Names of Scottish Royalty Through History

The record of Kings and Queens of Scotland dates back to the year 843. Over the centuries,  there were many different houses that ruled including the House of Alpin, the House of Dunkeld, the Canmores, the Balliols, the Bruces, and the Stewart/Stuarts. There were also points in history that Scotland, Great Britain and Ireland all fell under the same rule rather than running their countries separately. This happened in the time of the Hanovers followed by the currently reigning Windsor house.

Let's take a look back in history at the names of the rulers of Scotland in specific. I chose Scotland and this time period because of the variety of interesting names of their rulers. Now, this isn't going to be a history lesson. I won't pretend to be well versed in European History. This is strictly about the interesting names.

House of Alpin:

843-858 Kenneth MacAlpin (Cináed)
858-862 Donald I
862-877 Constantine I
877-878 Aedh
878-889 Eochaid
889-900 Donald II
900-943 Constantine II
943-954 Malcolm I
954-962 Indulf
962-966 Dubh
966-971 Culen
971-995 Kenneth II
995-997 Constantine III
997-1005 Kenneth III
1005-1034 Malcolm II

House of Dunkeld:

1034-1040 Duncan I
1040-1057 Macbeth
1057-1058 Lulach (The Fool)

House of Canmore:

1058-1093 Malcolm III Canmore
1093-1094 Donald III (Donald Bane)
1094-1094 Duncan II
1094-1097 Donald III (Donald Bane)
1097-1107 Edgar
1107-1124 Alexander I
1124-1153 David I
1153-1165 Malcolm IV
1165-1214 William I
1214-1249 Alexander II
1249-1286 Alexander III
1286-1290 Margaret ('Maid of Norway')

House of Balliol:

1292-1296 John Balliol
1332-1346  Edward Balliol

House of Bruce:

1306-1329 Robert I (The Bruce)
1329-1371 David II

House of Stewart:

1371-1390 Robert II
1390-1406 Robert III
1406-1437 James I
1437-1460 James II
1460-1488 James III
1488-1513 James IV
1513-1542 James V
1542-1567 Mary, Queen of Scots

House of Stuart: 

1567-1625  James VI (James I of England 1603-1625)

After this, Scotland fell under England's rule. For more names of rulers after this time period, take a look at our post about the names of Male Rulers of England, and our list of Female Royalty Names too.

Here are the most usable names from above and a little more information about each of them:

Kings:

Kenneth - This king's name was Anglicized from the Gaelic Cináed meaning "born of fire". Kenneth also comes from the Gaelic name Coinneach, derived from caoin meaning "handsome".  In the US, Kenneth had the most births within the mid-1950s. It was a Top 100 name from 1898-2001. In 2015 it ranked at #199.

Donald - From the Gaelic name Domhnall, Donald means "ruler of the world". It comes from the old Celtic elements dumno meaning "world" and val meaning "rule". This name has been very popular in Scotland. In the US, it was most popular from the 1930s-1950s. In 2015, there were 690 boys given the name for a rank of #441.

Constantine - This name comes from the Latin name Constantinus, which comes from Constans meaning "constant, steadfast". Constantine has been around since the early 1900s in the US, but it has never been popular. There were 91 boys given the name in 2015.

Malcolm - Malcolm comes from the Scottish Máel Coluim meaning "disciple of Saint Columba". This king killed Macbeth who had usurped the throne and murdered his father. Shakespeare's characters in "Macbeth" (1606) are based on these kings. Malcolm has always ranked in the Top 1000, and its best year was 1992 at #206. In 2015, it was #420.

Duncan - This name is derived from the Gaelic name Donnchadh which means "brown warrior". There were two kings of Scotland with this name and one of them was also featured in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'. Duncan has always ranked in the Top 1000 but it's never ranked all that popular. It ranked best in 1997 at #378. It was at #793 in 2015.

Edgar - Edgar comes from the Old English elements ead meaning "wealth, fortune" and gar meaning "spear". Edgar ranked well back in 1918 but declined a bit after that until the mid-1980s. Currently, Edgar ranked at #317 in 2015.

Alexander - Alexander comes from the elements alexo meaning "to defend" and aner meaning "man". This is a common name that was used for Scottish kings as well as those from Poland, Yugoslavia, Russia and others. Alexander has always been used in the US, but it really peaked in 1993 with over 20k births. It's been a top 10 name since 2008, currently ranking at #8.

