The French have some of the most beautiful, luxurious names out there, in my opinion. A lot of popular and well known names have French equivalents that would make a beautiful alternative to that popular love of yours.
Adele - this one might appeal to the lovers of the -elle sound, but don't want the popular Isabelle.
Elodie - French form of the name Alodia. The popular El- beginning and -ie ending, definitely a winner.
Felicienne - A pretty and unusual alternative to Felicia. It contains the popular -enn sound (like found in Sienna and Brenna).
Alexandrie - An interesting and spunky variation of Alexandra.
Joelle - French feminine form of Joel. J names are all the rage at the moment, but this one is a definite step up from Jayla or any of that nonsense.
Margot - mar-go, it's got that spunky O ending - a great way to honor Aunt Margaret.
Aurelie - not too much to say about this one - other than it's simply beautiful.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
I thought I would try doing the names of the day thing again - it kind of died towards the beginning. *le sigh*
Boys:
Felix - masculine - of Latin origins, meaning "lucky". This is one of my all time favorites - it's quirky, spunky, but still familiar enough to use - a winning combination.
Auden - From the surname of the poet W.H. Auden, he penned the wonderful quote at the top of my blog. I think this name will probably take off, at least a little bit. It is very close to the ever - popular Aidan, but different enough for people to think of it as an alternative.
Girls:
Amirah - feminine form of the Arabic male name Amir, which means "commander" or "prince". I like the exotic factor Amirah has - very refreshing.
Alessia - Italian form of the Alex- names. I personally adore this name. It's sweet, charming and has a familiar enough sound to be different without sounding alien.
Boys:
Felix - masculine - of Latin origins, meaning "lucky". This is one of my all time favorites - it's quirky, spunky, but still familiar enough to use - a winning combination.
Auden - From the surname of the poet W.H. Auden, he penned the wonderful quote at the top of my blog. I think this name will probably take off, at least a little bit. It is very close to the ever - popular Aidan, but different enough for people to think of it as an alternative.
Girls:
Amirah - feminine form of the Arabic male name Amir, which means "commander" or "prince". I like the exotic factor Amirah has - very refreshing.
Alessia - Italian form of the Alex- names. I personally adore this name. It's sweet, charming and has a familiar enough sound to be different without sounding alien.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Okay, so these are some interesting alternatives to the top 10 most popular names. I know popularity really bothers some people, and it's really common for me to hear things like "I didn't know it was so popular" or "I didn't like that it was popular, but I couldn't find anything close to it!". These are some random ideas to throw out at you - I had some awesome help from the girls at "In The Name Of" - a great names forum.
Emma - Emmeline (emm-ah-leen, emm-ah-lin) Emmelina (emm-ah-leen-ah), Emmelise (emm-el-ees), Emanuelle / Emanuella, Emer, Imogen, Gemma....
Isabella - Isadora, Isemay, Isla (eye-la), Anabella, Arabella, Mirabella, Isis, Bellamy, Rosabella, Isannah, Marcella, Ishara, Isolina, Esmee, Isabeau (is-ah-bow).
Emily - Emilia, Amelia, Emiliana, Adelie, Amelie, Amity, Cecily, Elodie, Milena, Camilla, Eliza. Madison - Madeline (mad-ah-line), Madeleine (mad-ah-lyn), Madalena (mad-ah-layn-ah), Madelaine (mad-ah-layn), Madira, Madalina, Magdalena (mag-dah-lay-na), Matilda, Marcy, Maialen (my-ah-len, Basque version of Magdalen), Mahala (mah-hay-la), Mahalia (ma-hay-lee-ah), Madina.
Ava - Ada, Eva, Eve, Avani (ah-vahn-ee), Aveline (av-ah-leen, av-ah-lin), Avia, Eveline, Evelia, Ayla, Aviva.
Olivia - Livia, Liviana, Lavinia, Olive, Liv, Olivine, Ottilie (aw-til-ee), Olena.
Sophia - Sonia, Zofia, Zosia (zo-sha), Soraya, Sophiane, Sophiana, Saskia, Sylvia, Susannah, Seraphina, Zinaida, Shoshana,
Abigail- Avigail, Gail, Adelaide, Abiona (abbie-own-ah).
Elizabeth - Eliza, Liza, Beth, Bethany, Elise, Eliana, Elysia, Elena, Ellen, Elinor, Elisa, Elisabet, Elsa, Bethan, Elspeth (Scottish form of Elizabeth, els-peth), Elisabel, Eleri (eh-leh-ree), Elsabe (elsa-bee).
