The Art of Naming

Today marks 2 years since I began writing about names on The Art of Naming! I want to thank you all for accompanying me on my journey! I have had a wonderful time researching and writing about names to share with you! I can assure you that I have plenty more to write about and I hope you will continue to come visit me here on my little blog and share your comments and thoughts with me when you can! For those of you kind enough to follow me on my social media accounts as well ( Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Pinterest , Tumblr , Google Plus ...) I want to give you a huge thank you! It is the more interactive moments that I love the most! When you share your thoughts or your favorite names with me on my various posts, it brightens my day and gives me more motivation to continue researching and writing! If you ever have a request, a suggestion, a question or even a complaint, feel free to reach out to me either on one of the above platforms or by email .  If you just feel ...

For many years all around the world, it was the norm to hand names down generation after generation. In many cultures, it was traditional to use family names. Sometimes there were even patterns laid out for determining which child gets which relative's name. Times have changed a bit but even modern parents find themselves considering whether or not they'll honor a relative. There are times when the honoree is a wonderful role model for the child and passing down their name is natural for the parents. The child gets the chance to feel a connection to their family's past and no doubt that honored relative is thrilled! However, there are other instances when honoring someone just doesn't feel right. How do you know when you should and when you shouldn't honor a relative? It isn't easy when familial pressure sets in, especially when there are traditions in place that you're expected to follow like if your husband is the fourth, do you have  to make y...

The list of The Very Best I Names for Boys and Girls offered plenty of interesting choices.  This week is the boys turn for a featured name and the options were hard to choose from. In the end, Ignatius was the victor. The name Ignatius comes from the Roman family name Egnatius . Originally, Egnatius had an unknown meaning from the ancient Etruscan origin. As time went on, the spelling was altered so it would be similar to the Latin word ignis which means "fire". Because of this, the Etruscan Egnatius became the Latin Ignatius and inherited itself a meaning. There were several saints named Ignatius. The most well-known St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was the founder of the Jesuits. Interestingly, his birth name was Íñigo which is sometimes regarded as a form of Ignatius, but it is probably just because of its association with this saint.  (Inigo was also one of our featured I names that I nearly chose. It is Spanish but comes from the name Eneko which is deriv...

The letter I  is an interesting letter. Since it is a vowel, it feels like there should be plenty of popular options like the letters A and E seem to have, but it is actually home to a number of unusual and under-the-radar choices. Sure there's the popular Isabella which has graced the #1 spot in years past, and there's the constant and traditional Isaac and Isaiah, but many of the names below are rather unheard of and rarely used. Do you agree with my assessment or do you feel that many of these names are more commonplace than I gave them credit for? How many people do you know that have names starting with I?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below... but for now, here are 25 of the best names for girls and 25 of the best names for boys that start with the letter I! Ianthe                                 Ida Ignacia Iliana Imogen India Indira Inez Ingrid Io...

Birth announcements are a great way to discover what names other parents are using. You can use this knowledge for your own baby naming efforts and let yourself be inspired! Whether you view these as names that you'd never use or names that you'd love to use, lists like these can be helpful in the naming process. If you were expecting a baby today and had to choose a name from this list, which would it be? Tell me your one favorite girl name and one favorite boy name from the following list. Share your picks in the comment section below! My choices are at the bottom of the page! Girls:  Ada June Adalyn Ruth Amira Renee Annelise Elizabeth Ansley Michelle Ashlyn Olivia Ava Chelsea Aviana Rose Cassidy Olivia Ciara Elizabeth Emma Grace Evelyn Fae Jessica Ann Juliana Deborah Kaitlyn Sophia Kelly Lee Khloe Marianne Lauren Elizabeth Lauryn Elaine Lolah Marie Luz Isabella Morgan Serenity Norah Eve Olivia Faith Paige Marie Paislee Margaret Rose Riley...

The brand new Social Security Administration list of the most popular baby names in 2014 is here! For the first time since 2008, Emma has reclaimed the throne, surpassing both Sophia and Olivia! On the boy's side, Noah has held onto his popularity another year even though many were speculating that #2 Liam would take it. Here are the new Top 10 for each gender! I thought Sophia would have continued her streak at #1 again this year, only possibly being unseated by Olivia. I was right about Olivia surpassing Sophia, but I didn't see Emma coming to claim the throne again after only being #1 once in 2008.  Charlotte made her way into the Top 10 by knocking Elizabeth out of the ring. With the birth of the new princess, Charlotte will probably continue to rise, potentially being #1 within the next 5 years! Any thoughts? My guess was that Liam would take #1 but Noah holds on to the throne another year! Mason surpasses Jacob, and James takes Jayden's place! The names...

To complement our list of The Very Best H Names for Boys and Girls , we will further examine the feminine name Honora. It was the Normans who introduced the name Honora to England and Ireland. Honora is a variant of the name Honoria which is the feminine form of Honorius. Honorius is a Late Latin name meaning "honor". It has been worn by a few saints and popes as well as an emperor. In addition to the lovely Honora, there is also the Irish Onóra and the English Annora. Nora is an excellent nickname for all of these, and diminutives include the similar Norene, Noreen, Norah and Nóirín. While some parents like the shorter and simpler name Honor to reflect its virtuous meaning, others opt for a bit more of an elaboration with Honora or Honoria. These types of abstract virtue names were popular with the Puritans after having been introduced to Britain by the Normans. Today in modern America, Honora is very under-the-radar. It has been used quietly but consistently s...