Fletcher

Fletcher is originally a surname that refers to a person who fletches arrows as their occupation. It is a Middle English name meaning "arrow maker" which comes from the Old French flechier. It is a surname but it has a tough, masculine feel to it with a bit of unique quirkiness added in.

Following this week's post about names inspired by poetry, there was a poet named Thomas Fletcher (1666-1713) who was also a priest of the Church of England.  John Fletcher was a Jacobean playwright (1579-1625) who took over Shakespeare's role as the house playwright for the King's Men. Click here to view many more famous namesakes including several fictional characters named Fletcher.

This name has been in regular use since 1880 in the US. It had a boost in popularity in 1914 that lasted through the early 1950s before it declined again. However it was in the top 1000 names from 1880-1971, and 1985-1986. The year 1998 saw another boost, catapulting the name back into the Top 1000 in 2003 at #991.  In 2012, Fletcher saw 283 births which put the name at a ranking of #791.

It fits right in with other occupational surnames like Carter (#36), Hunter (#45), Tyler (#50), Parker (#80) and Cooper (#82).  Fletcher currently ranks at #220 in England/Wales.

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Audrey, Charlotte, Macy, Piper, Sophia, Willow
Brothers: Bennett, Holden, Jack, Nathan, Oliver, Tobiah

Middle Name Ideas:
Fletcher Augustus
Fletcher Benjamin
Fletcher Daniel
Fletcher Miles
Fletcher Reid

As a Middle Name:
Adam Fletcher
Ethan Fletcher
Gabriel Fletcher
Owen Fletcher
Vincent Fletcher

Baby Names from Poetry

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There is something about the surname of poets that just happens to be, well, poetic. Not only do they have a way with words, but these poets have also left us some amazing baby name options to choose from!  Whether you studied poetry in school or just secretly love it, these names might just be what you're looking for!  There are also a few words included that are related to poetry.

Below this list, I have chosen my Top 5 favorites that I'd love to see on a modern baby and listed out potential sibling names and middle names. If you'd like to share what your favorite names are (or if I've missed any that should be included) please do so in the comment section!

Angelou Auden Baird Blake Bly Bogan Bronte Byron Campbell Carew Chaucer Corso Crane Cullen Dante Dickinson              Dove Dryden Dylan Eliot Emerson Fletcher Frost Giovanni Hardy Herrick Hugo Jarrell Keats Kenyon Kipling Landor Larkin Lorca Lowell

Lyric Macaulay Marlowe Marvell Merrill Merwin Millay Milton Mistral Morely Moore Morrison Muse Nash Neruda Oliver Owen Paz Poe Poet Quarles Riley Rumi Ruskin Shelley Spenser Sonnet Tennyson Thoreau Vaughan Verlaine Whitman Whittier Wyatt Yeats

My Top 5 Favorites:

1. Auden (Boy or Girl)

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Ada, Ella, Emory, Harper, Lennon, Maren, Rumor, Summer

Brothers: Asher, Emerson, Holden, Marek, Nolan, Reese, Sutton, Vance

Middle Name Ideas:

Auden Clark

Auden James

Auden Theodore

Auden Elizabeth

Auden Grace

Auden Scarlett

2. Dante

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Alena, Carys, Daphne, Gianna, Lilith, Ophelia, Stella, Vera

Brothers: Alec, Damian, Luca, Maxwell, Ronan, Sebastian, Vincent, Xavier

Middle Name Ideas:

Dante Alexander

Dante Merrick

Dante Oliver

Dante Theodore

Dante Vincent

3. Hugo

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Audrey, Cecilia, Estella, Imogen, Jasmine, Phoebe, Sabrina, Tabitha

Brothers: Andre, Felix, Hector, Ivan, Julian, Max, Oliver, Samuel

Middle Name Ideas:

Hugo Augustus

Hugo Conrad

Hugo Eames

Hugo Roderick

Hugo Wilder

4. Nash 

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Amara, Cora, Eliza, Fiona, Jade, Mabel, Riley, Tessa

