The Art of Naming

I have seen the question arise quite often lately: "what is your favorite month name?" I believe this question is driven solely by everyone's sudden interest in the name August. And as you'll see below, this name has come back to the forefront very quickly after not being seen much since its heyday in 1915. It is also pretty much the only logical boy option and parents are quickly falling in love with it. The majority of these names are ruled by girls, the most obvious choices being April, May and June. However, you may find it interesting that 11 of the 12 months have been used many times over the years. Read below to see which month gets no love and which months are the most popular: January: This first frosty month has been given to baby girls since 1951 in the US. The name was most popular in the late 1970s. It had one big popularity spike in 1978 with 257 births and has fallen out of style since then. There were 26 births in 2012 for a ranking of #52...

Like her Italian sister Cosima, the feminine, Romanian name Cosmina is a form of the names Cosmin and Cosmas which come from the Ancient Greek Κοσμας or Kosmas. That name was further derived from the name κοσμος or kosmos meaning "order, decency". It refers to the order and beauty of the universe. Cosmo, Cosimo and Cosima are all currently beginning to gain slightly more attention after having a bit of celebrity usage, but until the new US name data for 2013 comes out, they may be limited to conversations rather than actual birth certificates. View the whole Kosmas family tree here. Interestingly, the name Cosmina has never had any recorded usage in the US. Ever. And sister name Cosima has very little usage. A handful of births in the late 1980s and only a few in the 2000s. It had 8 births in 2012. These names are not popular but I've seen an increase in chatter about them, Cosima specifically, around the baby naming community. Do you think it may catch on eventu...

By request, this edition of World-Wide Wednesday will zoom in on the naming traditions used in Romania and Moldova in eastern Europe. In Romania, there are customs that revolve around man's three most essential human events: birth, marriage and death.  We're going to focus just on the birth customs and those surrounding children, their parents and their names. TravelGuideRomania.com says: "Birth related customs regard the grown-ups: besides parents, there are the midwife and the godparents. When the baby suffered from an illness or faced danger, the custom was to change the baby’s name into “The Bear” (Ursu) or “The Wolf” (Lupu), in hope of avoiding the risk of being “recognized” again by that danger in future. This custom also implies the idea of the baby’s “death and resurrection”." It is interesting that they would change the child's name to avoid dangers. This is a new concept that I had never come across before. That site also discusses the other custo...

Welcome to the week of Romanian-inspired names. On Wednesday you'll see the traditions and customs surrounding birth and baby naming in Romania. On Friday you'll get a featured Romanian girl name, and today you get a boy name! The male name Constantin ranked in as the #14 name of 2009 in Romania according to this website. I couldn't find much more information beyond that. Constantin is the Romanian (and French) form of the name Constantinus. Other Romanian variations of this are Cosatche, Costel, Costică, Costin, and Dinu. Of course, the name The English Constantine is probably most used and most familiar outside of Romania. All of these names are derived from the Latin Constantinus which comes from Constans meaning "constant, steadfast". The first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity was named Constantine the Great (272-337). He's famous for establishing Constantinople which is now known as Istanbul.  Be sure to view the family tree of all the...

Many people today have no idea what their name means nor are they very concerned with discovering it. Many  new parents don't take it into consideration and just consider it "a nice bonus" if the name they chose happens to mean something pleasant. That is what the overwhelming majority of you believe also, according to the poll on the sidebar of the blog. However, there are a few that believe that having a good, positive meaning behind their child's name is essential to the naming decision. After all, part of what makes a name beautiful is its meaning. There are even some cultures that put meaning at the forefront of the naming decision (see African and Japanese names) and yet it tends to get overlooked in many English-speaking countries. Why? Why is the meaning of your name, or your child's name, important? Or rather, why should you view it as an important factor in the naming decision process? First of all, we can all agree that names are essential in...

Xenia is a cool and fun choice for a girl. It has that bold letter X at the beginning with a lovely and girlish -ia ending. I have seen it pronounced ZEEN-ee-uh and SEN-ya. Originally, this name comes from the ancient Greek Ξενια. It means "hospitality" in the language. However, as a word, it is more in depth than that. When translated, xenia actually refers to the Greek concept of the generosity and courtesy shown to guests of the household. This may have also included gift giving beyond the basic shelter, protection and food. It comes from the word xenos which is used in various forms throughout Greek mythology to explain a person who extends this hospitality to a stranger. Zeus was sometimes called Zeus Xenios because of his role as protector of travelers. Beyond its fellow Greek variant Xene, this name translates into several languages: Croatian: Ksenija English: Zena Finnish: Senja Macedonian: Ksenija Polish: Ksenia Russian: Kseniya, Oksana, Oxana, Ak...

For parents who are looking for a strong but feminine name, look no further than these! This is a compilation of girl names that contain the letter X.  While this letter is a bit hotter for masculine names, there are still plenty of lovely choices for a girl. From the traditional Alexandra to the elegant Margeaux and the spunky Roxanna, this list is a treasure trove of amazing gems! What is your favorite feminine name that has the letter X in it? Aixa                     Alex Alexa Alexana Alexandra Alexandrea Alexandretta Alexandria Alexandrina Alexandrine Alexea Alexi Alexia Alexie Alexina Alexis Alexius Alexus Alexxia Alexys Alexzandria Alix Alixia Alixana Allexis Alyxandria Alyxia Anaxandra Anaxandria Aphixia Arantxa Aranxa Araxie Aurex Auxerre Axelina Axelle Beatrix Bellatrix Bijoux Brinxlee Brinxley Calixta Calyx Cinxia Devereaux Dexlee Dextra Dixie Elexandra Elexia ...