Names from Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron

If you haven't heard, Marvel Studios's new movie Avengers: Age of Ultron will be in most theaters today, Friday May 1st! As a fan of these superhero movies, I thought we'd take a look at the names of the main characters in the film.

Let me know in the comments and polls below which name you like most and which character is your favorite! Don't forget to check out the film this weekend if you're also a fan!

1. Tony Stark (aka Iron Man)

The name Tony is short for Anthony. In this case, Tony definitely suits Iron Man better than the more formal long form. Both names come from the Roman Antonius which generally has an unknown meaning. Anthony ranked at #21 in 2014 and short form Tony did pretty well at #448 on its own. Which do you prefer?

The surname Stark gained usage as a first name in 2010 (but could partially be attributed to the Starks of Game of Thrones as well).  There were 20 boys named Stark in 2014. Thankfully, nobody has named their child Iron Man that I can tell, but you never know!

2. Steve Rogers (aka Captain America)

Steve is short for Steven which comes from Stephen and Stefan. The original name is the Greek Stephanos meaning "crown".  Captain America was born as Steven Rogers in 1920 but is mostly called Steve or "Cap". There were 418 boys named Steven in 1920. The name was much more popular from the 1940s to the 1990s; today its down to #144. Steve itself ranked at #858 in 2014.

Similarly, Roger is rather dated as a name. It had decent usage from the 1920s to the 1980s but these days it has slipped down to #584. Since 2005, there have been 132 boys named Captain. I wonder of any of those boys named Captain were given the middle name America. America is used fairly well for girls, ranking at #846 in 2014.

3. Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk)

Bruce comes from a Scottish surname taken from the Normans. It was a Top 100 name from 1932-1970, but now ranks at #401 for boys in 2014 in the US. Bruce has been rather popular in both Scotland and Australia in years past. What do you think of it?

Surname Banner has actually been given as a first name to a number of boys. 44 boys received the name between 1916 and 1944 but it wasn't heard from again until 1993. It gained regularity in 2005. In 2014, there were 30 boys named Banner. It doesn't appear as though anyone has been named Hulk, though.

4. Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow) 

Natasha is a Russian diminutive of Natalya which comes from the Late Latin name Natalia meaning "Christmas Day" from the Latin natale domini. Natasha was most popular in the US in the 1980s, peaking in '82 and '87. It has declined in usage again, ranking at #544 in 2014.

Black Widow's surname is Romanoff which hasn't been used as a first name in the US, but if you chop off the "off" and consider Roman as a name, you'll see that it has rapidly gained usage for boys. Roman ranked at #113 for boys in 2014; there were even 16 female Romans.

5. Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye) 

Clint is short for Clinton which is a surname derived from an Old English place name. It refers to a "settlement on the River Glyme" which is in Oxfordshire, England. As a given name, Clint has been in use since 1880 but has never been popular. There were 95 boys named Clint in 2014.

Barton has also been around as a name since the beginning of US records but it is even less popular. There were only 5 boys named Barton in 2014. It isn't listed as much more than an English surname, but it is said to be a diminutive of Bartholomew.

6. Thor 

The mighty Thor is not just a comic book character, he was also prominent in Norse Mythology as the god of strength, thunder and war. Thor actually means "thunder" in Old Norse.

As a baby name, Thor has surprisingly been in use as early as 1904 in the US, gaining regular usage in 1912. It has never been popular but it has ranked at the bottom of the Top 1000 chart in the late 1960s. There were 114 babies named Thor in 2014.

7. Pietro Maximoff (aka Quicksilver) 

Pietro is the Italian form of the name Peter. It has been used in the US since 1909 but it has remained very rare. It could be a unique and interesting way to honor a Peter with a twist. There were only 25 boys given this name in 2014.

This character's surname is Maximoff which hasn't been used as a first name in the US. If we do what we did with Black Widow's surname and chop off the "off", we're left with Maxim which means "greatest". One of the many Max- names, Maxim ranked at #716 in the US in 2014.

8. Wanda Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch) 

The name Wanda is said to come from a Germanic name meaning "a Wend" that actually refers to Slavic people living in Germany. Wanda isn't a very stylish choice today but it was rather popular around 1956.  In 2014, just 22 baby girls were given this name. As for the Scarlet Witch's surname, see her twin brother Pietro's description above for that information.

Scarlet is a red color and also a type of cloth. This spelling ranked at #390 in 2014 for baby girls while the spelling Scarlett is #30. Scarlet is a lovely name once the "witch" part is dropped from this character's alias.

