Trends, A to Z
The NameVoyager makes it easy to see the historical popularity of a single initial. Type in P and you see a mid-century wave of Pauls, Patricias and Pamelas. But how do the 26 letters rate right now? What's hot and what's not?
To identify current letter-by-letter trends, I calculated the percent change in babies born in 2005 vs. 2003 for every initial. Here's the graph:
Wow, look at that! That's really...not very interesting. Pretty much gibberish, in fact. But let's not give up yet. First off, we have to zoom in -- the "U" bar is throwing off the whole scale. (U is far and away the least common first letter for American names, so the giant U bar that looks so important actually represents just four names or .02% of births.)
Next, let's consider the order. Are names starting with A and B really similar just because they're alphabetical neighbors? Instead of the arbitrary alphabetical order, I want to group by sound. English doesn't make that easy, of course. Lots of letters have multiple sounds, so Carl and Celia, Tina and Theo may follow very different sound-based styles. But for a rough view, I've sorted the initials into vowels, hard consonants and soft consonants. Time for another look:
Now that's a little more promising.
If you play with the NameVoyager, you'll see that one of the strongest historical trends is the fall then revival of names starting with vowels. This graph suggests that the vowel wave hasn't crested yet. Vowels as a group are still rising, while consonants -- especially hard consonants -- are falling.
So what does the vowel-consonant divide mean on a practical basis? Is it just a couple more Emmas here, a couple fewer Jessicas there? More thoughts on this next time.
Update (warning: hard core name geek material ahead!)
A reader suggested using Soundex values as a more standard grouping of initials. Soundex is a phonetic coding system for names that's commonly used to help identify individuals from earlier eras when spelling was less standardized and immigrant names were often transcribed in multiple ways. The Soundex codes reflect phonemic convergences from other languages; for example, H, W and Y are treated as vowel equivalents. This can make Soundex problematic as a reflection of American sound styles. But the subgroupings of consonants are useful indeed, so I shouldn't have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Here is a modified Soundex version of the initials graph, which should help you understand consonants better (and to see that style-wise, H and W are definitely not vowels!)
Comments
The graph of U names is so funny looking. I get a kick out of the Unknown, must be people who can't make up their mind and pick a name after they leave the hospital? I also think it is pretty funny that Ursula drops right off the charts in the 1980s just about the time that the little mermaid's sea witch makes her entrance, lol. I couldn't use any of the U names. The only O name I like is Olivia. A, E, and I show some promise though. Ms. Wattenburg, Your blog is facinating to me. Thanks for sharing with us.
Rebecca
When identifying letters in names by sound the traditional tool is the Soundex algorithm:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundex
It's used to help sort out names that were mangled on Ellis island and the like.
Their groupings are vowels and
* c, g, j, k, q, s, x, z
* d, t
* l
* m, n
* r
w and y are removed.
Laura, you are a genius! What is your background? Is it social science-y?
There's also a bunch for "Baby." I think I came across it when looking up B names. That must be like "Unknown" too.
Anyway, I think this means that I'm going to try to think of nmes I like that start with those unpopular hard vowel sounds.
Speaking of vowel names....we are expecting any day and thought we had settled on Elizabeth, but now we are waivering. My first daughter is Lia. I like names like Elizabeth or Clare that have the L sound at the beginning without the L as the first letter. We are thinking Elizabeth is too long to "go with" Lia. Also the popularity is an issue, although I don't know any Elizabeth's in real life and think the nicknames are infinite! Any ideas of names that are wonderful on their own, but sound nice with Lia?
Also...a vowel name that is in contention...Emme. Our only hesitation is-Does it sound like a real name or does it sound to made up? And could Emme be a CEO someday or does it only work on the playground?
Hoping for some inspiration from all you name-gurus!!!!
Thanks from the severly name-challenged!
Marci: Another problem with Elizabeth and Lia together is that Lia sounds like a nn for Elizabeth to me. Also if you call her Liz, it will be so similar, but... maybe you could also think of nicknames as a way that Elizabeth won't be too long. if she's Liz, Beth, or whtever, no one will notice the difference in length.
I knew a lot of Emme/Emi's growing up so it has always seemed "real" to me. There was a newscaster named Emme in my hometown who did a lot of interest stories (not just a weather girl, since that stereotype seems to be your concern!).
There's also the plus-size model named Emme. I think she has started some kind of business. I don't know, I think she comes across as a "classy" model.
There's also Esme.
ry4an, good point about Soundex. I usually avoid Soundex when talking exclusively about American names, but it could certainly be useful in this context. I'll post an update. Thanks!
Hey Marci--in case it's any help, there was a pretty important German mathematician named Emmy Noether (1882-1935; her real first name was Amalie, but she was universally known as Emmy):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Noether
So sure, I can take the name Emme seriously.
I had the same thought as Robyn T - Lia seems like a shortened version of Elizabeth (as Lisa is, for instance).
I like the suggestion of Esme with Lia. It's the right length, uses different letters altogether and yet manages to pull off a very similar style: classic yet jaunty, feminine and, in Laura's category, "brisk and breezy."
Congratulations Marci, by the way!
This was way too much like math for me to enjoy (ha ha, kind of) I felt like I was looking at a big scary story problem!
How about Ella and Lia? Claire works nice too... Have to think more about this...
My niece's name is Emmi. She'll probably get tagged as an Emily or an Emmaline, but it's actually an Anglo-ization of the Korean Eh-Mi (I think), "happiness." Which is kind of cool.
I like the idea of Lia with another name that doesn't have the same vowel sounds, stresses, and number of syllables. So I don't like Ella and Lia, I do like Claire and Lia, and I am somewhat neutral on Emme or Esme and Lia (I also have to confess to finding Esme a bit pretentious. But maybe it's because I don't like J.D. Salinger. But then again, I think I want cats named Love and Squalor).
Does anyone else react differently to Lia, as opposed to Leah?
I like both, and maybe it's just the previous discussion on Biblical names, but I think for Leah I'd suggest names like Kate, Sarah, Jillian, or Grace-names I think of as feminine, but very "solid."
With Lia, I want to think of similarly "dainty," names with a foreign twist-Chloe, Bella,Adair, and Lucia (Lucy) sprang to mind. I do love Esme, but then, I'm a Salinger fan (reminds me of my youth-LOL)!
I also think Claire is nice, but I like Clara even better for some reason-Lia and Clara-hmmmm, maybe a little tongue twisty, but sweet. My only issue with Emme is that I can imagine people pronouncing it two different ways. Anyway, just wondering if anyone else reacts to the spelling this way-sort of goes with the current topic.
Best!
Type in P and you see a mid-century wave of Pauls, Patricias and Pamelas.
I find this amusing, as my mother and her sibs had these names.
More names that have a L sound at the beginning, are relatively short, and I think go with Lia
Alana
Alexa
Cleo
Elsa
Elaine
Gloria
Let us know what you pick.
