Forcing myself to not think of what these words mean, a lot of them do sound like names to me.
Having known a couple of Brightons, I can see Brightly actually being used. Sounds like a girl's name to me. I can also see someone naming a baby Savory---perhaps a brother to Popply Honey? Poppy Honey & Savory Basil :)
Traylor Howard is an actress on USA's Monk television series. I think she's very talented, I just have a hard time moving past her name's meaning, even with the alternative spelling!
I can see the words with positive connotations taking off: brightly and neighborly. If abstract nouns (Liberty, Verity) or adjectives (I know of a Loyal) why not adverbs? Mommeighs might want to spell them Brightlee or Brightleigh or Briteley, or what have you.
We used to call one of my HS teachers "Craven", because (as I recall) he was Cravin' so much knowledge. (He was a pretty dim bulb). (Of course the funny footnote for me is that I now teach that same subject...)
The other one that always got my was the boy whose last name was Sullivan who always got called Sully. It seemed like such an insult to me, but it didn't bother him or his friends any.
These names sound like parent smushes for the 2030s. Today's children Brittany and Riley may have Briteley. Craven for Chris and Raven, Jailer (Jaylor) for Jalen and Taylor, Neighborly (Naberlee?) for Nathan and Kimberly, Savory for Sam and Avery, Shyly for Cheyenne and Riley, Slogan for Sloan and Logan, and Traylor for Trenton and Taylor. Keister doesn't sound like a smush of today's tryndee names, maybe Kiefer and Esther. Straighten wouldn't be named after anyone, it would be used by ex-gay parents.
"Straighten" may be out, but Strayhorn could be a fine name for the child of jazz buffs. (Or the name Strachan, which may be Strayhorn's original form.) Just leave the nickname options alone. Seriously.
And "Keister" would be bad, but I can see a kid named Key, or Keen, or Keyser, or Kaiser (perhaps after the hospital of his debut). And there are probably already some Keelers out there...though I'd prefer Keller.
Ovary (added bonus of tying the child to the cycle of life)
Livery
Estuary
Carrion (a friend's father had to ACTUALLY talk someone out of using this)
Onyx (I do think we'll be seeing this as a gem stone X-O alternative)
Pathos
Haddock
Brine
Maiden
Brittle
Vanity
Schilling
Phobia
Kettle
Ether
Bacon
On the topic of Shyly, there is such a name as Shysie, so theres the possibility of that taking off.
And Im pretty sure Oynx has been a name at some point. Its in the jewel section of a very old edition of the Guiness Book of Names anyway.
I can totally see Phobia as a name if it wasn't already a word.
Personally I really like the name Ferris, but atlast three of my friends (and my dad) just go "ferris wheel?!".
After I posted my last reply I remembered that the GBoN also has a section on words which have been used as names. None of the ones suggested so far are are in there however I would like to add these to the list:
Amorous
Anon
Bonus
Coma
Dark
Fiance
Halcyon
Hymen
Maudlin
Shed
Worthy
As a note of interest, ET suggested that the name Hymen has been used on a person; I can back that up. A person by that name donated an incredibly large some of money to the university I attend and thereby was able to confer his name on to one of the student residences. Now years of unfortunate students can honestly say that they "live in Hymen".
Sorry to be off topic, but I'm due in three weeks and we still can't decide on a name for our baby girl. We have a daughter named Georgiana (Georgie) and the top three names we are considering for her sister are: Frances (Frannie), Veronica (Vee or Ronnie) or Nora. Frances pairs the best, but Veronica has special family meaning (and we just liked Nora). Does Veronica not go well with Georgiana? Look forward to hearing your opinions!
JO, after reading the three options I thought "hmm, Veronica pairs best." :-) It's a lovely name and I can't remember the last time I met a baby Veronica.
Ennui is really growing on me (as I sit here at my boring job ;)).
JO, I think Veronica and Georgiana could go together. I like Frannie the best of the nicknames you list, though (and think it "goes" best with Georgie). Do you prefer Frances to Francesca?
JO, I prefer Frances with Georgiana, but think Veronica/Nora goes well, too. If you have special family significance for choosing Veronica, then go for that! (Plus, your daughter can watch the amazing tv show Veronica Mars and feel extra special)
A short list of words that would be names if they weren't words with negative connotations based on popular naming trends. And these are only the" C"s!
Coroner (Connor, only different!)
Crazy (like Maisy meets Cody)
Contentious (Atticus or Finneaus meets Marcus/Lucas)
Corona
and one that's not a "C"
Lazy ( Maisy, Zoe, Lexie, Lucy)
"As a note of interest, ET suggested that the name Hymen has been used on a person; I can back that up. A person by that name donated an incredibly large some of money to the university I attend and thereby was able to confer his name on to one of the student residences. Now years of unfortunate students can honestly say that they "live in Hymen"."
Um, yeah, that was my grandfather's name. The Hebrew is Chaim (for which Charles is often used as the English name), and Hyman was the more usual spelling (as in Leo Rosten's novel "The Return of Hyman Kaplan), but unfortunately, Grandpa Hy used Hymen. This was long before the hymen was generally spoken of outside of the pure medical context! It's not a name that's going to get used anymore, even with the less embarrassing spelling.
Hm, and I assumed this entry was apropos of our friend Codex.
Savory could be a botanical name--it's an herb. I have both summer savory and winter savory growing in my garden.
The mention of Loyal and Comfort got me thinking of some of the other fun virtue/word names of the past. There was the highly respected judge named Learned Hand (b. 1872 as Billings Learned Hand, apparently Learned was his mother's maiden name). And my childhood dog was named Royal--I was amused to learn later that Royal ranked as a name for boys consistently from 1880-1971 (our Royal was a girl, named for my mother's infatuation with British royalty--her current dog is named Windsor, which I think could also make a decent name for a person).
Of Laura's listed names, I don't mind Brightly, and I could definitely see some unfortunate children ending up with Jailer (Jaylor?) or Shyly (Shyleigh).
Coll-Frances seems to go best, but Veronica is just as good. Nora is fine too but I like the first two better. I think family significance always gives a name a boost. Then it can give the child a nice story when she older.
Megan W. -- I know loads of Sullivans (both as a fn and as a ln) who go by Sully ... I've always thought it was cute, and the verb has never seemed to cause a problem. In fact, I think of Sullivan nn Sully as a very masculine Irish name.
Re: Carrion -- we'd considered the mn Carean for a daughter, which we were pronouncing "care-EEN," but the first time someone saw it and thought we were saying "carrion" made me rethink the spelling! (We ended up changing it to "Carine.")
JO -- I love Georgiana nn Georgie! I do think Frances or Veronica goes best with it, but I just love Nora ... would you consider Veronica with the nn Nora? It's certainly not a traditional fn/nn combo, but I think it could work ... all the letters of "Nora" are contained in Veronica after all ...
I sort of like Royal. We know one in his thirties, and I met a preschool age Royal not long ago.
I was thinking about the original topic on a long drive yesterday.
I came up with several. These are my best:
Avarice
Malice
Enema (too obvious?)
Jettison
Aviary
Larvae
JO-For no good reason, I'm not a fan of V names, and Ronnie is not my cup of tea.
I love Frances, though I prefer Francie to Frannie, and Nora is one of my all-time favorites.
I'd give the nod to Frances as I think it does go better with sister's name.
Having said all that, I think Veronica works fine as well, and if it has special meaning, and you love it, go for it!
Bill, LMBO about mommeighs - that's a new one to me.
Laura, love this list! Though I do think that Shyly, Savory, Craven and Brightly are names I would expect to hear! Esp Brightly and Shyly. Definitely Jaylor (Jailer).
JO - Coincidentally, I have two adult cousins named Nora and Veronica (Ronnie). Their middle sister is Kellie. Kind of a weird mix of names but our grandmother was Nora.
I think Veronica is the best with Georgiana. I do not like the nickname Ronnie, though. Like I said, my cousin was a Veronica who went by Ronnie a lot and it's such a huge departure from such a lovely, feminine name. I like Francesca over Frances, though. Nora is gorgeous but I prefer Veronica or Francesca, though if you insist on immediate nicknames, I'd maybe go with Nora to avoid that.
Also, Jason Bateman has a daughter named Francesca Nora.
Jo-I think Frances or some variation goes best with Georgianna as far as matching styles. I do like the name Veronica though and especially respect family ties. You could do Veronica Frances which I think is lovely and then you have your choice of nn's.
JM-I too thought of Video for the O sound and popular V also. Then there are these others:
Xanax(uber-great with 2 x's)
Window-nn Winnie
Magazine-alternate to Magnus/Magnum??
Chrysallis
Zebra-kind of like Deborah only with a great Z
That's all for now!
I couldn't sleep last night so I was lying there thinking about his...
There was Harlot (headless Charlotte)
When people say "carrot" I often think they're calling me.
I also thought of Celery. And along kitchen lines, I think that Tarragon, Cinammon, Parsley, Coriander, and Vanilla can be names, if they aren't already... and maybe Oregano and Thyme, too. (Ginger, Rosemary, and Basil are already names, so why can't these?)
I know that I thought of more...
Oh! Labia! Vagina! Cervix! And the above-mentioned Ovary. And they would connect the child to where it came from!
Actually, the body has a lot to offer. What about Urethra? (Sort of like Aretha - not that Aretha is such a popular name..), Fibula, Tibia, Patella (nn Ella, of course), Sternum...
I went to school with a guy whose middle name was Hyman (after his grandfather) and his friends all teased him about it, calling him that instead of his first name.
Thanks for all of your input! Naming your second is so much more difficult than naming your first, so keep the input coming!
Jill C. & Mara - For some reason, I'm not a big fan of Francesca, but I like Frances. We're still debating on if there will be a nickname for Frances, but if there were, Fran, Frannie, Frankie and Francie are up for consideration (J&H's mom - I prefer Francie, too, like one of my other favs Nancy).
Veronica would be after my very special grandfather, Ronald, which is why Ronnie is up for consideration as a nickname (however, I like Vivi or Vee better). I just assumed that Veronica didn't go well with Georgiana because it was most popular in a different era (Georgiana 1880s, Veronica 1970s).
Nora is still a fallback name that I've always loved - I like Eleanora, nn Nora.
Wow, I'm glad I have other people on this blog that I can overthink this with!
There is a real guy named Ether! I've been watching "High School Musical - Get in the Picture" where kids audition to appear in the next High School Musical movie. (I have to admit that I love all of the singing and dancing reality shows. I'm a Broadway musical geek at heart!) One of the contestants who made it through this week is a teenage boy named Ether. There's also a beautiful girl named Tierney. The only problem with this name is that it sounds like "Tyranny" when said aloud. So, I think we should add Tyranny to the list.
Among prescription meds, I'm certain it won't be long until Lyrica takes off. Lyric is already on the chards. And the -rica ending, is the same as the formerly popular Erica, and to a lesser degree, America.
Ivy- For the mother's of Ivy and soon to be mothers of Ivy.
There is a book called Ivy Louise. I thought that sounded nice, and really rolled off the tongue.
