The Art of Naming

Taken from the list of The Very Best S Names for Boys and Girls is the interesting masculine name Soren. Let's learn more about it.


Soren is a Scandinavian name that's starting to catch on with American parents today. There are three different ways to spell Soren. First, there's just the anglicized Soren which is typically pronounced Sorr-en.

If you venture into Scandinavia, there's also the Danish and Norwegian form the name spelled Søren and pronounced more like SUU-ren. Derived from that is the form that the Swedes and Germans tend to prefer: Sören, also pronounced SUU-ren or ZUU-ren.

No matter how it is accented, the name originally comes from Severinus which is a Roman family name derived from Severus meaning "stern" in Latin.

This name has been well-used in Denmark. Just take a look at the long list of mostly Danish famous people on Nameberry.  What about its popularity in America?

Soren first appeared on record in the US in 1912 but it wasn't more regularly used until the 1950s. It remained obscure until it entered into the Top 1000 names in 2003 at #958. It has been inching its way up the charts, ranking at #640 in 2014 with 408 male births.

There were also 20 female births in 2014. Soren gained usage for girls in 1994. While it is still far from being considered truly unisex, which gender do you prefer it on?

If Soren is a name that you're considering, here are some middle name ideas and sibling name ideas:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Annika, Britta, Dagny, Elsa, Freya, Kiersten, Malina, Theodora
Brothers: Anders, Erik, Gunnar, Jensen, Leif, Magnus, Oscar, Viggo

Middle Name Ideas:
Soren Alexander
Soren Christopher
Soren Frey
Soren James
Soren Ragnar

As a Middle Name:
Axel Soren
David Soren
Henry Soren
Oliver Soren
Quincy Soren

What do you think of the name Soren? What middle names would you pair with it?

It's time to choose a name. Not just any name, though, you must pick one that you and your partner mutually love. A name that feels relevant to your family and suitable for your child.

While there are thousands of options out there, the amount that you can actually select for one child is usually limited to four names at most.

On your search, you'll no doubt develop a sort of naming style. Many of your names will have similar sounds or popularity to one another. Perhaps you'll even be drawn to one or two specific letters. If your current favorite letter is S for names, this list is for you.

Below are 25 of the best S names for girls and 25 of the best S names for boys listed alphabetically. Among these, you'll surely find a winner!

Sabrina Sadie Samantha Sarah Sasha Savannah Scarlett Selah Selena Seraphina Serena Serenity Shayla Shelby Shoshanah Sienna Sierra Simone Sonia Sophia Stella Summer Susannah Sybil Sylvia

Samuel Santiago Sasha Saul Sawyer Schuyler Scott Seamus Sean Sebastian Seth Shane Shay Shepherd Sidney Silas Simon Solomon Soren Spencer Stellan Stephen Sterling Stuart Sullivan

Which of the above S names do you enjoy most? I apologize if I missed one of your favorites, these were tough to narrow down!  If S isn't your letter, try the links below to browse more names!

<-- The Very Best R Names for Boys and Girls ||| The Very Best T Names for Boys and Girls -->

Leonardo da Vinci

There is a very large Latin presence in the United States these days. Did you know that there are several Spanish, Italian and Portuguese names for boys that rank within the Top 1000 most popular names?

My favorite of the bunch is listed as the "Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Leonard" on Behind the Name. Leonardo fits all three origin categories with ease and yet it is familiar enough to English ears that it could be considered for American boys who do not have Latin origins. The part-Italian Leonardo DiCaprio has helped make the name more mainstream in America. Interestingly, his name was chosen when his pregnant mother felt him kick for the first time while his parents were viewing a painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo isn't the only name that works across all three of these cultures though.  Below are all of the Latinate names and their popularity rank for the year 2014 in the US.

Let's take a look at the first half of the Top 1000 first:

Angel #67                                         Jose #76 Juan #98 Luis #99 Mateo #106 Jesus #111 Leonardo  #114 Santiago #115 Carlos #117 Giovanni #125 Diego #129 Antonio #139 Miguel #146 Alejandro #157 Luca #185 Jorge #207 Javier #216 Andres #222 Lorenzo #227 Francisco #232 Emiliano #254 Ricardo #256 Eduardo #261 Fernando #263 Manuel #265 Josue #269 Mario #270 Cristian #273 Cesar #279

