Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Unusual and Quirky Middle Names for Boys!

All of us have a "guilty pleasure" list of baby names. Most of us aren't brave enough to actually use those types of names in the first name spot, but some of us are willing to slip them into the middle!

After all, middle names are rarely used or known to other people in day to day life. That gives us a great excuse to throw something exciting into the middle for our own enjoyment. Here is a list of some wonderfully quirky middle name ideas for baby boys!

Which of these might you actually consider? Keep reading for my Top 10 at the bottom of the list!
Boy:           

Alasdair  
Auburn
Badger
Bay
Baylor
Bloom
Calcedon
Caradoc
Caspian
Cirrus
Cloud
Clove
Cobalt
Copper
Cordovan
Cove
Cyprian
Danger
Dante
Dashiell
Davey
Django
Dodge
Equinox
Escher
Falcon
Fate
Finch
Forest
Fox
Frost
Garneau
Hale
Harvey
Hawk
Hawthorn
Heath
Indiana


Kite
Knight
Loxley
Malachite      
Marduc
Maverick
Mayhem
Melchior
Merlin
Midnight
Milan
Monroe
Northern
Oleander
Orchard
Oriole
Orion
Orpheus
Pegasus
Rainier
Reeve
Rio
Robin
Rocket
Rousseau
Rune
Samhain
Samoset
Sincere
Stellan
Sterling
Tanner
Theron
Thunder
Vega
Venture
Wiloughby
Zeus
Unisex:

Ash
Bayou
Cameo
Caraway
Cloud
Crescent
Crimson
Fifer
Garnet
Kit
Linden
March
Marvel
Quenby
Quill
Rain
Ramsey
River
Rowan
Sage
Seven
Shadow
Silver
Sparrow
Tatum
Weaver
Zenon
Don't forget to check out the list of Unusual and Quirky Girl Names too!

The following names are my personal favorites from the above list! I added some potential sibling name ideas as well as possible middle names that could be used!

1. Alasdair

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Araminta, Calixta, Cordelia, Elspeth, Fiona, Isla, Lorna, Rowena
Brothers: Callum, Duncan, Ewan, Keaton, Lachlan, Malcolm, Ramsey, Taggart

Middle Name Ideas:
Alasdair Campbell
Alasdair Mackenzie
Alasdair Ross
Alasdair Stewart

As a Middle Name:
Calder Alasdair
Douglas Alasdair
Fergus Alasdair
Kelvin Alasdair

2. Cobalt

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Avery, Cassia, Claire, Hazel, Ruby, Scarlett, Sienna, Violet
Brothers: Aleron, Blake, Flint, Greyson, Jasper, Jett, Sterling, Tobiah

Middle Name Ideas:
Cobalt Andrew
Cobalt James
Cobalt Lee
Cobalt Xavier

As a Middle Name:
Alex Cobalt
Lucas Cobalt
Mason Cobalt
Oliver Cobalt

3. Frost

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Blaire, Clara, Gemma, Jade, Lilac, Snow, Sonnet, Winter
Brothers: Auden, Cole, Emerson, Keats, Larkin, Moore, Nash, Wyatt

Middle Name Ideas:
Frost Alexander
Frost Calloway
Frost Donovan
Frost Oliver

As a Middle Name:
Blake Frost
Jackson Frost
Rowan Frost
Xavier Frost

4. Heath

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Audrey, Bethany, Carys, Hailey, Rowan, Stella, Tessa, Willow
Brothers: Blaze, Cashel, Dashiell, Grant, Jagger, Miles, Sayer, Weston

Middle Name Ideas:
Heath Andrew
Heath Connor
Heath Jacob
Heath Logan

As a Middle Name:
Derek Heath
Gabriel Heath
Jackson Heath
Michael Heath

5. Knight

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alexandra, Diana, Harper, Ophelia, Paige, Poet, Piper, Wren
Brothers: Archer, Brewer, Clark, Ford, Gage, Mason, Sawyer, Tolliver

Middle Name Ideas:
Knight Edward
Knight Harrison
Knight Nathaniel
Knight Xavier

As a Middle Name:
Henry Knight
Jonathan Knight
Orion Knight
William Knight

6. Marvel

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Avalon, Fable, Genesis, Harper, Lyric, Poet, Sonnet, Story
Brothers: Bodhi, Cash, Dax, Jett, Nash, Orion, Quinn, Wyatt

