Alexander
-meaning: defender of the people
-origin: Greek
-potential nicknames: Alex, Xander
The Great! I’m sure that’s most people’s thought when they hear this name. I love how strong the name Alexander is, and that’s probably what has made it so darn popular! Alexander was a famous Greek leader of Macedon, one of Buffy’s quirky sidekicks (Xander Harris), and there have been quite a few Pope Alexander’s. The name is currently the 4th most popular name in the US, and its not going anywhere anytime soon.
Luke
-meaning: from Lucania
-origin: Greek
-potential nicknames: none
Matthew, Mark, _____, and John. Guess what name fits in there!? Yup, Luke. Luke is a prominent biblical figure, but he’s also a master Jedi! Kinda cool if you ask me. This is certainly a classic name, as its been around for a VERY long time. The meaning is kind of boring, but to many that doesn’t matter one bit. Luke is currently the 48th most popular name in the States, and its variant Lucas, is slightly ahead at number 39.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Why is Finn so great?
All the Fins in the sea
The above link discusses one of my favorite boys names ever! Finn is becoming more and more popular every year, and its no wonder why. Its short. Its strong. And its cool. And hey, if you are squeamish about one syllable names, you can also go with Finley or Finnegan! Finley would be my choice of the two, but I don't really see the problem with Finn by itself.
Another nice little fact about Finn, there aren't an abundance of celebrities who have chosen this name. The ones that have only make it cooler if you ask me. Jane Leaves used this name in 2003 and Edward Burns used the name in 2006.
There's also the fact that one of the male leads of Glee is Finn, as well. He's a cute and sweet jock who has a soft spot for singing, which makes him all the more appealing! I have a feeling that this fact alone is going to help the name sky rocket towards the top 100.
Currently, Finn is #343 in popularity in the US. The name hit the top 1000 in 2000, coming in at 834. Its seen gains every year, except for the year 2002 (which it only dropped 4 spots), then resumed its climb towards the top. Give it 3 or 4 years and it may very well have reached the top 100. Maybe even the top 50. Only time will tell, but I have high hopes for this wonderful name!
The above link discusses one of my favorite boys names ever! Finn is becoming more and more popular every year, and its no wonder why. Its short. Its strong. And its cool. And hey, if you are squeamish about one syllable names, you can also go with Finley or Finnegan! Finley would be my choice of the two, but I don't really see the problem with Finn by itself.
Another nice little fact about Finn, there aren't an abundance of celebrities who have chosen this name. The ones that have only make it cooler if you ask me. Jane Leaves used this name in 2003 and Edward Burns used the name in 2006.
There's also the fact that one of the male leads of Glee is Finn, as well. He's a cute and sweet jock who has a soft spot for singing, which makes him all the more appealing! I have a feeling that this fact alone is going to help the name sky rocket towards the top 100.
Currently, Finn is #343 in popularity in the US. The name hit the top 1000 in 2000, coming in at 834. Its seen gains every year, except for the year 2002 (which it only dropped 4 spots), then resumed its climb towards the top. Give it 3 or 4 years and it may very well have reached the top 100. Maybe even the top 50. Only time will tell, but I have high hopes for this wonderful name!
Adrianna and Zane
Adrianna
-meaning: from Hadria
-origin: Latin
-potential nicknames: Addy, Adri, Anna
Adrianna is a bit of a mouthful, but has lots of nickname potential. It is a Shakespearean name. It has also become more popular in the past decade, but has yet to crack the top 100 list for the US.
Zane
-meaning: God is gracious
-origin: American
-potential nicknames: none
Zane is considered a form of John. It’s a good strong name but isn’t a typical name. In the United States it is number 235 for the year 2009. However, it was recently in the top 100 in a couple of states: Montana and Oklahoma.
-meaning: from Hadria
-origin: Latin
-potential nicknames: Addy, Adri, Anna
Adrianna is a bit of a mouthful, but has lots of nickname potential. It is a Shakespearean name. It has also become more popular in the past decade, but has yet to crack the top 100 list for the US.
