava-Nicole (6 births)
Bria-Marie (6 births)
Callie-Ann (6 births)
Carrie-Anne (6 births)
Charlee-Ann (6 births)
Chloe-Marie (6 births)
Elizabeth-Ann (6 births)
Ella-Jane (6 births)
Ellie-Rose (6 births)
Emma-Mae (6 births)
Emmie-Lou (6 births)
Eva-Mae (6 births)
Harley-Ann (6 births)
Jean-Marie (6 births)
Kiley-Ann (6 births)
Kyleigh-Ann (6 births)
Laila-Rose (6 births)
Layla-Grace (6 births)
Maria-Camila (6 births)
Maria-Cecilia (6 births)
Maria-Eduarda (6 births)
Maria-Luiza (6 births)
Maria-Victoria (6 births)
Mary-Jean (6 births)
Mary-Jose (6 births)
Melody-Rose (6 births)
Natalie-Rose (6 births)
Penelope-Rose (6 births)
Serenity-Rose (6 births)
Sofia-Rose (6 births)
Stella-Mae (6 births)
Taylor-Rae (6 births)

Amelia-Grace (5 births)
Ana-Cristina (5 births)
Ana-Isabella (5 births)
Ana-Rose (5 births)
Anna-Jean (5 births)
Anna-Joy (5 births)
Anna-May (5 births)
Anna-Rae (5 births)
Anna-Victoria (5 births)
Ariana-Marie (5 births)
Athena-Marie (5 births)
Aubrey-Rose (5 births)
Ava-Claire (5 births)
Ava-Elizabeth (5 births)
Ava-Sophia (5 births)
Avery-Marie (5 births)
Ayla-Mae (5 births)
Brooklyn-Rose (5 births)
Carrie-Ann (5 births)
Charlie-Mae (5 births)
Delilah-Rose (5 births)
Eliana-Grace (5 births)
Elizabeth-Grace (5 births)
Eliza-Jane (5 births)
Ellie-Kate (5 births)
Elly-Mae (5 births)
Emma-Beth (5 births)
Emma-Kay (5 births)
Eva-Maria (5 births)
Gianna-Rose (5 births)
Hazel-Marie (5 births)
Ivy-Marie (5 births)
Jade-Marie (5 births)
Julia-Rose (5 births)
Kayla-Marie (5 births)
Lena-Marie (5 births)
Lily-Marie (5 births)
Luna-Marie (5 births)
Luz-Mary (5 births)
Madison-Rose (5 births)
Mara-Jade (5 births)
Maria-Belen (5 births)
Maria-Emilia (5 births)
Maria-Paula (5 births)
Mary-Helen (5 births)
Mary-Jayne (5 births)
Mary-June (5 births)
Mia-Marie (5 births)
Mia-Nicole (5 births)
Mira-Jane (5 births)
Molly-Ann (5 births)
Sara-Grace (5 births)
Savannah-Grace (5 births)
Savannah-Jo (5 births)
Savannah-Lynn (5 births)
Sophie-Ann (5 births)
Violet-Rose (5 births)
Winter-Rose (5 births)
Zoey-Marie (5 births)


What a list! What do you think about hyphenated names? Would you ever use one? Which of these catches your eye the most?  Don't forget to check out the list of hyphenated boy names too!

Potentially Hyphenated Names Used for Boys in the US

Have you ever met someone with a double-barreled first name? Two first names strung together by a hyphen? It happens often enough to be a thing, but yet it is still somewhat rare depending on where you live.

There could be a number of reasons why parents would opt for a hyphenated name. Perhaps they couldn't narrow down their favorites and decided to use them all. Perhaps they'd like to honor two people in one name. Or maybe they just like how the two names sound together. Hyphenated names do get used often, even here in the US, however none of them have managed to get enough births per year to rank all that high. The majority of the names on this list have less than 20 births per year.

Since the SSA's data doesn't account for any hyphens and writes it all as one name, it is impossible to know how these names are truly intended to be written. Perhaps the name was meant to be written as one, or maybe the child received two first names rather than a first and a middle.

There could be some that were written with spaces. For example, it is unlikely that Juandedios or Angeldejesus are one word or hyphenated, but that's how it came up in the data. These are probably listed as Juan de Dios and Angel de Jesus in the "first name box".

