Sebastian

The name Sebastian comes from the Latin name Sebastianus meaning "from Sebaste" which is the name of a town in Asia Minor. In turn, Sebaste is derived from the Greek σεβαστος or sebastos which means "venerable" which is the Greek translation of the Latin title for Roman emperors, Augustus. It is further said that the Greek sebastos comes from σέβας (sebas) which also means "awe, reverence, dread".

Sebastian is an ancient name. In particular, it belonged to a Roman soldier from the 3rd-century who was martyred by arrows when he was outed as a Christian.  He later became one of the most popular saints causing the name Sebastian to be used throughout medieval Europe, particularly in France and Spain.  In the 16th-century, the King of Portugal bore this name. He was killed in a crusade against Morocco.

On a more creative note, there were characters named Sebastian in two of Shakespeare's plays, (Twelfth Night, and The Tempest) as well as the 1945 novel Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. And of course, more recently, there is Sebastian the crab in Disney's The Little Mermaid.  There are plenty of other people, characters and places relating to the name Sebastian!

This sophisticated name is starting to see more and more usage these days! Since the 1990s, this name has shot straight up the charts.  It isn't often that a name will have such a dramatic climb! Sebastian has been in use in the US since 1881 but it was used sporadically. It wasn't until 1901 that it gained regular usage. The number of births per year climbed into the 100's by 1915 but declined again to the 50 range by the mid-1930s.

The number of births per year was back into the 100s in 1961, climbing steadily with each passing year. The number of babies named Sebastian suddenly jumped to the thousands in 1991.  By 2000, there were over 5,000 baby boys named Sebastian putting the name in the top 100 for the first time.  And it would only increase from there! Most recently in 2012, there were 6,685 births for a ranking of #64 on the Top 1000 chart.  I would bet that it has climbed even higher in 2013.

Common nicknames include Seb, Sebbie, Bas, Bash, Bastian or Baz and possibly Ian. According to Behind The Name, pronunciations vary around the world: ze-BAHS-tee-ahn (German), sə-BAS-chən (English), se-BAHS-tyahn (Polish). They also list many variations and diminutives of the name around the world and the popularity of the name in different countries if you're interested.  It ranks as high as #5 in Chile and #9 in Austria!  What do you think of this name?

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Anastasia, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Philippa, Sabrina, Valentina
Brothers: Alexander, Benedict, Dominic, Leonardo, Maximilian, Thaddeus

Middle Name Ideas:
Sebastian Alexander
Sebastian Lucas
Sebastian Miles
Sebastian Theodore

As a Middle Name: 
Anthony Sebastian
Edmund Sebastian
Remy Sebastian
William Sebastian

Let me know what you think of this name! Also, what middle name ideas would you suggest? Do you know any little Sebastians? If so, what are their siblings' names?

Disney Names For Boys

Source

Everyone loves Disney. From the characters to the movies to the theme parks, Disney is a big deal. But what about baby names? My son's name happens to be heard on a fairly new character in the Disney realm: the horse from the movie Tangled.  My husband's name is on here too!

Some of these are very common names like David, John and Peter. Others are very tied specifically to a certain character like Aladdin or Gaston or even Mickey.  Do you have any of the following names on your list or already in your family? Can you think of any characters that I missed?  Do let me know which of these you like the most!