9. Nick Fury

Nick is the short form of Nicholas which is a Greek name meaning "victory of the people".  As a name, Nick has been given on its own since 1880 in the US and was most-used in 1959 and 1960. In 2014, there were 156 boys named just Nick. Nicholas is not as popular as it was in the '80s and '90s but it still ranked at #57 in 2014.

Fury was actually given to 5 girls in 2002 but it is not a name I'd recommend since it suggests violent anger. It does, however, make for a cool surname.

So tell me, which of the above character names do you like the most? 

If you had to pick one, what is the best name of the bunch?

Tony

Steve

Bruce

Natasha

Clint

Thor

Loki

Pietro

Wanda

Nick

Just for fun: Which is your favorite as a character?

Iron Man

Captain America

Hulk

Black Widow

Hawkeye

Thor

Loki

Quicksilver

Scarlet Witch

Agent Fury

Numerical Baby Names From One to Ten

There was once a time back in Ancient Rome when it was common to have several children. So many that parents sometimes numbered them via their names. If you couldn't imagine naming your children one, two, three, four, five... you're not alone.

Fortunately, there are Latin options that sound much cooler than that if you happen to find the idea of numbering your offspring to be appealing. There are also some updated modernized versions of these old Latin names that are faring better than their ancient counterparts.

Many ancient names are being used again today with a renewed sense of style such as all the -us names like Atticus, Maximus, Cyrus, Augustus, etc. But does this interest extend to these numerical names? Do they stand any chance for revival?  Let's take a look at some of the possible choices per number.

One (1): 

Prima

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 2004
• # of births in that year: 6
• Most recorded usage: 14 births in 1975

Primo 

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 11
• Most recorded usage: 31 births in 1921

Primus

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2009
• # of births in that year: 5
• Most recorded usage: 10 births in 1920

Uno

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 1923
• # of births in that year: 5
• Most recorded usage: 15 births in both 1918 & 1919

Una

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 39
• Most recorded usage: 217 births in 1921 

Primo is probably the most usable of the Prim- names with it's ancient roots and stylish -o ending, but it still lacks a bit of modern flair which prevents it from gaining any real traction with parents. These will always be rare. Uno is nonexistent as a name today. Una is the most used out of all of them and would actually be rather stylish for a girl today.
-

Two (2):

Secunda

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 1977
• # of births in that year: 5
• Most recorded usage: 5 births in 1964 & 1977. Total. Ever.

Segundo

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2012
• # of births in that year: 5
• Most recorded usage: 12 births in 2002

Secundus

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: Never in US
• # of births in that year: None
• Most recorded usage: None

One may be the loneliest number, but hardly anyone seems to value the number two when it comes to names.  Segundo for a boy has done the best out of all of these but its numbers are minuscule. These may not be inclined for any kind of popularity but they're interesting to at least acknowledge.
-

Three (3):

Tertia

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 1985
• # of births in that year: 5
• Most recorded usage: 5 births in 1971 & 1985. Total. Ever.

Tertius

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 1987
• # of births in that year: 6
• Most recorded usage: 6 births in 1987. Total. Ever.

Tres

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 8
• Most recorded usage: 17 births in 1993 & 1998

These Latin Tert- names aren't faring very well in the US.  Tertia has potential if pronounced ter-shuh, similar to Portia. Tertius might just be too much tert, even if pronounced ter-shuss. The French Trois hasn't been used at all but the Spanish word for three, Tres, has had some usage for a boy which is as good as it gets for these number names!
-

Four (4):

Quarta

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: Never in US
• # of births in that year: None
• Most recorded usage: None

Quartus

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: Never in US
• # of births in that year: None
• Most recorded usage: None

The US has zero love for the number four. Nobody has ever used these names. However, it would take 5 uses in a single year in order for it to be recorded, so it is possible that there's a couple out there that we don't know about. Similarly, there's no love for Quartia, Quartina, Quartessa or Quartella.  Nothing for Quatro or Quatre either.  Poor number four!
-

Five (5):

Quinta

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 1997
• # of births in that year: 5
• Most recorded usage: 15 births in 1977

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 1995
• # of births in that year: 5
• Most recorded usage: 8 births in 1977

Quintina

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 2004
• # of births in that year: 5
• Most recorded usage: 54 births in 1976

Quintus

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 19
• Most recorded usage: 30 births in 2012

Quintin

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 248
• Most recorded usage: 405 births in 1997

Quinton

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 479
• Most recorded usage: 871 births in 1996

