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What Should I Name Emma's Little Sister?

Emma was at the top of the pack in 2018. We will find out very soon if she's managed to hold on to her tiara, or if, perhaps Olivia, has dethroned her.  Emma has always been a popular name. Well, at least since Ross and Rachel chose it back in 2004. She was destined for greatness though, and has proved it over the past decade. Even without "Friends," Emma was already climbing the charts. Emma ranked within the Top 100 from 1880 to 1941, decided to take a little break from her popularity before she reentered the Top 100 again in 1993. By 2002, Emma ranked as the 4th most popular name in the country. She snagged #1 in 2008, and again from 2014 to 2018. Girl is popular, but with good reason. Emma comes from a Germanic element " ermen " which means "whole" or "universal", which helps give this name her appeal.  So much so that Emma isn't only a top name in the US, it has also received plenty of usage in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sc

Elisabeth and Julia Are Getting A Baby Sister! What Should I Name Her?

Brenda wrote to The Art of Naming on Facebook recently inquiring about name ideas for a third girl. She already has Elisabeth "Elsa", and Julia. I promised I would find 10 name ideas for her to consider. First, a bit of background info.  Elisabeth is an alternative spelling to Elizabeth; some may even find the "s" to be even more feminine than the standard "z". Both variants are gorgeous, in my book!  Elizabeth comes from  the Greek form of the Hebrew name אֱלִישֶׁבַע (' Elisheva ') meaning "my God is an oath".  I have written about Elizabeth's longevity in the past because she has proved to be the most enduring female name. Julia is one of my favorite names. I used Juliet for my own daughter's middle name, and I have always been drawn to the Jul- names. Julia is the feminine form of the Roman family name Julius that was possibly derived from Greek ιουλος ( ioulos ) meaning "downy-bearded" which implies youthf

Ferelith

Today I want to take a closer name at a very rare and fantastical-esque name. I recently had the opportunity to recommend it to someone who had never heard of it before. They instantly fell in love with it and decided it might just be THE name they have been searching for. Perhaps you will enjoy it too! It is a rare feminine name of Scottish and English origin. It comes from the Medieval Gaelic name Forbflaith which means "overlord, ruler, or sovereign". There was an heiress in 13th-century Scotland who was named Ferelith. Aside from that, this name is very rare. According to the US record, there has never been at least 5 babies given this name in a single year. That means that the chances of you running into someone with this name are slim to none.  If you are looking for a beautiful, rare name, this would make your child truly one-of-a-kind! With its Medieval origins, it has a Renaissance vibe, and also feels fantastical. There are some other names that have a sim

Fabulous Names from Netflix's "The Witcher" Series

We have recently started watching Netflix's The Witcher and I was instantly mesmerized by the names of the characters. I'm a sucker for the unusual. I may not use most of these for a real life child, but I do appreciate them in a fantastical fiction.  I made a list of them for your browsing pleasure: Male: Geralt Jaskier Istredd Cahir Dara Eist Lazlo Filavandrel Torque Foltest Danek Artorius Korin Fletcher Anton Nettly Yurga Eyck Chireadan Zigrin Adonis Hemet Remus Tsoka Filip Yannick Atlan Mikal Peregrine Nonim Vyr Female: Ciri Yennefer Triss Calanthe Fringilla Tissaia Sabrina Vanielle Danica Renfri Eithne Zola Tiffania Pavetta Toruviel Anica Marilka Téa Véa Kalis Fola Glacella Marites Sancia Isadora Adda Lilja Coral Kaveri Aridea There's definitely a few in there that would be suitable for a child, but the rest are truly just fun. Which do you like?

Nautical Names for Sea Lovers

Now that summer is coming to an end, let's take a look at some of the beachiest, ocean-related baby name options. Even though I come from more landlocked areas, it is hard to deny that the ocean is a powerful force. For those of you that love the sound of nautical names, here are ideas to consider: Boy Names: Anchor Bay Fisher Kai Marinus "of the sea" Ocean Tide Girl Names: Aqua Coral Cordelia "jewel of the sea" Darya "sea, ocean" Isla "island" Marina "of the sea" Marisol "sea and sun" Nerissa "of the sea" Oceane Pearl Sailor These are just a few gems. Can you think of any others that would be suitable? Which is your favorite?  If you're looking for more watery ideas, try this list.

Musical Baby Names

If music is your passion, take inspiration from this list of musical baby names! Many of these are derived from Latin or Italian terms found throughout music, some are names of famous musicians and composers. Girls: Allegra Aria Boheme Cadence Cadenza Calypso Carol Celeste Ceridwen Chantal Collet Casella Chantry Clementi Corisande Echo Hadley Harmony Harper Hymn Kalliope Lyre Lyric Madrigal Melody Minuet Musette Octavia Opera Piper Rhapsody Rossini Sonatina Scarlatti Sempre Senza Serenade Siciliana Sinfonia Sonata Song Toccata Viola Boys: Adagio Amadeus Apollo Artemy Bach Barret Brahm Bran Brio Bryant Cadeo Cello Dorian Elegy Florian Hymn Kohler Landler Larsen Lyric Mandolin Mozart Muzio Olivier Ottorino Rhapsody Reed Rock Rowley Rossini Rhythm Sebestian Wolfgang The above lists included musical terms and classical musicians. The following list is a little more modern. This includes the nam

Name Search Report: Madeline, Charity, Juniper and More Girl Names You Seek!

Charity  comes from the word charity meaning "generous love" from the Late Latin caritas , or "dear, beloved" from the Latin carus . It's known as a virtue name and was used by the Puritans. Surprisingly, Charity has been consistently -- albeit uncommonly -- used since records began in the US in 1880. It peaked from 1974-1980 or so, ranking as high as #183 in 1975. It left the Top 1000 in 2013. In 2017, there were 192 girls named Charity. Andrea  is the Italian form of Andreas, which comes from the Greek name Ανδρεας ( Andreas ), meaning "manly", and related to Andrew. Andrea can be both masculine and feminine. As a female name, it gained usage in the 17th century before becoming common more recently. It started climbing the charts in the 1940s for girls and continued to steadily climb, peaking in 1981 at #24 and over 11,600 births. Today it ranks at #128. Rose  may seem like a filler name now but it is truly an underrated classic with many lon

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