Category: Opinions

American Names · Analysis · Opinions

Predictions for the Top 1000 Baby Names of 2017

ElizabethLeave a comment

The wait is almost over!  In less than two weeks, the Social Security Administration will release their data on the most popular names of 2017. 

Throughout April, I’ve been posting various prediction posts.  So far, I’ve already published what I think the 2017 top 10 and top 100 will look like.  Today, I’m posting about the names I predict will enter or leave the top 1000 when the new numbers come out.  Remember, name predictions are just for fun – there are always surprises! 

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Girls

The name that ranked #1000 in 2016 was Meilani, which was given to 263 girls.  Assuming that the 2017 threshold will be around 260 uses, here are the girls’ names I think will enter the top 1000 in 2017:

  1. Amora – 258 girls in 2016, up from 255 in 2015, up from 181 in 2014
  2. Arleth – 256 girls, up from 116 in 2015 (!)
  3. Arlette – 254, up from 128 (!)
  4. Bellamy – 231, up from 184
  5. Della – 247, up from 215
  6. Egypt – 254, up from 200
  7. Elodie – 243, up from 216
  8. Etta – 256, up from 242
  9. Everlee – 257, up from 240.  Everlee rides on Everly‘s (#107) coattails.
  10. Florence – 246, up from 214
  11. Kamiyah – 255, up from 190
  12. Legacy – 250, up from 163 (!)
  13. Lyanna – 216, up from 62 (!!).
  14. Margo – 252, up from 190.  Rising as popular Margot (#433) does.
  15. Marlowe – 256, up from 221
  16. Octavia – 255, up from 174 in 2015 (!), up from 74 in 2014.
  17. Palmer – 241, up from 176 (!)
  18. Rosalee – 245, up from 228.  Rising along with Rosalie (#254).
  19. Shanaya – 234, up from 171
  20. Violeta – 245, up from 220.  Rising with Violet (#47).
  21. Opal – 256, up from 231
  22. Whitley – 250, up from 222
  23. Xiomara – 257, up from 220

Other possibilities: Agnes, Akira, Avalyn, Diya, Eleanora, Elina, India, Loretta, Raya, Rilynn, Sailor, Spencer, Treasure, Viola, Winnie

Here are the girls’ names I think will leave the top 1000:

  1. Adilynn – #978 (271 girls) in 2016, down from #806 (347 girls) in 2015
  2. Alisha – #985 (269), down from #922 (296)
  3. Ally – #979 (271), down from #872 (318)
  4. Ann – #992 (264), down from #897 (306)
  5. Aryana – #994 (264), down from #832 (335)
  6. Azaria – #984 (270), down from #936 (288)
  7. Briley – #989 (267), down from #918 (297)
  8. Cherish – #974 (273), down from #937 (288)
  9. Desiree – #955 (282), down from #809 (346)
  10. Elin – #990 (266), down from #919 (297)
  11. Esperanza – #996 (264), down from #924 (296)
  12. Farrah – #964 (278), down from #780 (360)
  13. Hailee – #940 (289), down from #833 (335)
  14. Jasmin – #958 (281), down from #887 (310)
  15. Joslyn – #962 (279), down from #868 (321)
  16. Kaya – #961 (280), down from #859 (324)
  17. Lilia – #991 (266), down from #961 (282)
  18. Lilyanna – #997 (264), down from #969 (279)
  19. Luz – #999 (263), down from #957 (282)
  20. Madyson – #967 (276), down from #826 (339)
  21. Marjorie – #923 (295), down from #799 (351)
  22. Meilani – #1000 (263), down from #953 (284).  Meilani only entered the top 1000 in 2015.
  23. Micah – #968 (276), down from #836 (334)
  24. Milania – #946 (287), down from #800 (351)
  25. Shayla – #988 (268), down from #803 (349)

Other possibilities: Alianna, Arden, Brenna, Giana, Heather, Kailee, Kaylynn, Lizbeth, Marisol, Monserrat, Nancy, Nathaly, Yamileth, Zendaya

Boys

In 2016, the #1000th name was Jonathon, which was given to 202 boys.  Assuming the 2017 threshold is around 200 uses, here are the boys’ names I think will enter the top 1000 in 2017:

