The Prince of Cambridge Has A Name!

The name of the Prince of Cambridge, the third in line to the throne of England, has finally been announced!

What do you think of this Royal Baby Name? Is it fitting for a future King?  I think it is extremely strong and handsome. Perfect for this little Prince.  George was pretty much a sure thing and everyone was betting on it. Alexander is my own son's middle name and one of my very favorites. It wasn't on anyone's radar as an option. Louis is one of Prince William's middle names!

Here's the breakdown of what each of the names mean and who else has worn these names in the Royal Family:

George is a Greek name meaning "Farmer." The fact that they chose it is probably meant to reflect the humbleness of a farmer so that the Prince can always be down-to-earth and a more compassionate ruler. It is a strong name that is both royal and saintly. It was worn by the King of Britain for 116 years straight!  Most notably, George directly honors the most recent King George VI who was Queen Elizabeth's father. His full name was Albert "Bertie" Frederick Arthur George and he died in 1952. George is also one of the middle names of Grandpa Charles, the Prince of Wales.

Alexander is a Greek name meaning "Defender of Man" and puts a huge responsibility on this little prince already. In addition to giving him the humility and meekness of a farmer, he is meant to defend those around him with honor. This may be a nod to Queen Victoria whose real first name was Alexandrina.  And of course, the baby's Great-Grandmother, HRH Queen Elizabeth's middle name is Alexandra. There haven't been any King Alexanders in England.

Louis is a German and French name meaning "Renowned Warrior" which is another big meaning for a little prince. He is meant to be strong and brave and, combined with the other two meanings, protect his people. There was one King Louis who lived from 1187-1226 and had 13 children! Otherwise, this name is more frequently used in the middle name spot.  Prince William has this as a middle name and so does his uncle Prince Edward.

George Alexander Louis in his mother's arms.
Via The British Monarchy's Facebook

What do you think of this royal name for our new little prince? Did you guess correctly? Do you like it?

Boy Name of the Week: Benedict

The Boy Name of the Week is the strong and bold Benedict. I prefer this choice over the more-common Benjamin and Bennett.

Benedict is a Latin name meaning "blessed." It is also the name of Saint Benedict, an Italian Monk who formed the Benedictine Order in the 6th century. Additionally, a whopping sixteen popes have worn the name. Benedict hit England in the 12th century and became insanely popular.

The alternate spelling, Benedick, probably won't fly for a modern baby but it was used for a character in the Shakespeare piece Much Ado About Nothing.

Of course there will always be that link to the infamous traitor Benedict Arnold, but he died in 1801 so I'm willing to look past that now, are you?

To switch gears, a modern day Benedict is a new rising star. The British stage, film and TV actor named Benedict Cumberbatch is gaining popularity in the States now.

Let's look at the popularity stats of Benedict. It recently ranked at #420 in England/Wales, but the US has not flocked to this name yet. Its highest naming spike occurred in 1918 when 163 boys were given the name. It leveled out with minimal usage until another spike occurred in 2005 with 157 births which coincides with Pope Benedict taking over. However, usage has once again declined with a mere 86 baby Benedicts born in 2012 for a ranking of #1736.

Source

But you know what? I would say this is a gem of a name! It is familiar yet rarely used. It has "Ben" as a great, simple nickname for those wanting to tone down the in-your-face strength of Benedict.  It is clearly very handsome too! I'd recommend this name for parents who are a bit bold and want to find something unique without resorting to odd spellings. Benny or Benno are cute alternates to the nickname Ben. You might even be able to get away with Ned since it's in the spelling and even Eddy. ;)

I'd pair Benedict with something short, sweet and traditional like James, John or Lucas. The only possible issue with the name is the teasing potential of "you've been a dick" or anything along those lines. If that bothers you and you still love the name, something like James Benedict would be so insanely handsome and it would tuck Benedict safely into the middle name spot to avoid complications.  What do you think of this moniker?

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alexandra, Clementine, Katharine, Josephine, Magnolia, Ophelia, Seraphina
Brothers: Alexander, Augustus, Julius, Leopold, Maximus, Nathaniel, Octavius

Middle Name Ideas:
Benedict James
Benedict Lucas
Benedict Constantine
Benedict August
Benedict Joseph

As a Middle Name:
James Benedict
Xavier Benedict
Leo Benedict
Henry Benedict
Max Benedict

The Prince Has Left The Building!

We got our first glimpse of the Prince of Cambridge! The proud parents Prince William and his wife Catherine briefly spoke with reporters today when they left the hospital.

They said that the baby is quite heavy and definitely has a strong pair of lungs on him. William changed the baby's first nappy and this whole experience has been very emotional for them. He also said that they are just now having a chance to be with him and get to know him so they haven't been able to pin down the perfect name yet.

Having a child of my own, I can relate to the whirlwind of events that come with childbirth. However, when you add in all of the media surrounding the hospital, the fact that you are royal, and the pressure of being charged with naming the future King of England, I cannot blame them for wanting to take a bit more time deciding on the name. After all, naming any child is a huge responsibility that should be taken very seriously. When you're naming royalty, it is that much more important.

Congratulations again to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. We had just a brief glimpse at the small child but he looked adorable already. William joked that the baby has all of his mother's looks to which Catherine sweetly disagreed with a laugh.

Hopefully we will soon be able to see a few baby photos and learn what name they've chosen! All in good time!

Ancient Names for Boys

I have an interest in ancient names. Here are some interesting choices for a boy. Most of them are of Latin origin and some are older than others but it will give you plenty of choices for naming inspiration! Many of them are very big names and would do better in a middle name spot. But for the bolder parents, they do make for a strong and handsome first name! I have a Maximus, myself!  Which of these is your favorite?

Aeneas                         Amadeus Andreas Antonius Antony Apollo Atticus Augustus Aurelius Benedict Brutus Caesar Caius Cassius Cato Celestine Cicero Claudius Constantine Cornelius Cosmo Cyrus Dante Decimus Demetrius Dominic Eliseo Felix Flavius Gaius Hadrian Helladius Hercules Horace Horatio Hyroniemus Ibis Ignatius Jarlath Jerome Josephus Julius Junius

Juno Jupiter Justus Lazarus Leonitus Leopold Lucius Magnus Marcellus Marcus Marius Maximus Mercury Miles Nero Octavian Octavius Paul Peregrine Philo Primus Quentin Quintus Remus Romanus Romulus Rufus Seneca Septimus Severus Silas Solaris Stephanus Tarquin Tertius Thelonius Theon Thor Tiberius Titus Ulysses Urban Vitalis

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!