Emilio #280 Cruz #290 Rafael #293 Sergio #307 Marco #308 Angelo #315 Fabian #325 Joaquin #326 Romeo #341 Roberto #343 Maximiliano #344 Pedro #354 Enzo #369 Adan #373 Matteo #375 Thiago #390 Esteban #392 Pablo #396 Armando #400 Gerardo #402 Marcos #404 Enrique #414 Raul #423 Leonel #430 Hugo #438 Julio #452 Jaime #468 Gustavo #482 Rodrigo #488

Within the Top 500, there are many very handsome, strong and stylish names for boys. Even though these are all of Spanish, Italian or Portuguese origin, some are no doubt given to boys who do not have those ancestries. For example, I could see a blond, blue-eyed boy sporting the names Luca, Cruz or Hugo these days.  It would be inaccurate to claim that all of these Latinate names belong only to those with the corresponding heritage. Do you know anyone with these names?

Here are the names in the second half of the Top 1000 chart in the US for 2014:

Matias #503                                     Alberto #513 Gianni #515 Arturo #518 Alfredo #524 Alonzo #525 Arlo #539 Isaias #547 Neymar #548 Luciano #568 Ezequiel #569 Mauricio #577 Matthias #580 Mathias #582 Salvador #600 Lucian #608 Alessandro #623 Santino #632 Aldo #645 Ramon #647 Ernesto #651 Carmelo #653 Tomas #658 Guillermo #678 Alonso #708 Felipe #713 Lucca #740 Marcelo #741 Vicente #744 Aron #745

Ulises #749 Jadiel #756 Valentino #765 Giovani #769 Rogelio #780 Leandro #784 Vincenzo #812 Franco #817 Giancarlo #823 Alfonso #849 Jairo #865 Crisiano #872 Agustin #879 Rey #884 Santana #887 Ramiro #890 Salvatore #899 Rolando #905 Santos #909 Jovani #920 Maximo #921 Alvaro #922 Jovanni #943 Rodolfo #945 Eliseo #952 Camilo #962 Efrain #963 Deangelo #968 Giovanny #969 Dario #971 Osvaldo #989

While most of these names are still very handsome, strong and stylish, they are also a bit more on the unusual side than the names at the top of the charts.  The one name that stands out in this bunch is Arlo. It is a Spanish name but it has been climbing the charts rapidly in the last couple years which indicates that more than just Spanish boys are being given the name. Do you have any favorites in this bunch?

Unless I missed any, that makes 119 Spanish, Italian or Portuguese names for boys within the Top 1000! Which names do you love, which are you not keen on?

Based on this week's list of The Very Best R Names for Boys and Girls, I've chosen the vintage, gem name Ruby.

Ruby is derived from the Latin word ruber which means "red". As you might know, it is the name of a precious stone with a red hue that serves as the birthstone of the month of July. Along with other gem names, Ruby was first used as a name in the Victorian Era.

As a baby name, Ruby gained usage in the 19th century. It has been in use since name records were first kept in the US in 1880. Ruby was particularly well-used in the early 1900s, peaking from 1918-1924 with over eight thousand births each year.

Vintage names like Ruby that were popular around 1920, declined in usage and then began climbing the charts again in recent years are fashionable now. There are many that follow this same pattern that's sometimes called the 100 Year Rule which basically states that once-popular names tend to come back in style after about 100 years have passed.

Currently, Ruby is on its way back up the charts. In 2014 there were 3,383 girls given the name for a rank of #90. It will no doubt keep inching upward and could very well get over eight thousand births in a year once again within the next 5-10 years. If this happens, Ruby will be an excellent example of a vintage name that follows the 100 Year Rule.

Ruby is beautiful, spunky, and interesting. While it worked so well for the older generation, it does work once again for modern girls.

If you'd like to contribute to Ruby's cause for gaining popularity, here are some ideas for middle names and sibling names:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Amelia, Eleanor, Hazel, Lila, June, Olive, Stella
Brothers: Benjamin, Dean, Hugh, Jack, Nolan, Samuel, Travis

Middle Name Ideas:
Ruby Abigail
Ruby Madeline
Ruby Ophelia
Ruby Susannah
Ruby Victoria

As a Middle Name:
Caroline Ruby
Elizabeth Ruby
Helena Ruby
Martina Ruby
Tessa Ruby

Since most baby name websites have thousands of names in their databases, it can be difficult to narrow down the options. Where should you even begin?

If you happen to know what sort of sound you're looking for in a name, that's a good place to start.

Maybe you're even looking specifically for a name starting with a certain letter. If you're fond of R, this list is for you.

Below are 25 of the best R names for girls and 25 of the best names starting with the letter R for boys.

There are so many wonderful R names that it's tough to narrow it down.