  1. Baker – 156 boys in 2016, up from 86 in 2015
  2. Bastian – 186, up from 143.  Bastian is a nickname for Sebastian (#24), which itself is increasingly popular.
  3. Bear – 186, up from 134
  4. Bjorn – 150, up from 99
  5. Cillian – 175, up from 121.  Killian (#264) is very trendy.
  6. Colson – 185, up from 170
  7. Decker – 197, up from 182
  8. Eamon – 181, up from 141
  9. Edmund – 190, up from 173
  10. Finnian – 186, up from 166
  11. Finnick – 149, up from 56 (!)
  12. Idris – 175, up from 138
  13. Imran – 191, up from 183
  14. Joan – 187, up from 169
  15. Kiaan – 168, up from 87 (!)
  16. Kyng – 183 boys, up from 100 (!)
  17. Lian – 195, up from 165
  18. Onyx – 172, up from 118
  19. Remi – 174, up from 90 (!)
  20. Roderick – 199, up from 185
  21. Ross – 191, up from 158
  22. Shepard – 189, up from 115 (!)
  23. Sidney – 196, up from 180
  24. Wallace – 196, up from 154

Other Possibilities: Adiel, Alaric, Briar, Campbell, Elvis, Harlem, Jaxxon, Jesiah, Kabir, Menachem, Norman, Ruger, Slade

And here are the boys’ names that I think will leave the top 1000:

  1. Alfonso – #921 (229 boys) in 2016, down from #794 (292 boys) in 2015
  2. Amare – #980 (207), down from #838 (267)
  3. Bode – #994 (203), down from #847 (263)
  4. Braeden – #995 (203), down from #792 (293)
  5. Brantlee – #953 (215), down from #777 (302)
  6. Brenden – #996 (203), down from #899 (241)
  7. Brent – #973 (209), down from #886 (250)
  8. Camilo – #985 (205), down from #950 (217)
  9. Coleman – #963 (211), down from #887 (250)
  10. Davian – #998 (202), down from #868 (255)
  11. Dominique – #964 (211), down from #911 (264)
  12. Dwayne – #946 (219), down from #795 (292)
  13. Gauge – #966 (211), down from #881 (251)
  14. Giancarlo – #986 (205), down from #845 (265)
  15. Gordon – #949 (218), down from #812 (278)
  16. Jamarion – #987 (205), down from #955 (216)
  17. Javon – #954 (215), down from #866 (259)
  18. Jonathon – #1000 (202), down from #879 (252)
  19. Kendall – #922 (229), down from #781 (300).  Kendall also experienced a significant drop for girls between 2015 and 2016.
  20. Kolby – #952 (216), down from #830 (270).  Colby is also falling.
  21. Lyric – #962 (213), down from #892 (246).
  22. Santos – #959 (214), down from #914 (235)
  23. Steve – #988 (205), down from #938 (224)
  24. Urijah – #956 (215), down from #883 (251)

Other Possibilities: Agustin, Anton, Blaise, Dayton, Dimitri, Ernest, Immanuel, Judson, Lamar, Kymani, Van, Vivaan

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Are there any names you think will or won’t enter the top 1000 when the new data comes out?  Are there any names you think will leave?  Let me know, and check back in a couple of weeks to see the official results! 🙂

American Names · Modern names · Opinions

Terra

Elizabeth1 Comment

The name Terra is on my mind this Earth Day.  Terra is the Latin word for “earth,” though as a name it’s more commonly a variant of Tara.  It can also mean “country.”

The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17

Terra first appeared in SSA birth data in the early 1940s, but didn’t become popular until the early 70s.  She peaked in 1980, just three years after Tara did.  Terra only remained in the top 1000 until 1996, but a decent number still receive the name every year – indeed, 95 girls were named Terra in 2016 (Tara was given to 262).  Additionally, 22 boys were named Terran, which is sometimes used in sci-fi as another name for humans (the most recent examples I know of are Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 1 and “Star Trek: Discovery”).

Besides being an alternative to Tara, Terra could be treated as a modern nickname for Teresa.  You could also use Terra to honor a Terrence, a Terry, or even an Eartha!  It would also be a fun name for the child of someone who works with dirt, i.e, an archaeologist or farmer.

What do you think of Terra?

American Names · Analysis · Opinions

Predictions for the Top 100 Baby Names of 2017

Elizabeth1 Comment

Predicting the top 100 baby names for a year is all about trying to figure out which names are coming in and which ones are going out.  The internal results are fun to look at once the new data arrives, but the main goal is to determine what the numbers say about the names on the edge (usually the names between #80 and #120th most-popular, though there’s always some leeway for rising stars and sinking ships).

