Tag: English

Analysis

Girls’ Names in the English/Welsh Top 1000 that Aren’t in the U.S. Top 1000

Elizabeth2 Comments

These are all the girls’ names that are in the English and Welsh top 1000 for 2016 but *not* in the United States! I made this list by comparing Office of National Statistics data against the Social Security Administration‘s list of most popular baby names. I’ve also made a list of boys’ names popular in England and Wales but not in the U.S. and and list of boys’ names that are currently popular in the U.S. but not in England and Wales.

  • A: Aairah, Aamina, Aaminah, Aarya, Aasiyah, Aayat, Abbie, Agatha, Agnes, Aida, Aila, Aimee, Aishah, Aiyla, Aiza, Aizah, Ajwa, Akira, Alara, Alba, Aleeza, Aleksandra, Alesha, Alicja, Alisa, Alishba, Alissa, Alissia, Allegra, Alys, Alyssia, Amal, Amalie, Ameera, Ameerah, Amelia-Grace, Amelia-Rose, Aminah, Ammara, Amna, Anabia, Anais, Anaiya, Anastazja, Anayah, Andreea, Anisa, Anisha, Antonina, Anoushka, Aoife, Aqsa, Arissa, Arla, Arwa, Arwen, Ashleigh, Asia, Asiya, Asiyah, Asma, Ava-Mae, Ava-Grace, Ava-Rose, Avani, Avaya, Avleen, Avneet, Ayaana, Ayah, Ayat, Ayda, Ayesha, Ayra, Aysha, Ayva, Azra
  • B: Beatrix, Beatriz, Beau, Bella-Rose, Beth, Bethan, Betsy, Betty, Bianka, Billie, Blanka, Blessing, Blossom, Bluebell, Bobbi, Bobbie, Bryony
  • C: Cadi, Caitlin, Caitlyn, Caoimhe, Carys, Cassie, Cecily, Cerys, Chiara, Cleo, Coco, Connie, Constance, Cordelia
  • D: Daisie, Daisy-Mae, Daisy-May, Darcey, Darci, Darcie, Darcy, Daria, Delia, Diya, Dolcie, Dollie, Dolly, Dottie, Dua, Dulcie
  • E: Eadie, Ebony, Edie, Effie, Eilidh, Eira, Ela, Eleni, Eleri, Elia, Elif, Elina, Elinor, Elisha, Elissa, Ella-Louise, Ella-Mae, Ella-May, Ella-Rose, Ellie-Mae, Ellie-Mai, Ellie-May, Ellie-Rose, Elodie, Elouise, Elsie-Mae, Elsie-May, Elsie-Rose, Elspeth, Ema, Emaan, Emilija, Emily-Rose, Emmanuella, Emme, Enya, Eryn, Eshaal, Eshal, Esmae, Esmai, Esmay, Esmee, Etta, Evelina, Evie-Grace, Evie-Mae, Evie-Rose, Ezmae
  • F: Farah, Fathima, Fatimah, Fearne, Fern, Ferne, Ffion, Fleur, Flora, Florence, Florrie, Freyja
  • G: Georgiana, Georgie, Georgina, Giulia, Gracie-Mae, Gracie-Mai, Gracie-May
  • H: Hafsa, Hafsah, Hajra, Hajrah, Haleema, Halima, Haniya, Hareem, Harleen, Harlie, Harper-Rose, Harriet, Harriett, Hawa, Hawwa, Henrietta, Hermione, Hettie, Hiba, Hollie, Honey, Honor, Hoorain, Huda, Humaira, Husna
  • I: Ida, Iga, Imaan, Iman, Imogen, Inaaya, Inaayah, Inara, Inaya, Inayah, Indi, India, Indiana, Indie, Indigo, Ines, Iona, Iqra, Isabella-Rose, Isha, Isla-Grace, Isla-Mae, Isla-Rae, Isla-Rose, Isobel, Isobella, Isobelle, Isra, Ivy-Rose, Iyla, Iylah, Izabela, Izzy
  • J: Jannah, Jannat, Jasleen, Jaya, Jemima, Joni, Jorgie, Jorja, Juno
  • K: Kacey, Kacie, Kaja, Karolina, Katy, Keeva, Keziah, Khadija, Khadijah, Kimberley, Kitty, Klara, Klaudia, Kornelia
  • L: Lacey-Mae, Lacie, Laiba, Larissa, Lavinia, Layla-Mae, Layla-Rose, Leela, Leena, Leja, Leonie, Lexi-Mae, Libby, Lili, Lillia, Lillie-Mae, Lillie-Rose, Lilly-Mae, Lilly-Mai, Lilly-May, Lily-Mae, Lily-May, Lily-Rose, Liyana, Lois, Lola-Rose, Lorena, Lottie, Lowri, Lucie, Luella, Luisa, Lula
  • M: Macey, Maddie, Madiha, Magdalena, Mahi, Mahnoor, Maira, Maisey, Maisy, Maiya, Maja, Malaika, Malak, Mali, Maliha, Manahil, Manha, Marcelina, Marcie, Margaux, Mariya, Marlie, Marni, Marnie, Marta, Martina, Martyna, Marwa, Mathilda, Matylda, May, Meghan, Melany, Melisa, Mia-Rose, Miley, Millicent, Millie-Mae, Millie-Rose, Milly, Minahil, Minnie, Miyah, Mollie
  • N: Nahla, Nancie, Neave, Neive, Nel, Nela, Nell, Nellie, Nelly, Neve, Niamh, Nicola, Nieve, Nikita, Nikola, Niyah, Nusaybah, Nyah
  • O: Ocean, Octavia, Olivia-Grace, Olivia-Mae, Olivia-Rose, Oliwia, Orla, Orlaigh, Ottilie
  • P: Peggy, Persephone, Philippa, Pippa, Pixie, Pola, Polly, Poppie, Precious, Primrose, Prisha, Priya
  • R: Rae, Raisa, Rania, Raya, Rebeca, Renae, Renee, Reeva, Reya, Ria, Rihanna, Rita, Robin, Robyn, Roma, Romilly, Romy, Ronnie, Rosanna, Roxanne, Rubie, Ruby-Mae, Ruby-Rose, Rumaisa, Rumaysa, Ruqayyah
  • S: Saanvi, Saara, Saarah, Safa, Safaa, Saffron, Safia, Safiya, Safiyyah, Samira, Sana, Sanaya, Sapphire, Saskia, Scarlett-Rose, Selina, Seren, Shanaya, Shania, Shannon, Shreya, Sia, Sianna, Sienna-Rose, Simona, Simran, Siya, Sofija, Sonia, Soraya, Stefania, Sukhmani, Sumaya, Sumayyah, Summer-Rose, Syeda
  • T: Tahlia, Tallulah, Tamara, Tanisha, Tara, Taya, Tess, Theia, Theodora, Tia, Tianna, Tillie, Tilly
  • U: Una
  • V: Vanesa, Verity, Viktoria
  • W: Weronika, Wiktoria, Winifred, Winnie
  • X: Xanthe
  • Y: Yara, Yasmine, Yusra
  • Z: Zahraa, Zarah, Zayna, Zaynab, Zaynah, Zeynep, Zofia, Zoha, Zoya, Zunairah, Zuzanna