David - David comes from the Hebrew dwd which means "beloved". Beside the king of Israel, there were two Scottish kings named David along with many other important men through history. David has always been a Top 50 name. It even ranked at #1 in 1960. In 2015, it is down to #18.

William - William comes from wil meaning "will, desire" and helm meaning "helmet, protection", both Germanic elements composing the name Willahelm. William has been used well by the Normans, the English, the Scots and others. William was a Top 10 name from 1880 to 1975, including many years at #2. It dipped to the teens and twenties but it is currently ranked back up at #5.

John - John comes from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning "YAHWEH is gracious". It is possibly the most popular name for boys in history, having been given to a fifth of all English boys in the Middle Ages. In the US, it has always been well used. It was #1 from 1880-1923 and remained in the Top 10 until 1986. In 2015, it is down to #26.

Edward - Edward comes from the Old English elements ead meaning "wealth" and weard meaning "guard". Edward has been used throughout Europe in various spellings. It ranked in the Top 100 in the US from 1880-1997.  It's slowly inching downward now and it ranked at #158 in 2015.

Robert - Robert comes from the Germanic name Hrodebert which contains the elements hrod meaning "fame" and beraht meaning "bright".  Three kings of Scotland had this name, including the pictured Robert the Bruce. In the US, Robert was the #1 name from 1924 to 1939. It was in the Top 10 all those years until 1989. It remains in the Top 100, ranking at #63 in 2015 which is the lowest it has ever ranked.

James - James comes from the Latin Iacomus which comes from the Greek Iakobos, which comes from the Hebrew Ya'aqov. It is said to mean "supplanter". King James ruled Scotland before becoming James I of England in the House of Stuart. As a name, James ranked in the Top 5 for 100 years (1880-1980), it dipped to the teens, but James was back up to #7 in 2015.

Queens:

Margaret - Margaret comes from the Latin margarita, derived from the Greek margarites meaning "pearl". There were Queen Margarets in Scotland and Denmark, and a princess in Hungary. Margaret has always ranked well in the US. It's biggest year was 1921, but it was in the Top 10 until 1939. It left the Top 100 in the 1970s and 1980s, falling to 2015's rank of #154.

Mary - Mary ultimately comes from the Hebrew Miryam. It's meaning isn't certain but theories include  "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". It's also possible that Mary comes from the Egyptian name mry meaning "beloved". There have been two Queen Marys of England and one of Scotland. In the US, Mary has been extremely popular, it was #1 or #2 from 1880-1965. Mary left the Top 100 in 2009, but still ranks at #124 in 2015.

Which of these royal names do you love the most?

Source

From Augusto to Augustina: The Many August Names

As we reach the end of the month of August, let's take a moment to look at the related Aug-/Ag- names that could be used on a person today. Generally, these names all come from the Latin augere meaning "to increase", but other meanings came to include "great" and "venerable". Augustus was a title that Octavian, the first Roman emperor, was given. He was the adopted son of Julius Caesar.

There are many options available for both boys and girls. Some are more popular than others, but these are mostly rather uncommon here in the US.  Are there any that you would use?

By Unknown Till Niermann (Own work)
 [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0  or CC BY-SA 2.5],
via Wikimedia Commons

Agostina  (Italian form of Augustinus - feminine - zero births on record for 2015 in US)

Agostino  (Italian form of Augustinus - masculine - 5 births on record for 2015)

Ágúst (Icelandic form of Augustus - masculine - zero births in 2015)

Agust (Swedish form of August - masculine - zero births in 2015)

Agustin (Spanish form of Augustinus - masculine - 223 births in 2015)

Augustina (Ancient Roman form of Augustinus - feminine - 14 births in 2015)

Augie/Auggie (English diminutive of August - unisex - 7 male births for Augie and 6 for Auggie in 2015. Zero female births on record for either name.)

August (German, Polish, Scandinavian and Catalan form of Augustus - unisex - 2,059 male births in 2015 for a rank of #195. 242 female births for a rank of #1072.)

Augusta (Feminine form of Augustus - 48 births in 2015.)

Auguste (French masculine form of Augustus, and the German feminine form of Augusta - 20 male births in 2015, zero female.)

