Boy Name of the Week: Kato

This week we will be focusing on African Names! I chose a handsome boy name that comes from Uganda.

Kato is a great example of the way African names are used. It means "second of twins" which clearly describes the circumstances at the time of the birth. Perhaps his twin brother would be named Babirye or Isingoma which both mean "first of twins."  I will be discussing African Naming traditions more thoroughly on Wednesday!

Kato is a much different name than the Ancient Roman Cato which is male and means "wise." There is also a feminine Cato which is a diminutive of the Dutch Catharina and an entirely different name than the first two!

This name has occasionally been used in the US since 1914. It was only used for 6 babies between 1928 and 1972. Kato gained more regular usage in 1993 but it is nowhere near the Top 1000.  Last year, there were 26 baby boys given the name which ranks it at #3926.

I'd say that it is not unfamiliar but it is definitely rare!  Somewhat-famous Katos that you may have heard of are most likely not claiming this African meaning and origin. In fact, a couple of the men named Kato use it as a nickname or an alias. It is not their real name, but rather, it is inspired by a fictional character.

There is a Korean-American music producer who goes by Kato, but his real name is Christopher Ju. And perhaps you remember Kato Kaelin who was a [rather untrustworthy] witness in the OJ Simpson murder trial. His real name is Brian Jerard Kaelin. The only reason either of these two men have ever been called Kato is because they are big fans of the character named Kato who was played by Bruce Lee in the TV series "The Green Hornet."

"Wait a minute!" you say. "The character in that show was Asian, not African!"  Yes he was. Kato is also a very common Japanese surname that is comprised of characters meaning "to add/increase" and "wisteria".  I think the majority of people who use Kato today are either inspired by the Green Hornet's sidekick, or they are using a "different spelling" for the aforementioned Cato.

However, I am not featuring those names. The Name of the Week is the African Kato. I chose it because it was the most familiar-sounding African name that I could find, and it probably only sounds familiar because of its usage in Japan and elsewhere. Wasn't there a Cato in the Hunger Games?

Well anyway, what do you think of Kato? Do you know anyone with this name, and if so, what inspired it? Let me know in the comments below!

Baby Naming Challenge!

I thought I would issue you a naming challenge! Just for fun, of course. Should you choose to accept, here are my terms:

You will be naming three hypothetical babies. Siblings but not triplets. Use the links for help! Here are the rules:

Baby #1 - A boy: 
First name: It has an X in it
Middle name: A Presidential Surname

Baby #2 - A girl:
First name: A flower or tree name
Middle name: Vintage "old lady" name

Baby #3 - A girl:
First name: It is 4-letters long
Middle name: An Ancient name

Post the names that you came up with in the comment section for all to enjoy! You may even write what their ages are and come up with a last name for them if you wish.

Here are my names:

1. Phoenix Harrison
2. Magnolia Ruth
3. June Minerva

Thanks for playing! And remember that there are more baby-name-games like this one in the forum section on the blog! 

Name of the Week: Esther

The Name of the Week is the biblical girl's name Esther.  Esther is considered a Persian name that means "star" and is related to names like Estee and Hester. However, as an alternative, the origin could possibly come from the goddess name Ishtar.

In the Old Testament, Queen Esther was the focus of the Book of Esther. She was the Jewish wife of the King of Persia who is known for saving the Jews from being killed.  Esther's original Hebrew name was Haddassah.

In American history, President Grover Cleveland named his daughter Esther in 1893 which gave the name a popularity boost. Esther jumped from 824 births in 1892 to 1,382 births in 1893. It continued to gain popularity over the next couple decades, peaking at 6,575 births in 1918 (#38). The name declined in usage after that, but has never dipped lower than #348.

Source

Esther has had a slight boost in usage since 2000. In 2012, there were 1,313 baby girls given the name, ranking it at #242.

This is a lovely name with a vintage feel to it since it had such popularity in the 1920s. It could very well join the other names that fit the "100 year rule" and see a boost in usage in the coming years. It fits right in with Edith.

I would pair something equally feminine and lovely with it.  What would you pair with it? What do you think of the name overall? Let me know in the comments below!

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Adeline, Clara, Edith, Hazel, Lola, Mabel, Miriam, Ruth, Sarah, Tabitha, Violet
Brothers: Arthur, Bennett, Charles, George, Henry, Ian, James, Josiah, Miles, Silas, Zachariah

Middle Name Ideas;
Esther Catherine
Esther Magnolia
Esther Pearl
Esther Victoria
Esther Josephine

As a Middle Name:
Leona Esther
Vivian Esther
Genevieve Esther
Lillian Esther
June Esther

Biblical Names for Girls

I've always felt that coming up with lovely biblical names for girls was a bit of a difficult task. After all, there are so many men in the bible and sometimes the women aren't named. It turns out there are many more name options than you might think.  Here is a list of some of the more wearable choices for a modern girl.

Be sure to do some research about the biblical person to make sure the name you're choosing is a good one!  :)  Which is your favorite?

Abiah
Abigail
Abra
Ada
Anna
Azubah
Beulah
Chloe
Deborah
Delilah
Dinah
Dorcas
Elizabeth
Esther
Eunice
Eve
Galilee
Hannah
Havilah
Hepzibah
Jael
Jemima
Jerusha
Joanna
Judith
Junia
Keturah
Keziah
Leah
Lydia
Magdalen
Magdalena
Martha
Mary
Mehitabel
Miriam
Naomi
Orpah
Peninah
Phoebe
Priscilla
Rachel
Rebekah
Rhoda
Ruth
Salome
Sarah
Selah
Susannah
Tabitha
Tamar
Zillah
Zilpah
Zipporah

There are even more options than that! Here is a full list of names that come from the bible.