Brothers: Beau, Cole, Drake, Ethan, Gavin, Joel, Maverick, Wyatt

Middle Name Ideas:

Nash Benjamin

Nash Carter

Nash Elliott

Nash Jameson

Nash Roland

5. Sonnet (Girl)

Sibling Name Ideas;

Sisters: Autumn, Bluebell, Felicity, Hope, Karys, Lyric, Soleil, Willow

Brothers: Bridger, Christian, Flynn, Jett, Keller, Mason, Parker, Stone

Middle Name Ideas:

Sonnet Alexandra

Sonnet Caroline

Sonnet Elizabeth

Sonnet Magnolia

Sonnet Olivia

What are your favorite Poetry Names?

Cordelia

The girl name Cordelia is a lovely, elegant and unique option! With nickname possibilities like Cora, Della and Lia, it is both cute for a baby and beautiful for a woman.

The name Cordelia comes from Cordeilla which is a Celtic name with unknown meaning. However, the name is often associated with the Latin word cor or cordis which means "heart". Some sites also say that it means "Daughter of the Sea". So I suppose you can take your pick of meanings!

Based on the legendary Queen Cordeilla, she was a character in Shakespeare's play King Lear written in 1606. He altered the spelling from the original Cordeilla to the modern Cordelia. In the play, she was the youngest of King Lear's three daughters and the only one that remained loyal to him.

Another literary reference to the name comes from the heroine of Anne of Green Gables who said "I would love to be called Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant name."

This name has been in regular usage since 1880 in the US. It received a small boost in popularity from 1915-1927 before slowing down a bit through the rest of the century. Right around 2002, the name once again gained a slight boost. In 2012 there were 204 baby girls given the name which puts it at a ranking of #1196.  The name has not been in the Top 1000 since 1950.

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So while this name is familiar, it is still in unranked territory which makes it delightfully underused. Your child would be unique among her peers but also have plenty of history behind her name. I would call this name adorably elegant.

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Annabel, Beatrice, Cecily, Eleanor, Juliet, Matilda, Sabrina, Violet
Brothers: Alistair, August, Charles, Elijah, James, Jasper, Sebastian, Vincent

Middle Name Ideas:
Cordelia Eve
Cordelia Jane
Cordelia Maeve
Cordelia Pearl
Cordelia Ruth

As a Middle Name:
Alice Cordelia
Mabel Cordelia
Phoebe Cordelia
Scarlett Cordelia
Zoey Cordelia

Girls Names from Literature

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The term "literature" covers a grand spectrum of novels. Most of these names come from the classic masterpieces that have touched the hearts of readers for decades. While I cannot possibly list every name of every character in every book ever written, this is definitely a pretty good list to start with if you're in need of a literary moniker.

Below this list, I have handpicked my favorites that I think would be darling for a modern day girl. Then I went one step further and paired them with a couple middle name ideas and listed a few potential sibling name ideas to help you decide if you'd truly want to consider adding said names to your short-list. After all, that's the whole point of a list like this: to help you find the perfect name for your child!

If you'd like to join in the fun, please feel free to choose your favorite names from the list and share a few middle name options that would make you fall in love with the name as a whole. And do tell if you already have any of these on your shortlist!

Alabama Alhambra Alia Alma Amaryllis Amoret Arabella Aravis Ariadne Atalanta Aurora Bathsheba Bella Bennington                   Blue Brett Briana Briony Calixta Calliope Catalina Catriona Charity Charmian Clarice Clarissa Clea Clelia Cordelia Cosette Cressida Dahlia Daisy Denver Desdemona Domenica Ellis Eloise Emma Esme Evangeline Fancy Faunia Feather Fig Fleur Ginevra Guinevere Hana Haydée Hermione Hester Honora Honoria Hyacinth Isadora Isolde Jacy Jadine Juliet Juniper

