Baby Naming Challenge - Unisex Edition

This game will follow a "name bank" format. You will be given a set of names to choose from. Create a first and middle name combination for three children. These children will all have a unisex first name based on the list of unisex names that I posted earlier this week!

1A. Your first child is a boy. Choose from one of the following unisex names for his first name:

Alexis, Armani, Carter, Dakota, Drew, Elliot, Ellison, Finley, Haven, Jamie, Jordan, Kendall, Lyric, Morgan, Payton, Quinn, Remy, Rory, Sage, Skyler, Taylor

1B. Choose from the following vintage names for his middle name:

Arthur, Barnaby, Chester, Edmund, Franklin, George, Howard, Irving, Jasper, Louis, Milton, Oscar, Percy, Raymond, Samuel, Theodore, Virgil, Walter

And baby boy number one's name is.....?

2A. Your second child is a boy. Choose from one of the following unisex names for his first name:

Amari, Avery, Casey, Dallas, Dylan, Elliott, Emerson, Harley, Hayden, Jaylin, Justice, Lennon, Marley, Oakley, Peyton, Reagan, Riley, Rowan, Sawyer, Spencer, Teagan

2B. Choose from the following occupational names for his middle name:

Archer, Brenner, Clark, Dexter, Foster, Gage, Hayward, Jagger, Kiefer, Marshall, Parker, Reeve, Ryder, Steele, Shepherd, Thatcher, Tolliver, Wayne

And baby boy number two's name is.....?

3A. Your third child is a girl. Choose from one of the following unisex names for her first name: 

Angel, Cameron, Charlie, Devon, Eden, Ellis, Emery, Harper, Hunter, Jessie, Kai, London, Milan, Parker, Phoenix, Reese, River, Ryan, Skylar, Tatum, Zion

3B. Choose from the following quirky and unusual names for her middle name:

Avalon, Bluebell, Coraline, Dove, Eulalie, Fable, Hypatia, Isis, Juniper, Kismet, Lilac, Meadow, Plum, Raven, Sable, Temperance, Velvet, Wintress

And baby girl number one's name is....?

Here are the names that I chose:

Finley Theodore

Lennon Tolliver

Reese Coraline 

Well, which names did you choose?  Share them here in the comment section or on Facebook! 

Lennon

I came up with a short list of unisex names to potentially feature and it was hard for me to decide between them, so I took the question to the wonderful people on Instagram! The first poll narrowed the list to three names, but the voting was very close on the final three. It came down to Finley, Lennon or Phoenix. In the end, I tallied all of the votes from both polls together and Lennon was the winner!

Upon hearing the name Lennon, the first thought that may come to many peoples' minds is that of the late John Lennon of super rock group The Beatles. Beyond the musical connection, which is probably a huge reason parents choose the name, Lennon actually comes from an Irish surname. It has been anglicized from Ó Leannáin which is basically a patronymic name meaning "descendant of Leannán". Leannán itself is said to mean "lover" in Gaelic.

Lennon is now considered a unisex name. Originally, it was only given to boys from 1913 to 1980 in the US. Girls were slowly given the name starting in 1981 and it has quickly caught up to the same ranks as the boys. In 2013, there were 273 girls named Lennon and 289 boys which makes this name nearly even for both genders because of its 51/49 split.

It has only gained this boost of popularity for girls in the past year. The birth split for 2012 was 33% girl and 67% boy. Before that, the difference was even greater.  If you're wondering, as of 2013, the boy Lennon ranks at #769 and the girl Lennon ranks at #923, joining the Top 1000 for the first time ever. It will be interesting to see if this iconic surname of a male rock star will eventually be turned into a name that's favored by females.

As a baby name choice, like I mentioned, Lennon is a musical honor name. It joins the ranks of others such as Hendrix, Jagger, Marley and Presley. As far as nicknames go, the most obvious would be Len or Lenny. However, nicknames aren't very necessary when the name's only 2 syllables long.

What do you think of the name Lennon? What sort of middle names or sibling names would you pair with it? Names of other celebrities? Other surnames? Other unisex names? There's plenty of routes to take. Here are a few ideas I came up with:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Auden, Hadley, Lucy, Marlow, Monroe, Rowan, Tatum
Brothers: Arlo, Harrison, Jude, Madden, Parker, Rowan, Sawyer

Male Middle Name Ideas:
Lennon Alexander
Lennon James
Lennon Oliver
Lennon Theodore

As a Middle Name:
Charles Lennon
Michael Lennon
Seth Lennon
Zachary Lennon

Female Middle Name Ideas:
Lennon Charlotte
Lennon Isabella
Lennon Kate
Lennon Victoria

As a Middle Name:
Audrey Lennon
Ivy Lennon
Maisie Lennon
Tabitha Lennon

Share your name pairing ideas in the comment section below or on Facebook!