Which reminds me of Lydia, I read a book where the girl's name is Lydia Grace. Now I can't think of a Lydia having any other name! :)
medicines:
Celexa
Levitra
Viagra
Boniva
Keppra
Yaz (Yasmin)
Prozac (nn Zac)
Geodon (grandpas smushed)
Insulynn (ok someone else posted this, but not mommeigh-fied)
Dilantin (because Dylan is too short)
Plavix
Vioxx
Celebrex
Valtrex
Vytorin
Estrogen (so she won't grow up as Imogen S)
Senna
Belladonna
Marijuana (medicinal in CA, while we're on the herb topic)
body parts:
Amygdala (nn Amy)
Cerebellum (because Sara is too short)`
Sister Melinda--
I actually, personally know a boy named Wr4ith. His brother's name is C4in. And there's a third one, but I can't remember his name at the moment. But it's something similarly...dark.
Re: "Tierney" that sounds like "tyranny". I have seen quite a few editions of Survivor, and a contestant named Parvati has played twice. My previous associations with the name were from the Harry Potter books, and in my head I was saying PAR-va-tee or par-VA-tee. Imagine my surprise when Jeff Probst continually said (to my ears) "poverty". Maybe it's just a Canadian vs. American accent thing, but it throws me off every time.
Is Yaz a word? Im going to assume it's some type of drug or medication from your post but it's wierd because that is the name of one of my best friends. Her real name is Yasmina but goes by Yaz.
jo: I would go with a Fran-something Veronica. And not bc ^^ Elisabeth suggested it. I was coming to suggest Francesca before you shot that down. My favorite nn is definitely Francie. Love it.
Maudlin was a name before it was a "word." It's a form of Magdalene. Hymen was the name of the Greek god of marriage. Tawdry is another word derived from a name (St. Audrey).
Speaking of "anatomical" words/names, my friends who went to Catholic school made up a bunch of comically disrespectful stories about two nuns, Sister Vagina Marie and Sister Mary Clitoris. (Please note, I had nothing to do with the stories--except laugh.)
What about Lobelia? Very nice herb name, that ^_~ Or Cayenne? Nettle? Betony? Mullein? Plantain? Hickory? Oat! Apple ^_^ Sarsaparilla. Valerian.
Jo: I like Veronica best. It goes well enough with Georgiana while keeping each child truly individual, and it frees you up stylistically for any future children you may or may not have.
adverbs:
Daily, Nightly
except these would be Daly and Knightley (nn Knight), working for the add-a-lee crowd AND the surname crowd.
Yaz is an oral contraceptive. Medicine brand names are formed from pleasing, familiar sounds, many of which sound like names. I wonder how many millions of dollars go into the research end of marketing drugs.
How about Vero for Veronica? I know someone in Austria on a message board who has a sister Veronica who goes by Vero. Since I only know her online, I don't know the pronounciation, but in my mind it ryhmes with hero.
It looks like Veronica was actually more popular in the 1880s than Georgiana was! Veronica was at #353 and Georgiana was at #385 - seems like a good match!
I think they sound wonderful together and the family connection is great.
Re: Eleanora - I love this name! Absolutely beautiful.
JO -- I love the name Veronica, but don't care for the Ronnie nn (although I understand your family connection to that particular choice). I think Veronica Frances sounds lovely and prefer that to Frances Veronica.
Other word-as-name options (although some are probably already in use):
Navel (for fans of Mabel and Hazel)
Tampax (when Maddox loses its edge)
Anorexia (Anna and Alexia combine)
Pox (the next great x name)
Quaintly
And of course there's Cotton (as in Mather)
One of my favorite "word" names is Makepeace, William Makepeace Thackery's middle name. Does anyone know if it was a family name or purely a virtue name? I could see the Jolie-Pitts getting behind it for their next member.
Ooh, I think Flaxen has promise! (Not for me, but for someone....) Nice meaning, botanical, that magical X in the middle and comfortable -en ending!
Elisabeth--FYI, Sorrel is also a "real" name! (AND, it seems like it might be a very theme-y sibling for Flaxen--both names used to describe horse coloring that have a botanical meaning. Hmmm....)
Can I just say that while I don't care for Ronnie at all, I love both Frances called Francie and Eleanora called Nora? I like how Frances yields Francie, which I LOVE, but also Frank and Frankie, if she happens to be a tomboy. And Frances in full in nice, too. Likewise Eleanora yields Nora, but also Ella, if she wants to blend in more, and yet also stands well on its own.
I know a Cameo - we met in the 7th grade. I don't think she was much of a fan of her name in the time that we were growing up (middle through high school). Like my name, hers was just a bit too "fringe" and got mispronounced/misinterpreted and was often met with looks of surprise by new people. I think she likes it now, though. And naming outside of the top 20 seems infinitely more accepted now than in the late 80s/early 90s when we grew up.
I know a woman named Oats. Her sister is
I think Carol, not Barley as you might expect.
In case you were wondering, bill, my son used the posting name Bill here a few weeks ago, not realizing we already have a Bill. Sorry about that. And by the way, Estuary and Rosacea are lovely.
RB, I am now officially in love with your deadpan humor. The boys' names made me laugh till the tears came. Very uncool to declare it but there you are. Also, J&H's mom, "Every" was brilliant.
Um. Here's my little dictionary-family
Boys:
Ladder
Warden
Silo
Pox
Girls:
Jettison
Macadamia
Novella
Drily (spelled Drylee, of course).
I actually have seen Craven used on a kid. And the last name was the same as an insect. I think it's horrible but apparently the parents are either dense or foolish. I've also actually seen Pastel, Wyld, Tawny, Rowdy, Penn, and a couple of other ones that I can't recall at the moment.
I'm also pretty sure that I've seen a link to a web nursery announcement for a child named Celexa. And, I'm sure Kadian has probably been used as a name (it's a brand of morphine).
I've also seen plenty of Graydon (grading), Jaylin (jailing), Raiden (radon or raiding), and Taryn (taring), so I'm not sure that the fact that the sound like names would even be a deterrent.
Shyly is definitely already a name. I went to school with a girl named Shylee (she'd be about 25 now) and when I tried to find her on facebook there were about 100 spelt either Shylee or Shyly.
Tansy and Sorrel are both already names. There was a Tansy two years below me in school. I think any herb or flower, or word with positive meaning, could end up as a name really. Like people have said if Basil is a name, how about Chive or Parsely? Or Tumeric?
Speaking of Mimosa, has anyone suggested Bellini? (nn Bella of course)
And, I forgot my husband's favorite name: Hurl. He has met someone with this name and has suggested it many times. I have agreed to use it only if we have twin boys; the other will be called Ralph.
RB - Ha! Love the family, especially Usherette and Payola.
I saw Traylor Howard on Leno years ago - it's her mother's maiden name, and her part of the south that's given to the first child regardless of gender. She said her favorite nn was Hitch.
I have an elderly friend who swore blind he once knew twins named Balcony and Mezzanine. Which have been the names of my imaginary twins ever since.
Also, there's a children's book called 'I, Coriander' which is a terrific name (it's the European word for cilantro). On that theme, there's also Courgette and Aubergine.
Chardonnay took off in the UK after being on Footballers' Wives.
Laura, for those you suggested, why not
Nevarc
Reliaj
Retsiek
Yrovas
Nagols
Nethgiarts
Reliart
Trendy but in a different way, right?
Bill- quit it! I can't stop laughing! Xerox: the new Brangelina x baby?
Re a sibster for Georgiana- do you say it the English way, or do you give it an American a in ana at the end? Because I would go for Frances as a sister name, but only if she had the long a, not a short one. I love Fanny as a middle name- very Janeite, and also "do admit, Fanny" from Love in a Cold Climate. I don't think you would say Fanny in public in America??? or am I thinking of another anatomical term? everyone's made up names have me confused! And I think Frances Eleanor sounds great- you could still have Nora as a nickname (or Cessie- as in pit!) Susan
Penn is a solid surname-as-given-name--and a very historical surname at that! I've known a few of Penns (it helps to know a lot of Quakers and people from Philadelphia, I guess... ;) ) I think it's quite handsome.
Considering that I've heard Easton, Ashton and Preston yelled after kids in the last few days, I'm surprised that "Brighton" is not the trendy new name. Or is it?
I've posted about my father-in-law's siblings before, but he has a brother named Radon (actually named after the gas, but before it was known to be carcinogenic), and sisters named Trauma and Rarileigh (called Rare for short). Yikes!
No one has mentioned Huckleberry yet. A nod to a literary great and a botanical to boot.
And I'm thinking that carcinogen has a nice ring to it. Nicknames could be Carsi or Jen (girls) or Carson (boy).
These suggestions are all pricless!!! I'll try to add a few, but e.g. Jettison is just spot on. :) Here's my domestic list.
Rector
Box
Margin
Barely
Retrieve
Melon
Finally
Filter
Rye
Onion
Truly
Nuisance
Saute
Slice
Julienne - what, that's already a name? Who knew?
Winery
Glass
Cake or Caek as my stumbled typing produced
Photograph - if Pheobe and Phobia work, why not?
Sister Melinda: Ditto on Penn. It's far from "pen".
Lorien: I've had my eye on Brighton for a few years now (since the show "Everwood"), and I'm not sure why it hasn't caught on yet, as it has a trendy sound/feel. I quite like Brighton nn Bright, and there are all sorts of positive associations. I suggested Bright to my fiancé some time ago, but his response was "What if he... isn't?" ;)
So, in high school I dated a boy who was dead set on naming his future sons Trep and Trisk. Trep is, of course, a good golden retriever name, and Trisk always made me think of Triscuits (the cracker). So, in honor of him:
Triscuit (nn Trisk)
Newton
Figg
Oreo
Ritz
Nilla
Chips (As in Goodbye Mr...?)
Keebler
Saltine
I'm afraid people are going to derive too much inspiration from this!!!
FWIW, Octave is also a name. It's the French answer to Octavian, and I for one really like it! I also think that Pepper is a name, as much as Sorrel is.
I'm having trouble coming up with anything new and creative, but the joke name for me before I was born was Kentucky Blue (real ln that sounds like Grass). Kentucky is a place name so it's probably already being used, but I'm not sure the three together are...
By Jenny (not to be confused with "yet another Jenny")
JO, I like all of your options and definitely think Vernica Frances is a nice combo, although if you might have more girls would you regret using both names at once or be happy to use Eleanor then? As for nicknames my mom's nn as a kid and still with family is Fancy which I think is adorable on a little girl. Doesn't fit the same style as Georgie, but I thought I'd throw it out anyway!
Re: Caramel as a girl's name -- yes, especially since some pronounce it "carmel" and Carmel is already a girl's name (I say cara-mel ... and was actually nn'd Cara by a friend in high school when I dated a boy with the last name Mello [like the candy bar Caramello]).
Susan -- I too have always wondered about "Fanny" because of its use as a term for one's backside ... though the only people I've ever heard use it to mean that are older, so maybe most young people/kids wouldn't be familiar with that meaning?