Juno Kiki Kinsey Lavinia Lolita Lucinda Lux Maisie Malta Mamie Marigold Marin Matilda Melanctha Mercy Narcissa Nenna Nerissa Ninetta Niobe Octavia Orleanna Pansy Pecola Petal Peyton Pilar Pleasant Portia Prairie Precious Rain Ramona Remarkable Romola Rosamond Sai Scarlett Scout Serafina Sethe Sheba Sidda Snow Flower Sugar Sula Sweeney Sylvie Tamora Tamsin Temple Thea Thisbe Undine Velvet Verena Vida Viola Viviette Zenobia Zora Zuleika

As a side-note, I'm not very well-read so I wouldn't know if any of these names belong to dastardly and despicable characters or not. Please do your own research before fully committing to a name. It is always a good idea to know who your child's main "namesakes" are and what the general opinion is of said characters.  If I had a bit more time in my daily life I would love to research these thoroughly but that may lead to hours and hours of Wikipedia page hopping. You know how it is. It would end up being faster to read each novel individually. ;)  At the moment, I am simply choosing these names because I think they are beautiful in sound.

Don't forget to check out the list of Boy Names from Literature too!

My Top Ten Favorites:

From Juliet to Julius: The Popularity of 5 Jul- Names

In the naming world, sometimes you will find names that all begin with the same few letters. This can sometimes make it difficult to choose between them. For example, I asked which of these Jul- names you would sooner use and the results are in!

The options include two boys names: the popular Julian and the strong, Roman Julius. For girls, I limited it to sweet Julia, romantic Juliet and exotic Juliana.

Every single one of these names comes from the same root. They come from the Roman family name ioulos which is from the Greek ιουλος meaning "downy-bearded" which implies youthfulness. The patriarch name is Iulius from which Julius was born. Following Julius's lead came Iulia and Iulianus.

The Ancient Roman Iulia inspired many of the feminine names including Julia, Julitta, Yuliya, Jools, Juliet, Juliette, Julie, Juliska, Giulia, Giulietta, Julinha, and Yulia. Names like  Juliana, Julijana, Liana, Leanna, Gillian, Jill, and Uliana came from the Ancient Roman Iuliana which came from the male Iulianus.

The boy names all sprang from Iulianus and include favorites such as Julian, Julius, Jules and Julio. There's also the Italian Giuliano and Giulio, the Russian Yulian, Yuliy and Yuli, the rare English name Jolyon, the Polish Juliusz and Julek, and any other variant or diminutive you can think of!

You can view the Jul- family tree here!

Here is how the names ranked in popularity on The Art of Naming's poll:

1. Juliet  29 Votes (38%)
2. Julian  24 Votes (32%)
3. Juliana 11 Votes (14%)
4. Julia    8 Votes (10%)
5. Julius   3 Votes (4%)

In the U.S. these names are all ranked within the Top 1000 names. Here is how they measured up in 2012:

• Julian #53 with 7,336 births
• Julia #65 with 3,844 births
• Juliana #147 with 2,201 births
• Juliet #253 with 1,267 births
• Julius #331 with 940 births

Which of these Jul- names is your favorite? I personally love Juliet the most! I would also use Julius over Julian for a boy. What do you think?

Atticus

The name Atticus may have been one of the very first Roman names to begin making mainstream waves. It has that ancient feel to it but because of the fatherly fictional character Atticus Finch in Harper Lee's 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus also feels very noble and heroic. In fact, Atticus Finch was voted in 2003 as the "Greatest Hero of American film" by the American Film Institute. Finch was iconically played by actor Gregory Peck in the 1962 film adaptation of the novel.

The name Atticus is Latin meaning "Man of Attica" or "From Attica". Attica is the region that surrounds Athens in Greece. While it describes a Greek area, the name was adopted by one particular Roman man who spent much of his life studying in Athens. He loved the culture so much that he gave himself the nickname Atticus since he considered himself a man from Attica. His name was Titus Pomponius Atticus (112/109 BC – 35/32 BC). He was an ancient Roman littérateur, philosopher and correspondent with Cicero.