Elizabeth was my pick for a girl too. I had four boys!
What about Eliza or is that too close to Lia? Probably!. Clare is nice but agree with Jack & Henrys mom, I like Clara better. What about Elsie, very sweet. Goodluck.
What are those 4 U names?
Heather,
It looks to me like the 4 U names are
Ulises - boy
Ulysses - boy
Uriel - boy ? I wonder how this is pronounced. Sound girlish to me?
and
Unique - girl
Rebecca
Laura,
I was wondering about the look of the graph when you have all of the names listed. It sort of seems that all names are going down at the present time. Is that just a trend that people are more often picking different names so the pool of names we choose from is larger or is it related to population. I am not 100% sure if I am understanding the graph.
Thanks,
Rebecca
Rebecca, here's the explanation from the NameVoyager FAQ:
"The NameVoyager charts the top 1000 names for boys and girls, so all the names taken together represent the proportion of babies receiving a top-1000 name."
So yes, I think it's because people are trying so hard to pick names that are off the beaten track!
Do the trends of (girls) names starting with vowels and ending with vowels coincide? Or at least the preference for putting an "a" at the end of names (Julie/Julia, Ann, Anna)?
I think Uriel is pronounced (in English anyway) YEW-ri-el. In German it's more like OOR-i-el. I love the archangel names, but not this one as it reminds me too much of urine.
Does nayone know, is Ariel also an archangel name? Or is it a variant of Uriel?
I too have a different reaction to Leah vs Lia - Lia sounds more foreign to me, as well. I'm not crazy about it with Elizabeth. Clare works, but I'm loving Emme/Emmy with it. If you're attracted to the long name, you could try Emmeline and call her Emme. I also always vote for Alexa as someone mentioned above - a personal fave.
Uriel, I think is YUR-rye-el.
Uriel is pronounced YUWR-ee-el in English. It means "God is my light" and was the name of one of the seven archangels
Ariel is an entirely different name, it means "lion of God".
interesting post Laura---since L and N were also pretty high does that mean those letters are also ebing used more frequently--Ive definetly noticed an abundance of L names (lucy, lily, layla, laina, lilah etc) but not so many N names--allthough one of my favorite names is Nellie
~Yael
Re: Lia--it's one of the names that seems popular for daughters adopted from China, so I think of it paired with other such names, like Mae, Anna, Minna...
I like the name emme.. has always been a nickname for me. But I prefer the spelling Emmy... not sure why but to me... Emme seems kinda made up with that spelling... I second Kate to go with Lia.. as well as Brooke, Beth, Ava, Faith, & Bree
I like the name emme.. has always been a nickname for me. But I prefer the spelling Emmy... not sure why but to me... Emme seems kinda made up with that spelling... I second Kate to go with Lia.. as well as Brooke, Beth, Ava, Faith, & Bree
Funny thing you say that elliebean this year for babies almost all my friends used N names and not one L..., Nickolas, Noah, Nelladia, Nevaeh.. along with Ethan, Kyle, Caden, Arianna, Caitlyn,Phillip,Micaela,and Trystin.
It's actually hard because we all hang out together and so many names start with N.
Hi Guys..
Serious Question. We're getting close now to the birth of baby girl.
What do you all think of
1. Annika
2. Anouk
Do you know any babies by these names? Do you like them? We have to decide...
I have a second cousin named Annika. I like it (it goes with her sibs' very Scandinavian names but is not quite as odd.) I know several Anouks as well. Some of them have been racially profiled at the airport in recent years, though. (Go figure.)
I like Annika. It makes me think of Pippi Longstocking, but that Annika was a sweetie.
Anouk has always been a mystery to me, honestly. I am unclear on how it is pronounced, and for some reason it makes me think of winter jackets.
1 vote for Annika.
L:
I like both but I think Annika would fit in more in the US (if that's where you are). Is Anouk French? I seem to remember it being in some movie... I think a little girl called her stuffed bunny or imaginary kangaroo Anouk which I thought was super cute but I wsn't sure if it was a proper name.
We don't live in the US.
Anouk is very popular in the Netherlands. We say "Ann-Ook" but the Ook part comes out fast.
Is Annika popular in the US? Why would Anouk be racially profiled?
Annika - I've always had a soft spot for this name! If it's likely that your daughter will be mixing in international circles, I'd choose this; it's easy to pronounce.
Emme - you mean to rhyme with 'Em'? I think it looks very elegant, and very sweet too. The only downsides are that: she will always have to explain how to spell her name, and secondly, it doesn't really have a meaning in itself...it's possible she would miss this, although you could say it derives from Emily or Emma and shares that meaning. Besides, she might relish the challenge of being a blank canvas with no expectations!
Ariel - I like this! And I like the meaning too, 'lion of God'! I have seen this in France, as Arielle (for a girl).
To Marci - another thing about the name Emme - I wouldn't worry about whether the name would fit an adult. I believe that it is people who shape the impression of their names. If Emme was a CEO, then Emme would be a CEO name!
Incidentally, I don't think the name even sounds too childish in the first place, so I don't think it would make a bad first impression in the job market.
L, Anouk is quite stylish and becoming more popular here (aust). Annika is sweet too. Ariel is my favourite tho.
Ariel makes me think of bright fresh summer days. Annika is strong and remimds me of someone travelled & trendy.
I like Annika because of the 'K' - it's not often used in the middle of a name, so it gives it a bit of class!
Ariel will always be The Little Mermaid to me.
And Anouk is cool, but I've never met one. I'm sure where you live it would be wonderful!
Hey guys: it's me, the girl who loves Winter as a name. Guess what: this girl is pregnant! :O It's a little unexpected, but we are over the moon! If it's a girl, then Winter may come in February!!!
We have also considered a name with the initial CHA (last name starts with A). It's for personal reasons...For first names, we've talked about Cahterine, Chloe, Celeste, Clara.
We're having toruble with middle names that start with H that we like. I like Helen(a), Hazel, and Hester. He hates them all. Any H suggestions as a backup for Winter?
Whoops- I meant Winter may come in November...
L: I don't know if Annika is *very* popular in the US but I have actually met an Annika (and heard of Annikas) where I have not with Anouk.
L-I've always like Annika, and no, I don't think it's very popular at all (I've known one).
I've never heard of Anouk , so it's hard to give an impression-other than to say it reminds me of Nanook-but this is strictly the association of someone living in the US. Go with the one you love!
Anne-Would Winter be the mn if you use a C fn, or is it either Winter as the fn, or the C name as the fn?
I really like Helena myself-would your DH consider Hadley, Harper, or Hollis? Two of my favorites C's are Cecily and Celia.
BTW, do you already have a boy's name picked out? I had such great ideas for girls, but I never got to use them.
Congratulations, btw!!
One of my best friends, born in '84, was named after Pippi's pal, but her parents altered the spelling a bit. Thus: Anika! She pronounces it Ah-knee-kuh, as opposed to Ah-nuh-kuh.