Wafer
Tidbit (a mirror palindrome when lowercase, in a font with out a little hook for the t)
Sandal
Demise
Abyss
Uremia
Bulimia
Diverticula
Macedonia
Dilemma (matches well with Nuisance)
Quandary
My uncle has been thinking up names for my soon-due daughter. Among them:
Amnesia
Alexia
Dyslexia
It's funny that people actually DO use Alexia as a name. It's a disorder. LOL
My husband and I have been thinking of Veronica, so it's funny that the question was raised here about that name. It's certainly much better than Amnesia.
Thank you all for the input! My husband is leaning toward Veronica and I'm still undecided between the three (Veronica, Frances & Nora). The middle name for all three would be Lynn (again to honor a family member). I did a search on Veronica Lynn and unfortunately, an adult film star uses that name - Yikes! Should this affect my naming choice?!
I think Fanny is cute, however, I am concerned with the UK meaning!
Love this thread discussion. You guys have me laughing at my desk!
Could someone make a list of more music/sound inspired "names"? I'm helping my uncle pick names for characters in his book. He won't tell me why, but they must have this connection.
We have: Cadence (girl)
Sonic (boy. I found this one on this thread! Going to suggest it to him tomorrow!)
And we need one more for a boy.
Thanks!
P.s. Wow all I seem to do on this site is ask for naming help for other people ;)
P.P.S: BTW, I just typed up a Baptism certicate for two girls: Jerzee (Jersey?), and Quality!
I have to weigh in on the Frances, Veronica, Nora discussion. I have to vote for Frances Veronica (I prefer that order), then you could have several different nicknames for different occasions! My DD is Nina Frances and when she's being silly she's Nina Fancy Francie, but when she's being naughty she's being Nina Frannie or just Frannie, but she's never Frankie...it just doesn't seem to fit her, but it's cute too.
Now I need some suggestions if I may interrupt the fun name games..
I'm trying to help my sister brainstorm for her Girl #2 due in Nov. Her first daughter is Lucy Ann3 and their LN is a cute French name that starts with a B.
I've suggested Sylvie but she felt ehhhhh about it and we don't like how trendy Sophie is. Charlotte was on her orig. list for baby #1 and she likes the name Molly but isn't overwhelmed by it. They might use "May" as a middle name to honor his grandmother and Molly M a y is a little too sing-songy.
Any other suggestions? Nothing too difficult because they constantly have to spell their last name.
Check this out:
Amy is my name! (I suggested to her as a joke because it is making a come back!!)
Chloe was the name I used as an alias back in my angsty teen years!
Julie is her sister in law!
Claire is a name of college BFF's new baby!
Sally is really cute, but maybe too much Peanuts like you said.
What else can I shoot down? haha jk
She kinda likes Sadie, but it's a little trendy. And she's willing to go kinda outside the box. She likes Edith (for our Grams) NN Edie but isn't sure her DH will go for it.
Sorry--unrelated question here. I posted a while ago about the names Natalie and Madeline, and mentioned how we had changed our minds completely to go with Anna.
Now we're back to the drawing board AGAIN, because my husband's family members recently commented that "Anna" reminds them too much of my husband's ex. (The association hadn't bothered me, but now I'm having second thoughts. Partly because I love Anna but haven't been 100% "sold" on the name.)
I liked Anna for its classic simplicity and worldwide appeal. The new name that we're considering is Juliana, thinking that it would give our daughter more options in the form of nickname opportunities (including Anna!). And yes, I do like the name Juliana on its own.
What do you guys think? Is Juliana too romantic or overly feminine? Her middle name would be my mother's one-syllable maiden name, starting with a B.
Thanks!
Oh, again, off-topic--my husband and I came across "Acadia" and found it an intriguing name option.
THEN I turned on the TV and saw a commercial for the new GMC Acadia.
How disappointing.
What do you guys think of Acadia as an up-and-coming name?
Lucy's sister could be Adair! (As I've posted before, I know a Lucy/Adair sister-pair).
Molly May is straight out of the ee cummings poem "Maggie and Milly and Molly and May." It's a great poem, and could be an interesting namesake if your sister likes it.
Just some more miscellaneous words I thought of:
Laundry
Mussel
Generosity
Envelope
Fallopian/alt sp=Phallopian
Radio/alt sp=Raydeo
Nabisco
Shellac
Cemetery/alt sp=Semetary
Dessert/alt sp=Deezert;D'Zert
Cellophane/alt sp Sellafane
Jo-Another thought on Frances. It was the "real" name of the character in Dirty Dancing and I'll never forget one of the classic lines from the end of the movie.-"Nobody puts Baby in a corner" because her nn was Baby. So another nn option or a reason NOT to use it-you decide. And still one more thought, (Don't hate me but..)Veronica Lynn is more stripper-esque than Frances or Nora Lynn.
Eimi-How about Victrola;Thunder;Clef;Adaggio;Forte;Drum;or Harp
AG-Lucy Ann's sister could be:
Vivienne May or Jillian May! But I'll think of some others at my other computer later.
Boys:
Heathen (for all those parents who think Heath is too short, Heathcliff too long, and Ethan too common.)
Moat (Bailey's brother)
Spartan
Dominion
Orthodox
Inferno
Bogus (they wanted nn Gus, but Angus was too beefy, Fergus too Gaelic and Gustav too fancy)
I think Veronica goes best for a number of reasons:
1) It's a family name that has special meaning.
2) Georgiana and Veronica both have 4 syllables and end in "a." The rhythm of the two together sounds pleasant.
3) If you call her Ronnie for short, then she and her sister will both have cute, androgynous nicknames. (If you do go with Frances, you could call her Frankie to better match Georgie.)
4) You can use the others easily as middle names. Veronica Frances sounds very nice (as does Frances Nora or Nora Frances, if you go that route)
In my experience when you have a handful of names you like, the best thing to do is wait until you meet the baby. One of the names will obviously be the best for her. My cousin went back and forth between Maya and Claire her entire pregnancy. In the last week, she decided the baby's name was definitely Maya. And yet, after seeing her, she left the hospital with Claire ;-)
As a Frances, my vote is obviously for Frances. I've probably gone by every nickname at one point in my life (Francie, Frankie, Fran, and Franny) but prefer my full name. It's a name that ages well, I think.
Laura-I think you have the beginnings of another column here. There are many word "names" that "aren't too bad" because of the endings. Especially for girls, there seems to be an abundance of -ine, -ity, -ia and so on words that fit. For the boys, even though there is the ending sound -ex/ax/ix, it seems we concentrate more on the beginning sounds. Do you see this? Any thoughts from anyone else?
I think that we look at endings for male names, too. For instance, Tibia and Patella with their soft "a" ends sound female (at least to me) but Sternum and Cranium with their stronger ends definitely strike me as male names. While I agree that a name like Dominion probably sounds male partially because of its similarity to a name like Dominic, change the name to Dominia and it sounds female, I think, showing that the ends count, too.
Bender, Bonus, Video, Liver, Ladder, Gavel, Spartan, Lemming, Printer, Monitor, Stain, Drano, etc. all sound male to me and I think that their endings have more to do with this perception than their beginnings. Change many of their ends and you can get lovely girls' names: Drana (heh, or Drama), Lemmine, Gavelline, Spartane, etc.
Of course I'm sure that there will be many instances of other readers thinking "Really? You thought of that as a male/female name?!"
Our second child arrived last Friday night: Phoebe Alexandra. As I stood in the baby nursery on Monday morning watching the nurse do her genetic screening test and HepB shot I took an impromptu name poll amongst the dozen babies present waiting the same tests.
12 babies: 7 female (1 set of twins), 5 male
5x Charlotte
1x Olivia (Olivia was one of the twins)
1x Phoebe
1 x Harry
2 x Henry
2 x Lucas
6 names for 12 babies! I know that strong geographical trends exist in baby naming, but by the time I had discovered that there were 5 Charlottes in the room I was pretty astounded. I was fairly surprised by the absence of Emily too.
The surnames were quite diverse from Tang to Okanopolis to Williams. Guess we are a pretty homogeneous bunch here in east Melbourne.
I didn't get the opportunity to discover the names of the other 14 babies on the ward at the time, but I would hazard a guess that they dont stray to far from the list above.
Many years ago, in an ESL class, one of the students offered that he thought the most beautiful sounding English word that he had learned was cellar-door - I think he was right, it does sound nice! Could be a name, couldn't it?
Maybe spelled Cellador?
AG my sisters name is actually Lucy Anne so the sibling names I suggest would be
Emily (Selina)
and Alice (Elizabeth)
However I totally would not call my child Emily at this point, so I don't blame anyone who rules it out.
Funnily enough May was a name considered for my Lucy's middle name, as its my nan's middle name.
Other names my parents considered were Rosie, Lizzie and Lottie. And my mum has always loved Florence.
Personally I think you need another y name to go with Lucy. How about Daisy? or Carrie? They both seemed to have been popular at around the same time as Lucy.
To comment on some of the names mentioned in the above comments...I grew up with an Acadia who went by the nn Cadi.
I went to college with both a Cinnamon and a Promise.
All of these girls would now be in their early 30s...
The Ethel-Mae Postulate strikes again! Congratulations on your new little one!
French names for Lucy Ann's sister:
Some ideas from top 50 list on tous-les-prenoms.com, these are some of what's popular in France at the mo, although not so much in the Anglophone world:
Amelie
Lea
Manon
Chloe
Camille
Oceane
Clara
Ines
Mathilde
Maeva (pron May-ay-vah)
Juliette
Morgane
Marion
Celia
Noemie
Amandine
Clemence
Elise
Laurine
Elodie
Lena
Maelys (that's Maya-lis)
Your focus on the word endings to determine masculinity or femininity seems to relate directly, whether consciously or unconsciously, to the influence of Latin and the other Romance languages, particularly Italian and Spanish (French to a somewhat lesser extent).
All of these languages have gendered nouns and it is the ending that most often shows the gender. Even though we don't have this in English, we are somewhat familiar with the concept.
I teach Italian, and to begin the lesson on the gender of nouns, I ask my students, "What is the difference between Maria and Mario." Obviously, the answer is that Maria is a girl and Mario is a boy. Ok, "What is the difference between bambino and bambina?" Most can figure out that bambino is a boy baby, and bambina is a girl baby. Ok, "What is the difference between libro and penna?" (book and pen, words they have already learned). A book is masculine and a pen is feminine. A weird concept, (especially for 15-year-olds who have never studied a foreign language before), but they are able to see that an -o ending means masculine and an -a ending means feminine.
In Latin, the -us ending is masculine, while -um is actually neuter (-a is still feminine). Your examples of Lemmine, Gavelline, and Spartane (I think Spartane is particularly lovely, btw :) ), are more French, which will often add an -e to make a word feminine.
As a Phoebe, I'm definately a fan of the name :-) I love that it's making a comeback and doesnt sound quite so old fashioned anymore. And same goes for Claire. When just about every one of my classmates' middle names were Ann, Marie, Michelle/Danielle, and Lee, Claire was a plesant change. And i think its a sweet name that will fit sweet little girls everywhere.
But then...I'm biased :-)
Hi-
I just want to put in a shameless plug for my baby-naming forum: http://namethatbaby.mit.edu It's still growing, only about 40 members so far, and we'd love to have some more! :-)
Cellar door is actually quite a common phrase that is held to be beautiful. According to Wikipedia, "The English compound cellar door plays a certain role in discussions of phonoaesthetics; a widely repeated claim first put forward by J. R. R. Tolkien in his essay English and Welsh (1955) holds that its sound is intrinsically beautiful."