Augusten (Alternate spelling of Augustin - masculine - 16 births in 2015)

Augustin (French, Czech, Romanian and Croatian form of Augustinus - masculine - 75 births in 2015)

Augustina (Feminine form of Augustinus - 14 births in 2015)

Augustine (Masculine English form of Augustus, and the feminine French form of Augustinus. - 26 female births in 2015, and 273 male births for a rank of #820)

Augusto (Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Augustus - masculine - 29 births in 2015)

Augustus (Ancient Roman / Latin - masculine - 643 births in 2015 for a rank of #467)

Augustijn (Dutch form of Augustinus- masculine - zero births on record in US)

Augustyna (Polish of Augustina- feminine - zero births on record in US)

Avgust  (Russian, Slovene, Ukrainian form of August - masculine - zero births on record in US)

Aukusti (Finnish form of Augustus - masculine - zero births on record in US)

Guus (Dutch diminutive of Augustus - masculine - zero births on record in US)

Gus (Short form of Augustus - masculine - 163 male births in 2015)

Then there's Austin, a Medieval contraction of Augustine. Austin is by far the most popular name on the list. It ranked as high as #9 in 1996 and 1997 for boys. Currently it earned 5,767 births for a rank of #69 in 2015. There were also 151 female births.

Austin has some variants such as:

Austen (unisex - 119 male births and 61 female births in 2015)

Austyn (unisex - had more male use in late 1990s to early 2000s, now has more female use. 103 male births and 242 female births in 2015.

Awstin (Welsh form of Austin - zero births on record in the US for either gender in 2015.)

-

Now that you've browsed through this list, can you think of any that I may have missed? Otherwise, which is your favorite form? Would you use it?

Barely Used Girl Names: Geneva, Coral & Bellamy [Part Four]

This is the fourth installment of our "barely used names for girls" series. I have compiled ten interesting names that do not receive enough births per year to rank within the US Top 1000 chart, as defined by the Social Security Administration. If you are looking for a name that you don't hear every day, this list could offer inspiration. (And don't forget to also check out the other three articles that came before this. There will be more to follow, as well.)

Which name on this list do you like the most? Which do you think could be the first to rank higher?

Winnie (211 births - #1189) -Winnie can easily stand on its own as a name, but it is sometimes considered a diminutive of Winifred. Winnie the Pooh was named after a real bear at the London Zoo named Winnipeg. Winnie was a hot name back in 1919, it's best year yet. It had 541 births for a rank of #275. It hasn't done that well since then, leaving the Top 1000 in the mid-1950s. However, it has done a little better in the past three years. Could it rejoin the top soon?

Geneva (202 births - #1220) Geneva may be a short form of the name Genevieve which comes from Genovefa meaning "tribe woman". Geneva also has a connection to Juniper through the French name genièvre, a name for juniper, and the traditional gin drink jenever.  Geneva is also the name of a city in Switzerland. Geneva was most popular in 1924, but it left the Top 1000 by 1996. Could it make a comeback?

Coral (199 births - #1230) Coral is derived from the Greek word korallion and is also an English word referring to the marine invertebrates found in underwater reefs. As a name, Coral has been around on record since 1881 in the US. It has always almost ranked below the Top 1000, but compared to the past, it has had more births per year in the past 2 decades. Could it finally make a splash soon?

Yara (199 births - #1232) Yara seems to have multiple meanings and origins. Yarah in Arabic means "precious ruby"; in Greek, Yara means "the loved one"; in Brazil, Yara means "forest girl"; and in some Yoruba dialects, it means "intelligent". The male Hebrew name Ya'rah is a variant of Jarah meaning "honeycomb". So Yara's quite diverse. It has been given to girls as a given name since 1969 but it has never reached the Top 1000.

Anneliese (195 births - #1345) Anneliese is, of course, a combination of Anna and Liese. Anna comes from the Hebrew Channah meaning "grace", and Liese is a German and Dutch diminutive of Elizabeth which means "my God is an oath" from the Hebrew Elisheva. Anneliese has been used since 1926 in the US, and it ranked one time in 2005 at #914. Perhaps it could be given a second chance soon.