Middle Name Ideas:
Marvel August
Marvel Draven
Marvel James
Marvel Theodore

As a Middle Name:
Anthony Marvel
Breccan Marvel
Felix Marvel
Ryan Marvel

7. Orion

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Aurora, Cassandra, Hazel, Iris, Juniper, Portia, Rosetta, Solange
Brothers: Atlas, Beckett, Caspian, Desmond, Magnus, Phineas, Stellan, Thaddeus

Middle Name Ideas:
Orion Bennett
Orion Knox
Orion Quinn
Orion Rafferty

As a Middle Name:
Griffin Orion
Jack Orion
Spencer Orion
Vincent Orion

8. Quenby

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alma, Dagny, Eloise, Fiona, Margot, Molly, Phoebe, Ramona
Brothers: Angus, Dante, Eamon, Fox, Miller, Patton, Ragnor, Tobias

Middle Name Ideas:
Quenby Drake
Quenby Nicholas
Quenby Oliver
Quenby Thomas

As a Middle Name:
Arthur Quenby
Hector Quenby
Matthew Quenby
Parker Quenby

9. Stellan

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Adeline, Camille, Harlow, Isla, Maisie, Simone, Tessa, Vienna
Brothers: Adler, Blaine, Dempsey, Frost, Howell, Kiernan, Orion, Troy

Middle Name Ideas:
Stellan Colt
Stellan Harley
Stellan Pierce
Stellan Wilder

As a Middle Name:
Cole Stellan
Eli Stellan
Maxwell Stellan
Tyler Stellan

10. Theron

Sisters: Aubrey, Clara, Fallon, Iris, Marina, Olive, Rhiannon, Willow
Brothers: Ambrose, Bennett, Heath, Leander, Oberon, Roman, Silas, Zander

Middle Name Ideas:
Theron Alaric
Theron Elijah
Theron Maximus
Theron William

As a Middle Name:
Cade Theron
George Theron
Lucas Theron
Quincy Theron

What is your favorite quirky name and what would you pair with it?

Sunday, December 8, 2013

What is Your Favorite Max Name?


I asked another popularity question recently. "Which Max name is your favorite?"  Then I listed them from the most-popular to the least. 74 votes were cast and there were three top names.

Maxwell    24 Votes (32%)
Max       17 Votes (22%)
Maximus    15 Votes (20%)
Maxim      8 Votes (10%)
Maximilian   5 Votes (6%)
Maxton      4 Votes (5%)
Maximo      1 Vote  (1%)

32 percent of you name-artists prefer the name Maxwell and 22 percent would rather go with just plain ol' Max. 20 percent, myself included, voted for the cool Latin Maximus, and 10 percent chose to drop the -us and go with Maxim. The very-long Maximilian only received 6 percent of the vote while the made-up-sounding Maxton had 5%. Bring up the rear was the Spanish Maximo with a single vote.

Let's learn more about these names. Do they all have the same root or do they differ?

Maxwell is actually related to the Scandinavian name Magnus. It comes from a Scottish surname that means "Mack's stream" from the name Mack which is a short form of Magnus combined with the Old English "wella" which means stream.  It was most popular in the US in 2000, ranking at #113 with 3,364 births.  In 2012, there were 3,187 boys born (and 8 girls) which ranked the boy's name at #116.

Max is most known as a short-form of Maximilian (which came from the roman family name Maximilianus which came from the Latin Maximus meaning "greatest) but obviously it can be short for any of the above names, or stand on its own. Max was rather popular from 1914-1938 before it slightly declined in usage. It increased again around 1987 and has been on the up-and-up since then. Its highest rank was in 2011 at #96 with 3,946 births. It fell to #105 last year. Max ranks very well in other countries too.

Maximus is the name I chose for my own son.  It is a Roman family name that is derived from the Latin Maximus meaning "Greatest". There was a Saint Maximus in 7th century Constantinople who was a monk and theologian.  Maximus ranked at #206 in 2012 with 1,835 boys born. It first appeared on the chart in 1997 and gained popularity after the 2000 movie "Gladiator" came out. It had 11 births in 1999, 188 in 2000 and 892 in 2001. Maximus seems to be the root name for many of these other variants.

Maxim is a variant of the Russian Maksim which comes from Maximus. Maxim ranked at #683 in 2012 with 344 births. This name is also popular in England/Wales, Belgium and the Netherlands. I think it is a cute name on its own, or as a nickname for Maximus or Maximilian. Too bad there is a racy magazine with the name that somewhat taints the awesomeness of the name Maxim.