Zane
-meaning: God is gracious
-origin: American
-potential nicknames: none
Zane is considered a form of John. It’s a good strong name but isn’t a typical name. In the United States it is number 235 for the year 2009. However, it was recently in the top 100 in a couple of states: Montana and Oklahoma.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Middle Name Rut
WOW how the tables can turn! Now, we have a girl's name but no boy's name. It works for me because I still think we're having another girl. However, we can't come to any agreement on a middle name. What's new? This also happened with Arabella. My mom is the one who finally suggested Nicole. Steve laughed last night and said that Nicole would work for this baby name too! Too bad. Half the fun is picking new names, not using old ones. So the search begins.
We can always go with one of your staple middle names:
Marie
Grace
Lynn
Michelle
Ann
Renee
Catherine
All are great names. They work because they sound great with most names. But I'm not quite convinced yet. I am considering a couple of these names, but most of them I know I would pass on.
Then I could go the trend route and pick a name that's short, sweet, and possibly unisex:
Brynn
Eve
Greer
Hope
Joy
Pearl
Wren
It's cool to pick a short, one-syllable name that can be matched with a longer, maybe even frillier name.
Or, I could go all out and pick a longer middle name:
Chantal
Felicity
Genevieve
Larissa
Rosalie
Serena
My instinct is telling me to go with something two syllables or less and in the style of Nicole, which is definitely a standard (or go-to) middle name. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave me a note!
We can always go with one of your staple middle names:
Marie
Grace
Lynn
Michelle
Ann
Renee
Catherine
All are great names. They work because they sound great with most names. But I'm not quite convinced yet. I am considering a couple of these names, but most of them I know I would pass on.
Then I could go the trend route and pick a name that's short, sweet, and possibly unisex:
Brynn
Eve
Greer
Hope
Joy
Pearl
Wren
It's cool to pick a short, one-syllable name that can be matched with a longer, maybe even frillier name.
Or, I could go all out and pick a longer middle name:
Chantal
Felicity
Genevieve
Larissa
Rosalie
Serena
My instinct is telling me to go with something two syllables or less and in the style of Nicole, which is definitely a standard (or go-to) middle name. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave me a note!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Abigail and Xander
Abigail
-meaning: father’s joy
-origin: Hebrew
-potential nicknames: Abby, Gail
Abigail is a biblical name. It has become very popular in the past decade or so, cracking the top 10 names in the US. This is why I can’t see myself using it as a first name, but I do love the nickname Abby. Beautiful name with a beautiful meaning.
Xander
-meaning: defender of the people
-origin: Greek
-potential nicknames: Xan
BUFFY ALERT! Where did Xander come from!? Well, the name didn’t actually originate from the television show Buffy, but that did help boost its popularity. Xander went from being uncharted in the 1990s to its current spot in the 200s in the 2000s. Thanks Alexander for giving us the uber cool nickname Xander. I think he’s flourishing quite well on his own now J.
-meaning: father’s joy
-origin: Hebrew
-potential nicknames: Abby, Gail
Abigail is a biblical name. It has become very popular in the past decade or so, cracking the top 10 names in the US. This is why I can’t see myself using it as a first name, but I do love the nickname Abby. Beautiful name with a beautiful meaning.
Xander
-meaning: defender of the people
-origin: Greek
-potential nicknames: Xan
BUFFY ALERT! Where did Xander come from!? Well, the name didn’t actually originate from the television show Buffy, but that did help boost its popularity. Xander went from being uncharted in the 1990s to its current spot in the 200s in the 2000s. Thanks Alexander for giving us the uber cool nickname Xander. I think he’s flourishing quite well on his own now J.
New Lists
So I've taken another look through the lists I've made in the past to try and come up with a new list of baby name choices for our next kiddo. I have had some success, I must say. Like I said in my last post, I was really having problems with finding girl's names. I love a lot of girl's names but I also needed to find names that Steve would like as well. We're back up to like 4 or 5 choices again instead of 0-1. In fact, only 1 name from my past list stayed in tact. When it comes to boys names, I have 2 or 3 that Steve likes, but he really only loves one of the names. OK, that's fine. I get the middle name to express myself as well. So it's pretty safe to say that our boys name is pretty much picked out.
I am not gonna spoil the surprise though of my choices. I may or may not give out my list a day or two before we find out the sex, but I'm not going to guarantee anything. I would hate to say all of the names I like and someone either tell me they're planning on using the name or that they knew someone with that name who was a total B. It kind of ruins it, ya know? I already have my mom and Steve to contend with. Both are REALLY picky people. Something I will tell you though, is the thought process that goes into picking these names.