Again, the data isn't clear. These could be one name. These could be hyphenated. Or these could be spaced as two+ first-names.  Also, I probably missed quite a few of the more foreign ones, but I included a few of them below that seemed most intuitive. Here is what I compiled:

John-Paul  (164 births)

Abdul-Aziz (97 births)
John-Luke (46 births)
John-Michael (35 births)
Abdul-Malik (31 births)
John-David (27 births)
King-James (20 births)
Jesse-James (19 births)
Muhammad-Ali (16 births)
John-Thomas (15 births)
Abdul-Kareem (14 births)
John-Anthony (13 births)
John-Henry (13 births)
John-Patrick (13 births)
King-David (13 births)
John-Carlo (12 births)
John-Carlos (12 births)
Jon-Paul (12 births)
Marc-Anthony (12 births)
Mark-Anthony (11 births)
Michael-Anthony (10 births)
Abdul-Karim (9 births)
Ethan-James (9 births)
Jay-Mason (9 births)
John-Mark (9 births)
John-Robert (9 births)
Jon-Luke (9 births)
Sir-Charles (9 births)
Jay-Anthony (8 births)
John-Daniel (8 births)
John-William (8 births)
Jon-Carlo (8 births)
Jon-Carlos (8 births)
Sean-Patrick (8 births)
Aiden-James (8 births)
James-Michael (7 births)
Joe-Anthony (7 births)
John-Ryan (7 births)
Jon-Michael (7 births)
Joshua-James (7 births)
King-Michael (7 births)
King-Solomon (7 births)
Liam-Gabriel (7 births)
Liam-James (7 births)
Liam-Matthew (7 births)
Liam-Michael (7 births)
Chris-Angel (6 births)
Elijah-James (6 births)
James-Ryan (6 births)
John-Joseph (6 births)
King-Charles (6 births)
King-Elijah (6 births)
Michael-Gabriel (6 births)
Sean-Michael (6 births)
Tyler-James (6 births)
Andrew-James (5 births)
Billy-Joe (5 births)
Carter-James (5 births)
Christian-James (5 births)
Christopher-John (5 births)
David-James (5 births)
Jacob-Anthony (5 births)
James-Dean (5 births)
James-Patrick (5 births)
John-Gabriel (5 births)
John-Wesley (5 births)
Jon-David (5 births)
King-Anthony (5 births)
King-Joseph (5 births)
Lee-Andrew (5 births)
Liam-Alexander (5 births)
Matthew-James (5 births)
Noah-Gabriel (5 births)
Paul-Anthony (5 births)
Prince-Charles (5 births)
Ryan-Paul (5 births)
Sir-William (5 births)

Latin Combination names (Spanish, Italian, even French):
These could be one name. These could be hyphenated. Or these could be spaced as two first names. It is hard to tell from the data. How do you imagine the following names would be written?

Gianluca (158 births)
Miguel-Angel (110 births)
Juan-Carlos (89 births)
Juan-Pablo (87 births)
Jose-Luis (86 births)
Jean-Carlos (75 births)
Michelangelo (74 births)
Jeancarlo (48 births)
Michaelangelo (42 births)
Jose-Manuel (35 births)
Luis-Angel (35 births)
Giancarlos (34 births)
Jose-Angel (33 births)
Juan-Diego (28 births)
Juan-Jose (28 births)
Gianmarco (26 births)
Jose-Maria (23 births)
Jose-Miguel (22 births)
Gianfranco (21 births)
Jean-Paul (21 births)
Jose-Antonio (21 births)
Jean-Pierre (18 births)
Juan-Manuel (16 births)
Marco-Antonio (16 births)
Juan-Antonio (14 births)
Gianlucas (11 births)
Jose-Carlos (10 births)
Jose-Juan (10 births)
Juan de Dios (10 births)
Angel-Gabriel (9 births)
Gianlucca (9 births)
Juan-Angel (9 births)
Juan-Daniel (9 births)
Juan-David (8 births)
Luis-Antonio (8 births)
Gianluigi (7 births)
Jiancarlo (7 births)
Jose-Julian (7 births)
Juan-Luis (7 births)
Luis-Fernando (7 births)
Angel de Jesus (6 births)
Carlos-Daniel (6 births)
Jorge-Luis (6 births)
Jose de Jesus (6 births)
Juan-Andres (6 births)
Luis-Daniel (6 births)
Luis-Enrique (6 births)
Luis-Mario (6 births)
Don-Juan (5 births)
Giankarlo (5 births)
Gianmichael (5 births)
Jose-Daniel (5 births)
Luis-Carlos (5 births)
Luis-Manuel (5 births)
Victor-Hugo (5 births)
Victor-Manuel (5 births)

I suspect that many of these are double first names rather than actually hyphenated, but since we can't know for sure, they have been included here.  Which do you like? Are there any that you think do not flow well together?

Stay tuned for the list of potentially hyphenated girls' names. It is SO much longer than this list!

What Were The Top Baby Names in 2015?

If you had a baby in the year 2015, you essentially cast your vote for the most popular names in the country.  And since another year has come and gone, we now get to dive into the latest baby name data!