Chloe - Zoe, Kalea, Kaia, Clover, Cleo, Claire, Clara, Coralie, Cleome (klee-oh-mee), Cleone (clee-own-ee).
Boys! (Are really tough!!)
Jacob- Jacoby, Caleb.
Michael - Micah, Malachi (mal-ah-ky), Malachy (mal-ah-kee), Manuel, Emmanuel, Gabriel, Raphael..
Ethan - Aeson (ay-son, from Greek mythology), Ephraim, Owen, Ian (ee-an),
Joshua - Joash, Josiah, Jude, Elishua.
Daniel - Dominic, Samuel, Dante
Alexander - Alec, Alasdair, Eksander, Lysander, Xander, Alexei, Leander, Evander.
Anthony - Anton, Antonio, Antonin.
William - Liam, Willem, Wilhelm, Lachlan, Niall, Cillian.
Christopher - Crispin, Collin, Caspar, Carsten, Conri, Conor.
Matthew - Matthias, Matteo, Macsen, Mathis, Maxwell.
*Whew* That was tough! I know the boys are sort of lacking.....any ideas?
Emma - Emmeline (emm-ah-leen, emm-ah-lin) Emmelina (emm-ah-leen-ah), Emmelise (emm-el-ees), Emanuelle / Emanuella, Emer, Imogen, Gemma....
Isabella - Isadora, Isemay, Isla (eye-la), Anabella, Arabella, Mirabella, Isis, Bellamy, Rosabella, Isannah, Marcella, Ishara, Isolina, Esmee, Isabeau (is-ah-bow).
Emily - Emilia, Amelia, Emiliana, Adelie, Amelie, Amity, Cecily, Elodie, Milena, Camilla, Eliza. Madison - Madeline (mad-ah-line), Madeleine (mad-ah-lyn), Madalena (mad-ah-layn-ah), Madelaine (mad-ah-layn), Madira, Madalina, Magdalena (mag-dah-lay-na), Matilda, Marcy, Maialen (my-ah-len, Basque version of Magdalen), Mahala (mah-hay-la), Mahalia (ma-hay-lee-ah), Madina.
Ava - Ada, Eva, Eve, Avani (ah-vahn-ee), Aveline (av-ah-leen, av-ah-lin), Avia, Eveline, Evelia, Ayla, Aviva.
Olivia - Livia, Liviana, Lavinia, Olive, Liv, Olivine, Ottilie (aw-til-ee), Olena.
Sophia - Sonia, Zofia, Zosia (zo-sha), Soraya, Sophiane, Sophiana, Saskia, Sylvia, Susannah, Seraphina, Zinaida, Shoshana,
Abigail- Avigail, Gail, Adelaide, Abiona (abbie-own-ah).
Elizabeth - Eliza, Liza, Beth, Bethany, Elise, Eliana, Elysia, Elena, Ellen, Elinor, Elisa, Elisabet, Elsa, Bethan, Elspeth (Scottish form of Elizabeth, els-peth), Elisabel, Eleri (eh-leh-ree), Elsabe (elsa-bee).
Chloe - Zoe, Kalea, Kaia, Clover, Cleo, Claire, Clara, Coralie, Cleome (klee-oh-mee), Cleone (clee-own-ee).
Boys! (Are really tough!!)
Jacob- Jacoby, Caleb.
Michael - Micah, Malachi (mal-ah-ky), Malachy (mal-ah-kee), Manuel, Emmanuel, Gabriel, Raphael..
Ethan - Aeson (ay-son, from Greek mythology), Ephraim, Owen, Ian (ee-an),
Joshua - Joash, Josiah, Jude, Elishua.
Daniel - Dominic, Samuel, Dante
Alexander - Alec, Alasdair, Eksander, Lysander, Xander, Alexei, Leander, Evander.
Anthony - Anton, Antonio, Antonin.
William - Liam, Willem, Wilhelm, Lachlan, Niall, Cillian.
Christopher - Crispin, Collin, Caspar, Carsten, Conri, Conor.
Matthew - Matthias, Matteo, Macsen, Mathis, Maxwell.
*Whew* That was tough! I know the boys are sort of lacking.....any ideas?
Top 10 most popular names of 2008
Since the popularity list for 2009 is just around the corner - I thought I would review the top 20 names for each gender from 2008. (From the Social Security Administration website)
Here we go! I'll do boys first this time.
Jacob - I have a feeling this will stay near the top - partially due to the popularity of Twilight, I also think that Jake is a timelessly endearing nickname.