Abu (Aladdin) Akela (The Jungle Book) Aladdin (Aladdin) Amos (The Fox and the Hound) Apollo (Hercules) Archimedes (Tarzan) Arthur (The Sword in the Stone) Ben (Pocahontas) Berlioz (The Aristocats) Bernard (The Rescuers) Chip (Chip 'n' Dale) Christopher (Winnie the Pooh) Claude (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) Clayton (Tarzan) Cody (The Rescuers Down Under) Copper (The Fox and the Hound) Dale (Chip 'n' Dale) David (Lilo & Stitch) Demetrius (Hercules) Donald (Donald Duck) Edgar (The Aristocats) Eli  (The Princess and the Frog) Eric (The Little Mermaid) Evinrude (The Rescuers) Fagin (Oliver & Company) Fenton (Atlantis: The Lost Empire) Figaro (Figaro the Cat from Pinocchio) Flynn (Tangled) Francis (Oliver & Company) Francois (The Rescuers Down Under) Frank (The Rescuers Down Under) Gaetan (Atlantis: The Lost Empire) Gaston (Beauty and the Beast) George (Peter Pan) Geppetto (Pinocchio) Gideon (Pinocchio) Gus (Cinderella) Hans  (Frozen) Harvey (The Princess and the Frog) Henry (The Princess and the Frog) Hercules (Hercules) Hermes (Hercules) Horace (101 Dalmatians) Hubert (Sleeping Beauty) Hugo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) Iago (Aladdin) Ian (The Princess and the Frog) Jaques (Cinderella) Jafar (Aladdin) Jake (The Rescuers Down Under) James (Peter Pan) Jasper (101 Dalmatians) Jim (Treasure Planet) Jock (Lady and the Tramp) John (Pocahontas)

Joshua (Atlantis: The Lost Empire) Kristoff (Frozen) Lafayette (The Aristocats) Lawrence (The Princess and the Frog) Louie (Oliver & Company) Louis (The Princess and the Frog) Luke (The Rescuers) Lyle (Atlantis: The Lost Empire) Marlon (The Princess and the Frog) Maurice (Beauty and the Beast) Max (The Little Mermaid) Maximus (Tangled) Michael (Peter Pan) Mickey (Mickey Mouse) Milo (Atlantis: The Lost Empire) Mufasa (The Lion King) Naveen (The Princess and the Frog) Olaf  (Frozen) Oliver (Oliver & Company) Orville (The Rescuers) Otto (Robin Hood) Pascal (Tangled) Percival (Rescuers Down Under) Percy (Pocahontas) Peter (Peter Pan) Phillip (Sleeping Beauty) Philippe (Beauty and the Beast) Preston (Atlantis: The Lost Empire) Pumbaa (The Lion King) Rafiki (The Lion King) Rajah (Aladdin) Razoul (Aladdin) Randy (The Princess and the Frog) Richard (Robin Hood) Robin (Robin Hood) Roger (101 Dalmatians) Roscoe (Oliver & Company) Rufus (The Rescuers) Sebastian (The Little Mermaid) Simba (The Lion King) Stefan (Sleeping Beauty) Sven (Frozen) Tantor (Tarzan) Tarzan (Tarzan) Thomas (The Aristocats) Timon (The Lion King) Timothy (Dumbo) Tito (Oliver & Company) Toby (Robin Hood) Tod (The Fox and the Hound) Toulouse (The Aristocats) Victor (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) Wilbur (The Rescuers Down Under) Winston (Oliver & Company) Zeus (Hercules)

Stay tuned for next week's list of Disney Girl's names! 

Althea

Althea is a feminine, Greek Mythological name. It comes from the Greek name Αλθαια (Althaia) and might also be related to the Greek αλθος (althos) which means "healing". Most baby naming sites say that this name means "with healing power" or that it refers to the Althaea genus of perennial herbs including the marshmallow plant which is noted for its healing powers.

In Greek legends, Althea was the mother of Meleager. Behind the Name says "soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son." Clearly this name has some tragedy behind it but it is still interesting and lovely in sound.

In the 17th century, a poet named Richard Lovelace used the name Althea as a poetic pseudonym for his beloved in the poem "To Althea, from Prison". In modern times, this name is most commonly associated with the great tennis player, Althea Gibson, who was the first African-American to win at Wimbleton.

As far as nicknames go, modern parents would probably opt for Thea. I also like the idea of Allie for a small child.

This name has been in regular usage since 1880 in the US. It has had two dramatic popularity boosts in the past. One around 1920 and the other in the late 1950s even though this name has never seen more than 400 births in a single year. Althea has had steady usage since the 1970s in the 40-80 births per year range. It has not seen the Top 1000 since 1972. In 2013, there were 99 baby girls named Althea for a ranking of #1964.