Boy to Girl Ratios of Unisex Names in 2013

I went through the US Top 1000 baby names for 2013 and pulled out as many unisex names as I could. At least one name had to be in the Top 1000, but most of the names are on the list for both a boy and a girl. If you can think of any names that I missed --and I'm sure there are a few-- let me know so that I can include them.

Seeing information like this is helpful for those who are considering a unisex name but are unsure of how popular it really is for each gender. For example, Harper has really skyrocketed up the charts for girls lately. If you have always pictured it on a boy, it may be handy to know that only 4% of all Harpers are boys. Perhaps that matters to you, perhaps it doesn't. Either way, that kind of information can be found here.  You may even come across a name or two that you had no idea was somewhat unisex.

Alexis: 20% boy / 80% girl

Boy:  1,182 births (#294)

Girl: 4,741 births (#46)

Amari: 62% boy / 38% girl

Boy: 951 births (#337)

Girl: 576 births (#512)

Angel: 84% boy / 16% girl

Boy: 6,320 births (#67)

Girl: 1,204 births (#266)

Armani: 58% boy / 42% girl

Boy: 559 births (#486)

Girl: 409 births (#683)

Ashton: 93% boy / 7% girl
Boy: 2,597 births  (#152)
Girl: 188 births (#1252)

Avery: 18% boy / 82% girl

Boy: 2,036 births (#196)

Girl: 9,121 birth (#12)

Cameron: 93% boy / 7% girl

Boy: 6,809 births (#59)

Girl: 508 births (#566)

Carter: 97% boy / 3% girl

Boy: 9,512 births (#32)

Girl: 298 births (#859)

Casey: 60% boy / 40% girl

Boy: 553 births (#490)

Girl: 373 births (#726)

Charlie: 54% boy / 46% girl

Boy: 1,551 births (#233)

Girl: 1,315 births (#240)

Dakota: 45% boy / 55% girl

Boy: 890 births (#353)

Girl: 1,074 births (#293)

Dallas: 72% boy / 28% girl

Boy: 1,149 births (#302)

Girl: 454 births (#610)

Devon: 88% boy / 12% girl

Boy: 635 births (#446)

Girl: 83 births (#2226)

Drew: 84% boy / 16% girl

Boy: 1,170 births (#297)

Girl: 223 births (#1092)

Dylan: 94% boy / 6% girl

Boy: 10,058 births (#28)

Girl: 610 births (#489)

Eden: 16% boy / 84% girl

Boy: 377 births (#643)

Girl: 2,022 births (#158)

Elliot: 83% boy / 17% girl

Boy: 1,486 births (#241)

Girl: 308 births (#842)

Pearl

The last post in our Summer Names segment is this lovely girl name. Pearl is considered a rather old-fashioned name but it is coming back into style today!

I chose this name because it is the birthstone for June, a summer month. Historically, pearls were a favorite gem during the Roman Empire. Tudor England was even nicknamed "the pearl age" during the 1500s. They were probably so popular because they are said to give wisdom and bring wealth, protection and luck. They symbolize purity, generosity, integrity and loyalty as well. That's quite a lot for a baby girl to live up to if she's named Pearl!

Pearls are also unique in that they're the only gems that come from living sea creatures. This means that they have a natural beauty that is not made or altered by man or machine. However, cultured pearls dominate the market in place of natural pearls and have since the 1920s.

As a baby name, the English word pearl refers to the concretions formed in mollusk shells, like I mentioned, but it ultimately comes from the Late Latin word perla. It has been used as a name since the 19th century because of its lasting popularity as a gemstone. Today, many celebrities have already used Pearl for their daughters' firsts and middle names.

At first thought, Pearl may seem like the name of someone's great-grandmother and you wouldn't be incorrect in that association. Pearl was very popular from 1880 to around 1940. Pearl peaked in popularity in 1918 with 4,521 births and a ranking of #56.

Slowly, Pearl lost her fashionability. She dropped out of the Top 1000 in 1977-1978, from 1987-2006, and 2008. However, she's climbing back up the charts now and is ranking higher than she has in years! In 2013, 416 baby girls were named Pearl for a ranking of #677. She has a long way to go to hit the kind of numbers she saw in 1918 but it could happen again, especially since she fits the 100 year rule.