You probably noticed a lot of “double-barrel” baby names in here. While some Americans have hyphenated first names, the Social Security Administration doesn’t acknowledge their spellings as distinct names; the U.K. does. So, Amelia-Rose is officially Ameliarose in America and Amelia-Rose in Britain.

Thoughts? Let me know in the comments!

Analysis

Names in the English/Welsh Top 1000 that Aren’t in the United States Top 1000 (Boys)

Elizabeth2 Comments

Over the past few days I’ve been sifting through the new English and Welsh baby name data so I can compare to the U.S. list.  Mainly, I want to get a sense of what makes a more distinctly “British” or “American” name.  It’s also fun because there are so many names on the English and Welsh lists that I’ve never even heard before!

Although the U.S. is the only country that really advertises its top 1000 most popular baby names, England and Wales release enough data and reflect a large enough population that we can easily view their top 1000 too.  Yay! 

Here is a list of every boys’ name that appeared in the England and Welsh top 1000 for 2016 but *not* in the American top 1000.  

  • A: Aadam, Aahil, Aariz, Aaryan, Aayan, Abbas, Abdirahman, Abdul, Abdullahi, Abdulrahman, Abdurrahman, Abu, Abubakar, Abubakr, Addison,* Adem, Adil, Adnan, Adyan, Ahyan, Ajay, Alastair, Albi, Albie, Alby, Aleksander, Alessio, Alexandre, Alexandros, Alexandru, Alfie, Alfie-James, Amaan, Aman, Amar, Amin, Ammar, Anas, Andreas, Andrei, Aneurin, Angus, Antoni, Antony, Aran, Archibald, Archie, Arham, Ariyan, Arjan, Armaan, Arman, Arnie, Arnold, Aronas, Arran, Artur, Arun, Ashley,* Aston, Aubrey,* Ayan, Ayaz, Ayman, Ayrton, Ayub, Ayyub, Azaan
  • B: Bailey,* Baran, Barnaby, Barney, Bartosz, Baxter, Bear, Benas, Benedict, Benny, Bernard, Bertie, Bilal, Bobbie, Boris, Bowie, Brogan, Brooklyn, Bryn, Buddy, Buster
  • C: Caelan, Caiden, Caio, Calum, Caspar, Casper, Caspian, Charley, Che, Chester, Cian, Ciaran, Cillian, Coby, Cormac
  • D: Danielius, Daniyal, Danyal, Dawid, Dawood, Dawud, Deen, Denis, Deniz, Denny, Dev, Dhruv, Dilan, Dion, Domas, Dominykas, Dougie
  • E: Eben, Edmund, Eduard, Eesa, Eisa, Eliot, Elis, Elvis, Elwood, Emil, Emir, Emre, Emrys, Eoin, Eren, Ernie, Eryk, Esa, Eshaan, Eshan, Essa, Etienne, Euan, Ewan
  • F: Faizan, Farhan, Faris, Fergus, Filip, Finlay, Fionn, Francesco, Franciszek, Frankie,* Franky, Fraser, Frazer, Fred, Freddie, Freddy, Fredrick, Fynn
  • G: Gene, Georgie, Gerard, Gethin, Griff, Guy
  • H: Haaris, Hadi, Hadley,* Haider, Hamish, Hamzah, Hari, Haris, Harlow,* Haroon, Harri, Harlen, Harun, Hasan, Hashim, Hashir, Hasnain, Haydn, Henley,* Henri, Herbert, Herbie, Hubert, Huey, Hughie, Hussain, Huw, Huzaifa
  • I: Ianis, Ibraheem, Idrees, Idris, Iestyn, Ieuan, Igor, Ilyas, Imran, Ioan, Iosif, Isa, Ishaaq, Ishaq, Ismaeel, Ismail, Ivo, Ivor, Iwan
  • J: Jac, Jago, Jai, Jakub, Jamie,* Jan, Jaxx, Jaydan, Jaydon, Jeevan, Jenson, Jonny, Josef, Josh, Jovan