There was also a philosopher named Atticus (c. 175), an Archbishop Atticus of Constantinople (406-425), a Greek rhetorician named Herodes Atticus (c. 101-177) and a Christian martyr named Atticus who died in the year 310.  More recently, there is an English musican named Atticus Ross, an American actor named Atticus Shaffer, and an alternative rock back called Atticus.

This name has really skyrocketed in popularity in the past couple decades. The name was first used in pop-culture in 1960 and 1962 as mentioned above and yet, surprisingly, it did not influence any births! Aside from 5 births in 1881, and 5 more in 1912, the name Atticus was not used in the US until 1969 with 7 births.

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It gained regular usage in the late 1980s but it wasn't until the early 2000s that it gained momentum. It cracked into the Top 1000 in 2004 which coincides with the "Greatest Hero" award of 2003 for Atticus Finch. Since then the name has steadily gained popularity. As of 2012 it ranks at #410 with 703 births! I suspect that it will only continue climbing higher up the charts!

If you are considering this name for your son, I would encourage you to use it! Its most popular association was considered to be a very noble man, even a hero!  The name sounds classy, intelligent, strong, determined and confident.  It is known but not yet overly popular. It's a winner!

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Athena, Cassandra, Clementine, Harper, Hazel, Imogen, Matilda, Sabrina
Brothers: August, Ezra, Finnegan, Jasper, Maxwell, Oliver, Sebastian, Silas

Middle Name Ideas:
Atticus Dean
Atticus Gage
Atticus Isaiah
Atticus Joel
Atticus Jude
Atticus Rex
Atticus Xavier

As a Middle Name:
George Atticus
James Atticus
Liam Atticus
Miles Atticus
Victor Atticus
William Atticus

Boys Names from Literature

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I have seen many parents on baby name forums who have a great appreciation for classic literature, so much so that they are determined to use the names of their favorite characters in their child's name.  I admire their devotion and envy their knowledge of these characters.

Of course, the term "literature" covers a grand spectrum of novels. Most of these names come from the classic masterpieces that have touched the hearts of readers for decades. While I cannot possibly list every name of every character in every book ever written, this is definitely a pretty good list to start with if you're in need of a literary moniker.

Below this list, I have handpicked my favorites that I think would be very handsome for a modern day boy. Then I went one step further and paired them with a couple middle name ideas and listed a few potential sibling name ideas to help you decide if you'd truly want to consider adding said names to your short-list. After all, that's the whole point of a list like this: to help you find the perfect name for your child!

Please feel free to join in on the fun and choose your favorite names from the list! You can share them in the comments below! Let me know which middle name options you would pair with your favorites! Also, if there are any names that are not on this list that you think deserve to be, list them in the comments and I'll surely add them in!  Enjoy!

Ahab Amory Aramis Archer Ashley Athos Atticus Auric Axel Barley Barnaby Beale Benvolio Brick Brom Buck Caliban Caspar Cato Chance Cleon Cody Colin Corin Crow Cullen Darcy D'Artagnan Darl David Don Dorian Dunstan Edward Edmund Falmouth Fenno Fitzwilliam George Gogol Guitar Gulliver Heathcliff Henry Hieronymous Holden Huckleberry Ichabod Ishmael Japhy Jarvis Jasper Jay

Jean Jolyon Jude Jupiter Kaddish Kafka Laird Lemuel Lennie Loch Macon Magnus Marius Melchior Milo Mingus Misha Odysseus Orlando Orno Oskar Phineas Praxis Porthos Quebec Quillen Quintus Rhett Riley Robert Rodion Romeo Rufus Samson Santiago Sawyer Sebastian Seneca Septimus Sherlock Silas Taft Telemachus Tristan Tristram Utah Valentino Victor Vivaldo Watson Wolf Yancey Zooey

Keep in mind that since I'm not incredibly well-read, I do not know how dastardly, devious and despicable some of these characters could be. Always do your own research on a name before you commit to it, even if it isn't linked to literature. Make sure that all popular namesakes are those that you can live with. You and your child might be asked if the name came from this book or that TV show or whatever for the rest of your child's life. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something to consider!