It was also mentioned and played a fairly prominent role in the movie Donnie Darko.
I think your friend may have picked it up somewhere. :)
Karyn and Alitalia,
I agree with your assessments of the endings on names being classically -a(female) or -o(male). I was just comparing some of the word endings though in that there are many more female names that end in things like -ity, -ine, and -ia and more boys names that end in -ax/ex/ix. Even though to me Calyx sounds like a girls name Ajax sounds like a boys name. Verizon/Horizon sound like girls names and Dakota/Montana sound like boys names. There are exceptions to every rule but I wondered what everyone thought of some of the "word names" we've been listing.
Alitalia - I actually had a whole paragraph about just that but I didn't want to overstate my point or go on too long.
I speak French and I know that my knowledge of words' gender influences how I feel about them, but when I tested out a bunch of them I found that I mostly had that reponse when the word was in French (eg. Chaise is definitely feminine but Chair feels male.) I actually deleted the example of Voyeur from my "male" list because I *knew* that its maleness was due to the masculine ending of "eur".
Thanks for clearly explaining what I was too lazy to articulate!
Karyn, I can't think of any root words to illustrate my point, but I finally thought of something else for an illustration of the beginnning sounds.
Take the words Pringle, Jingle, Mingle, Single. Now my point was that there is a feminine slant on Single because many popular girls names these days start with S so to me that is female(F). Kind of like the "x" factor of the JP's. However, the "Pr" seems more Male. The J could be either based on names like Jennifer or James. M could also be either based on Michelle or Michael. If these were "real" names though I would say M;F;M;F. *Hope that made some sense.
Zoerhenne - I understand what you mean now, and I agree that the beginning letter or syllable of a word can influence the gender of it as a name. But I think that it works with the ending of the word. So if the ending is clearly male/female then the beginning loses some clout. However, if it is a gender-ambiguous ending then the beginning gains influence. Maybe?
The stuff about endings is true, but keep in mind there are strongly masculine names in Italian that end in -a such as Luca, Andrea and Nicola. Of course because of their ending, they get used as female names elsewhere. For example Jennie Garth's eldest is Luca Bella.
I wonder if the feminine -ity ending also comes from Latin / Romance languages... nouns that end in -ity in English often end in -itas in Latin and -ità in Italian, and are feminine in both languages. E.g. unity / unitas / unità. Felicity / felicitas / felicità.
So would it make sense to think that these positive qualities were given as names (Felicity - happiness, like Faith, Hope, and Charity - is Unity a name?), and nouns that were already feminine were more likely to be given to girls?
I also agree with Zoehrenne's first-letter theory, and Pringle, Jingle, Mingle, Single being M/F/M/F. This seems much more based on "feeling" rather than linguistics, to me at least. Any theories?
This is off-topic, but I was taking a look at the SSA's list of most popular names for twins in 2007. They don't break the names down by gender (boy/boy, one of each, or girl/girl), but I used what I learned from BNW to come up with an interesting thought.
Let's take a look at the first two pairs (starting from the most popular) which are gender-ambiguous: Madison/Morgan and Taylor/Tyler.
With Madison and Morgan, most likely Madison would be a girl just from the fact that Madison was #5 for girls last year and not in the top 1000 for boys. Now as to whether Morgan would be a boy or girl, based on the rankings Morgan is more likely to be a girl but could also plausibly be a boy. However, I think that Morgan is even more likely to be a girl in the Madison/Morgan twinsets because of the "correlation of styles"*: Based on what I've learned about name styles and sibling matches, someone who likes Madison for a girl is probably more likely to use Morgan for a girl than for a boy because Morgan as a girl's name more closely matches the style of Madison than Morgan as a boy's name.
With the Taylor/Tyler pair, either one could realistically be of either gender (based on the rankings Tyler is much more common for boys, more so than the gender gap with Taylor). However, unlike with the Madison/Morgan pair the likelihood of the different gender possibilities is probably more similar to what you would find among Taylors and Tylers from the general population of births from this time who aren't siblings*. This is because these names share a more similar style between the genders (unlike Morgan which likely fits into different "style families" for each gender). Based on my analysis and the general popularities of these two names, here's the likelihood of each combination from most to least likely: Taylor-girl/Tyler-boy, Taylor-boy/Tyler-boy, Taylor-girl/Tyler-girl, Taylor-boy/Tyler-girl.
*I've ignored the factor of same-gender twins tending to be a little more likely than twins of opposite gender (from what I've heard) in this analysis.
True, but those masculine names that end in -a are very much an exception - and I think they all derive from Greek names (Andreas - meaning man interestingly enough, Lucas, Nicolas). There are also a handful of nouns in Latin and Italian that end in -a but are still masculine - my Latin teacher called them the PAIN nouns. Poeta (poet) Agricola (farmer) Incola (inhabitant) Nauta (sailor). In Italian poeta, artista and Papa (Pope) are also masculine but, like with the abovementioned names, these words are very much the exception, not the rule.
As for people using Luca and Nicola as feminine names, well, that's their prerogative, and we've discussed the crossover of names from masculine to feminine many times here!
Comments
Forcing myself to not think of what these words mean, a lot of them do sound like names to me.
Having known a couple of Brightons, I can see Brightly actually being used. Sounds like a girl's name to me. I can also see someone naming a baby Savory---perhaps a brother to Popply Honey? Poppy Honey & Savory Basil :)
My favorite has to be the thought of a baby Keister running around out there...
A bee- Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has two daughters: Poppy Honey and Daisy Boo. Love the idea of Savory Basil!
Traylor Howard is an actress on USA's Monk television series. I think she's very talented, I just have a hard time moving past her name's meaning, even with the alternative spelling!
I can see the words with positive connotations taking off: brightly and neighborly. If abstract nouns (Liberty, Verity) or adjectives (I know of a Loyal) why not adverbs? Mommeighs might want to spell them Brightlee or Brightleigh or Briteley, or what have you.
LOL!! That is so funny because it is true!
I can't totally see Savory, Brightly, Keister, Craven and Slogan.
You never know!!
MONK's Traylor has inspired a few others - I've seen it pop up once or twice as Trayler and Trailer.
Makes me wonder if So You Think You Can Dance's Comfort will cause that to be a more accepted name.
I nominate Every.
Can't you see the announcement now...."We're spelling it Evary, so we can nn her Eva."
We used to call one of my HS teachers "Craven", because (as I recall) he was Cravin' so much knowledge. (He was a pretty dim bulb). (Of course the funny footnote for me is that I now teach that same subject...)
The other one that always got my was the boy whose last name was Sullivan who always got called Sully. It seemed like such an insult to me, but it didn't bother him or his friends any.
These names sound like parent smushes for the 2030s. Today's children Brittany and Riley may have Briteley. Craven for Chris and Raven, Jailer (Jaylor) for Jalen and Taylor, Neighborly (Naberlee?) for Nathan and Kimberly, Savory for Sam and Avery, Shyly for Cheyenne and Riley, Slogan for Sloan and Logan, and Traylor for Trenton and Taylor. Keister doesn't sound like a smush of today's tryndee names, maybe Kiefer and Esther. Straighten wouldn't be named after anyone, it would be used by ex-gay parents.
I actually have met two men named Craven in North Carolina - one named after the other. I have no idea how the name got started in their family.
LOL Laura and LOL Bill. Especially Trailer and Shyly!
LOL Bill those are too funny! I can totally see that happening in 2030.
I am lol!!
Bill: you are very funny. :)
Ha! This reminds me of the very funny kids' book called Tacky, about a set of penguins named Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, Perfect ... and Tacky.
"Straighten" may be out, but Strayhorn could be a fine name for the child of jazz buffs. (Or the name Strachan, which may be Strayhorn's original form.) Just leave the nickname options alone. Seriously.
And "Keister" would be bad, but I can see a kid named Key, or Keen, or Keyser, or Kaiser (perhaps after the hospital of his debut). And there are probably already some Keelers out there...though I'd prefer Keller.
That was hilarious Laura!
A few more along these lines:
Ovary (added bonus of tying the child to the cycle of life)
Livery
Estuary
Carrion (a friend's father had to ACTUALLY talk someone out of using this)
Onyx (I do think we'll be seeing this as a gem stone X-O alternative)
Pathos
Haddock
Brine
Maiden
Brittle
Vanity
Schilling
Phobia
Kettle
Ether
Bacon
COME VISIT MY BABY NAME BLOG:
http://youcantcallitit.com/
I think I've heard a Trailor running around somewhere with a mother kelling after him/her. I was shocked.
Kitchen
Mirth
Insulin
Wrath
Envy
Linger
Ennui
Video
Travel
Let's not forget our friend Kotex
I've always thought Chlamydia would be an enormously popular name if it weren't, you know...an STD.
I still remember the lady who wanted to name her child Miasma.
On the topic of Shyly, there is such a name as Shysie, so theres the possibility of that taking off.
And Im pretty sure Oynx has been a name at some point. Its in the jewel section of a very old edition of the Guiness Book of Names anyway.
I can totally see Phobia as a name if it wasn't already a word.
Personally I really like the name Ferris, but atlast three of my friends (and my dad) just go "ferris wheel?!".
There's actually a luggage shop here (Australia) called Carrion. I think it's meant to sound like Carry-On, but I don't tend to read it that way.
After I posted my last reply I remembered that the GBoN also has a section on words which have been used as names. None of the ones suggested so far are are in there however I would like to add these to the list:
Amorous
Anon
Bonus
Coma
Dark
Fiance
Halcyon
Hymen
Maudlin
Shed
Worthy
As a note of interest, ET suggested that the name Hymen has been used on a person; I can back that up. A person by that name donated an incredibly large some of money to the university I attend and thereby was able to confer his name on to one of the student residences. Now years of unfortunate students can honestly say that they "live in Hymen".
Hi Everyone,
Sorry to be off topic, but I'm due in three weeks and we still can't decide on a name for our baby girl. We have a daughter named Georgiana (Georgie) and the top three names we are considering for her sister are: Frances (Frannie), Veronica (Vee or Ronnie) or Nora. Frances pairs the best, but Veronica has special family meaning (and we just liked Nora). Does Veronica not go well with Georgiana? Look forward to hearing your opinions!
JO, after reading the three options I thought "hmm, Veronica pairs best." :-) It's a lovely name and I can't remember the last time I met a baby Veronica.
Ennui is really growing on me (as I sit here at my boring job ;)).
JO, I think Veronica and Georgiana could go together. I like Frannie the best of the nicknames you list, though (and think it "goes" best with Georgie). Do you prefer Frances to Francesca?
JO, I prefer Frances with Georgiana, but think Veronica/Nora goes well, too. If you have special family significance for choosing Veronica, then go for that! (Plus, your daughter can watch the amazing tv show Veronica Mars and feel extra special)
Love the name Georgiana, by the way.
A short list of words that would be names if they weren't words with negative connotations based on popular naming trends. And these are only the" C"s!
