The Royal Baby is Finally Here!

This was as clear as the image could get.

Have you heard? We have a new future King of England! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have just welcomed a son into the world!

The media has been abuzz about them since they announced their pregnancy months ago! And in the past few weeks, speculation on the gender and the name of the baby has skyrocketed. There were even bookies in England taking bets on what name would ultimately be chosen. (I wonder who scored big and who lost!)

I watched on a live news stream as the official correspondent left the hospital, entered the gates at Buckingham Palace and placed the official birth announcement on a golden easel.  The document said:

"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm."

The baby is already being hailed as the Prince of Cambridge. He was born today, July 22nd in the  St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. He weighed in at 8 lbs and 6 oz. A healthy start for new royalty! I'm sure all of England is rejoicing!

Media is swarming!

The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth and the mother and child are doing well! She will remain in the hospital overnight but they should be announcing the baby's name very soon!

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and other family members have indeed been informed and are delighted with the news.

A royal announcement was made by an official in a red uniform with a scroll. He started by saying "Hear ye Hear ye" and revealed that it is indeed a son and ended with "Long live the Queen!" It was all very official and exciting. The media outside the palace cheered!

Later, the doctor left the building and shouted "It is a beautiful baby boy!" as he passed by.

I will update you again when the name is revealed!

Girl Name of the Week: Magnolia

Since I posted a list of tree and flower names for girls, I thought I would pick my favorite from the bunch for the Girl Name of the Week! I chose the lovely Magnolia.

This is a Latin flower name that gained a sweet, "Southern Belle" image from a character in the iconic novel and musical Showboat by Edna Ferber. If you've never heard of it, don't feel bad. The novel was written in 1926 and the musical was on Broadway in 1927. However there were three films produced since then.

The Magnolia flower was originally named in 1703 after a French botanist named Pierre Magnol who lived from 1638-1715 and contributed much to the way flowers are classified today.

Isn't she lovely?

In modern times, Magnolia as a name has come along on the latest wave of botanical names for girls. She began gaining more popularity around 2006. However, Magnolia has not cracked the Top 1000 chart since 1940. In 2012, Magnolia ranked in at #1123 with 218 births which is a fair amount considering she ranked at #493 in 1905 with just 47 births. (Oh how times have changed in the naming world!)

The highest popularity peak, besides 2012, occurred in 1921 when there were 150 baby girls named Magnolia. Random fact: apparently the only year that there weren't at least 5 births since 1880 was my birth year, 1987. Strange! I should have been named Magnolia just to possibly add to the stats! And also because it is beautiful and I love it!

Source

The first time I heard this name on someone was when I was watching the show Hart of Dixie and saw a blonde, southern belle teen named Magnolia Breeland. Because of this, I'm inclined to want to pair Magnolia with Breanne or Brielle or Brynn. (Also, her sister's name is Lemon!)

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Caroline, Daphne, Georgia, Jessica, Michaela, Seraphina
Brothers: Alexander, Benjamin, Jonathan, Maxwell, Theodore, Xavier

Middle Name Ideas:
Magnolia Claire
Magnolia Eve
Magnolia Vivienne

As a Middle Name:
Katherine Magnolia
Jane Magnolia
Alice Magnolia

I'd avoid other flower names like Rose or Lily for a sister or as a middle name. Cute nicknames include Maggie, Noa, Nollie, Nola and Lia.

What would you pair it with? What do you think of this lovely botanical name? Do you prefer another? Let me know!

Flower and Tree Names for Girls

There is nothing more beautiful than mother nature. Where names are concerned, flowers and trees are specifically wonderful for little girls.

Drawing inspiration from the beauty around us, I've compiled this list of flower and tree names that would be darling on a modern girl. They bring to mind such lovely images of petals and leaves.

If you're looking for a beautiful name, look no further! There are some classics in here such as Rose and Holly but there's also plenty of unusual and unique choices that you're sure to love! Which of these do you like best?