As you may know, the Social Security Administration rounds up the applications submitted for the year and they tally up how many names received how many births. It may not always be completely accurate, but it is very telling. It allows us to analyze which names are trending throughout the country.

This is important for many parents who do not want their kids to be one of five Liams in a classroom. Some people try their best to avoid any name ranking within the Top 10, or Top 100 or even the Top 1000. Statistics are important, people.

So which names were used the most in 2015?

You can view the full Top 1000 names on this list here.  Do you have any favorites in the Top 10?

English Royalty Names for Females

Princess Charlotte of Cambridge's first birthday is today, May 2, 2016. To celebrate, let's take a look at the names of female rulers of England and other Royal Princesses.

While there have been many rulers of England in history, the vast majority of them have been male. However, some of the most influential rulers were the Queens, especially Queen Victoria and our current, long-reigning Queen Elizabeth II.

Last week we took a look at the names of male rulers and their meanings and popularity over time. Now it is time to look at the women.

Names of Queens of England:

Mary:

Mary comes from the Greek Mariam and Maria which were derived from the Hebrew Miryam. It's no secret that Mary (and Maria and Marie, etc) is by far the #1 name for women around the world. It ranked at either #1 or #2 in the US from 1880-1965. It wasn't until 2009 that it dropped out of the Top 100. As of 2014, Mary ranked at #120. It has been so well used that its starting to be a bit less favorable but it will most likely always be in decent use.

1553-1558 Mary I House of Tudor
1689-1694 William III of Orange and Mary II (jointly) House of Orange

Elizabeth:

Elizabeth comes from the Hebrew name Elisheva meaning "God is an oath" or "pledged to God". This name has been used well by Christians in Europe and in medieval England, especially after the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century.  Elizabeth ranked in the Top 10 from 1880-1923, and again from the 1980s to now. The name has always been within the Top 30 though. It is also extremely popular as a middle name. In 2014, it ranked at #14.

1558-1603 Elizabeth I
1952- Elizabeth II (Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Head of the Commonwealth of Nations)

Anne:

Anne is the French form of Anna which, along with Hannah, comes from the Hebrew name Channah meaning "grace".  Anne and Ann were introduced to England in the 13th century and was commonly used since then. Anne has always ranked within the Top 700, typically within the Top 200. As of 2014, it ranked at #553.

1702-1714 Anne House of Stuart

Victoria:

Victoria means "victory" in Latin, in line with the Roman goddess of victory. It is the feminine form of the male Victorius. Believe it or not, Victoria was a rare name until Queen Victoria came around in the 19th century. Victoria has always ranked within the Top 300. It ranked the best within the 1990s. As of 2014, it was #19.

1837-1901 Victoria (Empress of India 1876-1901) House of Hanover

Short-reigning female rulers who were snubbed of their right to rule:

Matilda:

Matilda comes from the Germanic name Mahthildis meaning "strength in battle", from the elements maht "might, strength" and hild "battle". This was the name of a woman who was very nearly a ruler of England. It has also been the name of some wives of kings. The name was popular in England after being introduced by the Normans. Matilda ranked well in the US around 1915. It ranked within the Top 1000 from 1880 to the early 1960s, fell off the chart, and is now back on it as of 2008. The name is slowly climbing the charts, ranking at #583 in 2014.

Empress Matilda (7 April 1141 – 1 November 1141 - daughter of Henry I)

Jane:

Jane is the female form of John which comes from Jehanne, Iohannes and ultimately the Hebrew name Yochanan meaning "YAHWEH is gracious".  Jane ranked in the Top 100 from 1911 to 1965. It has now dropped down to #322 in 2014.

Lady Jane (10 July 1553 – 19 July 155)

Other Royal Names for Females: 

The following list is compiled from the firsts and middle names of Royal Princesses by blood, as well as some of the names of the wives of kings.  I recommend that you take a look at this page that lists out the first/middle name combinations. These are so beautiful and worth a browse.

Adelaide
Adeliza
Adolphine
Agnes
Alberta
Alexandra
Alexandrina
Alice
Amelia
Anne
Augusta
Beatrice
Berengaria
Bertha
Blanche
Caroline
Catherine
Charlotte
Christabel
Dagmar
Dorothea
Edith
Edwina
Eleanor
Elisabeth
Elizabeth
Emma
Ernestine
Feodore
Frederica
Georgiana
Georgina
Helen
Helena
Henrietta
Isabel
Isabella
Josephine
Leopoldine
Louise
Margaret
Maria
Marie
Mary
Matilda
Maud
Melita
Norah
Olga
Patricia
Pauline
Philippa
Rose
Sophia
Theresa
Vera
Victoria
Wilhemina

There are probably some names that were missed or deemed a bit too unusual to include. Of the names above that made the list, which do you like most?  What would you name a future sister to George and Charlotte of Cambridge?