Boy Name of the Week: Edmund

The Boy Name of the Week is Edmund! It was recently featured on my list of old-fashioned, vintage boy names. Edmund is a cool and classic choice that would be handsome on a little guy today.

It is a sophisticated English name meaning "fortunate protector." I like the spelling Edmund more, but there is also the French form Edmond. I do like the Irish variation Eamon as well.

Not very many names have a popular, historical quote written about them, but Edmund does. In Jane Austen's book "Mansfield Park," the character Fanny says "There is nobleness in the name of Edmund. It is a name of heroism and renown; of kings, princes, and knights; and seems to breathe the spirit of chivalry and warm affections."  And the poet John Keats once said, "Had my name been Edmund, I would have been more fortunate." I would say that is a mighty fine testament to the name!

If you're considering naming your little prince Edmund, you may want to know more about its statistics! As far as ranking goes, this name was ranked the highest in 1914 at #130 on the US Top 1000 chart. In that year, 792 babies were born with the name. However, there are several years that have more births but a lower ranking.

I like to gage popularity more by the number of births than the rank. From 1916 to 1926, Edmund was at its  peak! It averaged just over 1000 births each year.

Source

Since then, Edmund was steadily used for 500-600 babies per year until usage declined in the late 1960s. Since the 70s, there has been a steady average of 120-250 births per year or so. Aside from decent numbers in the 1920s, this name has never been all that popular. In 2012, there were only 133 Edmunds born, ranking the name at #1295.  It hasn't been in the Top 1000 since it ranked #924 in 1997.

Do you think this is a name that deserves to be revived or is it just too old-fashioned? With the recent popularity of similar-name Edward, I would like to see more little Eddies on the playground.  What do you think?

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Abigail, Celia, Lucy, Margaret, Sophia, Violet
Brothers: Bennett, David, Joseph, Maximilian, Nicholas, Zachary

Middle Name Ideas:
Edmund Wilder
Edmund Clark
Edmund Ray
Edmund Vincent
Edmund Quinn

As a Middle Name:
Ryan Edmund
Tyler Edmund
Cole Edmund
Daniel Edmund
Blake Edmund

Old-fashioned, Vintage Boy Names

Today, the new trend is to find old-fashioned, grandma-era names for girls. Many names that were previously thought of as fusty and unusable are now very popular today. What about grandpa names?

Does the popularity of old-fashioned boy names compare to that of the girls? Boys have always had more classic and traditional names at the top of the charts. Names like Michael, William and John have always been popular. Do you think any of the following names might make a comeback if they aren't already?

Abraham
Alfred
Alvin
Amos
Arnold
Arthur
Asa
August
Barnaby
Calvin
Cecil
Clarence
Chester
Clyde
Dewey
Edmund
Edwin
Emmett
Ernest
Eugene
Franklin
Frederick
George
Gilbert
Gus
Harold
Henry
Herbert
Homer
Howard
Humphrey
Irving
Isaac
Isaiah
Jasper
Julius
Leopold
Lester
Lionel
Lloyd
Louis
Martin
Marvin
Maurice
Melvin
Milton
Montgomery
Murray
Nathaniel
Norman
Oscar
Orville
Otto
Percy
Philip
Raymond
Roman
Samuel
Sebastian
Silas
Stanley
Thaddeus
Theodore
Tobias
Vernon
Virgil
Walter
Wendell
Winston
Willard

Which of these names do you like best for a modern boy?  Do you have any that should be added to the list?  Don't forget to check out the list of Old-Fashioned, Vintage Girl Names too!

Royal Baby Name Odds! What's Your Guess?

Image: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, by Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

Soon, England will have a brand new heir to the throne. Prince William and Kate Middleton are expecting a royal offspring soon and bets are flying as to the gender and the name. A bookmaking firm in the UK are even taking bets on what the child's future profession might be and what their hair color would be. (Click here to view all the odds.)

Some people are beginning to wonder if these bookmakers know something that we don't. William and Kate have stated that they do not know the gender of the child and are not going to find out until it is born, but the bookmakers have the odds set at 2-7 for a little princess, and only 11-2 for a prince. This may be based on a slip-up from Kate where she very nearly said "my daughter."

The girl name with the best odds is Alexandra at 5-2. This seems to be the most popular choice all around and it happens to have been my first choice before I ever saw the odds. Queen Alexandra sounds beautiful to me!