Michael - this is one that I think needs a break. Don't get me wrong - it's a strong, sturdy classic, but it's a tad boring at the moment. I'd still rather see a little Michael than a lot of the junk kicking around these days.
Ethan - I've always liked this and I have a feeling people don't realize this one is as popular as it is.
Joshua - This is an old staple - one that has always been and will always BE popular. Like Jake - Josh is so timeless and endearing.
Daniel - I have a feeling this ones going to fall a bit - who knows. It seems oddly outdated at the moment.
Alexander - This one I don't see going down in popularity, at least not in the middle name spot.
Anthony - This one I don't see dipping much in popularity, either, at least not in my area....old area...as in Buffalo NY.
William - this I see being exchanged for Liam.
Christopher -another old staple, but like Daniel - this one seems oddly outdated at the moment. think it's because they were both very popular when I was in school, too.
Matthew - Another staple. I wouldn't mind seeing this retired for a bit. Matthias and maybe Matteo would both be interesting alternatives.
Girls:
Emma - I like Emma well enough and I can definitely see the appeal - I just think it needs a bit of a rest.
Isabella - Another Twilight name. Beautiful, dainty and great nicknames. I personally love her, but there are some other great alternatives if you want a bella name.
Emily - this one is probably the longest runner on the top 10 list. It' soft and feminine, not much more you could ask for.
Madison - I seriously hate this name. It's trendy, ugly, masculine (it means "son of Maud"...). Come on people - you daughter deserves something strong and FEMININE. Why can't femininity be strong? The whole boys names and surnames on girls thing is very outdated and the logic is just ridiculous.
Ava - very classy and beautiful. I like this, but there are some equally beautiful alternatives that don't have the popularity factor.
Olivia - this is a personal favorite of mine. The popularity doesn't really bother me, personally. I don't see this dropping a whole lot, either.
Sophia - yet another personal favorite. I prefer the Sofia spelling, it looks more feminine and soft to me (probably because of the sof- beginning.) I think it's a beautiful name and one that I don't mind being in the top 10.
Abigail - I don't mind this, but it IS getting a bit stale. There aren't a ton of direct alternatives to it. I can take it or leave it.
Elizabeth - Another staple. I adore Elizabeth. It doesn't matter how many Elizabeths I meet - I still smile every time I hear it. The nicknames are beautiful and full of spunk. (Liza, Betsy, Betty, Beth, Eliza, Lizbeth..... The list goes on...)
Chloe - I adore Chloe. I'm kind of sad to see her so high on the list, but it's not surprising. I don't see it dipping too much, either.
Well, thats it, folks.
Here we go! I'll do boys first this time.
Jacob - I have a feeling this will stay near the top - partially due to the popularity of Twilight, I also think that Jake is a timelessly endearing nickname.
Michael - this is one that I think needs a break. Don't get me wrong - it's a strong, sturdy classic, but it's a tad boring at the moment. I'd still rather see a little Michael than a lot of the junk kicking around these days.
Ethan - I've always liked this and I have a feeling people don't realize this one is as popular as it is.
Joshua - This is an old staple - one that has always been and will always BE popular. Like Jake - Josh is so timeless and endearing.
Daniel - I have a feeling this ones going to fall a bit - who knows. It seems oddly outdated at the moment.
Alexander - This one I don't see going down in popularity, at least not in the middle name spot.
Anthony - This one I don't see dipping much in popularity, either, at least not in my area....old area...as in Buffalo NY.
William - this I see being exchanged for Liam.
Christopher -another old staple, but like Daniel - this one seems oddly outdated at the moment. think it's because they were both very popular when I was in school, too.
Matthew - Another staple. I wouldn't mind seeing this retired for a bit. Matthias and maybe Matteo would both be interesting alternatives.
Girls:
Emma - I like Emma well enough and I can definitely see the appeal - I just think it needs a bit of a rest.
Isabella - Another Twilight name. Beautiful, dainty and great nicknames. I personally love her, but there are some other great alternatives if you want a bella name.
Emily - this one is probably the longest runner on the top 10 list. It' soft and feminine, not much more you could ask for.
Madison - I seriously hate this name. It's trendy, ugly, masculine (it means "son of Maud"...). Come on people - you daughter deserves something strong and FEMININE. Why can't femininity be strong? The whole boys names and surnames on girls thing is very outdated and the logic is just ridiculous.
Ava - very classy and beautiful. I like this, but there are some equally beautiful alternatives that don't have the popularity factor.
Olivia - this is a personal favorite of mine. The popularity doesn't really bother me, personally. I don't see this dropping a whole lot, either.