Looking at the numbers* for names on the edge of the American top 100, I believe that the following girls’ names will enter:

  • Emilia (currently #102; +43 rank change) – Rising because of actress Emilia Clarke and the growing popularity of similar Amelia (#11).
  • Rylee (#105; +16) – When a standard spelling takes off, another version follows.  1403 more girls were named Riley (#22) in 2016 than in 2015, causing a rank increase of +13; a huge jump for any name in the top 50!
  • Valentina (#106; +8)
  • Everly (#107; +31)
  • Ivy (#112; +17)
  • Josephine (#114; +17)

Replacing:

  • Faith (#100; -9 rank change)
  • Brianna (#98; -16)
  • Taylor (#89; -13)
  • Mackenzie (#85; -11)
  • Aubree (#84; -6) – Aubrey (#25; -4) experienced a significant drop of 850 girls, and Aubree lost 227 from 2015.  In terms of raw numbers, Aubree is currently only 336 girls more popular than the #101 name Ashley.
  • Kylie (#83; -17)

If I have to suggest some less likely contenders, I’d say Nova (#136; +79), and Teagan (#150; +78).  Those two are rising so quickly they could unseat falling Katherine (#90; -6) and/or Peyton (#81; -9).  Still, Teagan is more of a long shot than Nova, which could definitely crack the top 100 if she does slightly better than her current trajectory.

As for the boys’ names entering:

  • Vincent (#104; +5)
  • Santiago (#106; +21)
  • Harrison (#107; +12)
  • Everett (#114; +21)

Replacing:

  • Bentley (#100; -7) – Besides the fact that Bentley ranked #100 in 2016 and is already falling, 2017 saw the resignation of disgraced Alabama governor Robert Bentley.
  • Brandon (#99; -17)
  • Tyler (#91; -10)
  • Kevin (#89; -10)

Ezekiel (#121; +27) might also join the top 100, probably at the expense of Ayden (#92; -5), Gavin (#80; -10) or Parker (#87; -15).  Parker‘s descent might be slowed by last year’s Spiderman movie, and based on raw-usage numbers I think Gavin is a more likely exit anyway.  Additionally, Miles (#105; +2) is rising very slowly but could accidentally find himself in the top 100 because some other name fell faster.  Three other possibilities for entry are Cole (#110; +5), Axel (#116; +7), and Maverick (#139; +45), but I don’t really expect them until the 2018 set.

Thoughts?  Agreements, disagreements?  Remember – these are just for fun, something to do while awaiting the new data.  In the meantime, check out my Top 10 Predictions!  I’ll post my speculations for the top 1000 by the end of April.

*Numbers via the 2016 top 1000 lists on Social Security Administration and Behind the Name. 

American Names · Analysis · Opinions

Predictions for the Top 10 Baby Names of 2017

Elizabeth3 Comments

The Social Security Administration is expected to release information about America’s most popular baby names of 2017 sometime in May, and I’m getting so excited!  Just for fun, here are my predictions for the top 10.

I predict that Liam and Olivia will replace Noah and Emma as the #1 names.  Noah could keep his spot because he was still #1 in extremely high-population states like California and Texas in 2016, however…I’m starting to see some turnover.  Liam replaced Noah as the top boys’ name in San Diego, which has already released its 2017 data!  As for Olivia vs. Emma: both Olivia and Emma dropped in raw numbers between ’15 and ’16, though 1,001 fewer babies were named Emma in ’16 than in the previous year (while Olivia only fell by around 400 girls).  Plus, Oliver‘s fast upwards trajectory might help Olivia (similar sounds).

Amelia and Evelyn will probably enter the top 10 for girls, and I suspect they will replace Emily and Abigail; however, I think Abigail is more likely to stay in the top 10 than Emily.  Oliver will probably enter for boys, and Ethan will probably go.  I also suspect Lucas will replace Jacob; 1400 fewer baby boys were named Jacob in 2016 than in 2015, and it’s teetering close enough to the edge that already-rising Lucas (currently #14) will probably surpass him.  The name Lucas also has the benefit of belonging to a main character in a very popular Netflix series – “Stranger Things.”