1) How popular is the name? I'm just not the kind of girl who's gonna use a top 10 name. Really, I'm not even a fan of using a top 100 name for my kids. Obviously, with nicknames you might get close to a popular name, which was something I didn't really think about with Bella. But I can live with that. Having a less common first name that has a common nickname gives your kid options when they get into school.
2) Does the name flow well with the last name? Although this is a mundane question to ask yourself, it's a crucial one. If the name doesn't work with your last name, it takes away from the name you picked. For instance, I like the name Carter. But Carter Calder? That seems like overkill to me. Too many R's and too many C's. It flows OK, but the names are definitely too similar. A great rule (although this isn't always true!), pick a name that ends in a different sound than your last name. That way its more likely to sound great with your last name.
3) Does the name have a cool meaning or origin? This just adds to the lure of the name you pick. Some people actively look for a name with a certain meaning because the meaning is so important to them. Although this isn't a clincher for my by any means, I like to know what the name means. Origin is also fun to know. Again some parents choose a name based on origin. I hear about plenty of Irish families who want to stick to Irish names. It's a great tradition to stick with because its very meaningful for that family.
4) Is there anyone you know who has this name? This is kind of a two parter. One: I don't want to name my child after someone I see regularly because it would be odd to have two people with the same name to cause confusion. Two: I really don't want to name my kid after someone who is a person I don't like. Think ex girlfriend/ex boyfriend, someone you just didn't like in your life, or a notorious celebrity or character that will have bad thoughts associated with his or her name.
After that, I consider what middle name to use. Although choosing the middle name can be far more difficult than choosing a first name, it makes more sense to solidify the first name because that is the name your child will go by 9 times out of 10. Finding a middle name that flows well isn't really as difficult as some parents may think. Shoot, if all else fails, the middle name is the best place to use a family name! That way you don't have two people by the same name in the family, but you are still able to honor the person you are choosing to honor.
I am not gonna spoil the surprise though of my choices. I may or may not give out my list a day or two before we find out the sex, but I'm not going to guarantee anything. I would hate to say all of the names I like and someone either tell me they're planning on using the name or that they knew someone with that name who was a total B. It kind of ruins it, ya know? I already have my mom and Steve to contend with. Both are REALLY picky people. Something I will tell you though, is the thought process that goes into picking these names.
1) How popular is the name? I'm just not the kind of girl who's gonna use a top 10 name. Really, I'm not even a fan of using a top 100 name for my kids. Obviously, with nicknames you might get close to a popular name, which was something I didn't really think about with Bella. But I can live with that. Having a less common first name that has a common nickname gives your kid options when they get into school.
2) Does the name flow well with the last name? Although this is a mundane question to ask yourself, it's a crucial one. If the name doesn't work with your last name, it takes away from the name you picked. For instance, I like the name Carter. But Carter Calder? That seems like overkill to me. Too many R's and too many C's. It flows OK, but the names are definitely too similar. A great rule (although this isn't always true!), pick a name that ends in a different sound than your last name. That way its more likely to sound great with your last name.
3) Does the name have a cool meaning or origin? This just adds to the lure of the name you pick. Some people actively look for a name with a certain meaning because the meaning is so important to them. Although this isn't a clincher for my by any means, I like to know what the name means. Origin is also fun to know. Again some parents choose a name based on origin. I hear about plenty of Irish families who want to stick to Irish names. It's a great tradition to stick with because its very meaningful for that family.
4) Is there anyone you know who has this name? This is kind of a two parter. One: I don't want to name my child after someone I see regularly because it would be odd to have two people with the same name to cause confusion. Two: I really don't want to name my kid after someone who is a person I don't like. Think ex girlfriend/ex boyfriend, someone you just didn't like in your life, or a notorious celebrity or character that will have bad thoughts associated with his or her name.