The more modernized names Quintin and Quinton are commonly used today and are the most popular number names that we've looked at so far.  Quintus has real potential to gain a popularity boost along with the other -us names that are rising.  The female options don't quite strike the right chord for today's tastes, though.
-

Six (6):

Sexta

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: None
• # of births in that year: None
• Most recorded usage: Never used in the US

Sextus

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: None
• # of births in that year: None
• Most recorded usage: Never used in the US

Sexton

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 1975
• # of births in that year: 5
• Most recorded usage: 6 births in both 1917 & 1920

It's no surprise that people aren't readily putting the word "sex" into their children's names. I'd be more worried if these names were popular.  These can stay right where they are: in obscurity.
-

Seven (7):

Septima 

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: None
• # of births in that year: None
• Most recorded usage: Never used in the US

Septimus

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: None
• # of births in that year: None
• Most recorded usage: Never used in the US

September

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 31
• Most recorded usage: 51 births in 1980

Seven:

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 42
• Most recorded usage: 50 births in 2012

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2013
• Births in that year: 75
• Most recorded usage: 112 births in 2008

Septima and Septimus feel like they should have some usage and that they could actually fit in with other revived ancient names. September is more of a month name than a number name these days. The calendar shifted around and pushed the month down to the ninth spot, but September still comes from the Latin word for seven. September has had regular usage since 1955 and has the potential for more. Lastly, some parents have even decided to straight up use the number "Seven" as a name without any need to Romanize it.
-

Eight (8):

Octavia

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 73
• Most recorded usage: 446 births in 1987

Octavio

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 175
• Most recorded usage: 437 births in 2003

Octavius

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 51
• Most recorded usage: 126 births in 1991

Octavian

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 43
• Most recorded usage: 58 births in 2007

October

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 2013
• # of births in that year: 44
• Most recorded usage: 63 births in 2010

Octavio currently has the most usage of these Oct- names, but Octavia has been most consistently used over the years. Octavius should fit right in with other ancient -us boy names but it isn't currently hitting the spot. Octavian would be a cool alternative to other modern boy names ending with -n. October is another month name. It was originally set as the 8th month but with changes to the calender, it was bumped down to the 10th spot today. It is solely used for girls but it would also suit a boy well, especially with the nickname Toby.
-

Nine (9):

Nona

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 2013
• Births in that year: 23
• Most recorded usage: 359 births in 1950

Nonius

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: None
• # of births in that year: None
• Most recorded usage: Never used in the US

November

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 2013
• Births in that year: 43
• Most recorded usage: 43 births in 2013

Nona has had an impressive run. It isn't ranking today, but it ranked in the 300-500s for decades up until the mid 1950s. It has potential to comeback again with either the ancient crowd or as a vintage name. Nonius hasn't been used but that isn't too surprising. November, even though it is more in the Month Name Camp, has had some decent usage. It was originally the ninth month even though it is currently the 11th. It comes from the Latin novem meaning "nine".
-

Ten (10):

Decima

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 2013
• Births in that year: 5
• Most recorded usage: 9 births in 1914

Decimus

• Gender: Male
• Last year used: 2012
• Births in that year: 8
• Most recorded usage: 8 births in both 2006 & 2012

December 

• Gender: Female
• Last year used: 2013
• Births in that year: 33
• Most recorded usage: 46 births in 2012

These names deserve much more usage than they're getting. Both Decima and Decimus are cool and attractive and should be revived along with other ancient names for modern babies. Like the other month names, December was originally the 10th month even though it is now our 12th.  

Which of these "Numerical Names" do you like best? Are there any that I missed that could be included? Vote for your favorite on the polls below!

Whether you'd ever use it or not, which female name is most attractive? Prima Una Secunda Tertia Quarta Quinta Quintina Sexta Septima September Seven Octavia October Nona November Decima December Thanks for voting!!

Whether you'd ever use it or not, which male name is most attractive? Primo Primus Uno Segundo Secundus Tertius Tres Quartus Quintus Quintin Quinton Sextus Sexton Septimus Seven Octavio Octavius Octavian Nonius Decimus Thanks for voting!!

Graham

Today's featured name comes straight from our list of The Very Best G Names for Boys and Girls. It is a handsome choice that feels somewhat under-the-radar but is certainly climbing up the charts.

Graham is a Scottish surname which was derived from the English place name Grantham. This name is likely to  mean "gravelly homestead" in Old English.  There is a bit of a debate surrounding the pronunciation of this name but this mostly differs based on accents. Americans tend to say "gram" whereas those in the UK and elsewhere might say "gray-um". Both are correct, it just depends on where you live and what you prefer. How do you say it?