  • K: Kabir, Kacper, Kaelan, Kairo, Kaiser, Kajus, Kamil, Karam, Karol, Kasper, Kaya,* Kayan, Kaylan, Kaylen, Kenzie,* Keon, Keyaan, Kiaan, Kieron, Kit, Kiyan, Klay, Kobi, Kobie, Koby, Kodi, Konrad, Krystian, Krzysztof, Ksawery, Kuba, Kurtis, Kush, Kyan, Kyran, Kyron
  • L: Laith, Laurence, Lennie, Lenny, Leopold, Lewie, Leyton, Lloyd, Loki, Lorcan, Lowen, Lucien, Luqman
  • M: Maciej, Mackenzie,* Macsen, Mahdi, Mahir, Maksim, Maksymilian, Malachy, Manveer, Matas, Matei, Mateusz, Maxime, Maximillian, Mckenzie,* Md, Mehmet, Michal, Mikaeel, Mikail, Mikey, Mikolaj, Mohamad, Montague, Montgomery, Monty, Muhammed, Mylo
  • N: Natan, Nataniel, Nate, Ned, Neo, Niall, Niam, Nikita, Nikodem, Noa,* Nojus
  • O: Oisin, Olaf, Olivier, Oliwier, Ollie, Olly, Omer, Orson, Osian, Oskar, Osman, Owain, Owais
  • P: Paddy, Patryk, Percy, Piotr, Presley*
  • Q: Qasim
  • R: Raees, Rafe, Rafferty, Raheem, Raife, Raja, Ralphie, Ralphy, Ranveer, Rares, Rayaan, Rayyan, Reagan,* Reegan, Regan, Reggie, Rehan, Reign,* Remi, Rian, Richie, Rico, Ridwan, Riley-James, Rio, Rishi, Robbie, Robin, Rogan, Rome, Ronny, Roscoe, Roshan, Ross, Ruairi, Rudi, Rueben, Rufus, Rupert, Rylee,* Ryley
  • S: Safwan, Sai, Saif, Sahib, Sahil, Salman, Sami, Saxon, Seb, Sebastien, Shae, Shay, Shayan, Shayaan, Shea, Sheikh, Shiv, Sidney, Simeon, Sol, Stanislaw, Steffan, Subhaan, Subhan, Sufyan, Sulaiman, Sulayman, Sultan, Syed, Szymon
  • T: Taha, Talha, Taylan, Ted, Teddie, Teddy, Teo, Teodor, Theodor, Theon, Tiago, Tom, Tomasz, Tommy, Tommy-Lee, Tomos, Tudor, Tyler-James, Tymon, Tymoteusz, Tyrese
  • U: Umair, Umar, Usman, Uzair
  • V: Veer, Viktor, Vinnie, Vinny, Vlad
  • W: Waleed, Wiktor, Wilbur, Wilf, Wilfred, Wojciech, Woody
  • Y: Yanis, Yaqub, Yaseen, Yash, Yasin, Yasir, Youssef, Yousuf, Yunus, Yuvraj
  • Z: Zac, Zach, Zack, Zak, Zakaria, Zakariya, Zakariyah, Zakariyya, Zaki, Zayaan, Zayan, Zayd, Zayyan, Zephaniah, Zidan, Ziggy

*Asterisks follow names that are actually popular in the U.S. as girls’ names only (the purpose of this list is to sort out the differences between the boys’ lists).  Many of those names began as men’s names or surnames and have since shifted or flipped to the women’s side.  Additionally, Regan (although not currently in U.S. fashion) is a women’s name from Shakespeare, yet somehow she’s only popular as a boys’ name in her home country! 

Thoughts?  I’m going to post their American counterparts later, and hopefully I’ll have sorted the girls’ lists by the end of the week!

For this post, I compared Office for National Statistics data against Social Security Administration data.

American Names · Opinions

Words from Names: A Vocabulary

Elizabeth5 Comments

I frequently write about words that become names.  A few hundred years ago, the Puritans famously appropriated virtues like Faith for their children’s names.  Virtues are still popular sources for vocab baby names in the 21st century, but so are all kinds of things – travel, guns, etc.  You may soon encounter a young Journey or Remington.

