Wednesday, September 2, 2015

10 Names That Are Super Fun To Write In Cursive


Kids today have so much technology at their disposal that most of them probably don't write nearly as often as us older folks did. I don't know about you but when I grew up, cursive was still very much a thing. I remember having to practice each letter over and over again until I got them right.

My favorite letters, of course, were the loopiest ones like f, g, l,  p, and y. I remember doodling all over my binders wishing that my name had loopier letters in it. When my name didn't satisfy, I began writing the names of my friends, my classmates, my family members and my crushes instead.

These days, everything is so digital that I can't remember the last time I actually pulled out a pen and paper and got my loop on. Since I was thinking about it, I started to wonder which names would be the most fun to write.

I'm sure there are tons of great options out there but I picked my 10 favorite names to write:


1. 

This interesting and rare boy name has so much going for it in the way of cursiveness. The ll, the g-to-h, the b and the y... I'm dying to write this down right now! Aren't you?  Willoughby was sometimes used a century ago for males but it's very rare now. This spelling had 6 births for boys and 7 for girls in 2014.



2.

This nature name looks beautiful in cursive. You really can't beat going from a drop-down-loop to an upper loop like this y to double-l transition. And there's something adorable about a lowercase S. Amaryllis has never been popular but it has been used since 1926 in the US. There were 49 births for girls in 2014. 

3. 

My favorite cursive letter of all is the capital L! There are so many loops in Loulabelle that it's impossible to not want to write it a dozen times! Plus it sounds beautiful too! This spelling of Loulabelle has no usage on record in the US as a name.

4 .

Honestly, the longer the name, the better! With four syllables and eleven letters, Cadwallader offers so much in the way of cursive writing. Even just eyeballing it made me dizzy! Cadwallader has no usage as a name in the US but it would be a quirky choice. 

5 . 

I may have added an extra L to this beautiful guilty pleasure name but Tigerlilly really is a pleasure to write! I mean, check out that capital T!  According to records, this spelling of Tigerlilly has only been used for 5 girls in 2001 and 5 girls in 2010.

6 .

It would be a shame to exclude the marvelous lowercase letters Z and Q.  Plus, capital E's are so curvy and fun to write!  Used since 1912, Ezequiel has ranked in the Top 1000 since the early 1980s and had 485 births for boys in 2014.

7. 

Don't forget about those loopy F's! Rafferty excellently displays plenty of fun letters that you'll love to doodle absentmindedly. Cross that T with style! As a name, Rafferty is rare. Used in the US since 1989, it only had 11 births for boys in 2014.

8.  

Another satisfying letter is the capital D. This lovely name will take you on a roller coaster ride of cursive goodness! Plus, it's rare and lovely as a name! It has been around since 1902 but it has never gained steam. There were only 8 girls named Delphina in 2014.

9.  

Gorgeous Gwendolyn also has an amazing capital letter along with some lowercase loopiness and an l-to-y combo. What's not to love? This name had a popularity peak in 1953, declined after that but is starting to climb the charts again. There were 756 girls given this name in 2014 for a rank of #420.

10. 

Last but not least, Jumpin' Jehoshaphat may not be used at all as an actual name in the US, but it's definitely full of excellent cursive loopiness. Look at that capital J! It even has three H's! I dare you not to doodle this one throughout your next class or business meeting. 


What do you think of my collection of cursive-friendly names? I know there are way more names out there that would inspire anyone to pull out a pen and paper. Can you think of any?

Friday, August 28, 2015

Nova

Inspired by our list of The Very Best N Names for Boys and Girls, I present the name Nova.


Nova comes from the Latin word novus which means "new". A nova is also a space term for when there is a cataclysmic nuclear explosion on a white dwarf planet. It causes a sudden brightening of the star. A nova is slightly different than a supernova which is a stellar explosion that briefly outshines an entire galaxy with as much energy as the sun before fading.

As a name, Nova has been in use for girls since 1885 in the US but it was never popular until it exploded within the past 5 years. It ranked below the Top 1000 at #1133 in 2010. By 2013 it was up to #529. As of 2014 Nova ranked way up at #287 with 1,121 births for the year. It also ranks well in the Netherlands and Sweden.

Nova has recently spiked for boys, too. It has always been given to males here in the US but not regularly until 1996. In 2014 there were 102 boys named Nova for a rank of #1553. Do you like this name more for a boy or a girl?

Nova is an interesting celestial name that's gaining more popularity today than ever before. It's short and sweet with a vivid letter V. It's quirky and cool for a modern girl. If you're considering using Nova, here are a few ideas for sibling names and middle names:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters:  Amara, Celeste, Estelle, Lila, Sidonie, Vella, Zoey
Brothers: Evander, Griffin, Hale,  Jules, Merritt, Orion, Xander

Middle Name Ideas:
Nova Beatrice
Nova Helene
Nova Juliet
Nova Leonie
Nova Scarlett

As a Middle Name:
Charlotte Nova
Elizabeth Nova
Josephine Nova
Margaret Nova
Penelope Nova

What middle names would you pair with Nova for a boy?