Eisley (194 births - #1351) Eisley is an interesting name. It seems to be purely inspired by pop culture. There is a town called Mos Eisley on the fictional planet Tatooine in the Star Wars universe. It was this town that inspired the name of an American Indie band called Eisley. The name might even translate to "ice island" in German and other similar languages. So if you're a Star Wars fan, this may be a less-obvious way to honor your fandom than using, say, Luke or Leia. Eisley popped up for girls in 2003 and has gained a lot of usage since then, despite still falling below the Top 1000.

Emerald (193 births - #1357) The emerald is a precious green stone, the birthstone for the month of May. Supposedly, the emerald is meant to impart love to whomever wears it. The word comes from the Greek smaragdos. As a name, Emerald was first used in 1904. It was very rare until it gained a bit of traction in the 1970s. It's best decade so far was the 1990s when it ranked at the bottom of the charts. It dipped back down in 2003 but it has the potential to be better-used in the future since other Em- names have been so hot.

Brisa (192 births - #1361)  Brisa is actually the Spanish word for "breeze" and was originally more of a nickname for the name Briseida. In 1999, Brisa popped up as the name of a character in the Mexican telenovela "Por Tu Amor".  The name Briseida is a Spanish form of Briseis which is a Greek name of unknown meaning, and also a figure in Greek mythology. Brisa has been used in the US since 1974, and it ranked within the Top 1000 from the year 2000 until 2012. Has it peaked or could it return?

Bellamy (183 births - #1398)  As a surname, Bellamy is said to come from the Norman French words bel ami meaning "beautiful friend". There is a French novel published in 1885 called Bel Ami, which has inpsired many film adaptations over the years, including a recent one in 2012. Bellamy hit the popularity chart in 1993 and 1996, but it wasn't regularly used until 2003. It has been climbing upward and could make its debut in the Top 1000 in the coming years.

Yesenia (180 births - #1413) There is a tree from South America that belongs to the genus Jessenia. It is probable that the Spanish name Yesenia was derived from that. It was first used in a telenovela of the same name in 1970. The name was first used in the US in 1966 on record and it ranked in the Top 1000 from 1971 to 2012. It fell off the chart recently. Is it too soon for it to rise again?

The names on this list are all very different from one another. Are there any that caught your eye?

Barely Used Boy Names: Keller, Ledger & Smith [Part Four]

Welcome to Part Four of our series that features names that are barely used in America today. These names all rank beyond the Social Security Administration's Top 1,000 chart. You could even say they are "unranked" since that chart is the official list of the most popular names and it ends at 1,000 on their site unless you download the full set of data.

So are you looking for an unranked name? If so, you are following the right series! I combed through the data and found interesting options that aren't similar to any other names that do rank. These are one of a kind and very wearable for a modern boy. More than half of them are originally surnames, which is part of a trend these days: surname names for given names.  Let's get started:

Broderick (158 births - #1166 in 2015) This is a surname derived from both the Irish and Welsh languages. It is Anglicised from the Irish Ó Bruadair, meaning "descendant of Bruadar". In Welsh, it is Anglicised from ap Rhydderch meaning "son of Rhydderch", which means "reddish brown". It gained usage as a given name in 1950, ranking at the bottom of the chart for many years.  

Ansel (157 births - #1171 in 2015) Ansel is also a surname and it was derived from the given name Anselm. Anselm is composed of Germanic elements ans meaning "god" and helm meaning "helmet, protection". This name has been around since 1882 but it has never been common enough to rank in the Top 1000. However, it is getting close.

Keller (157 births - #1176 in 2015) Keller is an Irish name that has been Anglicised from the Old Gaelic surname Ó Céilechair meaning "descendant of Céilechair", which means "companionable". In German, Keller refers to a cellar, taken from the Latin Cellarius. This name has infrequent usage over the years, starting in 1911 for boys and 1961 for girls. It steadied by the 1980s but it has never been common for either gender.

Ledger (157 births - #1177 in 2015) - As a word, ledger comes from the Dutch liggen or leggen meaning "to lie or lay", or the German liegen or legen. When taken from the Dutch legger it refers to a book laying in one place. It came to be used as a term for a book of financial accounts. As a name, it may have come from the Norman Leodegar or the Old French Legier. Whatever the meaning and origin, this surname is a bold and interesting choice for a male given name, and would honor the late actor Heath Ledger. It has only been in use in the US since 2002 and never within the Top 1,000.