I love the name Annika.. its a very beautiful twist off the name Anne. Never met an Anouk.. I think I have heard the name off of a movie before.
Anne: for H names what about Hilary, Hope, Harmony, Heather, or Halley (Hal-lee.. not hay-lee pronunciation)
Thanks for the suggestions, Melissa, but it's a no-go (except for Hilary- my best friend's name).
J+H's mom, thank you! I cannot tell you how excited I am.(Although I am very bummed that I can't drink- I went for a beer tonight and had to remind myself, wait a minute, you can't do that for the NEXT NINE MONTHS!!! Yikes.) Yes, we would either go with Winter as a FN or the C-H combo. Husband did not hate Harper, which is progress. Thanks for your suggestions!
Oh, and we're absolutely clueless about boys' names! I really feel that boys' names are either overused or ugly. I like very few boys' names, and don't know what I will do if it's a boy...
Congrats Anne on your pregnancy! Would you consider using Winter for a boy? (It is actually listed in Laura's book as a boy's name)
I love Harper... Holly is another H name I like... Think you have to pick the first name so that you can figure out what goes.
Emme -- haven't heard this name before. Is it pronounced Em- AAa (long a) or Emmy?
Annika -- love the name. It is about 325 on the popular baby name list for 2005, so while people have heard of it it isn't overly popular. There is a woman golfer Annika Sorenson who has received a lot of attention since she has played on the men's golf circuit, so the name is known in US. I know one 5 year old with this name, that is it.
Anouk is a different matter. Not known, not in the top 1000. Would not know how to pronounce it or spell it.
I like Annika better because the a at the end softens the sound. Ann-ook sounds harsh for a girls name...
"Is Annika popular in the US? Why would Anouk be racially profiled?"
Annika is not VERY popular, but is popular, if you know what I mean. You hear it here and there, but it's not topping the charts anywhere.
Anouks I know have been racially profiled because their names apparently sound "Middle Eastern" or "Pakistani" to security people where I live. They get held up more often than many others I know (well, except some of my Armenian friends) for extra searches and hassles at the airport.
Anne, boys names are hard i agree. They need something strong, a little different and something that suits them from birth to old age. Nelly, Isabella, Amelia etc work for both babys and Nannas. Boys names are a little harder. Having said that i named my boys, names that appealled the moment i first saw them. One of mine was refered to as Elijah my whole pregnancy, right up until the minute i met him, he didn't look anything like an Elijah. He became Kai. Try explainig that his older brothers. Took awhile!
I wonder what first letters are the most stable over time? It seems like M is pretty stable. I've always liked names that start with M because it's the sound you make when something is good...Mmmm.
Thanks for all the input. With the birth literally moments away, I think we have settled on her name.
I agree with everyone...Lia is different than Leah and therefore I was having trouble pairing it with such a classic and traditional name like Elizabeth!
We are going with Emme (different spelling, but hey...we have a Lia, so we like a little different!) pronounced like Emmy. I am 99% sure she will be Emme O'Grady and the 1% would be Emme Taylor-both are family maiden names and O'Grady is my husband's middle name. We are already calling her Emme-O.
Thanks again for the comments. It really helped to clarify the decision for me!
Good luck with the birth, Marci! I hope little Emme's first few months are peaceful ones filled with lots of sleep and no colds! (Can you tell what I'm struggling with here?)
Congratulations, Anne! The only person named Winter I've ever heard of is a boy--have you ever considered it as a boy's name?
L-
I like both names, but I prefer Annika. I have never heard Anouk in the US (where I live now), but I have met a couple of Annikas.
In Germany Annika is common and Anouk is very unusual, but Anouk does appear on some of the German naming sites I visit. So it is not totally unknown to your neighboring country! :-)
Good luck!
I'm with most of the US folks on Annika/Anouk. I know one Annika (7 yo) and her parents got the name from the golfer.
Her sister, BTW, is Aynslee (16 mo). I like the name alright. Not my style, but it's OK. The spelling drives me batty.
Anouk, I have to admit sheepishly, I have never even heard of. My first thought was the Nanook thought, too. I wouldn't do it in this country, personally, but might in another setting if it were better known and didn't have the same connotations. It's hard to hear something so new to me and figure out what my reaction would be to it if I had known it forever.
Oh yeah -- another C name for the CHA combo could be Caroline. I'm a little biased because my daughter is Karoline (Danish spelling). It was never a name I would have come up with on my own, but DH wanted to use it and I have loved it. I like it with Harper that someone else suggested. Helen is a current fn fav for #2, but I wouldn't use it with Caroline and DH is not a big fan.
Peace,
St
L - I've lived in NL and knew some Anouks. It's a nice name in Dutch but FWIW in English it sounds somewhat coarse and masculine to me - I picture a large, agressive woman.
Annika, on the other hand, goes nicely into English. I think it's gaining quite a bit in popularity here. I have a close friend and a colleague with an Annika.
Anne, congratulations! How exciting! Have fun playing with names for your little bean :)
Anne - Heidi, Holly, Holister, Hannah, Harper, Harley, Hadley, Halle, Haven, Havily, Hayden, Haylie, Hermione, Holland, Holiday, Hollis, Honey (don't laugh - my husband has worked with 2 adult women named this), Honor, Horizon, Hunter, Hyacinth. Some sound more manly or surnamish than others, but they might work depending on which C name you choose. I am also obsessed w/ C names - Cecelia, Catherine, Cara, Cady, Cameron, Cassidy, Charlotte, Claire, Caitlyn, Caroline, Chantal, Cassandra are all on my list.
I love the name Annika, but being very american, I'm not nearly as comfortable with Anouk. It sounds like a Scandanavian nn to me, as opposed to a "real" name.
Marci - I love Emme and Lia. Congrats and good luck!
Anne - Congrats! I was going to mention Hyacinthe too, as it's one of my middle names and not often heard. The French spelling is pretty with the -e- on the end.
I symphathize with your boy name plight. With my son I was convinced the baby would be a girl and there were just so many nice names to choose from. There were just 2 boys names that my husband and I liked. The thing about boys' names is that when you find one you do like you REALLY like it. We still have that second name as a shoo in if #2 is a boy. But the girl's name we would have used had our son had been a daughter has been tossed out entirely, and we just can't seem to find another, go figure.
More on topic, I liked the post about which letters are most consistant over time. I would second M, and add J.
About halfway through this thread the name Esme came up. I love this name and I read it as if it were Spanish (my first language), so I don't know how it's more commonly pronounced here (I've never heard it used in the US). Can anyone offer a phonetic spelling? My guess is /EZ-may/ or /ES-may/.
Hi jb112,
My next-door neighbor is named Esme. She's about 95 and pronounces her name /EZ-may/. Her daughter is also named Esme. I also know a five-year-old with that name, and believe it's the name of Michael J. Fox's youngest daughter. The Spanish pronunciation wouldn't be very far off.