Acacia Alyssum Amaryllis Amarantha Apple Ash Aspen Aster Aven Azalea Blossom Bluebell Bryony Calla                                   Calantha Camellia Chrysantha Chrysanthemum Clematis Clover Daffodil Dahlia Daisy Delphine Eirlys Fern Fleur Flora Forsythia Gardenia Garland Hazel Heather Holly Hyacinth Ianthe Ilara Iolanthe Iris

Ivy Jacinta Jasmine Jonquil Juniper Kamilah Kennedia Laurel Lavender Leilani Lemon Lilac Lily Linnea Lotus Magnolia Marguerite Marigold Marjoram Myrtle Olive Orchid Pansy Peony Petal Petunia Poppy Posey Primrose Rose Saffron Senna Tulip Veronica Violet Willow Wisteria Zahara Zinnia

For even more baby name ideas, take a look at this list of Nature Names for both boys and girls!

Boy Name of the Week: Chandler

The Boy Name of the Week is one of my favorite occupational names and I chose it in honor of yesterday's name list. It is derived from an Old French name that took form as a Middle English occupational name meaning "candlestick maker" or "candle seller."  Have you guessed? Yes, its Chandler. A chandler was the head of the chandlery in medieval households, responsible for wax, candles, and soap.

There are some parents who will give this name to their daughter but it is more popular for boys. The most popular example in recent memory is funny-man Chandler Bing on the TV show Friends which aired from 1994-2004. However, despite fitting right in with the "-er" trend and the occupational name trend, Chandler has lost its popularity since 2004. In fact, the most usage this name has seen was indeed during the airing of that show. It more than doubled between 1994 and 1995, (from 704 births to 1,856). Its highest peak occurred in 1999 with 2,394 births and a ranking of #151.

But lets back up a bit. Chandler first appeared on American baby boys in 1900 with 5 births. It took 62 years for the name to hit the girl market with 10 female births in 1962. Yet, before Friends even aired, the girl-Chandlers increased from 90 births in 1991 to 437 births in 1992 with its highest peak of 744 births occurring in 1995.

The name has declined in usage for boys over the past decade, but it has actually increased for girls. In 2016, male Chandlers ranked at #466 with 650 births, whereas the females made a leap onto the Top 1000 chart, returning for the first time since 2002 for a rank of #995 and 264 births. It is almost time for this name to be fresh again.

What do you think of this name and do you prefer it on a boy or a girl?  Here are some ideas for sibling names and middle names:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Avery, Delaney, Jessica, Matilda, Savannah, Willow
Brothers: Carter, Ethan, Harrison, Landon, Lincoln, Taylor,

Middle Name Ideas (Boy): 
Chandler Michael
Chandler Ellis
Chandler Adrian
Chandler Scott

Middle Name Ideas (Girl):
Chandler Isabelle
Chandler Lillian
Chandler Elise
Chandler Sophia

Which gender do you prefer for the name Chandler? What middle name would you pair with it?

Revised: 5/18/17

Occupational Names

Knight's Helmet by George Hodan
Perhaps Knight is your favorite name?

Long ago, people were known by their occupations. You'd have Joe the Blacksmith or Mary the Tailor. After a while, these job titles became their surnames and you'd have Joe Smith and Mary Taylor.

In modern times, these "occupational names" that were sometimes initially a surname have become a trend and are used as first names. Most of these are better on boys, but there are a few that can be used on a girl or on both genders equally.

I'll list them out and let you choose which gender you'd prefer:

Abbott             Anchor Archer Bacchus Bailey Baird Baker Bandit Banner Barber Barker Baxter Bekker Bender Berger Bishop Booker Bowman Brenner Brewer Brewster Butler Cantrell Carbry Carpenter Carrin Carter Carver Cater Century Chafer Chaffer Challender Chamberlain Chambers Chandler Chaplin Chapman Chaucer Cherrier Clark Coldren Coleman Collier Conner Cooper Cotter Currier Dancer Deacon Dexter Draper Dyer Drummer

Falconer           Falkner Farmer Fearson Fifer Fisher Fiske Fletcher Forester Foster Fowler Fuller Gage Gardener Glover Granger Harper Hayward Hooper Hunter Jagger Jeter Kantor Kellogg Kiefer King Knight Lander Lanier Lister Lorimer Marshall Mason Mercer Miller Miner Nader Naylor Page Paget Paige Painter Palmer Parker Parson Pilot Piper Plummer Poet Porter Potter Proctor Provost Purcell

Ranger Redman Reeve Rocker Roper Ryder Sadler Sargent Sailor Sawyer Sayer Scully Sexton Shepherd Shields Singer Skinner Slater Skipper Smith Snyder Spencer Stonier Steele Stewart Tabor Tanner Taverner Taylor Thatcher Tiller Tillman Todd Toller Tolliver Trapp Travers Trinder Trotter Tucker Turner Tyler Voss Walker Waller Ward Warner Wayne Weaver Webb Webster Wheeler Whistler Woodward Wright

While some of these are nice and are regularly used, some of these are a bit too out there and aren't recommended. But alas, I provide the options! It is up to you!