Lately I’ve been watching a fantastic BBC show called “Call the Midwife” about childbirth in a poor section of London, circa 1950s and 1960s.  The latest episode I’ve watched ends with a woman being prescribed thalidomide for extreme morning sickness.  Knowing that thalidomide caused serious birth defects, this ending caught me off guard.  When I went looking for the history, I learned that one of the defects in question is called “amelia.”  “Amelia” the medical term has a completely different meaning and origin than “Amelia” the name.  Still, it made me wonder what other names share dictionary-space with words.

You know how Urban Dictionary has user-submitted definitions for just about every name?  Using dictionary.com and my handy old Funk & Wagnall’s New International Dictionary of the English Language (not so new – published 1993, and it doesn’t even contain a definition for salsa!), I’ve compiled a selection of people’s names that are also words.  Definitions are included! 

Abigail is a servant or lady’s maid.  This Biblical name currently ranks #7 in the U.S. and #51 in England and Wales.

Adonis is an exceptionally handsome young man.  Current U.S. rank: #702.

Amelia is a birth deformity characterized by one or more missing limbs.  Yikes!  The word derives from Greek, but the name has Germanic roots that mean “work.”  Amelia ranks #12 in America but is the #1 name in England and Wales. 

Benedict: Interestingly, while “benediction” means “blessing,” “benedict” refers to a recently married man, especially if his bachelorhood was long.  I read that this usage relates to misappropriation of “Benedick,” a character from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.  151 boys in U.S., #341 in E/W.

Bobby is a policeman.  #738 in U.S., #67 in E/W.

Calliope is a kind of musical instrument also known as a steam organ.  In 2015, 218 girls were named Calliope in the U.S.

Calliope,_the_wonderful_operonicon_or_steam_car_of_the_muses,_advertising_poster,_1874.jpg
Calliope

Carl: as a noun, “carl” can mean something like “serf” or “rustic.”  Current U.S. rank: #600.

Charlotte, which ranks #9 in the U.S. and #25 in England and Wales, is a kind of dessert served either hot or cold and that usually contains some kind of filling.  Fun fact – Charlotte Russe is both a clothing store and a dessert!

Don is an important (often Spanish or Italian) gentleman or the act of putting on an item of clothing.  114 boys in 2015.

Frank is adjective meaning honest or open.  Current rank: #355 in U.S.

Georgette is a kind of dull and sheer silk or rayon.  35 girls were named Georgette in 2015.

German means “closely related.”  German is not german to Germany.  153 boys were called German in 2015.

Harry: in the context of war, to “harry” is to pillage, plunder, or ravage.  This word also means “to harass.”  Harry is a far more popular name in the U.K. than U.S.  #3 in E/W, #781 in U.S.

Iris can refer to a part of the human eye, a flower, or rainbows.  #217 in U.S., #102 in E/W. 

Irises-Vincent_van_Gogh
Irises (Van Gogh)

Jehu is a fast driver.  32 American boys were named Jehu in 2015.

Job is an employment or task.  87 boys in 2015.

Julienne: When you have julienne vegetables, it means they’re presented in thinly-sliced strips.  29 girls were called Julienne in 2015.

Ken means “to understand.”  87 boys in 2015.

Lea is a meadow.  Current rank – #737 in U.S.

Margarita is a cocktail.  124 girls in 2015.

Marina is a place where small boats may dock safely.  #656 in U.S.

Peter means to diminish or trickle out.  #206 in U.S., #177 in E/W.

Phaethon is a kind of carriage or two-seating car.  You won’t see any baby Phaethons any time soon, but he was a character in Greek mythology!

Philander means “womanizer” in English, though in Ancient Greek it’s more like “friend of man.”  2004 was the last year that this name appeared in SSA birth data.

Phoebe is a kind of bird common to the U.S. east coast.  #286 in U.S., #22 in E/W.

Pippin is a kind of apple or a seed.  Curiously, this only appeared as girls’ name in 2015, with just 5 uses.

Pollyanna is someone who’s overly cheery or optimistic.  12 girls.

Ruth means “sorrow” or “regret.”  #293 in U.S., #455 in E/W. 

illustration_phleum_pratense0
Timothy grass

Sibyl is a prophetess.  12 girls.

Timothy is a kind of grass.  #147 in U.S., #348 in E/W.

Victoria is a kind of carriage.  #20 in U.S., #92 in E/W.

Xanthippe – A nagging or ill-tempered woman.  Another mythological name you’re unlikely to see in real life, though I remembered it from a children’s alphabet book that probably came from Colonial Williamsburg.  Xanthippe was the wife of Socrates.

Are there any you’d add to this list?  Favorites?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Analysis

U.S. vs. England and Wales, Full List (Girls)

Elizabeth7 Comments

As promised in my analysis, here is the full list of girls’ names that were in the top 1000 only in the U.S. or only in the combined England/Wales top 1000!  Unlike with my other posts, I won’t color-code this one; I don’t think anyone can stand reading long lists written in magenta.  Either way, this is more of a reference post than anything else.

Enjoy!

U.S.