After that, I consider what middle name to use. Although choosing the middle name can be far more difficult than choosing a first name, it makes more sense to solidify the first name because that is the name your child will go by 9 times out of 10. Finding a middle name that flows well isn't really as difficult as some parents may think. Shoot, if all else fails, the middle name is the best place to use a family name! That way you don't have two people by the same name in the family, but you are still able to honor the person you are choosing to honor.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Lack of inspiration
So, I get to pick new baby names! Yay, right? Not exactly. You see, I'm actually having trouble picking names to put on a list this time. I had a short list of girls and boys names that were names that I loved! However, then I have to take into account what Steve likes, and I always ask my mom because I don't want her to not like the name. Everyone else can eat a brick if they don't like the name I choose! BUT, between Steve and my mom, two very clashing personalities, my lists get cut down pretty quick.
In fact, there's only one boys name that everyone can agree on (maybe two, but I'm the one who's skeptical about the second), and my girl's list is damn near nonexistent. Each of the names I had picked, about 6 or 7 names, got nixed by someone. So I'm in a pickle. I need names! Just because I blog them doesn't mean that I would use them. Ideally, I would like a list of about 4 or 5 names each to choose from that all three parties likes. Especially with the girl's names. I am almost sure about the boy's name on our list, but I wouldn't mind another choice or two.
And so, my search continues. I'll be scouring lists and creating new ones. I probably won't announce my lists, but I'll likely give out our choice for a girl and for a boy a day or two before we find out the sex. Until then, I'll be hitting the books.
In fact, there's only one boys name that everyone can agree on (maybe two, but I'm the one who's skeptical about the second), and my girl's list is damn near nonexistent. Each of the names I had picked, about 6 or 7 names, got nixed by someone. So I'm in a pickle. I need names! Just because I blog them doesn't mean that I would use them. Ideally, I would like a list of about 4 or 5 names each to choose from that all three parties likes. Especially with the girl's names. I am almost sure about the boy's name on our list, but I wouldn't mind another choice or two.
And so, my search continues. I'll be scouring lists and creating new ones. I probably won't announce my lists, but I'll likely give out our choice for a girl and for a boy a day or two before we find out the sex. Until then, I'll be hitting the books.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Finn
Finn
-meaning: fair
-origin: Irish
-potential nicknames: none
Finn is a cute, short name, making it easy for child to grow up with. Its probably going to gain some popularity due to Glee. If you like Finn as a nickname but can't bring yourself to choose it alone, you can look at other names like Finley, Finnigan, and Phineas. As of now, its in the mid 300s on the popularity charts.
-meaning: fair
-origin: Irish
-potential nicknames: none
Finn is a cute, short name, making it easy for child to grow up with. Its probably going to gain some popularity due to Glee. If you like Finn as a nickname but can't bring yourself to choose it alone, you can look at other names like Finley, Finnigan, and Phineas. As of now, its in the mid 300s on the popularity charts.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Top 10 of 2019
Last September, one of my favorite baby name blogs (on Baby Name Wizard) did a post about the top names of 2019. What did she think would be popular? Well, instead of doing that exactly, she made a list of names that she thinks will have risen quite a bit by then. Her argument was that predicting the top names would be fairly easy and kind of boring because many of the names would be terribly familiar. Looking back at the lists of top 10 names for boys and girls, I can assure you that she's pretty spot on about that one. Jacob, Joshua, Daniel, Matthew, and Michael have all been top 10 material for about 2 decades now. Emily, Hannah, Samantha, and Ashley have also been top 10 names for a couple of decades.
It is true that girls names trend faster than boys names, so the boys list would be really boring to predict. You can bet that the five names I mentioned above will be in the top 10 or at least very close. Ethan and Alexander will most likely still be in the area as well, since they have recently trended. As for the ladies' names, Emily will certainly be around, but as for the others, I'm not necessarily convinced. Names like Lily, Ella, and Avery have great potential to make it to the top 10 in the next 10 years, but with girl's names there is no gaurantee.
The list below is Laura Wattenberg's predicted list (Top baby names of 2019):
GIRLS
1. Lila
2. Peyton
3. Lucy
4. Violet
5. Aubrey
6. Amelia
7. Piper
8. Ruby
9. Juliet
10. Harper
BOYS
1. Miles
2. Rowan
3. Lincoln
4. Eli
5. Jude
6. Cooper
7. Wyatt
8. Ryder
9. Lucas
10. Henry
Love the choices (most of them), but there are loads of names on these lists that I don't think will make it to the top 10, even in the next 10 years. For instance, Eli and Ryder. While I agree that I can see them trending upwards in the next decade, I don't think they'll make it to the top 100. More likely Elliott or Elijah could make it to the top 10 instead of Eli. For the girl's choices, Lila, Harper, and Violet all have great potential. It is fairly likely that we'll see Violet, but perhaps we'll see Lillian or Lily instead of Lila.