What do you think of the sweet, vintage Pearl? Do you think she'll make a bit of a comeback in the next 5-10 years? Also, what names would you pair with it? Here are some ideas I came up with:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Alice, Clementine, Daisy, Hazel, Iris, June, Lucy, Opal, Ruby, Sadie, Violet
Brothers: Conrad, Emmett, Graham, Henry, Jude, Oliver, Roman, William

Middle Name Ideas:
Pearl Adelaide
Pearl Eleanora
Pearl Josephine
Pearl Serenity

As a Middle Name:
Beatrice Pearl
Clara Pearl
Juliana Pearl
Rosalind Pearl

Summer Names for Girls

Summer is officially in full swing! That means it's the time of shorts and sunscreen, swimming pools and barbecues, sunshine and tan lines.  If you also happen to be baring a baby belly instead of a bikini, you may be in need of a wonderful summertime name!  I've composed a list of timely names that will suit any baby girl born in the summer heat! I'll be using one of these myself next month! Which of these names could you see yourself using for your little sunshine?

Alexandrite

America
Augusta
Berry
Breezy
Brooklyn
Coral
Daisy
Julia
Juliet
July
June
Junia
Lake
Leonie
Leonora
Liberty
Lillia
Lily
Marina
Marisol
Meadow
Morwenna
Nerida
Nixie
Oceana
Oceane
Peach
Pearl
Pelagia
Peridot
Plum
Rae
River
Ruby
Sailor
Sandy
Shelly
Sky
Suma
Summer
Sunny
Sunshine
Thalassa
Waverly

If you can think of more lovely summer names to add, let me know in the comment section below! Don't forget to also check out the list of Summer Names for Boys!   There's also a list for Autumn Girl Names and Autumn Boy Names too!  Winter and Spring coming soon!

River

When you think of warm weather and outdoor activities, perhaps a body of water comes to mind. Whether you enjoy the pool or the ocean, water is a huge part of summertime. Since we're discussing summer names this week and next, I thought I'd feature the name River for my boy name choice even though I'm aware of how unisex it is.

Of course, River comes from the English word that refers to a flowing body of water. Many people enjoy rafting down a river during the summer or camping near one. Ultimately, the word river is derived from the Latin ripa meaning "riverbank". As a name, River was considered masculine first but the girls staked their claim on it fairly quickly. It is still more popular for boys though.

As a nature name, River offers a great tranquil vibe, but also one of adventure. Pluralizing it as Rivers is also an option but it doesn't receive as many births per year as the singular River. There have been a few celebrities who have used this name for their children in recent years. There's also pop-culture ties to the late River Phoenix; and Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo.  For the females, there was a character on Doctor Who named River Song; and singer Kelly Clarkson recently gave her daughter the name River Rose.

River first appeared on the baby name record in 1971. It wasn't used regularly each year until 1986 for boys. It increased in usage around 1994 and has slowly been climbing upward since then. There were 815 males named River in 2013 for a ranking of #372.

The girls jumped on the bandwagon in 1988 but didn't have as much of an increase in births per year as the boys. They began catching up around 2006. As of 2013, there were 480 females named River, ranking the name at #588 on the girl side of the US Top 1000 chart.

What sort of name would you pair with River? Would you stick to the nature path? Would you find another 5 letter name? Perhaps another name with a V in it? Maybe something else entirely! Here's a few ideas that I came up with to help you out:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Aurora, Brooke, Hazel, Ivy, Lotus, Olivia, Summer, Willow
Brothers: Archer, Forest, Hunter, Jasper, Miles, Sawyer, Talon, Tyler

Boy Middle Name Ideas:
River Campbell
River James
River Sinclair
River William

As a Middle Name:
Florian River
Paxton River
Sebastian River
Vincent River

Girl Middle Name Ideas:
River Clementine
River Emilia
River Katherine
River Sophia

As a Middle Name:
Audrey River
Hannah River
Penelope River
Stella River

Do you like River more for a boy or a girl? What names would you choose to pair it with? Share your thoughts in the comment section or on Facebook!

Summer Names for Boys

Summertime officially began at the end of June! Next, we'll get to watch the fireworks light up the summer sky! After that, it's time to start pondering more about that baby name you're looking for. Your summer baby will be arriving soon! If you're having trouble narrowing down the right name for your little guy, perhaps one of these timely choices will best suit him! Take some of that warmth and sunshine and happiness associated with summer and apply it directly to naming and you'll have yourself the perfect moniker! Check out this list for ideas:

August

Augustine
Augustus
Azul
Bay
Beach
Birch
Bodhi
Brody
Cain
Calder
Dax
Dune
Dylan
Field
Finn
Julian
Julio
Julius
July
Junius
Junot
Kai
Lake
Leaf
Leo
Marlin
Marino
Murphy
Ocean
Pacifico
Ray
Rip
River
Sandy
Shade
Sheldon
Somerset
Storm
Sumner
Sunny
Tanner
Theros
Thunder
Tide
Tripp

Which of these names could you see yourself using for your baby boy? Don't forget to take a look at the list of Summer Names for Girls too! Also, Autumn Names for Boys and Autumn Names for Girls.