On the previous thread about Anouk sounding Middle Eastern, I had a college roommate named Anouche. She was from Iran. That's the only remotely similar name I've heard of.
This post is interesting since I am pregnant and the names we like all begin with the letter E. I also am partial to A, I, L, and N for girls, and E and I for boys.
Regarding the name Sephora-It was mentioned in the last blog. I know a Sephora that was born last year. Her mother got stuck on the name from the store. It is interesting though that the name Sephora is a derivitive from the biblical name Tzippora. (Moses's wife in the Old Testamant)
I've only heard Anouk in the context of the French actress Anouk Aimee, so I guess I always thought of it as French. Behindthename.com lists it as French and Dutch and a variant of the name Anne.
I prefer Annika myself... loved the name since Pippi Longstocking.
By the way, the French equivalent of Annika is Annick (pronounced Ann-EEK) which I also like.
"The only person named Winter I've ever heard of is a boy--have you ever considered it as a boy's name?"
I've never heard it as a boys' name, but there's a character in some of the Star Wars books and comics named Winter, a woman... The only Winter I've known was a girl, named after the Star Wars reference and the season she was born in (she was born very near to the winter solstice.)
I'm going to have to differ from most other writers here and say that I've always liked the name Anouk. I knew one Anouk when I lived in New York - she was (in around '95) a children's book editor in her late 20's.
I have come across the name many times over the years in international magazines, and it has inevitably belonged to some elegant French or Scandanavian editor or actress.
I simply enjoy the sound of it - so unlike most other names. While Annika is pretty and not exactly common, it sounds much more pedestrian to my ears.
I suppose it has more in common with other, familiar names. And of course that's not bad.
I just happen to find the unusual sound and spelling of Anouk very refreshing. So you have at least one vote for Anouk.
BTW, we always pronounced it Ah-nook.
So cute, in my opinion.
Re: Annika: this story occurred to me after the last time I was on and I wonder if it is the same person Hannah knows. An African American co-worker saw the name Anika on the work schedule and was like, "Whose A-NEE-ka?" I suggested that it was pronounced AH-nick-ka, and he started cracking up--I think at the different images he got with the differnet pronunciations. (Actually though I have heard others caling her A-NEE-ka, so now I'm not really sure how she and her family pronounce it.)
jb112: I pronounce it EZ-mee, but I know a father from New Zealand who pronounces it IZ-may.
Rebekah: You said you prefer E and I names for boys--do you think names beginning with vowels have a more gentle sound? I'm not sure if this is what I think... just throwing it out there.
Valerie: Ooh, I like Annick too! Especially handy since -a names are out for my hypothetical babies. :(
Yay for Emme. And yay, double yay, for family last names as middle names. I hated mine when I was a kid -- I wanted something girly like all those people with Marie or Anne or Rae as middle names. Now I'm so glad to have a name that's unique not because my first name, Elizabeth, is, but because followed by a strong surname for my middle name, it stands out.
RobynT-I don't think that the E and I names I like for boys have a softer sound. I personally don't like soft names for boys myself. My son's name is Ezra which would have a softer sound if it didn't have the z in it to balance it out. Plus with the strong biblical reference it makes it very manly. Other manly E and I names that are very boyish in my opinion are Ezekiel, Isaac, Isaiah, Ephraim, Emmet. I also like Elliott but I think that is a border line softer name.
I think I am just attracted to names starting with vowels.
We are expecting a boy very soon and I'm looking for some honest opinions on the name George. I have always loved the classic quality, but I often wonder if my son will hate me for it. Help!!
As for an H name, what about Harriett?
I think Esme is pronounced EZ-mee where I live.
I have never liked the name Hilary/Hillary, but for some reason when it is spelled Hillarie or Hilaire it seems more palatable. I remember this movie called Caroline? in the 80s where the little girl was Hillary, nn Heidi and Caroline said "if you want to become Hillary instead of Heidi you have to do this" and I always thought "why on earth would she want to become Hillary? What an awful name." I never liked Barbara Hershey's character's name on Beaches, either. This was way before Hilary Clinton, so I had no political pulling one way or the other at that time.
Emily - George is okay from a classic standpoint. I don't think he'd hate it, as many of the classic names are being revived right now - he probably won't be alone. It was in the top 200 last year (#139) so it's not like it's a weird name. If you love it - go for it. Unless your last name is Washington or something. That's a lot to live up to. :-)
Emily, I think George is a great name. What do you mean, he might hate you for it? I don't see that at all.
Hi everyone,
You know recently we were discussing fabric names for children. Not my kind of thing at all, but we had fun with it. Well, I've just found out that my friend who is having twins Lily and Roy is going to use Satine as Lily's middle name. She got it from "Moulin Rouge". Roy will be Roy Ryan as they each wanted one of the names.
George is so classic and simple, and I love that it comes from the Greek word for "earth." It was my first boyfriend's name and I've always loved its simplicity. Use it!
H names for girls: Harriet is great, the name of a smart, independent little girl (like Harriet the Spy!) I also like Hazel and Hester.
Henrietta is kinda a neat H name, not sure if it was already mentioned.
Thanks to everyone who left feedback on
George. I think we're going to go with it!
Christiana- Funny you mentioned Washington..On my husbands family tree there was a George Washington. I completely agree with your statement :)
emily: i think i know what you mean about george. it's sort of an older name. when i first heard of a baby named gordon about 10 years ago, for instance, i thought it was very strange. now it's just his name though. also, i think george is coming/will come back. it surprised me that the gray's anatomy character was named george, but i think that's a sign.
I agree there might be a George comeback on the horizon. For me it's up there with the Henry's and Harry's that are coming back.
Peace,
Stephanie
Esme! If you use this, be aware that it is the name of a very unflattering character in the popular Lemony Snickett "Series of Unfortunate Events" childrens/young adult books. Esme Squalor is the character's name, I believe
Hi Emily -- My son (4) is George and I did get negative comments when I was pg and we were planning to use it (the name is a family tradition). My sister in law said it was like naming someone Dudley or Elmer! But I noticed the older the person, the worse the reaction. People in their twenties were actually saying "what a cool name". I guess that means maybe a revival is in sight...
I kind of think it fits right in with his friends -- Duncan, Max, Henry, Zach etc. A bunch of grumpy old men in pre-K! But that might depend where you live. We're surrounded by all the "old" names and rarely hear the made-up or new trendy ones.
Oh, my mn is Esme pronounce EZ-may. It's my grandma's name. I've met a little girl of about 7 with the name but she's the only one. I wonder what the evil character in Lemony Snickett will do to the name?
Hi Cathie-
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Henry was also one of the names on our list but I still favor George, plus i like the fact that its not as popular as the other old names..not yet at least..
Esme is such a lovely old name. I tend to think of it as more in line with names like Sophie, Maeve, Isobel and Isadora: they have a slightly exotic, old-world, slightly old-lady flavor. Of course, Sophie has become supremely popular, so it has lost some of the exotic luster it once carried. It happens.
