The Art of Naming

Baby name websites have thousands of names in their databases. This can cause headaches for expecting parents to browse through. How do you know which will be the perfect name for your little one? How can you sift through the unusual names from foreign cultures that you've never even heard of and don't know how to pronounce? After all, you just want a familiar, traditional name that will work well on a baby today. The following list contains fifty of the best names that start with the letter A, twenty-five names per gender. The goal was to include something for nearly everyone. Since I'm based in the US, these names lean more toward current American styles but I'm sure some of these work internationally too. Take a look and let me know which you like best:      Girls: Aaliyah                                    Abigail Adelaide Addison Adriana Ainsley Alana ...

There are so many lovely 4+ syllable names for girls ; narrowing it down to one was difficult but I decided on beautiful Seraphina. Seraphina is the feminine form of the Late Latin male name Seraphinus . This name comes from the biblical, Hebrew word seraphim meaning "fiery ones" and referring to an order of angels that had six wings each. The Seraphim were described by the prophet Isaiah in the bible.  Seraphina was also the name of a 13th century saint from Italy who was known for making clothing for the poor.  As a name, Seraphina was never really favored in the past. However, it is starting to take off as an usual but pretty name. Actors Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner named their second daughter Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck in 2009 which put the name on people's radars more, but yet it still remains mostly unused. The celebrity endorsement bumped Seraphina from having only 50 births in 2008 to having 88 in 2009 and 107 in 2010. How...

In the past, I wrote an article about Elizabeth and her consistent popularity since 1880: she has always ranked within the Top 30 as a first name. As a middle name, she's also a popular choice because of how extremely well Elizabeth flows with most first names. I listed four specific reasons why Elizabeth has remained so popular and works so well with other names. I also listed other 4 syllable names that might also work well as a middle name. If none of those strike your fancy, you're sure to find a great selection in the following list of 4+ syllable girl names. Which of these are your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comment section below! Abilena           Abriana Abrianna Abriella Abryanna Acadia Acelina Adelaida Adelia Adelina Adelita Adriana Adrianna Aemilia Afrodite Agostina Agustina Albertina Alejandra Alejandrina Aleksandra Alessandra Alessia Alethea Aletheia Alexandra Alexandrea Alexandria Alexia Al...

After looking at all of the 4+ syllable boy names available, I wanted to pick one that was legitimately 4 syllables on its own as opposed to a name that earned 4 syllables by adding an -o to the end of a name that is usually 3-syllables. With this criteria, it was actually rather tough to find a good one that hasn't already been featured. I settled on the biblical Jeremiah. Jeremiah comes from the Hebrew name יִרְמְיָהוּ ( Yirmiyahu ) meaning "Yahweh has uplifted". In the bible, he was one of the major prophets in the Old Testament who wrote the Book of Jeremiah as well as the Book of Lamentations. He lived in the 6th century BC during the time of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. In England, the Protestant Reformation brought about the usage of a lot of names that were later carried to Colonial America with the pilgrims. Jeremiah was one of those names. However, the shorter variation Jeremy was sometimes used since the 13th century in England. Over...

Say you're looking for a long name for your baby boy and you can't think of much beyond Alexander or Maximilian. Fear not! Let this be your handy resource for long boy names! Every name on this list is 4 syllables long or more. There are definitely plenty of interesting, unusual choices and some international ideas borrowed from origins around the world. Which of these names are your favorites? Can you think of any that could be added? Share your favorites in the comment section below! Abelardo                     Adalberto Agapito Aleczander Alejandro Aleksander Alessandro Alexander Alexandro Alexzander Amadeo Amadeus Ambrosio Anacleto Ananias Aniceto Antonino Antonio Apolinar Archimedes Aristides Arsenio Bartholomew Bartolomé Bartolomeo Calogero Candelario Casimiro Catarino Cayetano Celestino Cipriano Ciriaco Constantino Constantinos Cornelius Damarion Deangelo Demetrius Dionisio...

As one year winds down and another promises to begin, we are all given a sense of a clean slate. 2015 will bring about the feelings of a fresh start and many will have high hopes for the future in the form of resolutions. These similar feelings can also be experienced during pregnancy as we anticipate the arrival of a brand new, tiny person. If you're expecting a child in January, you may feel inspired by the following New Year related baby names: Girl: Asha Aurora Beatrice Dagny Dawn Esperanza Eve Garnet Hope January Janvière Makara Mika Nadia Neoma Newlyn Neve Nova Novella Oriana Renee Roxana Taraja Zara Zora Zorina Boy: Abraham Anno Asher Aster Davian Felix Finn Gennaro Navin Neo Newcomb Newell Newman Orion Paxton Ridley Thaddeus Walid Whittaker Which of these do you like most? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

This month's birth announcement list is full of some pretty wonderful choices! If you had to name triplets using just the names below, (keeping the first/middle combinations as they are), which would you choose? Share your answers in the comments below! Adalyn Mae Amelia Belle Anaya Amore Anna Marie Autumn Giselle Brooke Lynn Cora Evangeline Ella Christine Emily Hannah Evelyn Marie Francesca Nicole Gianna Lucia Kalista Faye Lenaia Marie Lila Rae Lillianna Grace Lily Faye Matilda Jayne Natalia Maria Paityn Belle Rayne Alonna Riley May Sabrina Lynn Sadie Ann Sophia Jean Willow Brooke Aidan Timothy Blake Gregory Brayden Thomas Christopher Michael Daniel Richard Ethan Michael Everett Walter Jameson Thomas Jayce Matthew Joseph Morris Joshua Melford Jonathan Paul Leonidas Gilbert Lincoln David Mason Patrick Miles Joseph Nathaniel James Owen Frederick Samuel Benjamin Sawyer William Sky Landen Tyler Daniel William Owen Wyatt John Xande...