Which of these do you like the most?  Did I miss one of your favorites?

Rachel Rae Ramona Raphaela Raven Rebecca Reese Regina Renata Rhea Rhiannon Riley Robin Rochelle Romy Rosa Rosalie Rosalind Rosamund Rose Rosemary  Rowan Rowena Ruby Ruth

Rafferty Ramsey Raphael Raymond Reid Reuben Rex Rhett Rhys Richard Riley Riordan Robert Robin Rocco Roderick Roland Roman Ronan Ross Rowan Rupert Russell Ryan Ryder

What is your favorite R name?  If I didn't list it above, share it in the comments below.  If R isn't your thing, use the links below to explore more names that start with other letters.

<-- The Very Best Q Names for Boys and Girls ||| The Very Best S Names for Boys and Girls -->

It's that time of year again. Nearly every doorstep is currently occupied by pumpkins, cobwebs and skeletons. Halloween is days away! You are no doubt finalizing your costume for the big party on Saturday or to take your little ones trick or treating. What about a horror movie marathon? Are you planning one of those?

There are many great horror films out there so I decided to browse through a few in search of great character names. Whether you would ever use one of these names for a child or not is up to you but surely you can appreciate these monikers and their counterparts.


Girls:
Addison (Saw II)
Blair (Blair Witch Project)
Carrie (Carrie)
Casey (Scream)
Dana (The Cabin in the Woods)
Elvira (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark)
Erin (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
Gale (Scream)
Iris (30 Days of Night)
Jules (The Cabin in the Woods)
Katie (Paranormal Activity)
Laurie (Halloween)
Lila (Psycho)
Marion (Psycho)
Minnie (Rosemary's Baby)
Regan (The Exorcist)
Ripley (Alien)
Rosemary (Rosemary's Baby)
Samara (The Ring)
Sidney (Scream)
Stella (30 Days of Night)
Tatum (Scream)

Check out last year's list of spooky baby names for even more ideas!

Boys:
Ashley (The Evil Dead)
Chucky (Child's Play)
Dallas (Alien)
Damien (The Omen)
Eben (30 Days of Night)
Freddy (Nightmare on Elm Street)
Gage (Pet Sematary)
Guy (Rosemary's Baby)
Jack (The Shining)
Jason (Friday the 13th)
Kemper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street)
Marlow (30 Days of Night)
Michael (Halloween)
Morgan (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
Norman (Psycho)
Radford (Midnight Movie)
Rigg (Saw II)
Torrance (The Shining)
Xavier (Saw II)
Zeke (The Faculty)

What is your favorite horror flick? Which of these names do you like most? Can you think of any I missed?

Quincy was hand-chosen from our article that featured The Very Best Q Names for Boys and Girls. We'll take a closer look at it now.


Quincy is a surname that came from the place name Cuinchy which is a village in France. Cuinchy was originally derived from the Ancient Roman praenomen, or given name, Quintus which means "fifth" in Latin. Typically, Quintus was only given to the fifth born son but this isn't a necessary requirement for a modern boy named Quincy.

Perhaps the most famous bearer of this name is the sixth president of the United States, John Quincy Adams, who happened to be born in the town Quincy, Massachusetts which was named after his mother's grandfather Colonel John Quincy.

This interesting, quirky name has been in regular usage since name records were first kept in 1880 in the US. It was never all that popular until the mid 1970s. At its peak, Quincy ranked at #273 in 1977 with a total of 717 male births. Usage has now fallen to a steady 400-500 births per year. In 2014, 422 boys were named Quincy for a popularity rank of #622.

While I am featuring this name for boys, it has also been regularly used for girls since about 1913. Quincy has never ranked within the Top 1000 for girls, but it is up to #1468 in 2014 with 152 female births. It is gaining more and more usage for girls and could potentially be considered unisex and then surpass the boys, especially with the popularity of the similar name Quinn for girls these days.

Since we're focusing on the male Quincy for now, here are some ideas for sibling names and middle names:

Sibling Name Ideas:
Sisters: Charlotte, Darby, Fallon, Meghan, Olivia, Piper, Riley
Brothers: Dashiell, Finnegan, Kelvin, Neil, Owen, Sawyer, Tobias

Middle Name Ideas:
Quincy Eamon
Quincy Donovan
Quincy Jude
Quincy Logan
Quincy Samuel

As a Middle Name:
Eli Quincy
Isaac Quincy
Levi Quincy
Malcolm Quincy
Sean Quincy

What do you think of Quincy? What middle name would you pair with it?