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

The Very Best N Names for Boys and Girls

The letter N kicks off the 2nd half of the alphabet and the names are noticeably a bit more difficult to choose and narrow down. The tail end of the alphabet tends to contain more difficult letters. However, I did happen to find some of the very best options available that start with N!

There seems to be a few solid names that start with this letter and many unusual options that don't rank very high on the popularity charts. Compiling this list was tricky, but I've put together the 25 best girl names that start with the letter N, and 25 names for boys too!

Is N one of your favorite letters for names or do you have a hard time with it like I do? Take a look at the names I've picked and let me know if there are any great ones that I missed.


  1. Nadia               
  2. Nadine
  3. Naima
  4. Nancy
  5. Naomi
  6. Natalia
  7. Natalie
  8. Natasha
  9. Nellie
  10. Neve
  11. Nia
  12. Niamh
  13. Nicole
  14. Nicolette
  15. Nikita
  16. Nila
  17. Nina
  18. Noa
  19. Noe
  20. Noelle
  21. Noemi
  22. Nola
  23. Nora
  24. Nova
  25. Nyx
  1. Nash
  2. Nathan
  3. Nathaniel
  4. Naveen
  5. Neal
  6. Ned
  7. Nehemiah
  8. Neil
  9. Nevin
  10. Newman
  11. Niall
  12. Nicholas
  13. Nico
  14. Nigel
  15. Nikolai
  16. Niles
  17. Nixon
  18. Noah
  19. Noam
  20. Noble
  21. Noel
  22. Nolan
  23. Norman
  24. Norris
  25. Nyle
What are your favorite names that start with this letter? Perhaps you have more favorites than I do. Share your thoughts in the comments below!  And be sure to use the following links to browse more names!

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Whimsical Names for Baby Girls

When something is "whimsical" it is defined as "playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way."

When applied to names, I would consider these to be names that are a bit out of the ordinary. Something that you don't quite hear everyday but when you do hear it, you can't help but feel drawn to it.

Many of these might only make it as far as your "guilty pleasure" list but you may find yourself falling for one enough to at least sneak it in the middle name spot.

If you happen to be a bold namer, you're sure to love this list! Which of these do you like the most?




Aerith                        
Alaska
Allifair
Allure
Alouette
Amethyst
Amity
Anais
Apolline
Arianwen
Astoria
Atalanta
Athalia
Ayelet
Belladonna
Bliss
Boheme
Briar
Bronwyn
Calantha
Calixta
Celandine
Ceridwen
Charis
Chrysanthemum
Clemence
Clover
Corisande
Cressida
Daenerys
December
Éire
Eirwen
Elendra
Ellowen
Elula                      
Evienne
Fable
Fawn
Ferelith
Galaxy
Galilea
Gwynne
Hypatia
Illyria
Indica
Iridessa
Ismay
Jemima
Jovia
Junia
Juniper
Juno
Karenina
Kismet
Lavender
Loire
Lolita
Lothira
Lotus
Lumina
Luneth
Maebry
Maisie
Medea
Miette
Mireille
Nymeria
Orchid
Oriane
Ottoline
Peridot
Persis
Petal
Pommeline
Posy
Prairie
Quintessa
Reverie
Rogue
Sabine
Sable
Sailor
Salome
Sansa
Satine
Selah
Sincerity
Sparrow
Sybil
Tamsin
Theodosia
Thisbe
Thora
Tigerlily
Topanga
Valeska
Valkyrie
Vella
Verona
Vianne
Waverly
Whisper
Winsome
Zosia
How many names could you add to this list? Share your favorite whimsical names in the comments below!  You may also enjoy our similar list of Unusual and Quirky Middle Names for Girls.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Whimsical Names for Baby Boys

When something is "whimsical" it is defined as "playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way."

When applied to names, I would consider these to be names that are a bit out of the ordinary. Something that you don't quite hear everyday but when you do hear it, you can't help but feel drawn to it.

Many of these might only make it as far as your "guilty pleasure" list but you may find yourself falling for one enough to at least sneak it in the middle name spot.

Or perhaps you're a bold namer and you're already adding many of these to your first names list.