George is swell. I definitely smell a comback. My friends have a two-year old George, to go with a Henry and an Alexandra.
I like George as a name very much (as long as your surname isn't Washington, Harrison, Bush or Walker).
I think the ambivalence towards the president could possibly hold the name back right now, but its overall timelessness means that it might become more popular once he's faded from view a little.
George seems to be a very popular name round here.
I prefer Anouk to Annika. Annika sounds like a girly-girly Swedish au pair (actually there was someone on British tv called Annika who was very blonde and smiley and had a jiggly bum, it just brings her to mind), Anouk is more of a cool woman's name. But then I live in NL...
I love George. It's a great name.
My friend has George And Henry, twins.
When she named them i thought they would grow into gentle studious boys, their names seemed to say that to me.
While they have grown into beautiful, intelligent, gentle young men, they are also sporty,
funny and likable, all the things a parent wants for a child. I love it.
I also love Esme, but would have some hestitations because of Lemony Snickets. It`s a lovely middle name.
Congratulations Marci (on the decision and the baby)!
Anne-FWIW, I definitely think Winter sounds feminine, and I have to say, the more I type it, the more it's growing on me!
Emily-There are two Georges in my son's preschool, though one is a Jorge. At any rate, I think he will fit in just fine.
I do second Cathi's observation. When we named Henry, we got negative reactions from all our parents, but we got tons of compliments from random strangers in their 20's! Of course, everyone loves it now. I think the classics are back because, as Anne mentioned, boys' names are so darn hard. I'm not sure why that is-I'm sure Laura has done a post on the subject before-I'll have to look. Sorry to be totally off topic, but good wishes to all!
Emily,
Another vote for George! If I were to have another boy, George would be my pick. I think some of the same criticisms you fear about this name were leveled at the names Sam and Max in the mid 80s. People seem to have gotten over it, though.
We are about 2-3 weeks from having our second daughter and still unsettled about a name. Our two-year-old is named Sophia (mostly called Sophie) and I think my husband really wants us to find something less popular this time around. That being said, the names we've been batting around (mostly family names) -- Lyla/Lila, Eloise/Louise, Eliza -- seem more and more common these days. Could Lucy (another popular name, I know) be a nickname for Eloise/Louise? It would sound nice with our last name.
Reactions and suggestions welcome . . . the clock is ticking!
Okay, so add me to the George/Henry trend. We currently have an almost 3 year old named Henry, and #2 will arrive in June. We don't find out the sex ahead of time, but the boy name is George and the girl name will probably be Margaret. I have since run into two other families here in Omaha with sons named Henry and George, but I don't feel that its overly popular or trendy. I think those classic names can never feel "trendy" to me. For instance, when I hear of a little boy named Samuel or James I just think that it sounds classic, even though they are fairly popular names.
Also, would it be dumb for us to nickname Margaret "Maisie"? It is considered a nickname for Margaret but when I tell people that we are considering it, I have heard "why don't you just name her Maisie if that's what you are going to call her?" The name Margaret is a family name, that's why we want to use it, but do the majority of people feel like you should officially name your child what you plan on calling him or her?
George is a fine name. There is no predicting what your child will hate you for, but naming hims George will hopefully not be very high on the list.
Name the baby Margaret and call her Maisie. When she hits 25 she might find 'Maisie' a bit wispy and want something more formal.
LG--I like all your choices. Not a bad one in the lot! Lucy can be a nickname for either Louise or Eloise I say. Be aware though that Lucy is more popular and a faster riser than any of your other choices. If you are looking for less usual you might be better off sticking with Louise or choosing Lila/Eliza. Any which way I think the name you choose will end up being more uncommon than Sophia/Sophie which became very popular very quickly.
Hey Angela! I'm down in Lincoln!
I love the options of George and Margaret. I don't think George will be "trendy" even if it does get popular again. here's a difference to me between trendy and popular. Has there been a topic on this yet? I'm pretty knew to the blog.
Margaret is a top choice for me for #2 if it's a girl, but I'm having a hard time convincing DH.I like it because I want to use the nn Meg and I NEVER thought I'd pick a name for its nn, but here I am. My grandmother was known ALWAYS as Meg, but it was because those were her initials. I thought Margaret would be a good way to name a daughter after her in a slightly different way.
DH has nn issues so I think that's one of the reasons he's holding back. I think it's because as a Phillip John his parents called him PJ and he never liked that. He doesn't mind Phil, though, so he just likes having his own choice.
If you know you want a specific nn I think it's OK to still have a full name, so there is some choice someday.
Stephanie
LG-
I really like Lyla/Lila-- similar to but not as popular as Lilly. Another variation I like is Layla. I prefer Louise to Eloise or Eliza, but each of these is a nice name.
Angela-
I have a friend who just had a girl whom they call "Maisie," but her actual name is Megan Marie. They decided also that she may want a more formal name when she is older. I did not like Maisie when I first heard it and so was glad that the parents had given a "real" name, but now the nickname has really grown on me. :-) I'd name her Margaret and call her Maisie.
Stephanie - perhaps the 'choice' factor can help sway your husband on the name Margaret - simply because it has so many options for nicknames... Maggie, Margie, Greta, etc... and while you may call her Meg - she always has the choice to be called by her given name or by a different nickname if it suits her.
LG - I vote for Lila/Lyla because I like it best. I do think that Lucy could be a perfect nn for Louise without any problems or stretching. I also like Eliza, but it is quite a bit "harsher" than Lila.
Angela - I think Maisie is a great nn for Margaret and I agree with the above poster who said to do it, providing the option for when she is older. I don't subscribe to the philosophy that you have to name your kid what you intend to call her. I like the idea of options in a name. Margaret is a great one for options.
Stephanie - Maybe you could suggest to him that you alternate between the full name and the nn so that your daughter is comfortable with both names and is free to express her opinions about what she is called when she is old enough to have opinions.
I also love the nn Meg, but DH hates Margaret, so we're looking at Megan/Meagan.
I've had names on my possibilities list that I like mostly for the nn. I like Livvie, Maddie, Addie and have had Olivia/Livia, Madalyn, and Ariadne/Addison on my list.
"do the majority of people feel like you should officially name your child what you plan on calling him or her?"
Not me. I got a nicknamey first name on my birth certificate, and I have always wished I had the more formal "real" name, in my case Penelope, as an option. I gave both my kids formal names that have nicknames (they use the nicknames for now, though my daughter uses both at school). The trick is, you have to understand and accept that they may use either name, or even some other variation, when they're old enough to decide for themselves.
I'm with you Penny. I always wanted a formal name. Wendy is too surfer girl for my profession. All my name choices have formal and nicknames.