7 Names That Start With Ev-

Once again, a poll on the sidebar of the blog has come to a close. A whopping 84 votes were cast for these lovely names that start with Ev-.  Because I couldn't help myself, I ended up choosing 7 names for the poll which made the votes spread a little thin, but there was definitely a clear favorite. Here are the results:

Known: Evangeline  19 votes (22%)
Common:  Eve       14 votes (16%)
Unusual:   Everly         14 votes (16%)
Popular:   Evelyn         12 votes (14%)
Popular:   Eva        9 votes (10%)
Rare:  Evadne          9 votes (10%)
Rare:  Eveline          7 votes (8%)

22% of you Name-Artists out there favor the name Evangeline the most!  It is toward the middle of the pack as far as popularity is concerned. Here is how each of the names ranked on the US Top 1000 chart in 2012:

Evelyn #27
Eva #86
Evangeline #292
Eve #558
Everly #907
Eveline #7189
Evadne Unranked (#14129 in 1994, zero births since then.)

Let's find out more about these names!

Evelyn is an English surname that comes from the name Aveline. It was originally common for boys in the 17th century but because of similar feminine names like Evelina, this name is all-girl now.
Eva is the Latinate form of Eve, meaning "life". It is also a variant of the Russian Yeva.  This name works well internationally. It has ranked well in 17 countries, even hitting #1 in Slovenia in 2011.

Evangeline is a Greek name that means "good news".  There is an epic poem entitled "Evangeline" that was written in 1847 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Eve comes from the Hebrew words "Chawah" which means "to breathe" and "Chayah" which means "to live". Eve was the first female human as written in the Book of Genesis in the bible. This name was used in the middle ages and gained more popularity in the 19th century.

Everly has been used on boys because of its association with the Everly Brothers, but nowadays it is very female. It is English meaning "wild boar in the woodland clearing" which is more of a boyish meaning to me!

Eveline is my favorite of the bunch. It is a variant of Evelina which comes from Aveline which is derived from Germanic elements possibly meaning "desired". It is very rarely used but has been around since the 1880s in the US.

Evadne surprised me in how unused it is. I've seen it around and its one of my favorite Greek names, but it hasn't been used at all since 1992-1994, and before that 1962. I suppose she does have a tragic story in Greek legend.

Which if these is your favorite?

Name of the Week: Simeon

The Name of the Week is the biblical boy's name Simeon. Its cuter than Simon but follows the coolness of Gideon. It is pronounced SIM-ee-ən.

It comes from the Hebrew name שִׁמְעוֹן Shim'on which means "he has heard" or "God is listening."  In the Old Testament, Simeon was the second some of Jacob and one of the ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel. In the New Testament, Simeon was a man who blessed Jesus as a newborn.  There was also a powerful ruler in Bulgaria who bore this name in the 10th-century. Simeon has also been a popular name for saints.

In 2012, Simeon popped back onto the US Top 1000 chart at #980, with 202 male births.  It has always been at the bottom of the chart, or just outside of it. It ranked as high as #360 back in 1880 (with 23 boys born).  It ranked as low as #2034 in 1928, but has always has usage.  Despite the number of births being higher today than ever, the name is still fairly rare but since it is biblical, its not unfamiliar.

Source

You wouldn't necessarily have to pair this name with another biblical choice. What would you pair with it? What do you think of the name overall? Let me know in the comments below!

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sister: Amelia, Chloe, Delilah, Hannah, Lucy, Ruth, Sarah, Zoey
Brothers: Caleb, David, Elijah, Joshua, Matthew, Nathan, Samuel

Middle Name Ideas:
Simeon Paul
Simeon Todd
Simeon Edward
Simeon Henry

As a Middle Name:
Mark Simeon
Noah Simeon
Tyler Simeon
Oliver Simeon

Biblical Names for Boys

There are many names that have stood the test of time. Of those names, are names that come straight from the Holy Bible. Yes, Biblical names are still in fashion today and always have been. You cannot go wrong with these names, but I would recommend researching the people who first wore these names to make sure they were favorable. I personally would never consider using Cain because of who he was in the bible, but I'll leave those decisions to you!

Here are some of the more popular biblical boy names. Which ones are your favorites?

Abel
Abner
Abraham
Adam
Amos
Andrew
Asa
Asher
Azariah
Balthasar
Barnabas
Bartholomew
Benjamin
Boaz
Cain
Caleb
Daniel
David
Eli
Elijah
Enoch
Ephraim
Ethan
Ezekiel
Ezra
Gideon
Isaac
Isaiah
Jabez
Jacob
Jadon
James
Jared
Jedediah
Jeremiah
Jethro
John
Jonah
Joseph
Joshua
Josiah
Jothan
Jude
Laban
Lazarus
Levi
Luke
Malachi
Mark
Matthew
Micah
Moses
Nathan
Nathaniel
Nehemiah
Noah
Obadiah
Paul
Peter
Phineas
Reuben
Samson
Samuel
Seth
Silas
Simeon
Simon
Solomon
Thomas
Tobiah
Zachariah
Zebedee

Of course, there are plenty more biblical names out there. Here is a much longer list!  Don't forget to check out the list of Biblical Girl names too!