Coroner (Connor, only different!)
Crazy (like Maisy meets Cody)
Contentious (Atticus or Finneaus meets Marcus/Lucas)
Corona
and one that's not a "C"
Lazy ( Maisy, Zoe, Lexie, Lucy)
JO,
I am a big fan of family connection and/or special meaning in names so my vote goes to Veronica.
Congratulations!
I've always thought "Celery" would be a nice name if it weren't a vegetable!
"As a note of interest, ET suggested that the name Hymen has been used on a person; I can back that up. A person by that name donated an incredibly large some of money to the university I attend and thereby was able to confer his name on to one of the student residences. Now years of unfortunate students can honestly say that they "live in Hymen"."
Um, yeah, that was my grandfather's name. The Hebrew is Chaim (for which Charles is often used as the English name), and Hyman was the more usual spelling (as in Leo Rosten's novel "The Return of Hyman Kaplan), but unfortunately, Grandpa Hy used Hymen. This was long before the hymen was generally spoken of outside of the pure medical context! It's not a name that's going to get used anymore, even with the less embarrassing spelling.
Hm, and I assumed this entry was apropos of our friend Codex.
Savory could be a botanical name--it's an herb. I have both summer savory and winter savory growing in my garden.
The mention of Loyal and Comfort got me thinking of some of the other fun virtue/word names of the past. There was the highly respected judge named Learned Hand (b. 1872 as Billings Learned Hand, apparently Learned was his mother's maiden name). And my childhood dog was named Royal--I was amused to learn later that Royal ranked as a name for boys consistently from 1880-1971 (our Royal was a girl, named for my mother's infatuation with British royalty--her current dog is named Windsor, which I think could also make a decent name for a person).
Of Laura's listed names, I don't mind Brightly, and I could definitely see some unfortunate children ending up with Jailer (Jaylor?) or Shyly (Shyleigh).
Coll-Frances seems to go best, but Veronica is just as good. Nora is fine too but I like the first two better. I think family significance always gives a name a boost. Then it can give the child a nice story when she older.
Megan W. -- I know loads of Sullivans (both as a fn and as a ln) who go by Sully ... I've always thought it was cute, and the verb has never seemed to cause a problem. In fact, I think of Sullivan nn Sully as a very masculine Irish name.
Re: Carrion -- we'd considered the mn Carean for a daughter, which we were pronouncing "care-EEN," but the first time someone saw it and thought we were saying "carrion" made me rethink the spelling! (We ended up changing it to "Carine.")
JO -- I love Georgiana nn Georgie! I do think Frances or Veronica goes best with it, but I just love Nora ... would you consider Veronica with the nn Nora? It's certainly not a traditional fn/nn combo, but I think it could work ... all the letters of "Nora" are contained in Veronica after all ...
Kate- re celery- there is in fact an interior designer by the name of Celerie Kemble. http://www.kembleinteriors.com/
I sort of like Royal. We know one in his thirties, and I met a preschool age Royal not long ago.
I was thinking about the original topic on a long drive yesterday.
I came up with several. These are my best:
Avarice
Malice
Enema (too obvious?)
Jettison
Aviary
Larvae
JO-For no good reason, I'm not a fan of V names, and Ronnie is not my cup of tea.
I love Frances, though I prefer Francie to Frannie, and Nora is one of my all-time favorites.
I'd give the nod to Frances as I think it does go better with sister's name.
Having said all that, I think Veronica works fine as well, and if it has special meaning, and you love it, go for it!
Bill, LMBO about mommeighs - that's a new one to me.
Laura, love this list! Though I do think that Shyly, Savory, Craven and Brightly are names I would expect to hear! Esp Brightly and Shyly. Definitely Jaylor (Jailer).
JO - Coincidentally, I have two adult cousins named Nora and Veronica (Ronnie). Their middle sister is Kellie. Kind of a weird mix of names but our grandmother was Nora.
I think Veronica is the best with Georgiana. I do not like the nickname Ronnie, though. Like I said, my cousin was a Veronica who went by Ronnie a lot and it's such a huge departure from such a lovely, feminine name. I like Francesca over Frances, though. Nora is gorgeous but I prefer Veronica or Francesca, though if you insist on immediate nicknames, I'd maybe go with Nora to avoid that.
Also, Jason Bateman has a daughter named Francesca Nora.
JO - I think the best sibling name for your daughter is Francesca called Frankie. But failing that, I like Veronica called Ronnie.
Jo-I think Frances or some variation goes best with Georgianna as far as matching styles. I do like the name Veronica though and especially respect family ties. You could do Veronica Frances which I think is lovely and then you have your choice of nn's.
JM-I too thought of Video for the O sound and popular V also. Then there are these others:
Xanax(uber-great with 2 x's)
Window-nn Winnie
Magazine-alternate to Magnus/Magnum??
Chrysallis
Zebra-kind of like Deborah only with a great Z
That's all for now!
I couldn't sleep last night so I was lying there thinking about his...
I know that I thought of more...
How about Latrine?! And, of course, the world of prescription medications offers so much -- my personal favorite is Lunesta.
Meet my lovely family...
We have six boys:
Bison, Lummox, Skiver, Yeoman, Abacus, and Raisin
and seven girls:
Hysteria, Fallacy, Chimera, Payola, Usherette, Charnel, and Ammonia
and don't forget the twins!
Nylon and Vinyl (boy and girl)
Zenith and Nadir (girl and boy)
Wiki and Widget (two girls)
Thanks for all of your input! Naming your second is so much more difficult than naming your first, so keep the input coming!
Jill C. & Mara - For some reason, I'm not a big fan of Francesca, but I like Frances. We're still debating on if there will be a nickname for Frances, but if there were, Fran, Frannie, Frankie and Francie are up for consideration (J&H's mom - I prefer Francie, too, like one of my other favs Nancy).
Veronica would be after my very special grandfather, Ronald, which is why Ronnie is up for consideration as a nickname (however, I like Vivi or Vee better). I just assumed that Veronica didn't go well with Georgiana because it was most popular in a different era (Georgiana 1880s, Veronica 1970s).
Nora is still a fallback name that I've always loved - I like Eleanora, nn Nora.
Wow, I'm glad I have other people on this blog that I can overthink this with!
Elisabeth,
There is a real guy named Ether! I've been watching "High School Musical - Get in the Picture" where kids audition to appear in the next High School Musical movie. (I have to admit that I love all of the singing and dancing reality shows. I'm a Broadway musical geek at heart!) One of the contestants who made it through this week is a teenage boy named Ether. There's also a beautiful girl named Tierney. The only problem with this name is that it sounds like "Tyranny" when said aloud. So, I think we should add Tyranny to the list.
Wraith. Lattice. Formula. Kiss. Tile. Cable. And my favorite: Theodolite.
JO- If you don't like Francesca, have you considered Francine? Otherwise, I think Frances is sweetly old-fashioned.
Among prescription meds, I'm certain it won't be long until Lyrica takes off. Lyric is already on the chards. And the -rica ending, is the same as the formerly popular Erica, and to a lesser degree, America.
Ivy- For the mother's of Ivy and soon to be mothers of Ivy.
There is a book called Ivy Louise. I thought that sounded nice, and really rolled off the tongue.
Which reminds me of Lydia, I read a book where the girl's name is Lydia Grace. Now I can't think of a Lydia having any other name! :)
medicines:
Celexa
Levitra
Viagra
Boniva
Keppra
Yaz (Yasmin)
Prozac (nn Zac)
Geodon (grandpas smushed)
Insulynn (ok someone else posted this, but not mommeigh-fied)
Dilantin (because Dylan is too short)
Plavix
Vioxx
Celebrex
Valtrex
Vytorin
Estrogen (so she won't grow up as Imogen S)
Senna
Belladonna
Marijuana (medicinal in CA, while we're on the herb topic)
body parts:
Amygdala (nn Amy)
Cerebellum (because Sara is too short)`
also:
Anesthesia
Sister Melinda--
I actually, personally know a boy named Wr4ith. His brother's name is C4in. And there's a third one, but I can't remember his name at the moment. But it's something similarly...dark.
Tirzah:
Re: "Tierney" that sounds like "tyranny". I have seen quite a few editions of Survivor, and a contestant named Parvati has played twice. My previous associations with the name were from the Harry Potter books, and in my head I was saying PAR-va-tee or par-VA-tee. Imagine my surprise when Jeff Probst continually said (to my ears) "poverty". Maybe it's just a Canadian vs. American accent thing, but it throws me off every time.
Hmmm... Poverty is actually kind of pretty. And Ether! A young one at that, is a shocker (though it shouldn't be).
From the kitchen:
Rice (Reece + Brice)
Vanilla (Vanessa + Camilla)
Sorrel (Sophie + Laurel)
JO: is Frances Veronica not an option? That would hands down be my vote. Love Francie, too.
http://youcantcallitit.com/
Is Yaz a word? Im going to assume it's some type of drug or medication from your post but it's wierd because that is the name of one of my best friends. Her real name is Yasmina but goes by Yaz.
jo: I would go with a Fran-something Veronica. And not bc ^^ Elisabeth suggested it. I was coming to suggest Francesca before you shot that down. My favorite nn is definitely Francie. Love it.
From ET's list--
Hymen
Maudlin
Maudlin was a name before it was a "word." It's a form of Magdalene. Hymen was the name of the Greek god of marriage. Tawdry is another word derived from a name (St. Audrey).
Speaking of "anatomical" words/names, my friends who went to Catholic school made up a bunch of comically disrespectful stories about two nuns, Sister Vagina Marie and Sister Mary Clitoris. (Please note, I had nothing to do with the stories--except laugh.)
What about Lobelia? Very nice herb name, that ^_~ Or Cayenne? Nettle? Betony? Mullein? Plantain? Hickory? Oat! Apple ^_^ Sarsaparilla. Valerian.
Jo: I like Veronica best. It goes well enough with Georgiana while keeping each child truly individual, and it frees you up stylistically for any future children you may or may not have.
Sorry for the double-post. Gotta add Maize.
speaking of odd plant name names, I was thinking today that Liriope, although I cannot stand the plant, makes a pretty name.
Jo, I like Veronica and Nora. Although I dig the nn for Fran*, I'm not much on any of the long versions other than Francesca.
from the spice rack:
Anise, Paprika
adverbs:
Daily, Nightly
except these would be Daly and Knightley (nn Knight), working for the add-a-lee crowd AND the surname crowd.
Yaz is an oral contraceptive. Medicine brand names are formed from pleasing, familiar sounds, many of which sound like names. I wonder how many millions of dollars go into the research end of marketing drugs.
One of Bilbo and Frodo's hobbit relatives was named Lobelia. Valerian is a real name.
Some other herb/plant "names":
Verbena
Dittany (nn Ditzie).
Arnica
Celandine
Asphodel
Gentian
Damiana
Mimosa
Yarrow
Quince
Tansy
Vetiver
Samphire
Ephedra
Henna
Larkspur
Primula
Jacaranda
Oleander
Quinoa
We have Clementine, so why not Tangerine and Satsuma?
I love Sternum!! It sounds great.