In second place is Charlotte with 4/1 odds, which is the middle name of Kate's sister Philippa "Pippa" Middleton.  Charlotte is also a feminization of Charles, who is William's father. This name has become a popular choice to bet on recently, as odds have changed from 12-1 to 4-1.

Elizabeth, the name of William's grandmother and the reigning Queen of England, is ranked at 5/1 odds. However, I have doubts that they would want to purposefully place another Queen Elizabeth back on the throne so soon.  Personally, I would go for a different name to avoid confusion ("which Queen Elizabeth?") even though they do sometimes choose an entirely different name to be known as.

Diana is ranked in 4th place with the odds of 6/1. While Diana is the name of Prince William's late mother, this is not a historically royal name (it has no royal antecedents.) Also, since the accession rules have changed, William and Kate's firstborn will be the heir no matter the gender. With lingering mixed-feelings about Diana's inharmonious history, it truly does not have a good chance of first name usage. However, I would bet on Diana being one of the child's multiple middle names.

More odds include Victoria (7-1), Mary (10-1), Eleanor (12-1), Alice (14-1), Anne, Frances, Grace and Sophia (20-1) for girls.

For boys, the number one name on the bookmaker's radar is George which ranks at 12-1. George is my top pick for a boy. It is a handsome and strong regal name, the name of Queen Elizabeth's grandfather.

Next would be Charles (William's father's name) ranking in at 25/1 along with James, John, Louis and Phillip (the name of Queen Elizabeth's husband, William's grandfather.) These top boy contenders are very handsome and have a solid history. I would be happy seeing any of them used, but I have to say that I don't think Charles will be chosen as a first name. It just seems a bit too soon to have another Charles since the current Prince Charles is first in line to the throne.

Other boy names that I'd like to see used include Albert, Alfred, Arthur and Frederick.

What do you think?  Place your bets on the first name, and just for fun, throw in some middle names that you'd like to see used!

My bets:  Alexandra and George.

Alexandra Charlotte Diana Grace or Alexandra Diana Elizabeth Mary

George Arthur William Philip or George Albert Charles Louis

That was extremely difficult to decide upon. I even looked at all of the immediate relatives' names to see which names haven't been used very frequently and which have.  However, if they don't go with the most traditional and obvious choices that the family always seems to use, I'd love to see something slightly more unexpected like Alexandra Eleanor Diana Margaret or Alexandra Isabella Matilda Jane. And for boys: George Frederick Albert Thomas or George Oliver Michael Rupert.

Okay, I'll stop there. This is way too much fun! (I should have been royal!)   Of course, it is not up to me! We shall wait and see what they choose!  Place your bets!

The True Top 50 Names - Very Important for Expecting Parents!

This amazingly informative list was originally put together by Kelli at NameFreak!  I cannot take the credit, but I had to share. I think it is very important that expecting parents have access to this sort of thing.

She called it the "Playground Analysis," which is a great way to describe it! When you are out and about and you hear a child's name, you have no idea how it is spelled.

Let's say you are currently pregnant with your first boy and you are in love with the name Jackson. It honors your husband, your husband's father and grandfather, your late brother Jack, and it is your mother's maiden name too. It seems perfect!!  But popularity does concern you. According to the SSA's Top 1000 chart, Jackson ranks at #22. That is a bit too high for your usual liking, but Jackson is so perfect for your family that you commit to using it anyway and announce it to your family and friends!

However, you're on the playground one day with your three year old and you start noticing many children named Jackson. Suddenly, Jackson is everywhere and it really bothers you.  "But it's only at #22, it can't be that bad. It must be a coincidence, right?"

Well, there is more to it than that.

When you combine all of the different spellings, Jackson, Jaxon, Jaxson and Jaxen, your absolute favorite name in the world isn't ranked at the tolerable #22, it is actually ranked as the #2 most popular name in the US!

What now? Do you go ahead with it anyway?

This is the type of thing that I think is super important for parents to know! The SSA only accounts for popularity by individual spelling, but in a world of "unique spellings" (read: misspellings), you cannot be sure how popular your favorite names really are.  Take Aiden, for instance. The SSA has it ranked at #10 but with all the different spellings, it is truly the most popular name in the country! Would that make you think twice about naming your son Aiden?