  • A: Abril, Adaline, Adalyn, Adalynn, Addilyn, Addilynn, Addisyn, Addyson, Adelyn, Adelynn, Adilynn, Adley, Adrianna, Adrienne, Aileen, Ainsley, Aislinn, Aitana, Aiyana, Alaia, Alaina, Alani, Aleah, Alejandra, Alena, Alessandra, Alexandria, Aliana, Alianna, Alison, Alisson, Allie, Allison, Ally, Allyson, Alondra, Alyson, Amari, Amaris, America, Amia, Amiya, Amya, Anahi, Analia, Andi, Angeline, Angelique, Angie, Ann, Annalee, Anne, Annika, Ansley, Aranza, Arden, Arely, Ariadne, Ariah, Ariel, Ariyah, Armani, Aryana, Aryanna, Ashlyn, Ashlynn, Aspen, Aubrianna, Aubrie, Aubriella, Aubrielle, Audrina, Avah, Avalyn, Avalynn, Averi, Averie, Aviana, Avianna, Ayleen, Aylin, Azaria, Azariah, Azalea
  • B: Bailee, Barbara, Baylee, Belen, Blair, Blake, Blakely, Braelyn, Braelynn, Braylee, Breanna, Brenda, Brenna, Bria, Briana, Briar, Briella, Brielle, Briley, Brinley, Bristol, Brittany, Brooklynn, Bryanna, Brylee, Bryleigh, Brynlee, Brynn
  • C: Cadence, Cameron, Camila, Camryn, Carlee, Carolyn, Carter, Cataleya, Catalina, Caylee, Cecelia, Chana, Charlee, Charleigh, Charli, Charlize, Cherish, Cheyenne, Clare, Clarissa, Colette, Collins, Coraline, Corinne, Cynthia
  • D: Dahlia, Dalary, Daleyza, Dallas, Danica, Danna, Dayana, Delaney, Denise, Desiree, Dulce, Dylan
  • E: Eileen, Elaine, Elianna, Elliana, Elliot, Elliott, Ellis, Ellison, Elyse, Ember, Emely, Emerie, Emerson, Emersyn, Emery, Emmalee, Emmaline, Emmalyn, Emmalynn, Emory, Esmeralda, Esperanza, Estrella, Evelynn, Everleigh
  • F: Fernanda, Finley
  • G: Galilea, Genesis, Giana, Gianna, Giavanna, Giovanna, Giselle, Giuliana, Gracelyn, Gracelynn, Guadalupe, Gwendolyn
  • H: Hadassah, Hadlee, Hadleigh, Hadley, Hailee, Hailey, Haley, Harlee, Harmoni, Haven, Hayden, Haylee, Heaven, Heavenly, Henley, Holland, Hunter
  • I: Iliana, Ingrid, Ireland, Irene, Isabela, Itzel, Ivanna, Ivory
  • J: Jacqueline, Jada, Jaelyn, Jaelynn, Jaida, Jaliyah, Jamie, Jane, Janelle, Janessa, Janiya, Janiyah, Jaycee, Jayda, Jayde, Jayden, Jayla, Jaylah, Jaylee, Jayleen, Jaylene, Jaylin, Jaylynn, Jazlyn, Jazlynn, Jemma, Jenny, Jessa, Jewel, Jillian, Jimena, Jocelynn, Johanna, Jolene, Jolie, Jordan, Jordyn, Jordynn, Joselyn, Joslyn, Journee, Journey, Joyce, Judith, Juliana, Julianna, Julianne, Julie, Julieta, Julissa, June, Juniper, Justice
  • K: Kadence, Kaelyn, Kaelynn, Kai, Kailani, Kailee, Kailey, Kailyn, Kairi, Kaitlynn, Kaiya, Kalani, Kali, Kaliyah, Kallie, Kamryn, Karen, Karla, Karlee, Karlie, Karsyn, Karter, Kassandra, Kassidy, Katalina, Katelynn, Kayden, Kaydence, Kaylee, Kaylie, Kaylin, Kaylynn, Kelly, Kenley, Kenia, Kenna, Kennedi, Kennedy, Kensington, Kensley, Kenya, Kenzie, Keyla, Kiley, Kimber, Kimora, Kinley, Kinslee, Kinsley, Kora, Kori, Kristen, Kylee, Kyleigh, Kylie, Kyndall, Kynlee
  • L: Lailah, Lainey, Landry, Laney, Laurel, Lauryn, Laylah, Leanna, Leighton, Leilani, Lennon, Lennox, Leslie, Lillianna, Lilyana, Lilyanna, Linda, Lindsay, Lindsey, Liv, Lizbeth, Logan, London, Londyn, Lorelai, Lucille, Luz, Lylah, Lyric
  • M: Mackenzie, Madalyn, Madalynn, Madelyn, Madelynn, Madilyn, Madilynn, Madisyn, Madyson, Magnolia, Makayla, Makenna, Makenzie, Malaya, Malaysia, Maleah, Malia, Maliah, Maliyah, Mallory, Mariah, Marianna, Marilyn, Marisol, Marissa, Marjorie, Marlee, Marleigh, Mckenzie, Mckinley, Meilani, Melany, Melina, Micah, Mikaela, Mikayla, Milan, Milani, Milania, Miracle, Miranda, Monroe, Moserat, Montserrat, Moriah
  • N: Natalee, Nataly, Nathalia, Nathalie, Nathaly, Naya, Nayeli, Noelle, Noemi
  • O: Oakley
  • P: Paislee, Paityn, Paola, Parker, Perla, Presley, Priscilla
  • R: Raegan, Raelyn, Raelynn, Raina, Raquel, Rayna, Reagan, Reese, Regina, Reina, Remington, Remy, Renata, Reyna, Rivka, Romina, Rory, Roselyn, Royal, Ryan, Ryann, Rylan, Rylee, Ryleigh, Rylie
  • S: Sage, Saige, Saniyah, Sariah, Sariyah, Sarahi, Sarai, Sawyer, Saylor, Scarlette, Selah, Sharon, Shiloh, Sidney, Sierra, Simone, Sloan, Sloane, Susan, Sutton
  • T: Taliyah, Tatiana, Tatum, Tatumn, Tenley, Teresa, Tinley, Tori
  • V: Valeria, Valerie, Veda, Vera, Virginia, Viviana
  • W: Wendy, Whitney, Willa, Wynter
  • X: Ximena
  • Y: Yamileth, Yareli, Yaretzi, Yaritza
  • Z: Zaniyah, Zaria, Zariah, Zariyah, Zaylee, Zelda, Zendaya, Zion, Zoie, Zuri