How about Vero for Veronica? I know someone in Austria on a message board who has a sister Veronica who goes by Vero. Since I only know her online, I don't know the pronounciation, but in my mind it ryhmes with hero.
Love the word game.
Fennel
Morphine or Morphia
Layette
Anisette
Cointreau
Penne
Tomatillo
Botox (Brangelina's next?)
Flax
Corset
oh, laura, thank you for the laugh!
JO -
It looks like Veronica was actually more popular in the 1880s than Georgiana was! Veronica was at #353 and Georgiana was at #385 - seems like a good match!
I think they sound wonderful together and the family connection is great.
Re: Eleanora - I love this name! Absolutely beautiful.
JO -- I love the name Veronica, but don't care for the Ronnie nn (although I understand your family connection to that particular choice). I think Veronica Frances sounds lovely and prefer that to Frances Veronica.
Other word-as-name options (although some are probably already in use):
Sonic
Chaos
Liminal
Viceroy
Other possibilities:
Navel (for fans of Mabel and Hazel)
Tampax (when Maddox loses its edge)
Anorexia (Anna and Alexia combine)
Pox (the next great x name)
Quaintly
And of course there's Cotton (as in Mather)
One of my favorite "word" names is Makepeace, William Makepeace Thackery's middle name. Does anyone know if it was a family name or purely a virtue name? I could see the Jolie-Pitts getting behind it for their next member.
Ooh, I think Flaxen has promise! (Not for me, but for someone....) Nice meaning, botanical, that magical X in the middle and comfortable -en ending!
Elisabeth--FYI, Sorrel is also a "real" name! (AND, it seems like it might be a very theme-y sibling for Flaxen--both names used to describe horse coloring that have a botanical meaning. Hmmm....)
I think a lot of musical instrument words sound like they could be names:
Clarinet
Violin
Tuba
Timpani
Tambourine
Cymbal
Mandolin
Also, Symphony.
Viola already is accepted, and I know Banjo is used sometimes too.
Whiskey
Tonic
Tamale
Ricotta
Spam
Pepper
Pretzel
Latte
Patio
Faux
Menses
Iron
Aureole
Timbre
Tremolo
Capo
Coda
Arpeggio
Alto
Octave
Clef
Key
Sharp(e)
Fret
Pitch
Marzipan
Margarine
Marjoram
Bistro
Zenith actually sounds like something I would use. Also Akron. That would make good A&Z twins, both meaning 'highest point.'
A body name I missed: Areola
(The baby's name and mealtime view, in one!)
Clorox
Dysplasia
Vaseline (and Vaselina)
Plasma
Silo
Yellow
Cox
Coxswain (Coxen?)
Highly (Hiley?)
Oh, and Quarrel.
Can I just say that while I don't care for Ronnie at all, I love both Frances called Francie and Eleanora called Nora? I like how Frances yields Francie, which I LOVE, but also Frank and Frankie, if she happens to be a tomboy. And Frances in full in nice, too. Likewise Eleanora yields Nora, but also Ella, if she wants to blend in more, and yet also stands well on its own.
I can't stop now!!
Lexicon
Trivia
While watching tv, I saw a commercial for something called "Zytex."
I think that one has definite potential as a name, if you ignore the meaning.
Hmm. If Angelina had any real creativity she would have named her daughter Vivienne Machine.
Is Cameo too crazy a choice for a daughter?
Absinthe
Chaise
Stratos
Macaroni
Casserole (nn Cassie, of course)
Cyclone
Buick
Ovaltine (the new Olivia?)
BTW, I love Lexicon.
I know a Cameo - we met in the 7th grade. I don't think she was much of a fan of her name in the time that we were growing up (middle through high school). Like my name, hers was just a bit too "fringe" and got mispronounced/misinterpreted and was often met with looks of surprise by new people. I think she likes it now, though. And naming outside of the top 20 seems infinitely more accepted now than in the late 80s/early 90s when we grew up.
Lexicon is inspired, J&H's mom!
hard to stop, isn't it? Grieve, Gravely, Graven, Gravy, Pyro, Tyre, Sire, Wire, Maiden, Laden, Satan (spelled Sayden, of course, or perhaps Seyton)...
Oh, man! This is becoming obsessive.
Isn't Caramel a divine girl's name?
Coleus could be trendy for a boy.
Regalia
Xerox
Merlot
Rosacea
Estuary
Remora
Rotunda
Tundra
Splenda
Kerosene
I know a woman named Oats. Her sister is
I think Carol, not Barley as you might expect.
In case you were wondering, bill, my son used the posting name Bill here a few weeks ago, not realizing we already have a Bill. Sorry about that. And by the way, Estuary and Rosacea are lovely.
RB, I am now officially in love with your deadpan humor. The boys' names made me laugh till the tears came. Very uncool to declare it but there you are. Also, J&H's mom, "Every" was brilliant.
Um. Here's my little dictionary-family
Boys:
Ladder
Warden
Silo
Pox
Girls:
Jettison
Macadamia
Novella
Drily (spelled Drylee, of course).
Good night all...
Beth
Just heard about a new little boy born last week - his name... Revel. I guess the parents were feeling celebratory??
I actually have seen Craven used on a kid. And the last name was the same as an insect. I think it's horrible but apparently the parents are either dense or foolish. I've also actually seen Pastel, Wyld, Tawny, Rowdy, Penn, and a couple of other ones that I can't recall at the moment.
I'm also pretty sure that I've seen a link to a web nursery announcement for a child named Celexa. And, I'm sure Kadian has probably been used as a name (it's a brand of morphine).
I've also seen plenty of Graydon (grading), Jaylin (jailing), Raiden (radon or raiding), and Taryn (taring), so I'm not sure that the fact that the sound like names would even be a deterrent.
Shyly is definitely already a name. I went to school with a girl named Shylee (she'd be about 25 now) and when I tried to find her on facebook there were about 100 spelt either Shylee or Shyly.
Tansy and Sorrel are both already names. There was a Tansy two years below me in school. I think any herb or flower, or word with positive meaning, could end up as a name really. Like people have said if Basil is a name, how about Chive or Parsely? Or Tumeric?
Gravy is great! How about twins Wavy and Lazy!
Queso
Huevo
Zanahoria
Speaking of Mimosa, has anyone suggested Bellini? (nn Bella of course)
And, I forgot my husband's favorite name: Hurl. He has met someone with this name and has suggested it many times. I have agreed to use it only if we have twin boys; the other will be called Ralph.
RB - Ha! Love the family, especially Usherette and Payola.
I saw Traylor Howard on Leno years ago - it's her mother's maiden name, and her part of the south that's given to the first child regardless of gender. She said her favorite nn was Hitch.
I have an elderly friend who swore blind he once knew twins named Balcony and Mezzanine. Which have been the names of my imaginary twins ever since.
Also, there's a children's book called 'I, Coriander' which is a terrific name (it's the European word for cilantro). On that theme, there's also Courgette and Aubergine.
Chardonnay took off in the UK after being on Footballers' Wives.
Laura, for those you suggested, why not
Nevarc
Reliaj
Retsiek
Yrovas
Nagols
Nethgiarts
Reliart
Trendy but in a different way, right?
Bill- quit it! I can't stop laughing! Xerox: the new Brangelina x baby?
Re a sibster for Georgiana- do you say it the English way, or do you give it an American a in ana at the end? Because I would go for Frances as a sister name, but only if she had the long a, not a short one. I love Fanny as a middle name- very Janeite, and also "do admit, Fanny" from Love in a Cold Climate. I don't think you would say Fanny in public in America??? or am I thinking of another anatomical term? everyone's made up names have me confused! And I think Frances Eleanor sounds great- you could still have Nora as a nickname (or Cessie- as in pit!) Susan
Penn is a solid surname-as-given-name--and a very historical surname at that! I've known a few of Penns (it helps to know a lot of Quakers and people from Philadelphia, I guess... ;) ) I think it's quite handsome.
Considering that I've heard Easton, Ashton and Preston yelled after kids in the last few days, I'm surprised that "Brighton" is not the trendy new name. Or is it?
How about b/g twins -- Silken and Leathern.
Just heard this one last week:
Sylence Nevaeh
bill, you are on a roll! Keep 'em coming.
I've posted about my father-in-law's siblings before, but he has a brother named Radon (actually named after the gas, but before it was known to be carcinogenic), and sisters named Trauma and Rarileigh (called Rare for short). Yikes!
No one has mentioned Huckleberry yet. A nod to a literary great and a botanical to boot.
And I'm thinking that carcinogen has a nice ring to it. Nicknames could be Carsi or Jen (girls) or Carson (boy).
These suggestions are all pricless!!! I'll try to add a few, but e.g. Jettison is just spot on. :) Here's my domestic list.
Rector
Box
Margin
Barely
Retrieve
Melon
Finally
Filter
Rye
Onion
Truly
Nuisance
Saute
Slice
Julienne - what, that's already a name? Who knew?
Winery
Glass
Cake or Caek as my stumbled typing produced
Photograph - if Pheobe and Phobia work, why not?
Sister Melinda: Ditto on Penn. It's far from "pen".
Lorien: I've had my eye on Brighton for a few years now (since the show "Everwood"), and I'm not sure why it hasn't caught on yet, as it has a trendy sound/feel. I quite like Brighton nn Bright, and there are all sorts of positive associations. I suggested Bright to my fiancé some time ago, but his response was "What if he... isn't?" ;)
So, in high school I dated a boy who was dead set on naming his future sons Trep and Trisk. Trep is, of course, a good golden retriever name, and Trisk always made me think of Triscuits (the cracker). So, in honor of him:
Triscuit (nn Trisk)
Newton
Figg
Oreo
Ritz
Nilla
Chips (As in Goodbye Mr...?)
Keebler
Saltine
And fine fancy names:
Medallion
Chalice
Malaise
Phobia
I'm afraid people are going to derive too much inspiration from this!!!
FWIW, Octave is also a name. It's the French answer to Octavian, and I for one really like it! I also think that Pepper is a name, as much as Sorrel is.
http://youcantcallitit.com/
This thread is the most fun I've had all week...
Amy3, there was a Canadian olympic rower named Silken Laumann, back in the 90s. Her sister is Daniele, though!
Partially inspired by car names- Exam, Flex, Edge, Civic, Citizen, Sonata, Luminescence (Luminessence), Matrix, Vector, Micro, Electron, Vista, Rover, Carousel (Caryselle).
I'm having trouble coming up with anything new and creative, but the joke name for me before I was born was Kentucky Blue (real ln that sounds like Grass). Kentucky is a place name so it's probably already being used, but I'm not sure the three together are...
JO, I like all of your options and definitely think Vernica Frances is a nice combo, although if you might have more girls would you regret using both names at once or be happy to use Eleanor then? As for nicknames my mom's nn as a kid and still with family is Fancy which I think is adorable on a little girl. Doesn't fit the same style as Georgie, but I thought I'd throw it out anyway!
Re: Caramel as a girl's name -- yes, especially since some pronounce it "carmel" and Carmel is already a girl's name (I say cara-mel ... and was actually nn'd Cara by a friend in high school when I dated a boy with the last name Mello [like the candy bar Caramello]).