Here’s what the 2016 top 10 looks like, including rank changes from 2015:

Girls

  1. Emma (0; stable)
  2. Olivia (0; stable)
  3. Ava (+1)
  4. Sophia (-1)
  5. Isabella (0)
  6. Mia (0)
  7. Charlotte (+2)
  8. Abigail (-1)
  9. Emily (-1)
  10. Harper (0)

Boys

  1. Noah (0; stable)
  2. Liam (0; stable)
  3. William (+2)
  4. Mason (-1)
  5. James (+2)
  6. Benjamin (+4)
  7. Jacob (-3)
  8. Michael (+1)
  9. Elijah (+2; new)
  10. Ethan (-4)

Here’s what I think the top 10 will look like in the 2017 list, with estimated rank changes from 2016:

Girls

  1. Olivia (+1)
  2. Emma (-1)
  3. Ava (0; stable)
  4. Charlotte (+3)
  5. Isabella (0; stable)
  6. Sophia (-2); Sophia experienced a large drop of around 1300 girls between ’15 and ’16.  On the other hand, Charlotte gained almost 1700.
  7. Mia (-1)
  8. Amelia (+3; new)
  9. Harper (+1)
  10. Evelyn (+2; new)

Exiting: Emily and Abigail

Runner-up: Abigail

Boys

  1. Liam (+1)
  2. Noah (-1)
  3. William (0; stable)
  4. James (+1)
  5. Benjamin (+1)
  6. Mason (-2)
  7. Elijah (+2)
  8. Oliver (+4; new)
  9. Michael (-1)
  10. Lucas (+4; new)

Exiting: Ethan and Jacob

Runner-up: Jacob

Do you agree with my predictions, or do you think there’s going to be a different line-up?  Ultimately, we’ll see the results in May…and I do expect surprises.  In the meantime, I’ll continue to post my predictions for the top 100 and top 1000 throughout April.

American Names · Analysis · Classic, Old, and Traditional Names · Opinions

Girls’ Names Popular in Every Year Since 1880

Elizabeth4 Comments

Screen Shot 2018-02-27 at 2.22.54 PM

What defines a timeless name? Is it a name that never seems to age? Or is it a name that stays popular throughout the centuries?

In the U.S., a name is considered popular if it falls within the top 1000, as tallied by the Social Security Administration. Every year, the SSA publishes baby name data going all the way back to 1880. Amazingly, hundreds of names have managed to remain popular every single year since then! If that’s not the definition of a timeless name, then I don’t know what is. 

I will post all of these classic names, though today I’m starting with the girls’ list. The names are listed below with their ranks in 2016; whether they rose, fell, or remained stable from 2015 to 2016; and by how many places in the rankings that they rose or fell.  Any rank change over ±30 receives the “quickly” modifier, while changes up to ±3 are described with “slightly.” At the bottom of this list, I’ll summarize and relist the names that rose and fell the most between 2015 and 2016.