U.K.

  • A: Aairah, Aamina, Aaminah, Aanya, Aarya, Aasiyah, Abbie, Agatha, Agnes, Aida, Aila, Aishah, Aiyla, Aiza, Aizah, Akira, Alara, Alaya, Alayah, Alba, Aleeza, Aleksandra, Alesha, Alessia, Alisa, Alissia, Allegra, Alyssia, Amal, Amalie, Amanah, Amayah, Amber-Rose, Ameera, Ameerah, Amelia-Grace, Amelia-Lily, Amelia-Rose, Amna, Anais, Anaiya, Ananya, Anayah, Andreea, Aniela, Anisa, Annabell, Antonia, Antonina, Anwen, Aoife, Aqsa, Arisha, Arissa, Arla, Aroush, Arwa, Arwen, Asha, Ashleigh, Asiya, Asma, Ava-Grace, Ava-Mae, Ava-Rose, Avani, Avneet, Ayaana, Ayah, Ayana, Ayat, Ayda, Ayesha, Ayra, Aysha, Ayva
  • B: Beatrix, Beau, Bella-Rose, Belle, Beth, Bethan, Betsy, Betty, Bianka, Billie, Blessing, Blossom, Bobbi, Bobbie, Bronte
  • C: Cadi, Caoimhe, Carys, Cassie, Cecily, Cerys, Chiara, Cleo, Coco, Connie, Constance
  • D:  Daisie, Daisy-Mae, Daisy-May, Darcey, Darci, Darcie, Darcie-May, Darcy, Daria, Darla, Demi-Leigh, Dina, Diya, Dolcie, Dolly, Dottie, Dua, Dulcie
  • E: Eadie, Ebony, Edie, Efa, Effie, Eira, Ela, Eleni, Eleri, Elia, Elif, Elina, Elinor, Elisha, Elissa, Ella-Grace, Ella-Louise, Ella-Mae, Ella-May, Ella-Rose, Ellena, Ellie-Mae, Ellie-Mai, Ellie-May, Ellie-Rose, Elodie, Elouise, Elsie-May, Elsie-Rose, Elspeth, Ema, Emaan, Emilija, Emily-Rose, Emmanuella, Emme, Emmie, Enid, Enya, Eryn, Esha, Eshaal, Eshal, Esmae, Esmai, Esmay, Esmee, Etta, Eva-Rose, Evelina, Evie-Grace, Evie-Mae, Evie-May, Evie-Rose, Ezmae
  • F: Farah, Fatimah, Fearne, Fern, Ffion, Fleur, Flora, Florence, Florrie, Freyja
  • G: Georgie, Georgiana, Georgina, Giulia, Gracie-Mae, Gracie-Mai, Gracie-May
  • H: Hadiya, Hafsa, Hafsah, Hajra, Haleema, Halima, Haniya, Hareem, Harleen, Harper-Rose, Harriet, Harriett, Hawa, Hawwa, Haya, Henrietta, Hermione, Hettie, Hetty, Hiba, Hibba, Hollie, Honey, Honor, Huda, Humaira, Husna
  • I: Ida, Iga, Imaan, Iman, Imogen, Inaaya, Inaayah, Inara, Inaya, Inayah, Indi, India, Indiana, Indie, Indigo, Ines, Iona, Iqra, Isabella-Rose, Isha, Isla-Grace, Isla-Mae, Isla-Rose, Isobel, Isobella, Isobelle, Isra, Ivie, Ivy-Rose, Iyla, Izabela, Izzy
  • J: Jana, Jannah, Jannat, Jasleen, Jaya, Jemima, Jia, Jiya, Jorgie, Juno
  • K: Kacey, Kacie, Kaira, Kaitlin, Kaja, Karolina, Katrina, Katy, Keeley, Keeva, Kelsie, Keziah, Khadeejah, Khadija, Khadijah, Kimberley, Kitty, Klara, Klaudia, Kornelia, Kourtney, Krystal
  • L: Lacey-Mae, Lacie, Laiba, Lavinia, Layla-Mae, Layla-Rose, Leela, Leena, Leja, Leonie, Lexi-Mae, Lili, Lillia, Lillie-Mae, Lillie-Rose, Lilly-Mae, Lilly-Mai, Lilly-May, Lilly-Rose, Lily-Mae, Lily-Mai, Lily-Rose, Liya, Liyana, Lois, Lola-Rose, Lorena, Lorna, Lottie, Louise, Lowri, Lucie, Luisa, Lula
  • M: Macey, Maddie, Madiha, Mahi, Mahnoor, Maira, Maisey, Maisy, Maiya, Maizie, Maja, Malaika, Mali, Maliha, Manahil, Manha, Marcie, Mariella, Mariya, Marlie, Marni, Marnie, Marta, Martina, Martyna, Marwa, Marwah, Mathilda, Matylda, May, Meghan, Melisa, Menaal, Merryn, Mia-Rose, Miley, Millicent, Millie-Rose, Milly, Minahil, Minnie, Miyah, Mollie
  • N: Nahla, Nancie, Neave, Nel, Nela, Nell, Nellie, Nelly, Neve, Niamh, Nicola, Nieve, Nikita, Nikola, Nuala, Nusaybah, Nyah
  • O: Ocean, Octavia, Olivia-Grace, Olivia-Rose, Oliwia, Orla, Orlaith, Ottilie
  • P: Peggy, Persephone, Philippa, Pippa, Pixie, Pola, Polly, Poppie, Poppy, Poppy-Mae, Precious, Primrose, Priya
  • R: Rae, Rahma, Rania, Raya, Rebeca, Reeva, Renae, Renee, Ria, Rita, Riya, Robin, Robyn, Roisin, Romilly, Romy, Ronnie, Rosalind, Rosanna, Roxanne, Roxy, Roza, Rubie, Ruby-Mae, Ruby-Rose, Rumaisa, Ruqayyah
  • S: Saara, Saarah, Safa, Safaa, Safia, Safiya, Safiyyah, Saffron, Saira, Samira, Saoirse, Sana, Sapphire, Saskia, Scarlett-Rose, Selina, Seren, Shanaya, Shania, Shannon, Shreya, Sia, Sienna-Rose, Simran, Sinead, Skylah, Sofie, Sofija, Sonia, Sophia-Rose, Soraya, Star, Sukhmani, Sumaya, Sumayya, Sumayyah, Summer-Rose, Sylvie, Syeda
  • T: Tahlia, Tallulah, Tamara, Tanisha, Tayla, Teigan, Tess, Theia, Theodora, Tia, Tianna, Tillie, Tilly
  • U: Una
  • V: Verity, Viktoria
  • W: Weronika, Wiktoria, Winifred, Winnie
  • X: Xanthe
  • Y: Yara, Yasmine, Yusra
  • Z: Zaara, Zahara, Zaina, Zarah, Zaynab, Zaynah, Zofia, Zoha, Zoya, Zunairah, Zusanna