Susan -- I too have always wondered about "Fanny" because of its use as a term for one's backside ... though the only people I've ever heard use it to mean that are older, so maybe most young people/kids wouldn't be familiar with that meaning?
Wafer
Tidbit (a mirror palindrome when lowercase, in a font with out a little hook for the t)
Sandal
Demise
Abyss
Uremia
Bulimia
Diverticula
Macedonia
Dilemma (matches well with Nuisance)
Quandary
Debris
Re Fanny: In the US it means backside. In the UK it means female genital. I would stick with Frannie or Francie or some such.
Re Huckleberry: there is a professional poker player named Huckleberry (Huck) Seed. His sibs--Poppy, Cotton, and Leif....
In the "nothing new under the sun" department: in the 12th century Heloise and Abelard named their son Astrolabe.
My uncle has been thinking up names for my soon-due daughter. Among them:
Amnesia
Alexia
Dyslexia
It's funny that people actually DO use Alexia as a name. It's a disorder. LOL
My husband and I have been thinking of Veronica, so it's funny that the question was raised here about that name. It's certainly much better than Amnesia.
Makepeace was a family name for him, and is still is here in New England where I live.
Leonie, Cameo is WAY cool. :)
Enid, our neighbor's grandchild is Alexia. :) Course in my dd's lexicon it's pronounced 'wekkia'...
Thank you all for the input! My husband is leaning toward Veronica and I'm still undecided between the three (Veronica, Frances & Nora). The middle name for all three would be Lynn (again to honor a family member). I did a search on Veronica Lynn and unfortunately, an adult film star uses that name - Yikes! Should this affect my naming choice?!
I think Fanny is cute, however, I am concerned with the UK meaning!
Love this thread discussion. You guys have me laughing at my desk!
Could someone make a list of more music/sound inspired "names"? I'm helping my uncle pick names for characters in his book. He won't tell me why, but they must have this connection.
We have: Cadence (girl)
Sonic (boy. I found this one on this thread! Going to suggest it to him tomorrow!)
And we need one more for a boy.
Thanks!
P.s. Wow all I seem to do on this site is ask for naming help for other people ;)
P.P.S: BTW, I just typed up a Baptism certicate for two girls: Jerzee (Jersey?), and Quality!
RB, I'm also crying with laughter at your words-for-names lineup, especially "Lummox," "Usherette" and "Payola." Hee!
re: Caramel.
Yes. One of my former students older sister was Caramel. Or was hers Carmel? Yes. It was Carmel.
My SIL is Caramela. Caramela Delight to be precise. (pro. car-ma-la)
I have to weigh in on the Frances, Veronica, Nora discussion. I have to vote for Frances Veronica (I prefer that order), then you could have several different nicknames for different occasions! My DD is Nina Frances and when she's being silly she's Nina Fancy Francie, but when she's being naughty she's being Nina Frannie or just Frannie, but she's never Frankie...it just doesn't seem to fit her, but it's cute too.
Now I need some suggestions if I may interrupt the fun name games..
I'm trying to help my sister brainstorm for her Girl #2 due in Nov. Her first daughter is Lucy Ann3 and their LN is a cute French name that starts with a B.
I've suggested Sylvie but she felt ehhhhh about it and we don't like how trendy Sophie is. Charlotte was on her orig. list for baby #1 and she likes the name Molly but isn't overwhelmed by it. They might use "May" as a middle name to honor his grandmother and Molly M a y is a little too sing-songy.
Any other suggestions? Nothing too difficult because they constantly have to spell their last name.
Thanks!
Eimi do you want Music/Sound words that are already considered names? Or just words that COUlD be names?:
Try:
Treble
Echo
Allegro
Adagio
Dolce
Forte
Melody
Tempo
Tembre
Acoustic
Ambience
Bass
Names for sister of Lucy Ann:
Amy (although Amy May doesn't work well)
Claire
Julie
Sally (or is the Peanuts connection to strong?)
Chloe
Wendy, thanks for your imput!
Check this out:
Amy is my name! (I suggested to her as a joke because it is making a come back!!)
Chloe was the name I used as an alias back in my angsty teen years!
Julie is her sister in law!
Claire is a name of college BFF's new baby!
Sally is really cute, but maybe too much Peanuts like you said.
What else can I shoot down? haha jk
She kinda likes Sadie, but it's a little trendy. And she's willing to go kinda outside the box. She likes Edith (for our Grams) NN Edie but isn't sure her DH will go for it.
Sorry--unrelated question here. I posted a while ago about the names Natalie and Madeline, and mentioned how we had changed our minds completely to go with Anna.
Now we're back to the drawing board AGAIN, because my husband's family members recently commented that "Anna" reminds them too much of my husband's ex. (The association hadn't bothered me, but now I'm having second thoughts. Partly because I love Anna but haven't been 100% "sold" on the name.)
I liked Anna for its classic simplicity and worldwide appeal. The new name that we're considering is Juliana, thinking that it would give our daughter more options in the form of nickname opportunities (including Anna!). And yes, I do like the name Juliana on its own.
What do you guys think? Is Juliana too romantic or overly feminine? Her middle name would be my mother's one-syllable maiden name, starting with a B.
Thanks!
Oh, again, off-topic--my husband and I came across "Acadia" and found it an intriguing name option.
THEN I turned on the TV and saw a commercial for the new GMC Acadia.
How disappointing.
What do you guys think of Acadia as an up-and-coming name?
Siphon
Vapor
Dentifrice
Allergy
Dinette
Spigot
I have nothing but positive connotations from Juliana (Juliana Hatfield). Please don't spell it with 2 Ns, I like it less that way.
Acadia nn Katie. Good for the place name crowd.
I went from elementary to high school with an Acacia, nn Kacie.
Lucy's sister could be Adair! (As I've posted before, I know a Lucy/Adair sister-pair).
Molly May is straight out of the ee cummings poem "Maggie and Milly and Molly and May." It's a great poem, and could be an interesting namesake if your sister likes it.
Just some more miscellaneous words I thought of:
Laundry
Mussel
Generosity
Envelope
Fallopian/alt sp=Phallopian
Radio/alt sp=Raydeo
Nabisco
Shellac
Cemetery/alt sp=Semetary
Dessert/alt sp=Deezert;D'Zert
Cellophane/alt sp Sellafane
P.S. this thread is cracking me up!!
Jo-Another thought on Frances. It was the "real" name of the character in Dirty Dancing and I'll never forget one of the classic lines from the end of the movie.-"Nobody puts Baby in a corner" because her nn was Baby. So another nn option or a reason NOT to use it-you decide. And still one more thought, (Don't hate me but..)Veronica Lynn is more stripper-esque than Frances or Nora Lynn.
Eimi-How about Victrola;Thunder;Clef;Adaggio;Forte;Drum;or Harp
AG-Lucy Ann's sister could be:
Vivienne May or Jillian May! But I'll think of some others at my other computer later.
last one, I promise!
Boys:
Heathen (for all those parents who think Heath is too short, Heathcliff too long, and Ethan too common.)
Moat (Bailey's brother)
Spartan
Dominion
Orthodox
Inferno
Bogus (they wanted nn Gus, but Angus was too beefy, Fergus too Gaelic and Gustav too fancy)
Girls:
Orthodoxy (nn: Doxy)
Design (Dezyne)
Easy
Essay
Allusion
Strata
Verily
What about
Quote
Bait
Brix (alt sp Brixx {like the pizza place})
Calculus
Modem
Tide (Tiden, Tidal)
Damm
Equinox
Gavel
Potter
Pain (Payne, Peighn)
Addiction, twin brother to Addison
This is addicting
oops, I meant to say that Addition would be Addison's twin. lol I guess either one would work
AG- okay, so be difficult. ;0
Try:
Phoebe
Lydia
Elena
Eliza
Adeline
Tess
Twins following the Jolie-Pitt trend:
Knob Lee & Avian Flucheline
JO,
I think Veronica goes best for a number of reasons:
1) It's a family name that has special meaning.
2) Georgiana and Veronica both have 4 syllables and end in "a." The rhythm of the two together sounds pleasant.
3) If you call her Ronnie for short, then she and her sister will both have cute, androgynous nicknames. (If you do go with Frances, you could call her Frankie to better match Georgie.)
4) You can use the others easily as middle names. Veronica Frances sounds very nice (as does Frances Nora or Nora Frances, if you go that route)
In my experience when you have a handful of names you like, the best thing to do is wait until you meet the baby. One of the names will obviously be the best for her. My cousin went back and forth between Maya and Claire her entire pregnancy. In the last week, she decided the baby's name was definitely Maya. And yet, after seeing her, she left the hospital with Claire ;-)
Here are a few more (and I apologize if any are repeats I missed after going through the other comments):
Arbor
Bargain
Bender
Brainy
Brash
Brass/Brassy
Calyx
Chrysallis
Cicada
Crash
Crass
Daily
Deli
Divinity
Entity
Failing
Gender
Grave/Graven
Hula
Infinity
Insanity
Jailor
Jelly
Lawyer
Lemming
Litany
Liturgy
Liver
Warden
Melanin
Melee
Messy
Odyssey
Paler (probably spelled Paylor)
Shade/Shady
Shave/Shaven
Simile
Sinister
Staid
Stain
Steal
Stash
Tax
Trashy
Voyeur
Waylay
Ziti
And what about brand names that could be a given name if you didn't know they were a brand:
Drano
Noxema
Barilla
Pledge
L'Oreal
Iams
Cottonelle
Tampax
Febreeze
Herbal/Essence (for twins)
Faygo
Izze
Evista
Celebrex
Aveda
Icee
Cymbalta
Strattera
Vioxx
Absorbine
Cialis
Bactine
Blythe, your mention of doxy suddenly made me think ... a proxy for a doxy is a substitute for a prostitute.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Charity
Austerity
Clarity (nn Clare)
Celerity
Dexterity (nn Dex)
Hilarity
Rarity
Sincerity
Temerity (nn Tim)
Verity
As a Frances, my vote is obviously for Frances. I've probably gone by every nickname at one point in my life (Francie, Frankie, Fran, and Franny) but prefer my full name. It's a name that ages well, I think.
Tammany
Twins: Sorrow and Pity
How about Bellyrub, nn Ellie, of course.
I have to say, if sternum did mean sternum ... I'm just saying ... I like it. :-)
Laura-I think you have the beginnings of another column here. There are many word "names" that "aren't too bad" because of the endings. Especially for girls, there seems to be an abundance of -ine, -ity, -ia and so on words that fit. For the boys, even though there is the ending sound -ex/ax/ix, it seems we concentrate more on the beginning sounds. Do you see this? Any thoughts from anyone else?
I think that we look at endings for male names, too. For instance, Tibia and Patella with their soft "a" ends sound female (at least to me) but Sternum and Cranium with their stronger ends definitely strike me as male names. While I agree that a name like Dominion probably sounds male partially because of its similarity to a name like Dominic, change the name to Dominia and it sounds female, I think, showing that the ends count, too.
Bender, Bonus, Video, Liver, Ladder, Gavel, Spartan, Lemming, Printer, Monitor, Stain, Drano, etc. all sound male to me and I think that their endings have more to do with this perception than their beginnings. Change many of their ends and you can get lovely girls' names: Drana (heh, or Drama), Lemmine, Gavelline, Spartane, etc.