Some people are not concerned with popularity and would rather have their child fit in as one of 7 Aidens in a classroom than stand out with an odd name.  However, others are horrified by the thought!  No matter where you fall with your concern, here is a list that compiles all the spellings together.

Some names to make a note of are Aiden, Jackson, Kayden, Caleb, Brayden, Nicholas, Cameron, Connor, Dominic and Colton. I apologize if I make you completely reassess your name list because of this.

This is the truest Top 50 that you can possibly find according to 2012 records.  The listed name is the SSA's spelling. The number in parenthesis is the SSA's ranking, followed by all the possible variations that alter the stats. Remember, these are listed by combining all the options together and re-ranking them.

Boy Names

1. Aiden (10) – Aaden, Adan, Aden, Aidan, Aidyn, Aydan, Ayden, Aydin
2. Jackson (22) – Jaxen, Jaxson, Jaxon
3. Jayden (7) – Jaden, Jadon, Jaeden, Jaiden, Jaidyn, Jaydon
4. Jacob (1) – Jakob, Jaycob
5. Mason (2) – Maison, Masen, Mayson
6. Ethan (3)
7. Noah (4)
8. William (5)
9. Liam (6)
10. Michael (8) – Micheal
11. Kayden (99) – Caden, Caiden, Cayden, Kaden, Kaeden, Kaiden
12. Alexander (9) – Alexzander
13. Matthew (12) – Mathew)
14. Elijah (13) – Alijah
15. Daniel (11)
16. James (14)
17. Anthony (15)
18. Caleb (32) – Kaleb
19. Benjamin (16)
20. Christopher (23) – Cristopher, Kristopher
21. Joshua (17)
22. Andrew (18)
23. David (19)
24. Joseph (20)
25. Logan (21)
26. Lucas (27) – Lukas
27. Christian (33) – Cristian, Kristian
28. Landon (34) – Landen, Landyn
**All of the variants of "Max" would fit right here when calculated based on nickname. (See below)**
29. Gabriel (24)
30. Brayden (39) – Braden, Bradyn, Braeden, Braiden, Braydon
31. Samuel (25)
32. Jonathan (35) – Johnathan, Johnathon, Jonathon
33. John (28) – Jon
34. Ryan (26)
35. Dylan (31) – Dillon
36. Nicholas (49) – Nicolas, Nickolas, Nikolas
37. Isaac (30) – Issac
38. Nathan (29)
39. Carter (36) – Karter
40. Cameron (54) – Camren, Camron, Camryn, Kameron, Kamron, Kamryn
41. Connor (59) – Conner, Conor, Konner, Konnor
42. Isaiah (42) – Isiah, Izaiah, Izayah
43. Luke (37)
44. Owen (38)
45. Gavin (40) – Gavyn
46. Dominic (70) – Dominick, Dominik, Dominique
47. Jordan (48) – Jorden, Jordyn
48. Wyatt (41)
49. Colton (65) – Colten, Kolten, Kolton
50. Henry (43)

Notable changes to the girl's list include Zoey. When combined with Zoe and Zoie, this name jumps from #20 to a true #7. More popular than you thought, huh? Another big change is Madelyn. You may think that this name is finally losing its steam, but when you add all the other spellings, Madelyn is no longer #67, it is actually #13.  Same thing with names like Layla, Hailey, Riley, Aaliyah, Kaylee, Arianna, Kaitlin, Adalyn and Elena among others. These girl names really move around a lot, so take a good look at the list below! You may find yourself reevaluating your favorite names. (Sorry about that!)