Only one ‘Q’ name appears on either list; Quinn ranks #97 in the U.S. and #422 in England and Wales.  There’s also only one ‘U’ name, which appears on the E/W list but not the American.

Thoughts, anyone?  Do you prefer the styles of the strictly English/Welsh names or the strictly American names?  What conclusions might *you* draw from these sets? 

Data sources:

Analysis

U.S. vs. England/Wales (Girls’ Names)

Elizabeth4 Comments

Preface

Two weeks ago, the 2015 name stats for England and Wales were released.  As an American, I don’t know much about British naming trends.  They’re fun to observe and learn about, but it’s not an area that I feel too comfortable expounding on beyond some minor comparison.

There are, however, people who do.  You all should seriously check out the site British Baby Names, run by Eleanor Nickerson.  It’s a wondrous blog that includes the data and analysis of Britain’s naming trends, along with historical names, recent birth announcements, and in-depth name profiles. 

Anyways, BBN provides a top 1000 list for England and Wales (their data is released together; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate lists).  I was curious how it compared to the American top 1000.  So, with the help of spreadsheets, I’ve been sorting out the names that were only in the top 1000 of either the U.S. or England/Wales.  Here are my observations on women’s names:

Surnames and Men’s Names on Women

Something interesting I’ve seen is that unisex names are only unisex or gender-bending in the U.S.  While some will appear in both (Addison, Ashley), most do not.  A female Mackenzie is going to be American…it’s a men’s name in the Isles.  Same with Cameron.

The big exception I can think of for the U.K. is Darcy and its many forms.  Darcy ranks #88 as a girls’ name on the English/Welsh list; stateside, Darcy is fairly outdated.  It hasn’t been in the top 1000 since the early 1990s.  No, Pride and Prejudice didn’t cause its dropping out, even if the miniseries came out the first year it wasn’t in the charts.  