Brogan (155 births - #1185 in 2015) - This is an occupational name taken from the Irish word bróg meaning "shoe". Google defines brogan as a coarse, stout leather shoe reaching to the ankle. This is definitely an interesting choice for a name, but it is made up of stylish sounds that would work well on a boy today. In the US, this name has been used since 1983 on record.  It even ranked in the Top 1,000 from 2008-2012. Could it have another chance to climb the charts soon?

Smith (154 births - #1194 in 2015) - The #1 most common surname in the US is Smith. Even though it is used on more than 2 million people as a last name, it would actually make for an unexpected first name. People have thought so since 1880 but it has never been common and still ranks below the Top 1,000 as a first name. Of course, it is an occupational name that refers to a metal worker or a "blacksmith".  It comes from the Old English word smiþ which is related to smitan meaning "to smite, to hit".

Adler (153 births - #1196 in 2015) - Adler is a surname name that comes from the German word adler meaning "eagle".  This name feels like one that could have been used 100 years ago, but it never made it on record until 1985 for boys and 2005 for girls. It is gradually increasing in usage for boys, although it ranks below the Top 1000 for both genders.

Wallace (153 births - #1201 in 2015) - From the Norman French word waleis, Wallace means "foreigner, stranger". It is sometimes used to denote native Welsh and Bretons. Another spelling is Wallis. For boys, Wallace peaked in 1923 with 2,803 births for a rank of #69. It hasn't been nearly as popular since then.

Cornelius (152 births - #1204 in 2015) -  This is a Roman family name that comes from the Latin element cornu meaning "horn". This was also the name of a few early saints and a pope. In the US, Cornelius has been used since 1880 on record, and it ranked within the Top 1000 every year until 2009. Will it ever make a comeback?

Milton (152 births - #1205 in 2015) Lastly, we have an English surname that is derived from a place name meaning "mill town". Somehow, this name has only decreased in popularity since it peaked in the early 1920s. Once a Top 100 name, it left the Top 1000 in 2009. Could it ever be seen as fashionable again?

Which of these names do you like the most? Would you ever use one? If so, share your thoughts in the comments below!

Harley

Today's featured name comes from our list of names that end with the letters "-ey". There were many to choose from but Harley was the winner.

Harley comes from a surname which was derived from an Old English place name meaning "hare clearing", taken from hara meaning "hare" and leah meaning "clearing, meadow". If you name your child Harley, you could definitely get away with rabbit decor. 

This is a unisex name. In the US, it ranks higher for females. In England and Wales, it ranks highly for males. In Australia and New Zealand, it is only male. 

If we look closer at the popularity statistics in the US, we'll find that Harley has been on record for boys since records began in 1880. It has consistently kept up as the population grew, still ranking within the Top 1000 all these years. In 2015, there were 386 boys named Harley which ranks the name as the 663rd most popular name in the country.

Girls, on the other hand, have only been named Harley consistently since 1968. There were a handful of births between 1916 and 1953, but they were minimal. In 1991, this name debuted on the charts at #678 and kept rising thereafter. As of 2015, the name ranks at a high of #281 for girls with 1,123 births for the year.

So which gender is this name better on? Which do you prefer? I have always thought of it as a male name, which is why the photo above is blue. However, it is more commonly given to girls in America.

If you are considering naming your child Harley, here are some ideas for middle names and sibling names:

Sibling Name Ideas:

Sisters: Addison, Kennedy, Madison, Payton, Piper, Scarlett, Taylor

Brothers: Ashton, Carson, Colton, Fletcher, Jagger, Quentin, Tyler

Middle Name Ideas (boy):

Harley Alexander

Harley Elliott

Harley James

Harley Lincoln

Harley Theron

Harley Wyatt

As A Middle Name (boy):

Adam Harley

Donovan Harley

Logan Harley

Maxwell Harley

Owen Harley

William Harley

Middle Name Ideas (girl):

Harley Annabelle

Harley Grace

Harley Kate

Harley Olivia

Harley Rose

Harley Vivian

As A Middle Name (girl):

Amelia Harley

Caroline Harley

Elizabeth Harley

Juliana Harley

Madeline Harley

Victoria Harley

What would you pair with the name Harley?

Names Ending with the Letters "-ey"

We've explored letters A-D so far in this "ends with -y" series. Today's list is perhaps one of the most plentiful. It was difficult to narrow it down to only the best options that end with the letters "-ey".