Girl Names

1. Sophia (1) – Sofia
2. Isabella (3) – Isabela, Izabella
3. Emma (2)
4. Olivia (4) – Alivia, Alyvia
5. Ava (5) – Avah
6. Emily (6) – Emely, Emilee, Emilie, Emmalee
7. Zoey (20) – Zoe, Zoie
8. Chloe (11) – Khloe
9. Madison (9) – Maddison, Madisyn, Madyson
10. Aubrey (15) – Aubree, Aubri, Aubrie
11. Abigail (7) – Abbigail
12. Mia (8) – Miah
13. Madelyn (67) – Madalyn, Madalynn, Madeleine, Madeline, Madelynn, Madilyn, Madilynn
14. Lily (16) – Lillie, Lilly
15. Layla (31) – Laila, Lailah, Laylah, Leila, Leyla
16. Hailey (32) – Hailee, Haley, Haylee, Hayleigh, Hayley, Haylie
17. Addison (14) – Addisyn, Addyson
18. Riley (47) – Rylee, Ryleigh, Rylie
19. Elizabeth (10) – Elisabeth
20. Natalie (17) – Natalee, Nataly, Nathalie, Nathaly
21. Aaliyah (36) – Aleah, Aleigha, Alia, Aliya, Aliyah
22. Avery (13) – Averi, Averie
23. Kaylee (34) – Caylee, Kailee, Kailey, Kayleigh, Kaylie
24. Arianna (49) – Ariana, Aryana, Aryanna
25. Ella (12)
26. Brooklyn (29) – Brooklynn
27. Amelia (23) – Emelia, Emilia
28. Allison (38) – Alison, Alisson, Allyson, Alyson
29. Hannah (22) – Hana, Hanna
30. Kaitlyn (118) – Caitlin, Caitlyn, Kaitlin, Kaitlynn, Katelyn, Katelynn
31. Mackenzie (71) – Makenzie, Mckenzie
32. Kylie (59) – Kiley, Kylee, Kyleigh
33. Peyton (53) – Paityn, Payton
34. Lillian (25) – Lilian
35. Evelyn (27) – Evalyn, Evelynn
36. Leah (33) – Lea, Leia, Lia
37. Charlotte (19)
38. Sarah (43) – Sara
39. Grace (21)
40. Harper (24)
41. Katherine (64) – Catherine, Kathryn
42. Gabriella (37) – Gabriela
43. Anna (35) – Ana
44. Samantha (26)
45. Alyssa (44) – Alisa, Alissa, Elisa, Elissa
46. Brianna (51) – Breanna, Briana, Bryanna
47. Victoria (28)
48. Makayla (69) – Mckayla, Michaela, Mikaela, Mikayla
49. Adalyn (198) – Adalynn, Addilyn, Adeline, Adelyn, Adelynn
50. Elena (139) – Alaina, Alayna, Elaina

What do you think? Did I just break your heart or does it not bother you at all? Let me know!


[EDIT]: Someone asked me where Max would fit on the list when all of the variants that use the nickname "Max" were added together. Since Max IS a name and could very well be on the above list, I obliged. Here's my work:

Max Variants on Record:

Max: 3,663 born in 2012.
Maxwell: 3,187 born.
Maximus: 1,835 born
Maximiliano: 975 born.
Maximilian: 582 born
Maxim: 344 born
Maxton: 235 born
Maximo: 222 births
Maksim: 161 births (Maks = Max in sound)
Maximillian: 136 births
Maxon: 66 births
Maxson: 44 births
Maximos: 24 births
Maxten: 9 births

Add that up, you get 11,483 "Maxs" born in 2012.

To fit it into the list, I figured out how many births there were in 2012 for each name until I found the right range.

#28: Landon: 9,296 + Landen 1,461 + Landin 141 + Landyn 825 = 11,723 births
Maxs: 11,483 births (including variants)
#29: Gabriel: 11,442 births (no obvious alternate spellings)

So if Max was used as the nickname for all of the names listed above, Max would be the #29 most popular name since you don't know if they are JUST Max or if they're a Maximiliano.

However, there are many other nicknames that would affect this ranking if they were also added in. (Think of all the Maddy's and Ellie's there are!)   This new info isn't concrete but based solely on the criteria above.

Perhaps I'll make a "Popular Nicknames List!"

Name of the Day: Verity

In light of my most recent list of names, today's Name of the Day is a feminine virtue name: Verity.

This name is Latin meaning "truth." If you know some Latin-based languages, you would recognize the root of the word. Verdad in Spanish, Vrai or Vérité in French, Vero or Verità in Italian, etc, which are also sometimes used as names. Or you could always straight-up go with the name "True" if you wanted. However, of all these, I think Verity has the prettiest sound, especially if you live in an English-speaking country. (If you have Latin roots, by all means, use one of the options above.)

The name Verity is one of the virtue names that originated with the Puritans in the 17th century. They put such value and importance on the meaning of names that they began giving these virtue words as names. Other popular ones are Grace, Hope, Joy and Faith. However, I like to find the more unusual ones. While Verity currently ranks at #360 in England/Wales, it is rarely used these days in the US.