  1. Alice – #76; rising (+10)
  2. Alma – #723; falling (-36)
  3. Amanda – #329; falling (-13)
  4. Amelia – #11; rising slightly (+1)
  5. Amy – #176; falling (-18)
  6. Angela – #214; rising (+6)
  7. Angelina – #175; falling (-11)
  8. Angie – #619; falling quickly (-30)
  9. Ann – #992; falling quickly (-95), critically endangered. Unless Ann pulls a Judith* in 2017, this name is almost guaranteed to exit this list in May.
  10. Anna – #51; falling (-7)
  11. Anne – #554; rising (+12)
  12. Annie – #287; rising quickly (+36)
  13. Audrey – #39; falling slightly (-2)
  14. Barbara – #856; rising (+9)
  15. Bridget – #594; falling quickly (-61)
  16. Camille – #243; rising slightly (+3)
  17. Caroline – #56; rising (+6)
  18. Carolyn – #810; falling quickly (-58); endangered.
  19. Catherine – #195; falling (-18)
  20. Cecilia – #179; rising slightly (+2)
  21. Celeste – #495; rising slightly (+2)
  22. Celia – #837; rising (+18)
  23. Charlotte – #7; rising slightly (+2)
  24. Christina – #390; falling quickly (-57)
  25. Christine – #729; rising quickly (+61). No guarantee that gains continue in 2017; sometimes dying names will zig-zag up and down for a few years before completely falling out of popularity.  Indeed, Christine was never outside the top 200 until 1999, and has mostly continued downwards since then.  Hopefully, the large rise between 2015 and 2016 will continue in 2017.
  26. Claire – #40; rising (+9)
  27. Clara – #99; falling slightly (-1)
  28. Claudia – #761; falling (-19)
  29. Cora – #87; rising slightly (+1)
  30. Corinne – #796; falling quickly (-64); endangered, but don’t expect a 2017 exit.
  31. Cynthia – #561; falling (-21)
  32. Daisy – #190; falling (-7)
  33. Deborah – #815; falling (-8)
  34. Edith – #488; rising quickly (+36)
  35. Eleanor – #41; rising (+19). +19 is a huge jump within the top 100, so this was one of the trendier names of 2016.
  36. Elisabeth – #684; rising (+31)
  37. Elise – #166; rising (+8)
  38. Ellen – #655; rising quickly (+51)
  39. Elsa – #622; falling quickly (-136) and possibly endangered. Elsa spiked up to #286 in 2014 because of Frozen; either it’s correcting back to pre-movie levels or will drop out of the top 1000 in a couple years.
  40. Emily – #9; falling slightly (-1)
  41. Emma – #1; stable (0)
  42. Elizabeth – #13; stable (0)
  43. Esther – #183; rising (+20)
  44. Eva – #73; rising slightly (+2)
  45. Evelyn – #12; rising slightly (+3)
  46. Frances – #446; rising quickly (+69)
  47. Genevieve – #188; falling (-6)
  48. Georgia – #227; rising slightly (+3)
  49. Grace – #19; stable (0)
  50. Hannah – #33; falling (-5)
  51. Helen – #408; rising (+12)
  52. Helena – #518; rising (+16)
  53. Irene – #656; falling (-26)
  54. Iris – #186; rising (+31)
  55. Isabel – #145; rising (+4)
  56. Jane – #279; rising (+9)
  57. Jessie – #642; falling (-27)
  58. Joanna – #248; rising quickly (+57)
  59. Johanna – #555; falling (-14)
  60. Josephine – #114; rising quickly (+17)
  61. Josie – #237; rising quickly (+13)
  62. Judith – #889; rising (+38). Rebounding? *Judith ranked as low as #992 in 2013; incidentally, that’s Ann‘s exact ranking for 2016.
  63. Julia – #88; rising slightly (+1)
  64. Julie – #482; falling (-27)
  65. Kate – #231; falling (-9)
  66. Katherine – #90; falling (-6)
  67. Kathleen – #841; falling (-12)
  68. Kathryn – #398; falling quickly (-79)
  69. Katie – #364; falling quickly (-54)
  70. Laura – #346; falling quickly (-24)
  71. Lea – #690; rising quickly (+48)
  72. Leah – #37; falling slightly (-1)
  73. Lena – #276; falling (-4)
  74. Leslie – #413; falling quickly (-42)
  75. Lillian – #28; falling slightly (-2)
  76. Linda – #669; stable (0)
  77. Lucia – #213; rising quickly (+13)
  78. Lucy – #55; stable (0)
  79. Lydia – #80; stable (0)
  80. Madeline – #91; falling slightly (-1)
  81. Maggie – #242; stable (0)
  82. Margaret – #139; rising (+15)
  83. Maria – #113; falling (-4)
  84. Marie – #583; falling (-21)
  85. Martha – #727; rising quickly (+62). Martha is in a similar position as Christine. I hope that Martha continues to trend upwards, but usage has been erratic this decade.
  86. Mary – #127; falling (-4)
  87. Miriam – #293; rising slightly (+1)
  88. Molly – #157; falling (-14)
  89. Nancy – #900; falling quickly (-78); critically endangered. After Ann, this is probably the next most likely to fall out of the top 1000 in 2017.
  90. Naomi – #74; rising slightly (+2)
  91. Natalie – #31; falling (-4)
  92. Nina – #309; falling (-10)
  93. Nora – #36; rising (+5)
  94. Olivia – #2; stable (0)
  95. Paula – #824; rising quickly (+64)
  96. Priscilla – #474; rising (+28)
  97. Rachel – #173; falling (-6)
  98. Rebecca – #207; falling (-19)
  99. Regina – #437; rising quickly (+80)
  100. Rosa – #639; falling (-10)
  101. Rose – #154; rising (+12)
  102. Ruby – #71; rising (+12)
  103. Ruth – #299; falling (-7)
  104. Sara – #152; rising (+10)
  105. Sarah – #57; rising slightly (+1)
  106. Sophia – #4; falling slightly (-1)
  107. Susan – #922; rising (+6)
  108. Sylvia – #505; falling (-21). On the other hand, the French form Sylvie was new to the top 1000 in 2016.
  109. Teresa – #667; rising slightly (+1)
  110. Veronica – #414; falling quickly (-46)
  111. Victoria – #21; falling slightly (-1)
  112. Virginia – #517; rising (+6)
  113. Vivian – #95; stable (0).