I love formal names exactly because they can have so many nicknames! I find nicknaming a nickname odd (although I know there are people who do it.) For instance, my daughters are Emma and Bridget, and they get called by nicknames most of the time-- "Ems" or "Emsie" for Emma, and "Bridey" for Bridget-- but they also answer to their formal names, so when they get to school it won't be awkward. If our next is a girl we have picked out "Margaret", which I love for all the nicknames! "Meg", "Maggie", "Margie"... "Maggie" would probably be the number one nickname, though. If a boy, it would be "James" (not my choice, my husband's dead father's name, but I like it.) That's another nickname goldmine-- "Jimmy", "Jemmy", "Jimsie", "Jim", "Jamie"... I am VERY much in favor of giving the real name, though, because I wouldn't want them to have to go by their nicknames the rest of their life if they don't want to!
I'll add my vote for calling her Maisie (or Meg or Greta) but naming her Margaret. It's all about options for your little one.
I knew two girls growning up, a Candy and a Tanya, who have pretended that they were actually named Candace and Tatiana because they were embarassed to only have been given what is essentially a nickname. They seemed to feel they had been carelessly named.
And recently I mistakenly addressed an invitation to "Constance" (I foolishly assumed a Connie would be a Constance) and she replied to my apology by saying she loved the name Constance and wished she had been named Constance.
So my thought is, even though Maisie is cute in it's own right, why not have both the formal name and the endearing one?
To LG: All your choices are nice and classic. All go with Sophie. My favorite is Louisa (adorable! and not so popular) and you can always call her Lucy if you choose. It's not a stretch at all.
Oh, and LG: What about Lucia (pronounced Loo-sha) for your girl. I love the name (really heavily considered it for my soon-to-be daughter) and the nickname Lucy is an obvious option.
Lucia goes very well with Sophia, in my opinion. Same thoughts about Lucienne and Vivien.
Count me in the "don't name your kid a nickname" camp. Two good friends of mine, Maggie and Katie, hate having to explain at work and grad school that their name isn't Margaret or Katherine. IMHO, it's much less of a burden for a kid to tell a teacher or peer that they go by a nn than the other way around. But maybe that's changing? Especially for boys, who seem to be invariably William-not-Will, Joshua-not-Josh, Andrew-not-Andy, etc. But then, we never have this debate about "should I name my boy a nn." Hmmm....
Going back to Valerie's comment: "By the way, the French equivalent of Annika is Annick (pronounced Ann-EEK) which I also like."
My husband and I were watching ballroom dancing (?? go figure) a couple years ago and there was an "Anik" pronounced the same way. We both were quite taken with it until we realized the obvious taunting--rhymes with both freak and geek! just can't do it! If baby #2 is a girl, looks like she is a Margaret too! (leaning towards the "Greta" nn).
I hear what you're saying, Kerri, but in my opinion, if kids want to find some way to tease, they will, whatever the name! I was bullied a lot at school and one of the nastier names they shouted was "Valeria Diarrhea"! Now that's a bit of a stretch!
I know that kids will find a way to tease with any name, however, I do think that parents should try to avoid obvious names. My biggest beef with a name recently is my nephews name. His name is perfectly respectable, William Albert. William is my BILs middle name and Albert (my son's middle name also) is after BIL's and my husbands Grandfather. The problems is the initials. HIs initials spell WAR. I never said anything about it and never will, but I imagine that he will be teased about this and it is such a hateful word. My in-laws said that they realized that his initials spelled this and didn't care. I don't get it?
Rebecca
I shouldn't think he'll get teased about it. Most kids don't really notice middle names or initials, and most boys will probably think it's quite cool to have the initials WAR. Sadly so.
My son;s initials are JAM. Were we cruel?
I always wanted my initials to spell something--doesn't matter so much what. Although I suppose I wouldn't want something like PEE. But yeah I don't think WAR is that big of a deal, kind of negative I guess, but... yeah, probably won't be teased.
JAM is kind of cute.
My husband and I--as ex-druggies, have joked (mostly) about giving our kids the initials THC and XTC.
I keep coming up with SA initials and we are a C family, so SAC - is that bad?
You never know what kids are going to get teased about, but I try to avoid the obvious ones. See previous post on Nimrod, for example. :-)
JAM isn't so bad, Keren.
If I had been a boy, my initials would have been RAY and that was what my parents intended to call a son, Ray, even though the first name would have been Robert, not Raymond or Rayford. I'm glad I was a girl. :-)
I think JAM is cute myself. I call him my jampot..don't know how long I'll get away with that!
My husband's initials are MIA. He has luggage from LLBean which he got monogrammed. A few years ago he was traveling for work and naturally the airline lost his garment bag. Of course, I was the one who had to call the airline to deal with the mess and when the airline representative asked me to describe the bag I said, "A black garment bag, with the initials "MIA" embroidered on the front." She was very irritated with me and asked, "Ma'am, is that a joke?" Believe me, I wish it had been. He had to buy a new suit, shoes, tie, etc. at his destination.
By the way, the bag in question has been lost by the various airlines on at least 3 occasions. I have forbid him to use it again.
Just a cautionary tale when naming your children. You never know if they might want to get something monogrammed someday. :)
My daughter's initials are LMNE(alimony?), hopefully not a portend for the future.
A friend's son has the initials FAG - I'm sure some pitiful teens will try to have fun with that someday but being the lad he is, I doubt he'll give them a thought.
I don't think, seriously, that people consider initials. It's only an issue if you choose to go by your initials, or perhaps later, if you choose to have things monogrammed. But I honestly had to stop and think what my sisters' intials spelled, because it hadn't ever really occurred to me. And I notice names.
Re Esme--I haven't read the Lemony Snicket books, but it's obviously a play on that story by JD. Salinger ("to Esme with Love and Squalor". A charming story, BTW). I always liked the name, but my husband said it sounded "hick" to him, like "Sally May" or something like that.
My middle initial is H. It's for Hildegard! So ugly, but it sure is different. It makes up for my parents naming me something so ordinary for a first name.
Re Winter. To me it is definitely a girls name. Maybe like Robin. You can use it for a boy, but it's kind of sissyish if you do.
Re Annouk. I think it kind of a blank slate name. Most people don't have much of an opinion because they have never heard it before. i think that's a good thing. I think it's unusual, but with character and background (unlike Starla of Jazlyn). I agree that's Annika is pretty but much more mainstream sounding. After you have a little Annouk, people will really come to like it. I think it's a very good name.
Eleni and everyone above on the subject of nicknames as first names- I've said this before, but it's got a lot to do with where you are. In the top 100 names in the UK last year:
Ellie, Ella, Katie, Millie, Evie, Molly, Daisy, Lola, Libby, Maisie, Tia, Gracie, Rosie, Abbie, Mollie, Demi, Tilly (and Lucy and Sophie, which are sometimes considered nicknames in North America)
Jack, Harry, Charlie, Jake, Alfie, Max, Liam, Jamie, Ben, Archie, Toby, Alex, Kai, Freddie, Sam, Joe, Billy, Corey, Jay and Theo.
Most of the nicknames rank higher than the 'source' name, if the source ranks at all- so over there, there is a whole generation of children with 'just' the nicknames.