Graham first appeared as a surname in Scotland in the 12th century. It was worn by Baron William de Graham of Norway. Another famous Graham was Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) who is credited with inventing the telephone.

While the name Graham has been in use since name statistics were first recorded in the US, it has really caught on with modern parents. Graham's first uphill climb on the popularity charts occurred around 1980. 2008 saw another boost in usage. Now in 2013, there were 1,876 boys named Graham for a ranking of #203. It may just break into the #100s in 2014.

Since this name has different possible pronunciations, it would also have different numbers of syllables. This would then have an affect on which middle names you might pair with it.  Gram or Gray-um? One syllable or two? What would flow best with each? Here are some ideas:

Gram:
Middle Name Ideas:
Graham Douglas
Graham Everett
Graham Riley
Graham Thomas
Graham Wesley

As a Middle Name:
Austin Graham
Jonathan Graham
Lincoln Graham
Oliver Graham
Vincent Graham

Gray-um:
Middle Name Ideas:
Graham Alexander
Graham Bennett
Graham Jasper
Graham Ross
Graham Theodore

As a Middle Name:
Eli Graham
Henry Graham
Noah Graham
Simon Graham
Robert Graham

Sibling Name Ideas for Either:
Sisters: Aria, Camilla, Elsie, Fiona, Lucy, Nora, Olivia, Vivian
Brothers: Asher, Duncan, Kenneth, Lachlan, Patrick, Reid, Trevor, Vaughn

What do you think of the name Graham? Is it on your list?

The Very Best G Names for Boys and Girls

If you're determined to find the perfect name that begins with the letter G, you've come to the right place. There's no need to browse through every G name in existence when the best of the best are listed right here for you! Below are 25 great G names for girls and 25 for boys, too!

If you were to name all of your children with a G name, which names would you choose? Are there any G names that you like more than these that you wish made the cut? Which would you remove from the list? Share all of your thoughts in the comments below!

Gabrielle                 Gaia Gemma Genesis Geneva Genevieve Georgia Georgina Gertrude Ghislaine Giada Gianna Gillian Ginger Giovanna Giselle Giulia Gloria Grace Greer Gretchen Guinevere Gwen Gwendolyn Gwyneth

Gabriel Gage Gaius Gareth Garrett Garth Gary Gavin Gentry Geoffrey George Gerald Gerard Gianni Gideon Giovanni Gordon Graham Grant Gregory Greyson Griffin Grover Gulliver Gus

If G isn't your letter, perhaps you'd enjoy one of our previous articles. Be sure to click the back arrow below to view A-F. Or you can wait until the next article comes out and features the best H names!

<-- The Very Best F Names for Boys and Girls |||  The Very Best H Names for Boys and Girls -->

Haiku Poetry Sibset Name Game

Today is National Haiku Poetry Day! It falls on April 17th every year to celebrate this fun, beloved style of poetry. You most likely wrote a few of these in your school years. I know I did and they're my favorite!  I thought it would be exceptionally fun to write some "name haikus" to celebrate!

How does a name haiku work? Well, traditionally, a haiku poem consists of three lines. The first line is 5 syllables, the second is 7 and the third is 5 again. So it is a poem with a syllable count of 5-7-5.

For the purpose of our little game here today, we will be making sibsets of 3.  Name three children. The first one will have a first and middle name combination that amounts to 5 syllables. The second's first and middle names will add up to 7 syllables, and the third child will have 5 syllables.

Does that make sense? I'll provide a format below and an example in the photo. Have fun with this! Try to use different naming styles for a themed sibset, or make the names totally different from each other! Make as many as you'd like and share them in the comment section below!!

Sibset Haiku #1:
Boy (5 syllables):
Girl (7 syllables):
Boy (5 syllables):

Sibset Haiku #2:
Girl
Boy
Girl

Sibset Haiku #3:
Girl
Girl
Girl

Sibset Haiku #4:
Boy
Boy
Boy

Sibset Haiku #5:
Boy
Boy
Girl

Sibset Haiku #6:
Girl
Girl
Boy

Enjoy! Don't forget to share your name haikus in the comments below!

Norah Bailey - (Birth Announcements!)

What do you think about when you look at a list of birth announcements? Of course you'd remember that these all belong to an actual child somewhere in this country, but if you were take a step back and look at these names at face value, do you picture anything in your mind? Do you automatically start to rate the names? Would you borrow one of the pairings and add it to your own name list? Sure, why not?

