Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Ashland. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Ashland. Sort by date Show all posts

Monday, February 9, 2015

Full Names for Ash

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Ten years ago, anyone you met named Ash was a girl. Her full name was most likely Ashley, and she was probably born in the late eighties. It's not that easy anymore. With the rise of names like Ashton and Asher, Ash has slowly become an acceptable name for boys. Ash is a great modern nickname for either gender. Any of the following names would be perfect for a full name.

Aishling or Ashlyn- Don't be fooled--these two names are pronounced the same way. Aishling is the authentic Irish spelling, but if you prefer Anglicized names, use the phonetic Ashlyn.

Ashanta- Ashanta is an extremely rare name, fewer than five baby girls were given the name last year. Nonetheless, she's absolutely gorgeous.

Ashanti- Ashanti can be used for both genders, but she's currently more popular for baby girls. This African name is the most popular in Mexico, but ranks at #1146 in the U.S. Perfect for the family looking for a name that's familiar yet uncommon.

Ashari- This lovely name is my favorite of the list. She's quite common in Southeast Asia, but her origins are unknown. Ashari has a beautiful sound, and her similarity to the Hebrew name Shari makes her a good choice for families with blended heritage.

Ashby- Ashby is the most unisex name of this list, being 70% male and 30% female. Even though it seems like a very contemporary name, Ashby peaked in the year 1918. Back then he was only used for boys, but started being used for girls in the late '60s.

Asher- Last year Asher was ranked #104, the highest he's ever been. It seems like he may be hitting a plateau, but he could break the top 100 this year. It's easy to see why everyone loves Asher--he's a very charming name (plus, he means "happy").

Ashland- I figured Ashland would be used slightly more for girls than for boys, but I was surprised how much. 85% of all Ashlands born last year are female, and only 15% are male. I prefer Ashland on a boy--is it just me, or does the -land suffix feel very masculine?

Ashley- This out-of-favor eighties darling is falling quickly, but still remains in the top 100 (at #67 nonetheless). For a 2015 baby, choose one of the other options instead.

Ashton- Ashton Kutcher definitely propelled his name into the spotlight. It reached peak popularity in 2004, and has stayed in the top 200. My guess is that he will drop out off the top 300 in the next few years.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Chicago Names: L Stops

As a Chicago teenager, I find myself taking the L more and more. Lately I've noticed some of the stops have great baby name potential. Whether you live in the city or not, these are some spunky choices for your baby.

Expected:
Addison
Archer
Austin
Clark
Davis
Harrison
Jackson
Lawrence
Madison
Morgan
Paulina
Quincy
Wilson

Unique:
Adams
Ashland
Berwyn
Clinton
Damen
Foster
Francisco
Garfield
Jarvis
Kimball
Linden
Monroe
Sedgwick
Sheridan
Washington
Wellington

Unheard of:
Argyle
Belmont
Bryn Mawr
Cicero
Kedzie
Laramie
LaSalle
Loyola
Morse
Racine
Rockwell

Monday, April 7, 2014

College Names: Part One (A-D)

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This week is my Spring Break, and I am going on college trips to the East Coast. Yesterday I was at Carnegie Mellon, and today I'm at Johns Hopkins. In honor of this, I have compiled a list of colleges with great names that could work for a baby. I'm not sure how I feel about naming your child after your alma mater, but these schools do offer some great inspiration.

Girls:
Agnes
Alice
Alma
Alvernia
Augusta
Augustana
Aurora
Avila
Azusa
Bellin
Berea
Berry
Bethany
Bethel
Beulah
Brescia
Briar
Cairn

Boys:
Adler
Alfred
Allen
Alverno
Anderson
Angelo
Austin
Averett
Barnard
Barry
Barton
Bates
Becker
Bennett
Bennington
Bentley
Bradley
Brandeis
Brevard
Brigham
Bryan
Calvin
Case
Clayton
Davis
Dean
Denison
Dillard
Drake
Drexel
Duke

Either:
Albright
Asbury
Ashland
Auburn
Bay
Baylor
Beacon
Berkeley
Bucknell
Carleton
Carlow
Carroll
Claremont
Clark
Clemson
Colby
Cornell
Drew