Sophia - yet another personal favorite. I prefer the Sofia spelling, it looks more feminine and soft to me (probably because of the sof- beginning.) I think it's a beautiful name and one that I don't mind being in the top 10.
Abigail - I don't mind this, but it IS getting a bit stale. There aren't a ton of direct alternatives to it. I can take it or leave it.
Elizabeth - Another staple. I adore Elizabeth. It doesn't matter how many Elizabeths I meet - I still smile every time I hear it. The nicknames are beautiful and full of spunk. (Liza, Betsy, Betty, Beth, Eliza, Lizbeth..... The list goes on...)
Chloe - I adore Chloe. I'm kind of sad to see her so high on the list, but it's not surprising. I don't see it dipping too much, either.
Well, thats it, folks.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Hi there!
Hello - this have been insanely busy with moving out of state and all, I hate it. Anyway, I've done some major restructuring of my top girls list and I thought you might be interested.
First is my Felicity Combo - Felicity Johannah Carys. I still love it, but I'm finding it a bit heavy at the moment. The middle names have meaning to me, but I'm thinking about finding a more satisfying combo and worry about honoring family when the time comes. *le sigh*
My second combo at the moment is Piper Eliza Faye. Piper is kind of out of my element, since I suspect it's a bit on the trendy side (even though it has linguistic origins) But it fits the bill at the moment, which for me is extremely quirky and full of spunk.
My third combo is very new, but I'm loving her all the same. Lumi Roksana Gwendolen. Lumi is a Finnish name meaning "snow", pronounced loo-mee. Roksana (rahk-sahn-ah) is the Russian form of Roxana - I'm not huge on X's for girls, and I really love the way Roksana looks. Gwendolen has been creeping into my brain lately and I think she fits in here nicely.
First is my Felicity Combo - Felicity Johannah Carys. I still love it, but I'm finding it a bit heavy at the moment. The middle names have meaning to me, but I'm thinking about finding a more satisfying combo and worry about honoring family when the time comes. *le sigh*
My second combo at the moment is Piper Eliza Faye. Piper is kind of out of my element, since I suspect it's a bit on the trendy side (even though it has linguistic origins) But it fits the bill at the moment, which for me is extremely quirky and full of spunk.
My third combo is very new, but I'm loving her all the same. Lumi Roksana Gwendolen. Lumi is a Finnish name meaning "snow", pronounced loo-mee. Roksana (rahk-sahn-ah) is the Russian form of Roxana - I'm not huge on X's for girls, and I really love the way Roksana looks. Gwendolen has been creeping into my brain lately and I think she fits in here nicely.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Modern Cuties
Okay - so I've also noticed another style of name emerging. I call it "The Modern Cuties". These are the names that people go for when they don't want an old lady name, but don't want something off-the-wall trendy, either. It's a mix of modern and vintage.
A List:
Liliana Lucy
Phoebe Natalia
Brielle Paige
Piper Briana
Chloe Eden
Mia Cambria
Melody Brynn
See what I mean? They aren't "trendy" and they aren't classic and for the most part they are pretty modern.....(maybe with old roots). Not too bad. If you aren't for the over-the-top obscure names that I covet or the old ladies that are so vogue - this might be the way to go!
A List:
Liliana Lucy
Phoebe Natalia
Brielle Paige
Piper Briana
Chloe Eden
Mia Cambria
Melody Brynn
See what I mean? They aren't "trendy" and they aren't classic and for the most part they are pretty modern.....(maybe with old roots). Not too bad. If you aren't for the over-the-top obscure names that I covet or the old ladies that are so vogue - this might be the way to go!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Sorry, again
I've been neglecting this bad boy for a while now, sorry!
I've been noticing lately that people seem to forget that they are indeed naming PEOPLE, not babies. I wonder if people realize that these babies grow up and eventually become adults and most likely won't appreciate some of the stupid, misspelled shenanigans that their parents have come up with. When these babies become adults, they will most likely want a job - guess what? I can not look a resume in the face and be serious with something like McKaiden staring back at me, it's just not possible. These children DO have to lead productive lives one day.
Remember this when naming your child.
It's not something to be taken lightly.
I've been noticing lately that people seem to forget that they are indeed naming PEOPLE, not babies. I wonder if people realize that these babies grow up and eventually become adults and most likely won't appreciate some of the stupid, misspelled shenanigans that their parents have come up with. When these babies become adults, they will most likely want a job - guess what? I can not look a resume in the face and be serious with something like McKaiden staring back at me, it's just not possible. These children DO have to lead productive lives one day.
Remember this when naming your child.
It's not something to be taken lightly.
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