The names below all have their endings in common, but they differ greatly in terms of style and popularity. Let's play a little game with these names. Let's suppose that you are having triplets and you have your heart set on cutesy rhyming names for them. Choose three that you like most, and give them their own middle names. You can choose either the gender combinations.  Have fun!

Girls:

Adley

Abbey
Ainsley
Ansley
Ashley
Aubrey
Audrey
Bailey
Briley
Brinley
Britney
Carley
Casey
Courtney
Delaney
Destiney
Finley
Gracey
Greenley
Hadley
Hailey
Haley
Harley
Hayley
Jacey
Journey
Kailey
Kaley
Karley
Kasey
Kayley
Kelsey
Kenley
Kiley
Kinley
Kinsley
Lacey
Lainey
Laney
Lindsey
Linley
Macey
Marley
McKinley
Miley
Oakley
Paisley
Presley
Riley
Shirley
Sidney
Sydney
Tierney
Tinley
Waverley
Whitney
Zoey

Boys:

Ashley
Aubrey
Bailey
Bentley
Berkeley
Bradley
Brantley
Casey
Charley
Chauncey
Conley
Corey
Dempsey
Finley
Frey
Geoffrey
Grey
Harley
Henley
Humphrey
Hurley
Huxley
Jeffrey
Joey
Kasey
Kingsley
Locksley
Marley
McKinley
Mickey
Morrissey
Oakley
Pacey
Quigley
Radley
Ramsey
Ridley
Rey
Riley
Rodney
Seeley
Sidney
Stanley
Trey
Wesley
Westley
Wiley

Can you think of any "-ey" names that I missed? Share them below (along with the names you chose for your fictional triplets) and I'll add them to the list!

Here's the triplets that I would name: Ramsey Oliver, Audrey Juliet & Zoey Claire.  You?

Sweet Tooth Baby Names: Inspired by Chocolate Bars

This list is surely limited since there are definitely way more chocolate bars out there, but this one covers a decent amount of possibilities if you are looking for a sweet, chocolatey name. Can you think of any other chocolate bars made around the world that has a name suitable for a human person? If so, share in the comments below! Let's get started...

Aero - Originally made by Rowntree, this chocolate bar has been manufactured by Nestlé since 1988. As a name, Aero has been in use in the US since 2005 for boys and 2013 for girls. It is a bold and interesting choice that fits well with other trendy names ending with -o. The same-sounding Arrow has also been climbing the charts.

Almond Joy -  Almond in French is Amande. If this happens to be your favorite candy bar, the name Amandine Joie would work in lieu of "Almond Joy" itself. Although, Joy is always a great virtue name. Joy was most popular in 1957 and 1974. Comparatively, it ranks lower today at only #436.

Baby Ruth - You may not write "Baby" on the birth certificate, but you could have your very own baby named Ruth in honor of your favorite chocolate, caramel nougat treat. This Nestlé-owned candy is said to have been named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter Ruth, so history buffs might also appreciate this name.

Caramello -  There's Carmelo and Carmella, why not Caramello? However, it has never had any usage on record, so feel free to start this trend, especially if you're a fan of caramel and milk chocolate.

Charleston Chew - For a boy, Charleston has been used in the US since 1914. It has never been in the Top 1000 and received 87 births in 2015. For girls, however, the name first gained usage in 1997 and currently had 253 births for the year. It could approach the Top 1000 soon! Which gender do you prefer? And do you enjoy this chocolatey nougat?

Clark Bar - I've featured this super name before, but here's the latest stats. The name Clark has been in use since the before 1880s in the US and peaked impressively in 1961. However, today's popularity high is nearly on par with that one. There were 858 boys named Clark in 2015, for a rank of #373. There were also 15 female births.

Heath Bar - This name peaked in 1974 at #181. These days, Heath is down at #832. It would be interesting to find out how the late Mr. Ledger affected this name's popularity, if at all. The name has also been used on a handful of females back in the 1970s-1980s. What do you think of Heath?

Hershey's - This male name was featured in the previous article as well, but since it's a big company with chocolate bars with the same name, it's worth mentioning again. As a name, Hershey has only been used at the bare minimum levels to be recorded, and only between the years 1914 and 1954, plus 5 births in 1982. A rare name! Alternatively, there's the similar-sounding Hershel that is more common.