Biggest gains? Regina (+80), Frances (+69), Paula (+64), Martha (+62), Christine (+61), Joanna (+57), Ellen (+51), Lea (+48), Judith (+38), Annie (+36), Edith (+36), Elisabeth (+31), Iris (+31)

Biggest losses? Elsa (-136), Ann (-95), Kathryn (-79), Nancy (-78), Corinne (-64), Bridget (-61), Carolyn (-58), Christina (-57), Katie (-54), Veronica (-45), Leslie (-42), Alma (-36), Angie (-30)

I think it can be said that all 113 names on this list are classic, though not necessarily ageless or even timeless. Names like Barbara and Paula certainly have a dated “grandma” quality to them, and yet they’ve remained popular choices for parents across three centuries at least! Truly, one of the best reasons to use a classic baby name is that it’s time-tested.

And what about the names that might leave the top 1000 (and this list) in 2017, like Ann and Nancy? We can hope for a revival, and comfortably rest in the knowledge that leaving the top 1000 does not mean name-extinction. The sad part is that the number of names that have been perennially popular since 1880 will continue to dwindle. Names that were trendy in the mid-to-late 20th century are in danger of obscurity as many of their bearers become parents and (especially) grandparents.  In 2016, once-classic Jenny fell victim to Jennifer‘s ongoing decline. Many of today’s most popular names were also popular so long ago that most of their bearers have died off, leaving today’s parents with few previous impression of older generations. This is probably part of the reason why names like Edith and Eleanor are trendy, and why names like Matilda and Adeline have returned to the top 1000 after decades of obscurity.

Thoughts, anyone? I’m going to post the boys’ names later, so watch out for those. 

Sources:

American Names · Opinions

Rare ‘E’ Baby Names for Boys in 2016

Elizabeth2 Comments

Screen Shot 2017-11-28 at 12.16.32 PM

A week ago I expressed my adoration towards rare ‘E’ baby names for girls. Honestly though, the boys’ names are pretty cool too! Among other things, the letter ‘E’ gives us an awesome selection of hardcore Bible names like Elimelech and nearly forgotten Old English favorites like Egbert!

As usual, the data for these names comes from the Social Security Administration, which releases a set of baby names every year that were given to 5 or more children in the U.S. The names below weren’t quite popular enough to be in the top 1000, but were still common enough to chart. The order of names in this post descends from most popular to rarest. I’ve color-coded the mostly or entirely masculine-trending names blue, and names with significant unisex usage purple.

  • 150-202 baby boys: Edmund, Elvis, Elmer
  • 100-149: Everest, Eliam, Elon, Ewan, Ever, Eleazar, Ender, Eliel, Emil, Elan, Emir, Elvin, Evander, Earl, Elam
  • 50-99: Eyad, Ellison, Ezio, Egypt, Emrys, Eros, Eldon, Esdras, Eben, Elton, Eoin, Evans, Elio
  • 25-49: Elwood, Esau, Eliab, Ellington, Ethaniel, Edric, Everson, Ebenezer, Elder, Enos, Essa, Eamonn, Elimelech, Eh, Ernie, Enrico, Escher, Eero, Eliud, Erasmo, Errol
  • 10-24: Exodus, Elnathan, Emeric, Egan, Elihu, Eoghan, Elbert, Evangelos, Ericson, Eber, Even, Epic, Ezequias, Elchonon, Eliakim, Eligio, Eusebio, Everton, Earvin, Eissa, Eon, Evaristo, Ezekiah
  • 7-9: Edsel, Enzio, Esmond, Estuardo, Evelio, Exton, Edilberto, Espn, Eustace, Eyoab, Eyosias, Eaton, Ebrima, Ebubechukwu, Edel, Eito, Elber, Elisey, Elrey, Eno, Ether
  • 6: Early, Edenilson, Eiji, Eiven, Ekamveer, Eldridge, Eleftherios, Eleuterio, Elhadj, Elienai, Emeterio, Emilian, Erioluwa, Ernst, Essam, Essex, Eton, Exander, Ezekias
  • 5: Eberardo, Eddiel, Egbert, Einar, Eldad, Eldric, Elishua, Eljay, Elohim, Emigdio, Emperor, En, Engels, England, Enver, Erling, Eryx, Eshwar, Exiquio, Ezell

What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments!

American Names · Opinions

Ka-ching! Money-Themed Baby Names

Elizabeth8 Comments

Something I’ve noticed while perusing the United States extended data is the prevalence of baby names related to money. This makes a lot of sense to me – money pervades our lives so thoroughly that whether we’re trying to earn it, spend it, or save it, it’s everywhere! People name children after their values all the time, so it’s no wonder that money-themed baby names are so popular.