Classic Names

The style of classic name that’s only popular in the U.S. differs from the style of classic name exclusive to the other side of the pond.  A lot of ours were staples of the 1930s and 40s and are barely hanging on to the top 1000 (Joyce, Barbara, etc.).  Strangely, only the American list contains Anne and Jane – both names of English queens regnant.  To be fair, Lady Jane Grey was only queen for nine days…still, how is Anne not a top 1000 name over there?

Strictly British classics include choices that may once have been wildly popular in the U.S…in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Florence and Agnes especially come to mind.  Seriously, we should be making better efforts to resurrect lovelies like Harriet and Theodora! 

Ancient, Classical, and Mythological

This needed a header separate from the classics.  It’s hard to call Juliana (U.S. only) or Hermione (E/W only) classics by modern standards, despite their long histories.  On the other hand, Virginia (U.S. only) and Flora (E/W only) do count as classics. 

A few of the other names in this section are spelling variants for more common shared spellings.  Freyja only appears on the English/Welsh list, though Freya is popular both there and here.  Kassandra only appears on the American list, but Cassandra shows up on both lists. 

Interestingly, Hermione, Persephone, and Juno appear on the E/W set, but Ariadne is American.  Still no Calliope on either top 1000. 😦

Nicknames

The given-diminutives that only appear in the E/W list are very old-fashioned…the American nicknames, not so much.  Selections from their list: Effie, Lula, Minnie, Florrie, Edie.  On our list: Charleigh, Liv, Jessa.  Americans also have Zelda, though I think we’ve become iffy on whether it’s actually a nickname.  Technically Charlotte is a nickname, though we all regard her as formal.

The Adelines

OK, so Adeline appears on both lists, but most other spellings (Adalynn, Adelyn, etc.) only appear in the U.S.  More on that below in The Emmas and The Lynns.

The Emmas

While Emma is popular pretty much everywhere, like Adeline only the the top form really curries favor in England and Wales.  Emmalyn, Emmaline, etc. are only in the American top 1000.  The exception is Emmeline, which appears on both lists.

The Lynns

Names ending in -Lynn are pretty strictly American.  If I find one they like in the U.K., I’ll let you know.

Alison and Co.

Alison, Allison, Allyson, etc. are all American.

Irish Names/Spellings

People on both sides of the Atlantic have difficulty pronouncing and spelling Celtic names…especially the Irish ones. 

That said, a number of Irish names appear on the E/W list only and in their original spellings.  Aoife, Caoimhe, and Saoirse especially come to mind.  However, there are also the Anglicized spellings – Keeva, anyone?

Welsh Names

Of course, it wouldn’t be the English and Welsh top 1000 without some Welsh names!  Bethan, Cerys, Eleri, and Anwen are all choices you won’t find in the American top 1000.  That’s not to say there aren’t Welsh names on the American charts…Megan‘s still pretty popular.

Names from Spanish, French, and Amerindian Languages (and etc.)

These are more strictly American.  If you meet an Aranza, Belen, Itzel, or Noelle, she’s American.  Italian girls’ names seem to go either way though…Chiara is English, but Giuliana is American.

Arabic and Muslim Names:

These are fairly common to both lists, though the E/W seems to hold more exclusively.  On their list (but not ours) are names like Khadija and Nusaybah. 

Polish Names

Peculiar to the English/Welsh list, unless you want to attribute Izabella on the American list to a Polish-speaking population (I think it’s just because Isabella is so fashionable).  The E/W set includes Kornelia, Matylda, and Weronika.  (Side note – does anyone else think it’s strange that Kornelia is top 1000 but Cornelia isn’t?)

Double-Barrel Names

Strictly British.  The Social Security Administration doesn’t account for these in their data, so even if someone names their child Ava–Lynn, it will appear as Avalynn (#884 in U.S.).  That said, double-barrels are pretty common across the pond.  Amelia–Rose ranks #210 there, and there are quite a few others, including Evie–May, Demi–Leigh, and Poppy–Mae. Also Ruby–Rose, which reminds me of the 5th Element.

Place Names

You won’t find the American names London and Bristol on English children.  There is an American city called Bristol (Virginia/Tennessee border) known for NASCAR – whether this city or Bristol Palin is the namesake is up to the parents.  I do wonder if anyone born in or near Bristol actually has the name.  New York is the only state where Brooklyn wasn’t in the top 100 last year.  Funnily enough, Brooklyn is unisex on the English/Welsh charts, though I suspect the reason for *that* is David Beckham’s son.

Miscellaneous

  • Brits *love* Poppy.  It’s the highest ranking girls’ name in England and Wales that isn’t even top 1000 stateside.  That hopefully will change soon…last year it was pretty close to cracking it! 
  • Girls’ names beginning with the letter ‘I’ disproportionately appear on the English/Welsh lists, while J names are disproportionately American.
  • American babies are being named after Kensington Palace (!).  Kensington ranked #969 last year. 

Concluding Remarks

Thoughts?  I’ll post the full list of what’s exclusively English/Welsh or American later, and then my observations on the boys’ names.