Of course I'm sure that there will be many instances of other readers thinking "Really? You thought of that as a male/female name?!"
Our second child arrived last Friday night: Phoebe Alexandra. As I stood in the baby nursery on Monday morning watching the nurse do her genetic screening test and HepB shot I took an impromptu name poll amongst the dozen babies present waiting the same tests.
12 babies: 7 female (1 set of twins), 5 male
5x Charlotte
1x Olivia (Olivia was one of the twins)
1x Phoebe
1 x Harry
2 x Henry
2 x Lucas
6 names for 12 babies! I know that strong geographical trends exist in baby naming, but by the time I had discovered that there were 5 Charlottes in the room I was pretty astounded. I was fairly surprised by the absence of Emily too.
The surnames were quite diverse from Tang to Okanopolis to Williams. Guess we are a pretty homogeneous bunch here in east Melbourne.
I didn't get the opportunity to discover the names of the other 14 babies on the ward at the time, but I would hazard a guess that they dont stray to far from the list above.
Many years ago, in an ESL class, one of the students offered that he thought the most beautiful sounding English word that he had learned was cellar-door - I think he was right, it does sound nice! Could be a name, couldn't it?
Maybe spelled Cellador?
Alexis- the names in the baby nursery are actually only 5 for 12 babies- isn't Harry a nn for Henry? Good wishes to you and newbie Phoebe!
Girls:
DeClass`e
Magazine (nn Maggie)
Anxiety
Amphetamine (nn Minny or Amy)
Temerity
Amenhorrea (sorry about my spelling!)
Boys:
Bollard
Terror
Frame
Grim
Gingham
Pencil
AG my sisters name is actually Lucy Anne so the sibling names I suggest would be
Emily (Selina)
and Alice (Elizabeth)
However I totally would not call my child Emily at this point, so I don't blame anyone who rules it out.
Funnily enough May was a name considered for my Lucy's middle name, as its my nan's middle name.
Other names my parents considered were Rosie, Lizzie and Lottie. And my mum has always loved Florence.
Personally I think you need another y name to go with Lucy. How about Daisy? or Carrie? They both seemed to have been popular at around the same time as Lucy.
To comment on some of the names mentioned in the above comments...I grew up with an Acadia who went by the nn Cadi.
I went to college with both a Cinnamon and a Promise.
All of these girls would now be in their early 30s...
Alexis --
The Ethel-Mae Postulate strikes again! Congratulations on your new little one!
French names for Lucy Ann's sister:
Some ideas from top 50 list on tous-les-prenoms.com, these are some of what's popular in France at the mo, although not so much in the Anglophone world:
Amelie
Lea
Manon
Chloe
Camille
Oceane
Clara
Ines
Mathilde
Maeva (pron May-ay-vah)
Juliette
Morgane
Marion
Celia
Noemie
Amandine
Clemence
Elise
Laurine
Elodie
Lena
Maelys (that's Maya-lis)
Karyn,
Your focus on the word endings to determine masculinity or femininity seems to relate directly, whether consciously or unconsciously, to the influence of Latin and the other Romance languages, particularly Italian and Spanish (French to a somewhat lesser extent).
All of these languages have gendered nouns and it is the ending that most often shows the gender. Even though we don't have this in English, we are somewhat familiar with the concept.
I teach Italian, and to begin the lesson on the gender of nouns, I ask my students, "What is the difference between Maria and Mario." Obviously, the answer is that Maria is a girl and Mario is a boy. Ok, "What is the difference between bambino and bambina?" Most can figure out that bambino is a boy baby, and bambina is a girl baby. Ok, "What is the difference between libro and penna?" (book and pen, words they have already learned). A book is masculine and a pen is feminine. A weird concept, (especially for 15-year-olds who have never studied a foreign language before), but they are able to see that an -o ending means masculine and an -a ending means feminine.
In Latin, the -us ending is masculine, while -um is actually neuter (-a is still feminine). Your examples of Lemmine, Gavelline, and Spartane (I think Spartane is particularly lovely, btw :) ), are more French, which will often add an -e to make a word feminine.
So I agree with your m/f catogories completely!
Alexis -- Congratulations on baby Phoebe! Five Charlottes in one nursery ... wow. Bet you're glad you chose Phoebe.
Re: Juliana -- I like it. I, too, prefer the single /n/ spelling.
As a Phoebe, I'm definately a fan of the name :-) I love that it's making a comeback and doesnt sound quite so old fashioned anymore. And same goes for Claire. When just about every one of my classmates' middle names were Ann, Marie, Michelle/Danielle, and Lee, Claire was a plesant change. And i think its a sweet name that will fit sweet little girls everywhere.
But then...I'm biased :-)
Hi-
I just want to put in a shameless plug for my baby-naming forum: http://namethatbaby.mit.edu It's still growing, only about 40 members so far, and we'd love to have some more! :-)
Marjorie--
Cellar door is actually quite a common phrase that is held to be beautiful. According to Wikipedia, "The English compound cellar door plays a certain role in discussions of phonoaesthetics; a widely repeated claim first put forward by J. R. R. Tolkien in his essay English and Welsh (1955) holds that its sound is intrinsically beautiful."
It was also mentioned and played a fairly prominent role in the movie Donnie Darko.
I think your friend may have picked it up somewhere. :)
Karyn and Alitalia,
I agree with your assessments of the endings on names being classically -a(female) or -o(male). I was just comparing some of the word endings though in that there are many more female names that end in things like -ity, -ine, and -ia and more boys names that end in -ax/ex/ix. Even though to me Calyx sounds like a girls name Ajax sounds like a boys name. Verizon/Horizon sound like girls names and Dakota/Montana sound like boys names. There are exceptions to every rule but I wondered what everyone thought of some of the "word names" we've been listing.
Alexis-Congrats to Phoebe! I guess everyone should be putting Charlotte on their up+comer list for next year.
I think Cecelia is a great choice for Lucy Ann.
Also, something like Shyla, Shannon, Samantha, Cheryl also have that same beginning sound.
Alitalia - I actually had a whole paragraph about just that but I didn't want to overstate my point or go on too long.
I speak French and I know that my knowledge of words' gender influences how I feel about them, but when I tested out a bunch of them I found that I mostly had that reponse when the word was in French (eg. Chaise is definitely feminine but Chair feels male.) I actually deleted the example of Voyeur from my "male" list because I *knew* that its maleness was due to the masculine ending of "eur".
Thanks for clearly explaining what I was too lazy to articulate!
Also, (insomnia strikes again,) I was trying to find "root words" that, depending on the suffix, sound male or female:
Post = Male
Postman = Male, obviously (like Coleman or Truman)
Poster = Male
Posterior = Male
BUT
Posterity = Female
I had another but sleep seems to have scared it away. Anyone have any others?
Karyn, I can't think of any root words to illustrate my point, but I finally thought of something else for an illustration of the beginnning sounds.
Take the words Pringle, Jingle, Mingle, Single. Now my point was that there is a feminine slant on Single because many popular girls names these days start with S so to me that is female(F). Kind of like the "x" factor of the JP's. However, the "Pr" seems more Male. The J could be either based on names like Jennifer or James. M could also be either based on Michelle or Michael. If these were "real" names though I would say M;F;M;F. *Hope that made some sense.
A few more words-as-names-that-won't-do
Creeper
Shopper
Dresser
Garter
Random
Survey
Barren
Burden
Sullen (nn Sulky)
Zoerhenne - I understand what you mean now, and I agree that the beginning letter or syllable of a word can influence the gender of it as a name. But I think that it works with the ending of the word. So if the ending is clearly male/female then the beginning loses some clout. However, if it is a gender-ambiguous ending then the beginning gains influence. Maybe?
I have met child named Ransom, but I think it was a family name, so maybe that doesn't qualify.
The stuff about endings is true, but keep in mind there are strongly masculine names in Italian that end in -a such as Luca, Andrea and Nicola. Of course because of their ending, they get used as female names elsewhere. For example Jennie Garth's eldest is Luca Bella.
Karyn and Zoerhenne,
I wonder if the feminine -ity ending also comes from Latin / Romance languages... nouns that end in -ity in English often end in -itas in Latin and -ità in Italian, and are feminine in both languages. E.g. unity / unitas / unità. Felicity / felicitas / felicità.
So would it make sense to think that these positive qualities were given as names (Felicity - happiness, like Faith, Hope, and Charity - is Unity a name?), and nouns that were already feminine were more likely to be given to girls?
I also agree with Zoehrenne's first-letter theory, and Pringle, Jingle, Mingle, Single being M/F/M/F. This seems much more based on "feeling" rather than linguistics, to me at least. Any theories?
This is off-topic, but I was taking a look at the SSA's list of most popular names for twins in 2007. They don't break the names down by gender (boy/boy, one of each, or girl/girl), but I used what I learned from BNW to come up with an interesting thought.
Let's take a look at the first two pairs (starting from the most popular) which are gender-ambiguous: Madison/Morgan and Taylor/Tyler.
With Madison and Morgan, most likely Madison would be a girl just from the fact that Madison was #5 for girls last year and not in the top 1000 for boys. Now as to whether Morgan would be a boy or girl, based on the rankings Morgan is more likely to be a girl but could also plausibly be a boy. However, I think that Morgan is even more likely to be a girl in the Madison/Morgan twinsets because of the "correlation of styles"*: Based on what I've learned about name styles and sibling matches, someone who likes Madison for a girl is probably more likely to use Morgan for a girl than for a boy because Morgan as a girl's name more closely matches the style of Madison than Morgan as a boy's name.
With the Taylor/Tyler pair, either one could realistically be of either gender (based on the rankings Tyler is much more common for boys, more so than the gender gap with Taylor). However, unlike with the Madison/Morgan pair the likelihood of the different gender possibilities is probably more similar to what you would find among Taylors and Tylers from the general population of births from this time who aren't siblings*. This is because these names share a more similar style between the genders (unlike Morgan which likely fits into different "style families" for each gender). Based on my analysis and the general popularities of these two names, here's the likelihood of each combination from most to least likely: Taylor-girl/Tyler-boy, Taylor-boy/Tyler-boy, Taylor-girl/Tyler-girl, Taylor-boy/Tyler-girl.
*I've ignored the factor of same-gender twins tending to be a little more likely than twins of opposite gender (from what I've heard) in this analysis.
Tiffany -
True, but those masculine names that end in -a are very much an exception - and I think they all derive from Greek names (Andreas - meaning man interestingly enough, Lucas, Nicolas). There are also a handful of nouns in Latin and Italian that end in -a but are still masculine - my Latin teacher called them the PAIN nouns. Poeta (poet) Agricola (farmer) Incola (inhabitant) Nauta (sailor). In Italian poeta, artista and Papa (Pope) are also masculine but, like with the abovementioned names, these words are very much the exception, not the rule.
As for people using Luca and Nicola as feminine names, well, that's their prerogative, and we've discussed the crossover of names from masculine to feminine many times here!
Oh, I was just pointing it out :) Exceptions yes, but there are more than