That's compared to America:
Mia, Ella, Jenna, Alexa, Gracie, Molly, Mya and Katie
Jack, Alex and Cody.
At the moment, formality seems to be the fad in America, informality in Britain.
I think Laura has a few posts on different international tastes in names.
For me the initial thing comes from my sister, whoes initials are BLT. She hated it, complained and complained about it. So initials seem importnat to me. My dad wanted to give me the middle name Ann which would have made me RAT, so I am glad my mom stopped him and my initials are RKT. I think it only matters if it spells something bad. I really have a problem with WAR because it is a nasty and hateful word and I wouldn't want that to be my initials. I know that eventually you have the "what is your middle name?" conversation and one nasty kid can spread the teasing to a whole school very quickly. My BIL and his wife don't mind, so not my problem. I just wouldn't want my kids name to spell war. My son's initails are JAR, so I imagine that he might be teased "jar head" or something of the like, but it isn't a negative word. I think Jam is actually pretty cool. I guess it is personal perspective. :)
Rebecca
Elly - I'm curious, what would Kai be a nickname for? I've always thought of it as a Scandinavian name, as in Hans Christian Andersen's the Snow Queen. I'm not sure how it got popular though (there are two in my daughters class) so maybe I'm missing something.
It is interesting that nicknames are so popular in the UK as given names. I think they feel too unsubstantial in the US, especially for women (too girly, especially the -ie/y ending). I know lots of girls with those trendy UK nicknames but all of them have a more sophiticated name to fall back on for later when they grow up to be attorneys or business leaders...
I want to thank everyone who gave their well-wishes, gave H names, and commented (again) on WInter! Jack and Henry's mom, I'm glad Winter is growing on you. Hopefully it will grow on my parents!
The other Anne, my parents; names are Margaret and James, so I had to laugh!!!
I am having a really hard time with boys' names. Here are some I "like":
Jude
Kieran
August
Ambrose
Alexander
Gabriel
We've also talked about Lawrence and Paul, because they are beloved family members. Ugh. I'm just "eh" on every boy name!
Cathie: I know Kai is a Hawaiian name too but I would guess that it gained popularity because it is a twist on Ty.
How popular is the name Fuck Stick ?
I've always wanted to name someone's child Fuck Stick.
I'm sure it would go over very well in grade school.
I have a second-cousin named Kai, and Kai (in his case) is short for Mikao (at least I think that is how it is spelled).
I believe it's the Hawaiian of Michael?
I do know that giving informal names is very hot in England right now. I have a feeling there will be a bit of backlash against that, or at least that they will come to sound a bit dated. But of course, who knows? And perhaps we'll move to nicknames her in the States.
But personally, I maintain that full, or "formal" names make sense for people who prefer options. That's not a judgement against bestowing nicknames as given names, just a matter of personal preference.
Eleni: I don't think Kai is Hawaiian for Michael. A quick Google search reminds me that Kai means ocean and says that the Hawaiian equivalent of Michael is Mikala. I think usually when names are "translated" into Hawaiian, the letters/sounds are just switched to ones that exist in Hawaiian (ie. k instead of ch). I think no two consonants can be next to each other too. But sometimes I see "translations" that are totally different so I'm not sure how folks come up with those--if they're by meaning or something.
There must be at least as many nicknames for Margaret as there are for Elizabeth. I think in one of the previous posts someone mentioned Daisy, but what about Peg and Peggy? I have a great aunt whose name is Margaret, and goes by Peg/Peggy. My grandmother says that is (or perhaps was) a common nn for Margaret. Does anyone know why?
Esme- Lemony Snickett (aka Daniel Handler) loves to work literary references into his children's books. So, yes, Esme Squalor is a play on the J. D. Salinger title. It would be a bit ironic if the Snickett character came to over-shadow the name Esme.
Rebecca - I agree. It would suck to have the initials WAR.
Anne-
Wow, you really picked out some great boy's names. My favorites from your list are Jude and August.
I think someone had mentioned in the previous post that the literary references for Jude were sad, (Thomas Hardy) but that the character was so amazing and beautiful.
Anyhow, those are two names that I really like.
Peg and Peggy are derived from Meg as a nickname for Margaret. Sort of like Molly as a nickname for Mary became Polly. The explanation I've heard is that at one time in England there were just so many people with the same first names that different nicknames were a necessity and people made use of rhymes and letters that were close to the original name but still different enough so that individuals could be told apart. Bob and Hob as nicknames for Robert are a boy's name example.
Mary: that is a fabulous bit of information!!
Thanks, Heather A. You don't know how much that has heartened me. ;)
This is for LG (a little late, I know):
My oldest is Sophia, age 9. Yes, I really wish it were less popular. When girl number 2 arrived (in the spring of 2004), we searched long and hard for a name that was not too overdone but matched Sophia in tone and style. We came up with Natalia (Both girls are named for family members: Sophia for my grandmother and Natalia for my husband's father, who was named Natale.)
Oh how I love Hester (as in Hester Prynne, who rocks). Weep, weep, that it should ever be anyone else's, but I am done having kids.
As to Maisie: cute, but the kids will be singing "Maisy Maisy Maisy Mouse" at her forever. It's the equivalent of having been named "Minnie" or "Mickey" in the 1950s. You may want to reconsider! But Margaret, nn Greta, Gretl, or Gretchen (which is actually nickname for the German Margret, I believe), is lovely. Peg and Peggy still sound horribly dated to me. I wonder if most of the people with a given name have to die before the name is due for a revival!
Thanks, all, for your thoughts on our name choices. We're still undecided -- but at least we have a short list to choose from when she arrives. I recently had a friend, also due this week or next, tell me that they are planning to name their daughter Margaret and call her Maisy. I think it is a wonderful choice!
My son is Kai. We named him Kai because it's meaning is Hawaiian for ocean. Love it. Could Kai possibly be short for Malakai or Malachy, however your spelling it. Malachy was on our list too but we decided to go for Kai as we knew we would shorten it anyway. We named another son Finlay and usually just call him Fin.
Hi all,
I'm new to this site but like many of you am struggling to figure out a name for my unborn. We haven't officially found out what we're having but I know its a boy. I knew I was having a girl last time also.
Anyways, my first choice for a boy has been Reilly for years. Except now I'm wondering if its too popular. Lately, I've been hearing of a lot of girls named Riley- I don't want my son to have a girl name. I also have a friend who decided to name her son Riley- after I told her this was our boy pick! This really bugged me.
My second choice for a boy is Grady- its a lot less popular but I don't quite like the sound of it as much as Reilly.
any thoughts?