Really, only time will tell what actually happens, but its always fun to guess!
It is true that girls names trend faster than boys names, so the boys list would be really boring to predict. You can bet that the five names I mentioned above will be in the top 10 or at least very close. Ethan and Alexander will most likely still be in the area as well, since they have recently trended. As for the ladies' names, Emily will certainly be around, but as for the others, I'm not necessarily convinced. Names like Lily, Ella, and Avery have great potential to make it to the top 10 in the next 10 years, but with girl's names there is no gaurantee.
The list below is Laura Wattenberg's predicted list (Top baby names of 2019):
GIRLS
1. Lila
2. Peyton
3. Lucy
4. Violet
5. Aubrey
6. Amelia
7. Piper
8. Ruby
9. Juliet
10. Harper
BOYS
1. Miles
2. Rowan
3. Lincoln
4. Eli
5. Jude
6. Cooper
7. Wyatt
8. Ryder
9. Lucas
10. Henry
Love the choices (most of them), but there are loads of names on these lists that I don't think will make it to the top 10, even in the next 10 years. For instance, Eli and Ryder. While I agree that I can see them trending upwards in the next decade, I don't think they'll make it to the top 100. More likely Elliott or Elijah could make it to the top 10 instead of Eli. For the girl's choices, Lila, Harper, and Violet all have great potential. It is fairly likely that we'll see Violet, but perhaps we'll see Lillian or Lily instead of Lila.
Really, only time will tell what actually happens, but its always fun to guess!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
How many syllables is that?
I was browsing names today and wanted to use a search engine with a syllable search. Just my luck, babynames.com has that option! So I was going to start with 4 syllable names because Arabella is 4 syllables and I was curious if I could find other names I like that are 4 syllables for her sibling. Well then I noticed that you can search for up to 6 syllables, and I thought “What on earth? What name has 6 syllables?” What did I find? Anunciacion. Now, what is this name? Well first of all, it is Spanish. It means announces. So it’s a word name. OK, but really? You’re really gonna give that as a name….then, I saw the gender for the name. Female. WHAT!?! I’m sure you won’t be surprised to find out that it is not ranked on the popularity charts. Really, it sounds like the name was just made up. Someone probably opened up their Spanish to English dictionary, pointed at a word and said “That’s her name!”
Anyway, in light of that, I figured I’d find some of my favorite 4 syllable names and give you a short rundown (name, origin, and rank, if applicable).
Girls
Arabella-(no kidding, right?) answered prayer, Latin, #447
Aurelia- gold, Latin, not ranked
Cecilia- blind one, Latin, #265
Cordelia- daughter of the sea, Latin, not ranked
Liliana- lily, Italian and Spanish, #120
Boys
Alexander- defending warrior, Greek, #4
Jeremiah- the Lord exalts, Hebrew, #65
Leonardo- brave lion, Italian and Spanish, #164
I am not sure that I’m crazy enough about any of these names to use them, but I like that I can see what else is out there that is more of a mouthful like Arabella’s name. Are there any awesome 4 syllable names that I’ve missed? If so, let me know.
Anyway, in light of that, I figured I’d find some of my favorite 4 syllable names and give you a short rundown (name, origin, and rank, if applicable).
Girls
Arabella-(no kidding, right?) answered prayer, Latin, #447
Aurelia- gold, Latin, not ranked
Cecilia- blind one, Latin, #265
Cordelia- daughter of the sea, Latin, not ranked
Liliana- lily, Italian and Spanish, #120
Boys
Alexander- defending warrior, Greek, #4
Jeremiah- the Lord exalts, Hebrew, #65
Leonardo- brave lion, Italian and Spanish, #164
I am not sure that I’m crazy enough about any of these names to use them, but I like that I can see what else is out there that is more of a mouthful like Arabella’s name. Are there any awesome 4 syllable names that I’ve missed? If so, let me know.
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