Maximilian, again, comes from the Roman name Maximilianus which comes from Maximus. There was a 3rd century saint and martyr with the name. In the 15th century, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III blended together the names of generals Fabius Maximus and Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus to get Maximilian for his son. In the US, Maximilian ranks at #464 with 582 births in 2012. When it is spelled with two L's, it ranks at #1279 with 136 births.

Maxton doesn't seem to have a solid history that I can find information on. It reminds me of a modern-sounding name like Paxton, even though Paxton does have a history behind it. No doubt parents wanted the nickname Max but were not a fan of the other long-forms. There were 5 Maxtons born in 1927 and 1953; it wasn't used again until 1985. It ranked at #884 in 2012 with 235 births.

Maximo is a name that I originally considered before falling for Maximus. It is the Spanish form of Maximus pronounced MAHK-see-mo.  There were 5 births in 1903 and then it gained regular usage in 1914. It first entered the top 1000 chart in 2002 at #933. In 2012, it ranked at #920 with 222 births. It is more popular than it has been in the past but it is still fairly unused. A handsome alternative to more-popular Spanish boy names that end with -o.

Additionally, here are the number of births in 2012 for Max and all of the longer formal names that could lead to Max as a nickname:

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
Maxen: 22 births
Maxten: 9 births

Add that up, you get 11,505 "Maxs" born in 2012.

Which is your favorite Max name? Let me know in the comments below!

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Mara

The name Mara seems to come from a few different possible origins. Firstly, Mara is a Hebrew name that means "bitter". It was taken by Naomi in the Old Testament at Ruth 1:20.  Since it does mean "bitter" or "sorrow", she took it as an expression of her grief after her husband and sons died.


As another possibility, Mara is the Hungarian variant of Maria and the Croatian and Serbian variant of Marija.  Of course Maria is the Latin form of the Greek Μαρια which comes from the Hebrew  מִרְיָם or Mary.  Marija also comes from Maria.  The name Mary comes from the Hebrew name  מִרְיָם  or Miryam which does not have a known meaning. Theories include "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness" and "wished for child." However! There is a possibility that Mary comes from an Egyptian name that is partly derived from mry which means "beloved," or mr which means "love".

Whew! Sorry about all of that technical jargon. The point is, even though this name potentially means "bitter", Mary and Maria are notably two of the most-used feminine names in history. None of the parents over the years seemed to mind that it means "bitter" so I don't think parents today will care either.

Mara is a beautiful name: she is short and sassy, sweet and bold.  She's also related to a ton of other M names that come in various languages like Miriam, Mariska, Marilyn, Molly, Marielle, Mia, Moira, Maureen, and Marianne.

As for popularity, Mara is sitting in the sweet spot between common and unusual. She ranks at #800 in the US. Mara first appeared in the US in 1892 when it was used for 6 baby girls. It was not on record again until 1911 when it gained regular usage. The birth count hit triple digits in 1951, peaking at 441 births in 1990 (#539).  Mara has consistently been in the Top 1000 since 1950.

Source
Famous Maras include 3 actresses: Mara Wilson, Kate Mara and Rooney Mara. There is also a fashion designer named Mara Hoffman.   On the mythological side, Mara (or Marzanna) is the Slavic goddess of winter, death and harvest.  Mara is also a goddess in Latvian myths.

What do you think of this name? Do you prefer a different variation of Mary?

Sibling Name Ideas: 
Sisters: Abigail, Anna, Clara, Elena, Hannah, Leah, Naomi, Ruth, Vera
Brothers: Asher, Eli, Henry, Ian,  Jonah, Liam, Nathan, Noah, Sean

Middle Name Ideas: 
Mara Abilene
Mara Elizabeth
Mara Genevieve
Mara Josephine
Mara June

As a Middle Name:
Anneliese Mara
Eleanor Mara
Lillian Mara
Lorelei Mara
Violet Mara

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The Best Four-Letter Names For Girls!

I have seen many families with a 4-letter name theme for their children. Others just like names that are short and sweet without nickname possibilities. Whatever your reason is for wanting a 4-letter name, you've come to the right place!

Here are 300 of the best 4-letter names for girls that I could find! I'm sure there are many more but I hand-selected these ones to represent The Art of Naming's favorites!  Which of these do you like?