Don't forget to check out the list of Girl Names from Literature too!

My Top 10 Favorites:

1. Archer

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Amelia, Avalon, Fable, Ivy, Lyric, Marion, Sonnet, Willow

Brothers: August, Beckett, Fletcher, Griffin, Harrison, Kellan, Mason, Parker

Middle Name Ideas:

Archer Declan

Archer James

Archer Reilly

Archer Sebastian

Archer William

2. Barnaby

Sibling Name Ideas: 

Sisters: Audrey, Caroline, Elizabeth, Hannah, Jemima, Josephine, Matilda, Winifred

Brothers: Atticus, Chester, Edward, Frederick, Matthew, Oliver, Tobias, William

Middle Name Ideas:

Barnaby August

Barnaby Damian

Barnaby James

Barnaby Michael

Barnaby Theodore

3. Corin

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Alice, Claire, Edith, Lilah, Molly, Olivia, Piper, Violet

Brothers: Asher, Ethan, Gavin, Holden, Liam, Noah, Owen, Wyatt

Middle Name Ideas:

Corin Alexander

Corin James

Corin Nathaniel

Corin Robert

Corin Wesley

4. Heathcliff

Sibling Name Ideas: 

Sisters: Adelaide, Beatrice, (Avoid Catherine), Cordelia, Harriet, Josephine, Lorraine, Michaela, Ramona

Brothers: Alistair, Barnaby, Caldwell, Hendrick, Jameson, Nathaniel, Theodore, Wiloughby

Middle Name Ideas:

Heathcliff Andrew

Heathcliff Charles

Heathcliff Elliot

Heathcliff Orion

Heathcliff Thomas

5. Jarvis

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Alma, Delaney, Elaina, Leila, Matilda, Olive, Sadie, Thea

Brothers: Alaric, Damian, Felix, Giles, Leo, Miles, Sebastian, Xavier

Middle Name Ideas:

Jarvis Anthony

Jarvis Haythem

Jarvis Indigo

Jarvis Oliver

Jarvis Theron

6. Marius

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Athena, Cassia, Freya, Katharine, Lucinda, Romilly, Sophia, Theodora 

Brothers: Antony, Cassius, David, George, Lucian, Magnus, Soren, Tybalt

Middle Name Ideas:

Marius Achilles

Marius Anthony

Marius Elliott

Marius Orion

Marius Xavier

7. Phineas 

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Althea, Eden, Esther, Hazel, Madeleine, Phoebe, Simone, Xaviere

Brothers: Atticus, Elijah, Gideon, Malachai, Nathaniel, Oliver, Quincy, Thaddeus

Middle Name Ideas:

Phineas Alexander

Phineas Isaiah

Phineas Logan

Phineas Rafferty

Phineas Vincent

8. Rhett 

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Aveline, Caroline, Daphne, Fiona, Grace, Leila, Philippa, Rowan, (Avoid Scarlett)

Brothers: Arlo, Crosby, Finnegan, Heath, Jack, Noah, Tristan, Vincent

Middle Name Ideas:

Rhett Donnelly

Rhett Julian

Rhett Leopold

Rhett Peregrine

Rhett Wilder

9. Silas 

Sibling Name Ideas: 

Sisters: Aria, Eve, Gisele, Helena, Jessica, Mila, Piper, Ruth

Brothers: Abram, Conrad, Daniel, Gideon, Jasper, Levi, Philip, Wesley

Middle Name Ideas:

Silas Archibald

Silas Damian

Silas Everett

Silas Jonathan

Silas Octavian

10. Tristram

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Astrid, Cressida, Elisabet, Imogen, Lavinia, Milena, Seraphina, Vivienne 

Brothers: Adler, Conrad, Julius, Leopold, Marius, Quillan, Rasmus, Viggo

Middle Name Ideas:

Tristram August

Tristram Benedict

Tristram Eamon

Tristram Henley

Tristram Wilder

That's my Top 10!! Which names are your favorites?