Revision:  As of 2016, Althea rose to #1674 for a total of 127 births for the year. The name is due for another popularity boost.

What do you think of this ancient name? Do you feel as though it could be relevant again today?

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Bronwyn, Calliope, Daphne, Hyacinth, Juno, Olympia
Brothers: Atlas, Evander, Jasper, Oscar, Sebastian, Tarquin

Middle Name Ideas:
Althea Camille
Althea Iris
Althea Penelope
Althea Rose
Althea Willow

As a Middle Name:
Chloe Althea
Daisy Althea
Genevieve Althea
Madeleine Althea
Olive Althea

Share your thoughts on this name in the comments below.

First published: 2/7/14
Revised: 12/25/14
Revised: 5/13/17

Mythological Names for Girls

The thing about mythological names is that they are flush full of history. Whether past namesakes were a part of a tragedy or a utopian rulership, these names are bound to offer an abundance of strength. This list mostly contains Greek and Roman deities and legends, but there are mythological figures from various other origins as well.

These names may have a beauty and a unique freshness to them in today's society but be sure to research these names before committing to one. Make sure that you like the namesake!  Let me know which of these names you like the most! Would you ever consider using it?

Acantha Althea Andromeda           Antheia Aphrodite Ariadne Artemis Astra Atalanta Athena Aurora Brigid Brunhild Calliope Calypso Camilla Cassandra Cerelia Ceres Chandra Clio Cybele Cynthia Daphne Delia Demeter Diana Echo Enid Eos Etain

Fauna Flora Fortuna Freya Gaia Grainne Halcyon Hebe Hera Hermione           Hero Hestia Ianthe Indira Irene Iris Isis Isolde Jana Jaya Juno Kora Lakshmi Leda Lilith Lorelei Lucina Luna Lyssa Maeve Maia

Melea Minerva Morgan Neith Nephele Nessa Niamh Nike Niobe Nyx Padma Pallas Pandora Pax Penelope Persephone Phaedra Phoebe Phyllis Priya Rhea Selene Signy Tanith Tara Thalassa Uma Venus Vesta Xanthe Ziva

Don't miss the list of Mythological Boy Names too!

Don't forget to check out this fabulous, longer list of mythological names courtesy of Behind the Name. Here are my Top 5 favorites from the above list. I'll list them with potential sibling and middle name ideas just in case you also love these names too!

1. Athena

Sisters: Ariadne, Aurora, Evadne, Helena, Lydia, Penelope
Brothers: Ambrose, Apollo, Damian, Lysander, Orion, Philip

Middle Name Ideas:
Athena Catherine
Athena Hyacinth
Athena Persephone
Athena Sybil

As a Middle Name:
Cleo Athena
Daphne Athena
Iris Athena
Phoebe Athena

2. Diana

Sisters: Celeste, Flora, Jane, Margaret, Sophia, Victoria
Brothers: Andrew, Elliot, Henry, Michael, Thomas, William

Middle Name Ideas:
Diana Christine
Diana Hermione
Diana Katherine
Diana Simone

As a Middle Name:
Chloe Diana
Ivy Diana
Lucy Diana
Selene Diana

3. Iris

Sisters:  Audrey, Cassia, Hazel, June, Ophelia, Violet
Brothers: Atlas, Everett, Jason, Nicholas, Oliver, Wyatt

Middle Name Ideas:
Iris Cassandra
Iris Evangeline
Iris Matilda
Iris Victoria

As a Middle Name:
Althea Iris
Calista Iris
Eugenia Iris
Phillipa Iris

4. Minerva

Sisters: Andromeda, Cordelia, Isolde, Luna, Octavia, Rowena
Brothers: Auberon, Evander, Inigo, Leander, Matthias, Sebastian

Middle Name Ideas:
Minerva Amaryllis
Minerva Calliope
Minerva Eloise
Minerva Sybil