Abby
Abra
Addy
Aida
Aila
Aine
Alba
Alix
Ally
Alma
Alva
Anna
Anne
Anya
Aria
Aris
Arya
Asha
Asta
Aura
Avia
Avis
Avra
Ayla
Azul

Bess
Beth
Bree
Bria
Brie
Bryn

Cady
Caia
Cait
Cali
Cami
Cara
Cass
Cate
Cecy
Clea
Cleo
Clio
Cora
Cori
Cyra

Daci
Dana
Dara
Dawn
Deja
Demi
Desi
Dina
Dora

Edda
Eden
Edie
Edna
Effy
Eila
Eira
Elba
Elia
Elin
Ella
Elle
Elsa
Elsy
Elva
Emma
Emme
Emmy              
Enid
Enna
Enya
Erie
Erin
Esme
Esta
Etta
Eula
Evan
Evia
Evie
Eyre

Fawn
Faye
Fern

Gaia
Gail
Geri
Gina
Gray
Gwen
Gwyn

Hena
Hera
Hope

Ibis
Idra
Ilsa
Ines
Inez
Inga
Iola
Ione
Iris
Irma
Isis
Isla
Isra

Jacy
Jada
Jade
Jael
Jana
Jane
Jean
Jeri
Jess
Jill
Joan
Jody
Joss
Judy
July
June
Juno

Kacy
Kady
Kaia
Kali
Kara
Kari
Kate
Katy
Kaye
Kiva
Klea
Kora
Kris
Kyla
Kyra

Lacy
Lana
Lane
Lara
Lark
Leah
Leia

Lena
Leta
Lexi
Lila
Lily
Lina
Lisa
Lois
Lola
Lori
Lucy
Lulu
Luna
Lupe
Luxe
Lyla
Lynn
Lyra

Macy
Maia
Mara
Mary
Maud
Maya
Medb
Mika
Mila
Mina
Mira
Mona
Moon
Mora
Myah
Myla
Myra

Nala
Nara
Nava
Naya
Nell
Neva
Neve
Nika
Niki
Nina
Nola
Nona
Noor
Nora
Nova
Nyla

Oana
Odie
Olia
Oona
Opal
Orla

Page
Peri
Plum
Poet
Posy
Pria
Prim
Prue

Rain
Raya
Reba
Remi
Remy
Rhea
Rian
Risa
Rita
Roma
Romy
Rory
Rosa
Rose
Roxy
Ruby
Ruth

Sade
Sage
Sana
Sara
Sela
Sera
Shae
Shay
Shea
Siri
Skye
Sose
Star
Suki
Suri
Susy
Suze
Suzy
Sean

Tacy
Taja
Tali
Tara
Tavi
Taya
Teri
Tess
Thea
Tina
Toni
Tori
True
Tyra

Ulla

Veda
Vega
Vela
Vera
Vida
Vita
Viva
Vivi
Vola
Vrai

Wren

Xena
Xoey

Yael
Yara
Ylva
Ynez
Yoko
Yume
Yvie

Zana
Zara
Zaya
Zela
Zena
Zion
Ziva
Zoey
Zola
Zoya
Zula
Zura
Zuzu
Don't forget to take a look at the list of The Very Best Four-Letter Boy's Names too!

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Remy

The four-letter name of the week is one that is being revived for both boys and girls. It has a modern feel to it and is certainly attractive on both genders, however I prefer it for a boy.

Rémy is a French name that comes from the Latin name Remigius which was derived from the Latin remigis meaning "oarsman".  It was also the name of a fifth century saint.


This name, when said in its French form, is pronounced ray-MEE. However you can get by with just REM-ee in the US, especially without the accent mark over the e. Another variant is Rémi or Remi. The Italians, Portuguese and Spanish prefer the name Remigio.

The name appears on French alcoholic beverages: Rémy Cointreau is the company and they have a brandy called Rémy Martin.

In pop culture, there is a band called Remy Zero; and the main character in the film Ratatouille is named Remy. There are also a few geographical locations with this name. As for famous namesakes who have Remy as a first name or a surname, the list is far too long for this blog. Take a look here if you want to view it.

Statistically, the name breaks down like this for the year 2012:
Remy (Boy): #891 with 233 births
Remy (Girl): #1237 with 195 births
Remi (Boy): #2074 with 66 births
Remi (Girl): #1036 with 242 births

So according to this data, it is fair to say that the Remy spelling is more commonly used for boys, while Remi is a bit more feminine. However, it is clearly very unisex overall.