Currency:

Florin – Hasn’t appeared in SSA data since 2003. The florin was a popular medieval European currency.

Lira – 30 girls; currency of Italy (pre-Euro) and Turkey. Pronounced “lee-ruh.”

Mark – #195; Germany (pre-Euro).

Naira – 57 girls; Nigeria.

Quetzal – 5 boys; Guatemala. The Resplendent Quetzal is that country’s national bird and monetary namesake.

Rand – 11 girls and 21 boys; South Africa. Most people will probably think of Sen. Rand Paul before they think about South African money.

Sterling – #458; United Kingdom (Pounds Sterling). The TV series Archer saved this name from obscurity in the U.S.

Yuan – 7 girls, 8 boys; China.

Yen – 7 girls; Japan.

Zaire – #783; Zaïre. This currency is now defunct, plus the country changed its name to Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1997. The name spiked that year, interestingly enough.

Physical Money:

Cash – #253. This most popular of monetary baby names took off after Johnny Cash died, though I can’t tell whether this name is meant more as a throwback to country music or, well, cash. Cash has led to derivations like Cashton (135 boys) and Cashlynn (11 girls). The name Cassius has various alternate spellings that include “cash,” but they may be phonetic and unrelated to the name Cash itself.

Denarius – 7 boys; Ancient Roman coin. Denarius Moore played with the Oakland Raiders from 2011 to 2014.

Dinero – 19 boys. Dinero is the Spanish word for money.

Penny – #693. Penny returned to the top 1000 in 2013, the same year that Penelope entered the top 100 for the first time.

Silver – 50 girls; 12 boys. Don’t be that person who names a child Sterling Silver.

Tuppence – A corruption of “two-pence,” this is a strictly (albeit rare) British name. Agatha Christie had a character called Tuppence (whose name was really Prudence).  Another potential namesake is actress Tuppence Middleton.

Wealth:

Fortune – 11 girls, 5 boys.

Prosperity – 6 girls.

Rich – 17 boys. Using Rich as a formal name might seem conceited if you’re going for a monetary name theme, so put Richard on the birth certificate instead and use Rich as a nickname.

Wealthy – Hasn’t appeared since 1941.

Worth – 12 boys.

Money-Inspired:

Araminta – Last appeared in 2015. Use this in reference to “mints,” or places where money is produced.

Crown – 6 boys; can refer to any currencies (especially Scandinavian) whose name translates to “crown” or “crowns.”

Damoney – 7 boys.

Dinara – 5 girls; in reference to the “dinar,” a currency mostly used in countries whose land previously belonged to the Ottoman Empire. Dinara itself seems to have been a (more ancient) coin, and the word dinar ultimately derives from the Latin denarius.

Florence – 246 girls; In reference to the medieval Florin.

Florian – 18 boys; also in reference to the Florin. Florian is a very popular baby name in Austria.

Frank – #353; Swiss Franc, along with the pre-Euro Belgian Franc.

CHF20_8_front_horizontal
Note for 20 Swiss Francs

Franklin – #423; $100 or Franc.

Hamilton – 97 boys; $10/1st secretary of the Treasury.

Millicent – 119 girls. It contains ‘cent,’ doesn’t it?

Monique – #923; “Money” for short.

Ruby – #71. As in “ruble” (Russia) or “rupee” (India), though I guess one can pay in rubies!

Vincent – #104; see Millicent.

Personally, I think the name Jackson (#17) should be avoided if naming a child after money. On the other hand, Centurion could be a fun way of incorporating “cent!”

Thoughts:

I didn’t always like this name theme, but I appreciate it more and more as I grow older. There’s something to be said about naming children in the hopes that they’ll be successful, prosperous, and blessed with good fortune. I don’t recommend naming a child to flash your family’s perceived riches (that would be tacky), but I don’t think many people are doing that. If you’re a coin-collector, money-themed names are especially cool choices!

What do you think about money-themed baby names? Are there any you would add to this list? Let me know!

American Names · Classic, Old, and Traditional Names · Opinions

Lyman

Elizabeth1 Comment

Many of the most popular ‘L’ names for boys are surnames – Landon, Lincoln, Logan, etc. Noticeably, they also end in the letter ‘n.’ So how about Lyman?

Lyman is an unusual baby name from early America. Despite lukewarm popularity, this name managed to stay in the top 1000 until the 1960s. It was never trendy, but steady. Just 16 boys were named Lyman in 2016, though that’s more than double the number of Lyman‘s born even five years ago!