As a Middle Name:
Catherine Minerva
Eleni Minerva
Helen Minerva
Thisbe Minerva

5. Xanthe

Sisters: Agatha, Charis, Eleni, Lotus, Phoebe, Thalia
Brothers: Achilles, Damon, Erasmus, Hector, Linus, Plato

Middle Name Ideas:
Xanthe Acacia
Xanthe Corinna
Xanthe Eulalia
Xanthe Odessa

As a Middle Name:
Alyssa Xanthe
Calla Xanthe
Elena Xanthe
Isadora Xanthe

Evander

The name Evander has two possible backgrounds. The first comes from the Latin Evandrus which comes from the Greek Ευανδρος (Euandros). This means "good man".  This background is the most widely accepted on baby naming sites.

The second possible origin says that Evander is the anglicized form of Iomhar which is the Scottish from of Ivor. Ivor comes from the Old Norse name Ívarr meaning "bow warrior". Ivor was carried into Great Britain by Scandinavians in the Middle Ages.

According to Behind the Name, in Roman mythology, Evander was an Arcadian hero who founded the city of Pallantium where Rome would later be built. He was responsible for bringing the Greek pantheon, laws and alphabet to Italy. This Evander also appeared in Virgil's Aeneid, a Latin epic poem written between 29 and 19 BC.

The most well-known modern-day association with the name Evander belongs to boxing champ Evander Holyfield. There is also a Canadian hockey player named Evander Kane.

Beyond myths, literature and athletes, there are actual babies given this name. In the US, Evander first appeared in 1888 with 5 births but was rarely used until it gained a more regular momentum in 1911. The number of births per year remained near single-digits until the late 1980s.

Evander got as many as 75 births in 1991 for a ranking of #1297 but the numbers declined again after that until hitting a record-high of 80 births in 2012 for a ranking of #1823. It is still very far off from the Top 1000 which makes it a rare but familiar gem.

Evander would fit right in with Xander and could potentially be called Evan for short. If you're not a fan, try the similar sounding Leander instead!

What do you think of this rarely-used name? What would you pair with it? Here are some suggestions:

Sibling Name Ideas: 
Sisters: Athena, Cassia, Delphine, Minerva, Persephone, Rowena, Viviana
Brothers: Amadeus, Cyrus, Ignatius, Leopold, Malcolm, Orion, Xavier

Middle Name Ideas:
Evander Alistair
Evander Calix
Evander Gregory
Evander Lewis
Evander Marius
Evander Romulus
Evander Theodore

As a Middle Name:
August Evander
Charles Evander
Henry Evander
Linus Evander
Julius Evander
Ronan Evander
Silas Evander

Mythological Names for Boys

This name list mostly contains Greek and Roman deities and legends, but there are mythological figures from various other origins as well. Whether or not you believe in mythology is your own choice. Personally, I do not. I like to think of them as fables passed down through the generations. But I do find these stories to be very fascinating, especially the names that come from them.

The list that I've compiled below contains a great assortment of the best masculine names that spring from the most well-known myths from around the world. I am sure that there are plenty more that could be added so feel free to leave me a comment below if you'd like me to add some. In fact, Behind the Name has an amazing collection of mythological names that is much longer than this one if you're looking for more obscure choices. Here are some of the names that I feel are easier for a modern boy to wear today:

Achilles                     Adonis Ajax Alvis Apollo Ara Aries Arthur Atlas Auster Bran Cadmus Castor Cian Conall Conor Damon Diarmaid Dylan Eros Evander Feargus Finn Fintan Hector Helios Hermes Icarus

Janus Jason Jasper Jove Jupiter Leander Mars Mercury Neptune Oceanus Odin Odysseus Oisin Orion Oscar Osiris Pan Paris Percival Perseus Poseidon Saturn Silvanus Thor Tristan Vishnu Zephyr Zeus

Don't forget to check out the Mythological Names for Girls too!