Boy Remy and Boy Remi were used in the US well before either girl spelling.  Remy was first used on 6 boys in 1914 and Remi followed the next year with 8 births. Females began receiving these names much later. Remi appeared on the record for girls in 1963 with 5 births and Remy followed the next year, also with 5 births. At least these names seem to travel together!

It wasn't until the late 70s and early 80s that these 4 names were regularly used every year, and it is only in the past decade that they've gained a boost in usage. Despite this, none of the spellings have ever been in the Top 1000 except for Boy Remy who cracked the barrier in 2009. Girl Remi may be next!

I favor Remy for a boy over all of these. While I love the French spelling and pronunciation, I can't help but like the Americanized REM-ee a little bit more.  However, for Francophones, I definitely recommend Rémy paired with a French middle name.  Which spelling do you prefer for which gender and which pronunciation do you like best?


Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Amelie, Benoite, Claire, Eloise, Helene, Jovie, Lydia, Nadine, Odette, Sophie, Vivienne
Brothers: Armand, Bastien, Dashiell, Eben, Finn, Jasper, Lucien, Pascal, Rupert, Soren, Thierry

Middle Name Ideas (Boy):
Remy Alexandre
Remy Benoit
Remy Gervais
Remy Laurent
Remy Olivier
Remy Sebastien

Middle Name Ideas (Girl):
Remy Alaina
Remy Beatrice
Remy Diane
Remy Isabelle
Remy Nicolette
Remy Simone

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

The Very Best Four-Letter Boy's Names


Four-letter boy names are in a class of their own! They have to be strong, bold and handsome all within a very short amount of space.


It is important that these names pack a punch! Here are 460 of the very best four-letter names for boys! Which is your favorite?

Abel        
Adam
Adan  
Adin
Ajax  
Alai
Alan
Aldo
Alec
Alek
Alex  
Ames
Amir  
Amos
Andy
Aram
Arch
Ardo
Ares
Aric
Arik
Aris
Arlo
Arne
Aron
Arvo      
Aviv
Axel  
Aziz

Bard
Bart
Bear
Beau
Beck
Bert
Biel
Bill
Bing  
Birk
Blue
Boaz
Bode
Bolt
Bond
Boyd
Brad
Bram
Bran
Bret
Brit  
Bryn
Buck
Burn
Burt
 
Cade
Cael
Cage
Cain
Caio
Cale
Cane
Carl
Cary
Case
Cash
Cato
Celt
Chad
Chaz
Chet
Chip
Cian
Ciel
Clay  
Cobb
Coby
Cody
Coen
Cole
Colt
Cory
Crew
Cris
Cruz
Curt
Cyan
   
Dale
Daly
Dana
Dane
Dash  
Dave
Davy  
Dean  
Dell
Deon  
Dion
Dior
Dirk
Doak      
Doug
Drew
Duke

Earl
Eben
Eddy
Eden
Edge
Edin
Eion
Elam
Elan
Elio
Elis
Eliu
Elmo  
Eloy  
Emet
Emil
Emir  
Emry
Enos
Enzo
Eoin  
Eric
Erik
Eron
Eros
Esau
Euan
Evan  
Ewan
Ewen
Ezio
Ezra
 
Fife
Finn
Ford
Fran
Fred
Frey
Fynn

Gabe
Gael
Gage
Gale  
Gary
Gene
Gian
Gibb
Gino
Glen
Gray
Greg
Grey  
Hale        
Hank
Hans  
Hawk
Herb
Hiro
Holt
Hoyt
Huck
Huey
Hugh
Hugo
Hume
Hunt
Hyde  

Iago
Idan  
Iggy
Igor
Iker
Ilan
Iman
Ingo
Iolo        
Ivan
Iven
Iver
Ives
Ivey
Ivor
Iwan
Izzy

Jace
Jack
Jaco
Jago
Jair
Jake
Jame
Jase
Jeff
Jehu
Jens
Jere
Jess
Jett    
Joab
João  
Joby  
Joel
Joey
John
Jory
José
Josh
Joss
Jove
Jovi
Juan
Judd
Jude  

Kace
Kade  
Kael  
Kage
Kale
Kane
Karl  
Kash
Kato  
Kean
Keir  
Kent  
Kerr
Khai
Khan
Kian
Kiel
Kiev  
King
Kirk
Kirt
Knox
Knut
Kobe
Koby
Koda
Kody
Koen
Kole  
Kory
Kris
Kurt  
Kyle