Hi,
I am finally going to jump in and ask for advice on my name challenge. We found out that our son Ayden is going to have a baby brother in June. When I was looking for names for Ayden I had a hard time b/c of my picky-ness/ rules -
I want a name w/o an obvious nn, not too overused (I only knew one other little Aiden at the time and he was several states away, of course now it seems every other kid is -aden :( but Ayden really came from my family tree)
I was thinking of Cooper or Powell as middle names (family maiden names) but I haven't come across a fn I like. Last name W---
Thanks for your help
Oh I forgot one other rule- I would like to stay away from any of the names of Thomas' the Tank engine's friends, and yes I know that disqualifies a LOT of names!
My son Ayden loves Thomas and Friends and we have many of the toys.
Bummer, because Percy is a great name and so underused! Unfortunately in the toddler set it doesn't get pronounced with the "r" though and sounds obscene.
What about Cooper as a first name? I dig that.
Thanks, I like it too, but I have a cousin that we see on a somewhat regular basis with that first name already so that would be confusing. I like Percy and I've thought about Perry. My mom likes Spencer but at least it's one of the lesser known trains.
I like Spencer.
Also a fan of:
Clark
Marcus
Owen
Joshua
Kathy - Grady was a nice name but sadly it seems to have been picked up by 'daytime dramas' which, in my eyes. cheapens it.
What is your girl's name and how many syllables in your surname(also its first letter)? These things help with suggestions.
Spencer is so cool - a friend of mine named her son that some thirty years ago - very radical then.
Kathy, my son is Reilly. When we named him 11 years ago I`d only heard it once.
Now of course it is popular. But you know i still love it as much today as I did then and don`t care at all that it is popular. If you love it, go for it forget the friend, who jumped in a "stole" it. He`ll always be the only Reilly to you. I have four sons & found them all harder than girls to name. My husband and I had a million girls names. We really had trouble naming our boys. We wanted strong names that were a little different. Hard to find. Reilly spelt with "ei", means leader of the Valiant or Leader and thats exactly what he is with three little brothers following him around.
please don't call your babies Anouk. I like being the only one and I don't want to be surrounded by mothers screaming the name of their brats whilst I am in a zimmer frame cruising the supermarket aisles.
Tansey-
I had no idea Grady was popular on the daytime dramas- that definitely cheapens it. I do like that it is an old fashioned name- apparently popular back in the early 1900's and it means noble. My daughter's name is Madeline. Our surname has 2 syllables and begins with E.
Kacy-
I love the spelling Reilly- it sets it apart from Riley. I keep thinking that I shouldn't care that my friend 'took' it. I guess it just seems that in the past month I've met several little girls named Riley and I have to wonder if my son would be in a class with other Rileys, but girls. I don't know if that would be tough on him. I think the name is terrific. I do have this thing with wanting a unique name. When I started liking it 8 years ago- I didn't know anyone with that name. Boys names are definitely hard.
If I'm wrong and this turns out to be a girl we have no problems with a name.
I have a cousin Grady, and my sister and i always referred to him as cousin Gravy. I can't seem to get past that.
I really like the name Percy. I would never have thought about toddler pronunciation. eek!
Some good boy names:
Damian
Dominic
Conrad
Sylvester
Rupert
Benedict
Jasper
Harrison
We wanted to name our daughter an Irish name to match our Irish last name. We decided to pick one that we hadn't heard before, Meara. Meara means happy which has turned out to be a perfect name for her. We love it and I am proud that it fits her personality and gives tribute to her grandparents who are from Ireland.
Heather: How is the ea in Meara pronounced? I'm just wondering if it's pronounced like Mara because in the discussion on biblical names people were saying this name had a negative meaning, but maybe if it's from the Irish name, that gives us a positive meaning. (I'm also guessing the ea might be pronounced like in Sean.)
We are interested in getting feedback on some girls' names:
Maile
Esme
Erin
Elin
Maeve
Remy
Ella
Middle name will either be Sarah (after grandma) or Josephine. Sibs are Liam and Mara. HELP! We are going round and round.
Kristin,
I love Remy Sarah. Sweet. As in Ray-mee, or as in Rem-mee. I've heard it both ways but is the proper way Raymee??? My sons teacher is Remy. She is gorgeous. Don't like Maeve at all, too old fashioned. How is Maile pronounced. Is it Mail-lee? love Erin Josephine. ella is extremely popular here in Aust. Esme is sweet. Never seen Elin. But i like it. It's strong and different. My pick is Remy Sarah or Remy Josephine. Love it with Liam and Mara, absolutely gorgeous. The M factor tying them all in together.
Kathy, hearing you on the girl Reilly thing. But whatever you decide, once you name him, you'll so LOVE that name.
I let my older sons name number three child. They chose Kai or Kaia. I thought nuh-uh, no way. But after giving in to vote, my husband sided with them, I LOVE it. It suits him perfectly. I'm interested to know your girls names. Mine were Rose, Molly, Matilda and Eliza. 4 boys later i have given up. Ha.
Hi Kacy,
I hope I will love whatever we decide- I'm afraid that I will always wish that I had gone with my other choice.
I have a daughter already- Madeline.
If this next one turns out to be a girl it will be Ainsley. We also like Genevieve and Amelia but not as much.
Kacy,
Thank you for the excellent feedback! The way we've heard Maile is My-lee, but we are interested in how others have heard it as well (May-lee?)
I think My-lee is my preference but I'm curious about others' thoughts.
I like Elin and Erin. I had a student named Elin a few years ago and she was such a delight that I had nothing but warm fuzzy feelings about the name now. She pronounced it "ee-lynn".
Kristin - I know a woman from Hawaii named Maile. I'm pretty sure it's a Hawaiian name. She promounces it MY-lay.
Thanks for the Maile pronounciation. Now I wonder about Remy for a girl: pronounced Raymee or rehmee?
Well..., the only Remy I know is my sister-in-law's cat. They pronounce it Rehm-ee. I think she was named after a band they went to see the night they found her.
The only problem with Remy is Remy Martin (Reh-mee Mar-tehn, said all Frenchie-like with swishy "r"s), a cognac that has become somewhat of a pop-culture joke. Eminem apparently uses the phrase a lot, which might not be the first thing you'd want other kids to reference. On the other hand, by the time she's in jr. high perhaps Eminem will be long gone.
From the list, I kind of dig Maeve. It's one of those cool-frumpy names that hasn't yet been overdone, at least in the US.
I really like your Name Voyager and have created a link on my page. My problem now is that the link does not work. I get the text but not the actual graph anymore.
It is still a great resource that is fun, interesting and worthwhile.
fFSL North Bay - Mickey
What about Jacob?
Heh heh.. I used to be the only person I knew with my name, but its pretty neat to hear you named your daughter Meara, Heather ^^. My father got it from one of his Sci-fi books to be exact.
Hosanna is beautiful and unusual!
Hebrew - meaning - Save Us, We Pray.
You hear it in church on Sundays and can sing it like in Jesus Christ Superstar - hosanna, hey sanna, sanna, sanna Ho, sanna, hey sanna ho sanna!
Does Elle, pronounced like "L" short for Elizabeth sound elegant and sophisticated? Will people immediately think to pronounce the name Ellie?