Whatever the case may be, surely you'll enjoy browsing this list:

Adler                      
Alchemy
Alfric
Ambrose
Atlas
Atreyu
Auberon
Bane
Barclay
Basil
Beau
Bingham
Bravery
Breccan
Bromley
Cadwallader
Caius
Caldwell
Caspian
Cassius
Castor
Cato
Chauncey
Cobalt
Creed
Crosby
Cuthbert
Dempsey
Digby
Draco
Dresden
Duvall
Eben
Emery
Éos
Euan                    
Everest
Fabian
Feivel
Fielding
Finch
Fischer
Frost
Gable
Hayes
Hemlock
Huckleberry
Icarus
Idris
Indigo
Isidore
Kit
Lachlan
Loki
Lórien
Lysander
Madden
Mahogany
Merrick
Merritt
Midnight
Napoleon
Noble
Orchard
Orrin
Payson
Percival
Peregrine
Pippin
Psyche
Quade
Quill
Rafe
Rafferty
Ragnar
Ransom
Rigby
Rohan
Rudyard
Rumor
Sayer
Seven
Socrates
Soren
Spiro
Sterling
Sutton
Tennyson
Thackeray
Thane
Theodoric
Thor
Thorin
Timber
Tolliver
Tomlin
Toulouse
Valentine
Viggo
Whistler
Wilder
Wiley
Willoughby
Wolfram
Zeus
Which do you like most? Can you think of any others that could be added?
You may also enjoy our similar list of Unusual and Quirky Middle Names for Boys.

Friday, August 7, 2015

Milo

Our featured boy name is Milo. It comes to us from our previous article that featured The Very Best M Names for Boys and Girls.


The origin of the name Milo is not fully known. Milo has been listed as being both Latin and Old Germanic. Sometimes it is said that it is a form of Miles, but it seems more likely that Milo came first.

According to Behind the Name, it's possible that Milo came from the Medieval Slavic name Milu from which names like Milan, Milena, Ludmila, and Miloslav come. It makes sense that Milo would be related to these names but apparently it isn't certain.

What we do know is that the name Miles came from the Germanic name Milo which was introduced to England by the Normans. The confusing part is that Milo is listed as the "Old Germanic form of Miles as well as the Latinized form." So according to Behind the Name, Milo gave rise to Miles which gave rise to Milo.

Either way, this name dates back to the Middle Ages where it was found being used in official documents. If it does indeed come from the Slavic name Milu, then it would mean "gracious". If it is associated with the Latin word "miles" then Milo would mean "soldier".

These days, Milo is a favorite among celebrities and the Nameberry community. It ranked as the 11th most popular name according to Nameberry's list they generate based on their pageviews.

In the US, though, Milo isn't quite that popular yet. Milo has been in consistent usage since records were first kept in 1880. It had a popularity boost from roughly 1913 thru the mid-1930s before it declined a bit.

Only recently has it started rocketing up the charts, joining the Top 1000 names in 2001. Now by 2014, Milo ranks at #311 with 1,109 male births. There were even 10 females births.

If you're interested in using this name, here are some sibling name ideas and middle name ideas for you:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Adele, Emily, Lily, Matilda, Rosalie, Sadie, Zoey
Brothers: August, Ezra, Henry, Julian, Lucas, Oliver, Zane

Middle Name Ideas:
Milo Alexander
Milo Carter
Milo James
Milo Nathaniel
Milo Sebastian
Milo Vaughn

As a Middle Name:
Barnaby Milo
Dominic Milo
Jasper Milo
Robert Milo
Thaddeus Milo
Vincent Milo

What are your favorite name pairings with Milo?

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

The Very Best M Names for Boys and Girls

The letter M seems to be regarded as one of the more favored letters when it comes to baby names.

After browsing the list below, you'll understand why people like it!

There are so many great options available in this letter that it was difficult to narrow down the choices to just 25 names for girls and 25 names for boys!

If you know you love M names but you haven't yet chosen the perfect name for your child, perhaps you'll find it here!

Put down that baby name book and close out those other tabs. It's been a long search but, finally, the name you want is below!



  1. Mabel                       
  2. Madeline
  3. Maeve
  4. Magnolia
  5. Maisie
  6. Margaret
  7. Margot
  8. Maria
  9. Marley
  10. Mary
  11. Matilda
  12. Maude
  13. May
  14. McKenzie
  15. Megan
  16. Meredith
  17. Mia
  18. Michaela
  19. Mila
  20. Minerva
  21. Mirabelle
  22. Miranda
  23. Miriam
  24. Molly
  25. Morgan
  1. Maddox
  2. Magnus
  3. Malachi
  4. Malcolm
  5. Marcus
  6. Marlon
  7. Marshall
  8. Martin
  9. Mason
  10. Matthew
  11. Matthias
  12. Maverick
  13. Maximilian
  14. Maximus
  15. Maxwell
  16. Merrick
  17. Merritt
  18. Micah
  19. Michael
  20. Miles
  21. Milo
  22. Mitchell
  23. Morgan
  24. Moses
  25. Murphy
Which M name is your favorite? Did it make the list? If you had to remove one from the above list and replace it with something else, which name would you choose?

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