These are meant as inspiration for those in the process of finding a name, and to enlighten the rest of us as to what sort of names are actually being used. Most of all, since these are anonymous, you're meant to enjoy the names and have a bit of fun. So what would you say if I asked you to pick and choose your favorite first/middle combinations as they are and create a sibset with them?

Using the following names, share with us in the comment section what you would name twins: girl/girl, boy/boy and boy/girl. I'll share my picks below! 

Girls:
Adara Helaina

Alanna Lynn
Annabelle Lynn
Astrid Emily
Aubrey Lauren
Brynn Elizabeth
Carissa Beth
Cecilia Faith
Eleanor Carole
Eloise Frances
Elsa Nichole
Gabriella Kathryn
Gianna Rose
Isabella Marie
Jocelyn Elise
June Marlene
Kinley Jo
Kira Elizabeth
Lucy Carmella
Mabel Grace
Madeleine Joyce
Norah Bailey
Penny Christine
Savannah Jo
Sydney Denae

Boys:
Anthony Michael
Bernard Matthew
Callan James
Charlie Daniel
Chase Richard
Colton Steven
Damon Anthony
Dominic Aiden
Donavan Michael
Easton Thomas
Gavin Wyatt
Isaiah Lee
Jace Timothy
James David
Landon John
Lucas Brandon
Micah James
Milo Christopher
Murphy Everett
Myles Carter
Samuel John
Sawyer Franklin
Sebastian Noah
Vaughn Douglas
Vincent Ryan

Twins:
Alissandra Katherine-Jean & Brady Christopher-Allen
Isaac Anthony & Joshua Wesley
Chloe Lynne & Colt Justice


My chosen twins from the boy/girl lists:
G/G: Carissa Beth & Aubrey Lauren
B/B: Milo Christopher & Sebastian Noah
B/G: Vincent Ryan & Annabelle Lynn

Don't forget to share which names you'd choose for this naming challenge in the comment section below! Thanks for playing!

Flora

The beautiful, feminine name Flora is brought to you today in light of our previous post that featured The Very Best F Names for Boys and Girls.

As a name, Flora has been in use since the Renaissance era in France. Diminutives of the name include Flo, Floretta, Florrie and Floella. In Dutch, Flora is known as Floor or Floortje. The French call her Flore and Florette, Hungarians say Flóra while the Welsh use Fflur.

Flora could be used as a nickname for Florence but the two aren't actually related since they come from different roots. Another similar name is Fleur which is French for Flower; there's also Fleurette, a diminutive of Fleur.

Flora

It's no surprise that this lovely name comes from the Latin word flos meaning "flower".  Flora was the goddess of flowers and the season of spring according to Roman mythology. She was the wife of Favonius, who was the west wind and bringer of light spring and early summer breezes. This couple's Greek equivalent is Chloris and Zephyrus or Zephyr.

The goddess Flora had her own festival called Floralia that would take place from April 28th to May 3rd in celebration of the renewal of life during springtime. Flora achieved more prominence during the Renaissance era than she ever did in ancient Rome.

Flora has ranked recently at #404 in England/Wales, #178 in France and #29 in Hungary. In the US, Flora has been in constant use since 1880. She enjoyed a popularity peak from roughly 1913-1931 before usage declined. This name fell off the Top 1000 chart in 1972 and remains there today. It ranked down at #1513 in the year 2013 when 144 baby girls were given the name. The good news, though, is that this name fits the 100 Year Rule.

According to that rule, old-fashioned names become fresh again and experience a revival of usage roughly 90-110 years after their initial peak of popularity. In this case, Flora did its best in 1920 with 1,566 births. In the next 5 years leading up to 2020, Flora may just receive a small boost in usage. However, it could take another ten years or so to see a definite rise since this is just an approximate and theorized timeline. There is always a chance that it may not occur at all. Either way, Flora has the potential to rejoin the Top 1000 names chart.

What do you think of the name Flora?

If you're interested in this lovely, under-the-radar, vintage name, perhaps these sibling and middle name ideas would also be helpful:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Ada, Caroline, Hazel, Leona, Olive, Sylvie, Viola
Brothers: August, Calvin, Ferdinand, Hugh, Julius, Milo, Rupert

Middle Name Ideas:
Flora Cecily
Flora Mae
Flora Lucille
Flora Vivienne

As a Middle Name:
Elizabeth Flora
June Flora
Penelope Flora
Serenity Flora

Know anyone with this name? Share your thoughts on the name Flora in the comments below!

Source | Source
Photo: Primavera- Flora, the goddess of flowers and the season of spring.
Artist: Sandro Botticelli. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence - circa 1482