Holly Bar - Holly is a name that is starting to fade from popularity recently. It was biggest in the 1970s and 1980s but has now dropped to #490 in 2015. It will most likely continue downward, but it is still a lovely choice. It is reminiscent of both a plant, and the chewy French nougat bar that's covered in chocolate.

Kit Kat - Kit is a diminutive of both Christopher and Katherine, while Kat also comes from Katherine and related names. This playful name works well for the crispy chocolatey wafer bars. As far as popularity goes, Kat is rarely used alone, but Kit had 28 female births and 40 male births in 2015.

Lindor -  The Lindor chocolate truffles from Lindt are a fancy treat. However, there have not been any births on record for the name Lindor in the US. Doesn't it sound like it could be a cool masculine form of Linda? Perhaps one of you chocolate-lovers could use it for your son to honor an aunt Linda.

Milo Bar - This caramel brownie treat is covered in chocolate and produced by Nestlé in Australia. And what a great name it has! Milo is one of those up-and-coming trendy choices for a boy. It is currently up to #288 in 2015. It was down at #724 just 10 years before that, and it ranked beyond the Top 1000 if you look back another 10 years in 1995. Sister-name Mila is also up.

Oh Henry! - This candy bar contains peanuts, caramel and fudge covered in chocolate, and has been produced since 1920. The name Henry ranked best around 1918, and still fared well through the 1940s. It took a dip in the 1970s-1980s but it is back on the rise, ranking as high as #29 in 2015.

Orion - In the Czech Republic, the Orion brand chocolate bar has been hugely popular. It originated in Prague in 1896 and was acquired by Nestlé in 1991. There's also a company in South Korea called Orion Confectionery which makes cookies, pies, chocolate, candy and more, including its famous Choco Pie. Orion is not only a celestial name, it is also very chocolatey.  And it has gained popularity in the past two decades, currently ranking at #368.

Prince Polo - This Polish chocolate bar is also known as Prins Póló and sells well in Eurasian countries. You may be surprised to know that the name Prince has been consistently common since 1880. It ranked at #387 in 2015. Will it rise or fall in 2016 due to the passing of the music icon Prince?  Polo has also been used as a name here and there over the years with 8 births in 2015.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups -These chocolate and peanut butter cups are best-sellers and well-known. The name Reese is rather popular too. It has been in use for boys since the 1880s, but only ranks at #701 in 2015. For girls, it gained consistent usage in 1992 and skyrocketed up the charts to its current #173. Do you like Reese more for a boy or a girl?

Rocky Road - This is not just a great flavor of ice cream, Rocky Road is also a candy bar made of fluffy marshmallow and topped with cashews and milk chocolate. It is made by the Annabelle Candy Company. The name Rocky has been given to boys since 1913, and has also been used by a few girls over the years. There were 229 male births in 2015 for a rank of #927, and there were 6 female births.

Rolo - The bite-sized ROLO pieces have a caramel center and are covered in milk chocolate. There are no births on record for the name Rolo, but if you add an L, Rollo was used well between 1881 and 1962. It started dying out after that, but suddenly gained 10 male births in 2015 after a nearly 30 year hiatus.

Sky Bar - The milk chocolate-covered Sky Bar has been produced by Necco since 1938 in America. It is known for having four different sections with a different filling in each: caramel, vanilla, peanut, and fudge. As a name, Sky was given to 81 boys and 365 girls in 2015. The similar Skye has 58 male births and 845 female. Which spelling do you prefer and for which gender?

Violet Crumble - This Australian chocolate bar has a crumbly honeycomb toffee center. It is made by Nestlé and it is also common in Hawaii. As a name, Violet seems to be a favorite lately. It has surpassed its previous high rank of #74 in 1919, by currently ranking at #50 in 2015.

York Peppermint Patty - This cool, refreshing treat is filled with mint and covered in dark chocolate. The name York has a very unsteady popularity pattern. It's been around since 1880 in the US, but there are many years when it only scores 5 or fewer births for the year. Its ultimate peak came in 1971 with a record-high of 21 births for the year. 2015 was graced by 7 births.

Would you ever name a child after your favorite chocolate bar? If not, that's understandable. But if your sweet tooth is beckoned, the above names are some of the best options around. Whether you would use it or not, which name do you like the most?

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