Girl Name of the Week: Liesel

In honor of the post from yesterday regarding your favorite classic girl's name, I thought I'd choose a variant of the poll winner, Elizabeth.

If you are familiar with this name, you'll know that it has so many variants, diminutives and foreign versions, even whole names like Isabella and Lillian come from Elizabeth.  I searched high and low for an interesting choice and came up with Liesel.

Liesel is a German Diminutive of Elisabeth (which is obviously an alternate spelling of Elizabeth.) Pronounced LEE-zel.  It is also spelled Liesl.  Elizabeth is a Hebrew name meaning "Pledged to God." For Liesel, I only seemed to find the meanings "God is my Oath" or "My God is a Vow." You get the idea.

I saw Liesel appear all over baby name forums a couple years ago and it has seemed to completely fall off the radar once again. If you don't like it as a given name, it would make for a spunky nickname for Elizabeth that is probably not used very often.

As a given name, Liesel first hit the charts in 1954 with only 5 births. It wasn't heard from again until 1963, but it has been regularly used since then. However, the most births in a single year was in 2008 with just 33 baby girls born.  You know you have a unique name when only 32 other girls in the country also have it in your birth year.

In 2012, only 19 babies received this name, proving that it is indeed very obscure. It ranked at #6713.  Liesel might even do well to honor grandma Lisa by offering a more updated sound. Lisa also comes from Elisabeth.

Source

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Annabel, Gretel, Heidi, Lauren, Millicent, Renee

Brothers: Archer, Brenton, Calvin, Grant, Lance, Wilson

Middle Name Ideas:
Liesel Ramona
Liesel Evangeline
Liesel Grace
Liesel Minerva

As a Middle Name:
Catherine Liesel
Harriet Liesel
Penelope Liesel
Sabrina Liesel

It seems to flow better as a first name.  But whether you're looking for a rare given name or a spunky nickname for one of the most-used names in history, Liesel is it!  What do you think?

Result of "Favorite Classic Girls Name" Poll

If you've seen the polls on the right side of my blog, you may have noticed that two of them have closed. I'd like to report the results of one of the polls now!

This poll asked the question: "What is your favorite classic girls name?"  I provided the following options:

Elizabeth - 14 votes (34%)
Alexandra -  8 votes (19%)
Anna      -  8 votes (19%)
Katherine -  6 votes (14%)
Victoria -   5 votes (12%)

Elizabeth was the clear winner of the poll! I wrote a blog article about the name Elizabeth asking why it has been a perpetually popular name since 1880. It appears to still have the winning-edge over its contemporaries!  Elizabeth has a rich history, a timeless style and a multitude of nickname options! It is a Hebrew name meaning "pledged to God," and is ranked at #10 on the US Top 1000 names chart.

Alexandra and Anna tied for 2nd place.  Alexandra is my favorite of the bunch. It is a strong but elegant Greek name meaning "Defender of the People."  With many nickname possibilities, this name remains popular at #76.

The name Anna is short and sweet. On its own, it is a Hebrew name meaning "Grace," but it is also considered a Greek or Latin version of the name Hannah. Anna has an exotic appeal that works internationally. It is currently ranked at #35.

Katherine placed next on the poll rankings and is one of the oldest and most diverse names! It is equally powerful and feminine with a royal and saintly edge. Katherine has many spellings, short forms and nicknames which makes it very adaptable to the name bearer. It is Greek meaning "pure," and is currently ranked at #64. This name is my second favorite on the list.

Lastly, Victoria! Queen Victoria's name was responsible for classifying an entire era that epitomizes gentility and refinement. It is Latin meaning "victory," and is currently ranked at #28. I would personally like this name better if I didn't dislike the nickname "Vicky" so much. Perhaps that is one reason this classic name ranked last on the poll.

Which did you vote for? What are your favorite nicknames for each name?  Let me know in the comments below and check out the results of the Classic Boy Name poll from Monday's post!  Stay tuned for tomorrow's Girl Name of the Week! I'll be using a diminutive of one of the names above!