Ladd
Lael
Lake
Lane
Lann
Lars    
Leif
Leon
Leto
Levi
Liam
Liev
Link  
Loïc  
Loki
Lowe
Luca
Ludo
Luis
Luiz
Luka
Luke
Lyle
Lynn
Lyon
Lyre

Mace
Mack
Maël
Maik
Mako
Måns
Marc
Mark  
Mars
Máté
Matt
Mick  
Mike  
Milo
Mitt
Mose
Moss
Myer

Nash
Nate
Neal
Neil
Neon
Nero
Nick
Nico
Niko
Nils
Nino
Noah
Noam
Noel
Nyle
Obed
Odin
Odis
Olaf
Olan
Olav
Oleg
Olen
Olin  
Olmo
Omar  
Omni
Omri  
Onyx
Opus  
Orin
Oris    
Otis  
Otto
Owen

Paco  
Paul
Penn  
Pete
Petr
Phil
Piet
Pike
Pius
Polk  

Qais
Quin

Rael
Rafe  
Ralf  
Raul  
Reed
Reef  
Reid  
Rémi
Rémy
Rene
Reno  
Rhys  
Rich
Rick
Rico
Roan
Robb
Roby
Rock
Roel
Roen
Rohn
Rolf  
Rome
Rook
Rory
Ross
Roux
Rudy    
Russ
Ryan  

Saul
Scot
Sean
Seth
Shad
Shai
Shaw
Shay
Shea
Shia
Shon  
Sian  
Skip  
Stan  
Sven  

Tadj
Taft
Tahj
Taig
Taio
Tait
Tate    
Teal
Thad  
Theo
Thor
Tino
Tito
Toby
Todd
Tony  
Tory
Tosh
Tove  
Trey
Troy
Tuck  

Umar
Unai
Utah  

Vash    
Vern
Vian
Vine
Vinh
Vito

Wade
Wael  
Walt
Ward  
Webb
West
Will
Witt  
Wolf    
Wynn

Xabi
Xyan

Yael  
Yale
Yann
York  
Yule
Yuri
Yvan
Yves
Yvon

Zach
Zack
Zaid
Zain
Zale
Zane
Zayd
Zayn
Zeal  
Zeke  
Zeno  
Zeus
Ziad
Zion
Zuma    
If you're looking for short boy names in particular, you might also like this post about One-Syllable Boy Names.  Don't forget to check out the list of 4-letter Girl Names too!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Freya

The Girl's Name of the Week also comes from my Australian research. The name is currently ranked at #130 in Australia and gaining popularity! The lovely name is Freya.


Freya is a Nordic name meaning "a noble woman". The Norse goddess of love, beauty and fertility was named Freya.  However, this is not the usual spelling in Sweden and Denmark. In those countries, it is spelled Freja and in Norway it is Frøja, but Freya is the common spelling of the goddess's name in English.

This moniker has been rather popular in the UK for quite a while! It ranks at #16 in Scotland, #19 in England and Wales, #53 in Northern Ireland and #61 in the Republic of Ireland. In Victoria, Australia, Freya is currently ranked at #130.

As for the United States, this name was first seen in 1931 on 5 baby girls.  It wasn't until 1939 that it saw more regular usage, however many years had single digit births or none at all. Finally in 2007 the name hit the triple digit mark with 109 babies born. Freya's high-peak was 205 births in 2011 for a ranking of #1175. Last year, the name declined slightly with 180 births and a ranking of #1301.



Clearly the States have not caught on to the beauty of this name like the UK and Australia have. While I would like to see it gain a bit more popularity, I do like to keep some names obscure as well. I feel like this name is in the sweet-spot between obscurity and familiarity.

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Astrid, Carys, Dagny, Elsa, Imogen, Ingrid, Jeneve, Kirsi, Maren, Sigrid, Thora
Brothers: Axel, Connor, Eric, Gunnar, Harry, Jacob, Knute, Leif, Ragnar, Soren, Thurston

Middle Name Ideas:
Freya Josephine
Freya Elise
Freya Scarlett
Freya Brigit
Freya Dagmar
Freya Elin
Freya Hanne
Freya Maren

As a Middle Name:
Halle Freya
Kiersten Freya
Signe Freya
Catherine Freya
Annabelle Freya
Natalie Freya

What do you think of this lovely name and what would you pair with it? Let me know!

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