In 2012, there were 51 girls given the name Verity, which ranked the name at #3232 on the popularity charts. If you recall, the names aren't recorded unless there are at least 5 births per year. Therefore, the first recorded usage of the name Verity did not occur until 1966 when 6 baby girls were born. After that, it wasn't used again until 1973. From 1973 to 2006, the name was barely used, (an average of 10 babies per year.)

But then in 2007, popularity increased to 41 babies from 19 the year before. However, 2012 is indeed the year that has seen the most usage and it also has the highest ranking in modern history. (Makes you wonder how many Puritans were given this name back in the day, huh?)

Source

If you're curious about the modern day usage, there have only been 582 baby girls ever named Verity in the recorded US history of names. If you use Verity, the chances of your daughter having a unique name are very good! Yet it is not hard to pronounce or unfamiliar! Score!

What do you think of this virtue name? Would you use it in the first name spot or the middle name spot?

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Amabel, Evangeline Felicity, Grace, Hope, Lavinia, Primrose, Temperance
Brothers: Alistair, Honor, Joshua, Merritt, Miles, Peregrine, Vincent, Will

Middle Name Ideas:
Verity Anne
Verity Evelyn
Verity Lucille
Verity Katherine
Verity Jane

As a Middle Name:
Olivia Verity
Amelia Verity
Sarah Verity
Abigail Verity
Mabel Verity

Virtue Names

Virtue names are usually accredited to the Puritans for their earliest, most-frequent usage. However, names that had powerful and important meanings were also popular with Ancient Greeks and Romans. Around 1590, the Puritan movement developed as a sect of the Church of England. They began using the names of saints and martyrs instead of virtue names by order of the Catholic Church.

Then the Puritans fled to America to escape religious persecution. It was then that they freely used their virtue names, as well as phrase names and scriptural names such as "Fight the good fight of Faith" as a name. While these long phrase names didn't catch on, many of the virtue names did and are still in use today. Here is a list of both popular and not-so-popular virtue names for boys and girls:

Girls: 

Amity
Charity
Clarity
Clemency
Comfort
Constance
Faith
Felicity
Fidelity
Grace
Honor
Hope
Joy
Mercy
Merritt
Modesty
Patience
Prudence
Remember
Sage
Serenity
Sincere
Sincerity
Temperance
Tranquility
Unity
Verity

Boys: 

Able
Anchor
Bravery
Bright
Calm
Chance
Constantine
Hardy
Free
Freedom
Harbor
Increase
Justice
Loyal
Lucky
Merit
Noble
Pax
Prosper
Revere
Sage
Sincere
Tranquil
True
Valor
Vigor
Worth
Zen

Can you think of any good ones that I missed?

Name of the Day: Everett

Today's Name of the Day is the boy name Everett. This is an English variation of the German name Eberhard meaning "brave as a wild boar."

This is a name that is quickly climbing back up the popularity charts. If you go by rank alone, Everett was at its peak in 1906 with a ranking of #81. In 2012 it ranked at #214 which is up from #534 in 2005.

If you go by the number of babies born each year, there are two notable peaks in usage. The first is in 1912 when the name shot up with 424 births more than the previous year. Then it really spiked, averaging 1,500 or more babies every year from 1914 until the early 1930s.

Then it started to decline until it started gaining momentum again in the mid 2000s. Its new highest peak is in 2012 when there were 1,724 boys named Everett.

Source

This name has cute nickname options such as Ever or Rhett. I believe Everett's rise in popularity in the past few years is because of similar trendy girl names Eva and Ava and their variants. Many parents view the crisp V sound as stylish. However, there were 21 girls given the name Everett in 2012.

As for the history of the name Everett, it came from the English surname Everard which was introduced to England by the Normans. Everard has Germanic elements to it such as "eber" meaning wild boar, and  "hard" meaning brave or hardy. This name has rarely been used since medieval times, but Everett is clearly gaining popularity in the modern world.

What do you think of the name Everett? Is it on your list or do you prefer similar name Emmett instead?

Sibling Name Ideas: 
Sisters: Audrey, Caroline, Ella, Harper, Olivia, Ruth
Brothers: Asher, Blake, Griffin, Nathan, Owen, Sawyer

Middle Name Ideas:
Everett Carter
Everett James
Everett Lucas
Everett August
Everett Paul

As a Middle Name:
John Everett
Henry Everett
Braden Everett
Zane Everett