Which of these names are your favorites? Would you ever consider using them for a child, and if so, what would you pair with them? Here are my Top 5 favorites:

1. Apollo

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Artemis, Athena, Calliope, Eulalia, Ophelia, Penelope

Brothers: Achilles, Cadmus, Damon, Erasmus, Leonidas, Perseus

Middle Name Ideas:

Apollo Christopher

Apollo Damien

Apollo Lysander

Apollo Thaddeus

As a Middle Name:

Jason Apollo

Nicholas Apollo

Phillip Apollo

Stephen Apollo

2. Damon
Sisters: Aurora, Daphne, Iris, Luna, Phaedra, Selene
Brothers: Arthur, Connor, Dante, Jasper, Maddox, Tristan

Middle Name Ideas:
Damon Achilles
Damon Frances
Damon Oliver
Damon Thomas

As a Middle Name:
Alexander Damon
Gregory Damon
Nathaniel Damon
Silas Damon

3. Fintan

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Aisling, Ciara, Enya, Maeve, Orlaith, Saoirse 

Brothers: Brawley, Cavan, Dooley, Grady, Keefe, Oisin  

Middle Name Ideas:

Fintan Boyd

Fintan Cashel

Fintan Kane

Fintan Patrick

As a Middle Name:

Connor Fintan

Garvey Fintan

Logan Fintan

Neal Fintan

4. Percival

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Amelie, Celine, Elodie, Genevieve, Isabeau, Margaux

Brothers: Aimon, Bastien, Durand, Jasper, Leverett, Olivier

Middle Name Ideas:

Percival Ambrose

Percival Elroy

Percival Jourdain

Percival Lucien 

As a Middle Name:

Beau Percival

Henri Percival

Loic Percival

Quincy Percival

5. Thor

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Anika, Dagny, Elin, Halle, Jetta, Kirsi, Ottilia 

Brothers: Alrik, Davin, Gerik, Henrik, Leif, Rasmus, Soren

Middle Name Ideas:

Thor Benjamin

Thor Johannes

Thor Leonidas

Thor Ragnar

As a Middle Name:

Alexander Thor

Gunnar Thor

Quenby Thor

Viggo Thor

Cara

The name Cara comes from an Italian word of endearment that means "beloved". In Latin, Cara means "friend" which is also true for the Irish Gaelic origination. However, the Spanish word cara means "face" and the word kara means "dark" in Turkey. On the Isle of Man, in traditional baby naming books, Cara referred to "a songster".

My name is Kara and I pronounce it CARE-uh. Most people that I meet initially say CAR-uh, though, which is something to ponder. Behind the Name gives three different pronunciations for Cara: KAHR-ə (English), KER-ə (English), KAH-rah (German).  Baby Names Hub has an extensive list of comments from ladies named Cara who have shared their experience with the name and its [mis]pronunciations. Many of them also mentioned how often this name can get confused for Sara, Tara, Clara, Karen or Carol. Keep that in mind if you are considering this name. Variants of this name include Kara and Karaugh; diminutives include Carina and Karyna. Cara can also be used as a short form of Caroline and Charlotte.

Cara has been used in the US since 1882 but it did not gain popularity until the 1950s. It boomed once the 1970s hit and it enjoyed the ride until it began declining again in 1994. Presently, Cara is down to just 402 births for the year 2012 which ranks the name at #695.

The name Kara wasn't used in the US until 1931 but it actually caught on a couple years earlier than Cara and has continued its popularity ride up until it finally began to decline in 2010. As of 2012, Kara is still ranked higher than Cara. Kara had 850 births and sits at #365.

Revision: As of 2016, Cara ranked at #807 with 350 births for the year. Kara ranked at #498 with 622 births. Right now, the K is the favored spelling. Do you pronounce these the same?

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alexis, Emma, Hannah, Jenna, Leah, Nicole, Tessa
Brothers: Andrew, Brian, Colin, Eric, Luke, Ryan, Sean

Middle Name Ideas:
Cara Abigail
Cara Elizabeth
Cara Jane
Cara Michelle
Cara Selene
Cara Yvonne

Which name do you like more? What middle name would you pair with them?

Original Post: 1/24/14
Revised: 5/14/17