Wizard_title_page
L. Frank Baum’s first name was Lyman

The most famous namesakes:

  • Lyman Hall (1724-1790): signer of Declaration of Independence.
  • Lyman Beecher (1775-1863): minister, American Temperance Union co-founder, and father of many famous children including Harriet Beecher Stowe. Lyman was his mother’s maiden name.
  • Lyman Trumbull (1813-1896); co-wrote the 13th Amendment, which outlawed slavery.
  • Lyman Gage (1836-1927): United States Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt.
  • Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919): author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
  • Josh Lyman: character on The West Wing.

Lyman is clearly a name with precedent. So where is he now?

The lack of modern trendiness might be attributed to an association with another name.  Nameberry’s description says Lyman is “almost as passé as Hyman.” Hmm…I’m not sure I agree with that statement. We usually don’t discourage people from calling their sons Nick just because it rhymes with Dick, an old-fashioned name that – like Hyman – has taken on a sexual, usually negative connotation and is headed for extinction. Yes, Lyman happens to rhyme with “hymen,” but you’re probably only realizing that now that I’ve pointed it out. Personally, I never made the connection until I saw Nameberry’s bit. Curiously, they don’t say anything about the name Wyman, which is also in use (though still rarer than Lyman).

Does Lyman sound too much like the word “hymen?” Is Lyman still usable, and could he make a comeback? I personally think Lyman is fine, but I’d like to hear y’all’s opinions.

American Names · Opinions

What Would I Name My Car?

Elizabeth4 Comments

Day 2 of the October Name Challenge spotlights National Name Your Car Day! I don’t have a car yet, but it’s gotten me thinking.  I name my musical instruments, so not an automobile?

Some people give their cars human names; a classmate called her car Lucius in high school! For my own vehicle, Percival, Phaedra, or Danger would be cool. And yes, there are people named Danger. There are also people named after cars…

Bentley_Continental_Flying_Spur
If a pick-up truck is called Bentley, what do you call an actual Bentley?

I might tie my choice of car name in with my sense of humor. If I acquire a Honda, Camry and Camryn would be amusing appellations. Alexus is funny for any car that isn’t a Lexus, but even funnier for a Lexus. I can see myself excitedly introducing Mercedes the Toyota to confused friends and passerby! Meanwhile, Bentley would be my pick-up truck that’s coated in dirt from adventures down unpaved country roads. And if I acquire an unappreciated model that becomes discontinued, I can call him Edsel.

Of course, I won’t know for sure what I’ll name a car until I actually have one. What would you name a car?

Day 1 of the October Names Challenge was Favorite ‘O’ Names.

Ancient and Classical Names · Classic, Old, and Traditional Names · Opinions

Favorite ‘O’ Names

Elizabeth4 Comments

Screen Shot 2017-10-01 at 10.39.35 PMAlthough I don’t have an Instagram, I’m going to try and participate in the October Name Challenge (created by fellow name enthusiast Alexia Mae) via Twitter! Some days I’ll write entire blog posts surrounding the challenges, and other days I may simply tweet relevant thoughts!

The October 1st challenge is “Favorite ‘O’ Names!”  I rarely discuss my actual favorite names on this site, so this is a good starting point. My tastes vary, but my very favorite names can often be described as ancient, old-fashioned, and/or elegant. Harry Potter and Jane Austen have been massive influences on my naming preferences, along with Greek and Roman Myth.

Boys:

  • Otto – #527
  • Odo – doesn’t chart. You can read more about this name here.
  • Octavius – 51 boys in 2016
  • Orson – 90 boys. Can’t help but think of Orson Welles!
  • Orlando – #620

I also appreciate names like Oliver, Octavian, Odysseus, Odoacer, Odalric, and Obadiah.

Girls:

  • Ottoline – doesn’t chart, though she really should! Very distinguished, and she’d fit in with popular -line names like Adeline and Emmeline!
  • Octavia – 255 girls in 2016. I wouldn’t be surprised if Octavia reaches the top 1000 in 2017!
  • Oona – 109 girls. I think of Oona Chaplin. 
  • Ophelia – #580
  • Oenone – doesn’t chart. Oenone is an Ancient Greek name that derives from the word for “wine.”  The thing is: I don’t actually know how to pronounce this. It takes 3 syllables, but does one say ee-no-nee or oh-no-nee?

Other feminine ‘O’ names I really like are Ottilie, Olivia, Olive, Opal, and Octaviana.

What are your favorite ‘O’ names?