10 Arabic Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Depending on where you live in the United States, Arabic names are seldom heard. You're much more likely to hear them in Europe, Africa, and of course, the Middle East. I'm lucky to live in a place where almost all cultures are represented, so I'm no stranger to Arabic names. However, this list contains some names that even I had never heard of, and I'm excited to share it with you.

Anisa- Anisa is a simpler variation of Aanisah, and means "good natured." Even though the two are unrelated, her similarity to the spice anise makes me think she'd be a good name for the daughter of a chef.

Aziza- Looking for a zesty alternative to Aviva? Aziza is your best option. She's spunky and fresh--I kind of love her.

Farida- So many Arabic names have simply beautiful meanings, and Farida is no exception. She means "unique and precious pearl," how lovely is that? She'd be wonderful for a June baby, who's birthstone is the pearl.

Hadiya- I've told you before about my love for Hadiya. Nothing has changed! I would love to see her used more often in the U.S.--Hadiya is extremely import friendly.

Nazia- Nazia is one of those names I had never heard of before (she doesn't even have an entry on Nameberry!), but I'm so glad I finally did, because she's remarkably beautiful. Nazia means "woman who we are proud of," and her likeness to Nadia makes her a perfect unsual yet familar pick for an American baby.

Noor- You've most likely heard of Noor. But unless you live in the Netherlands (where she is so popular) you probably never really thought of using her. Her sweet simplicity makes her attractive to parents from all cultures. Noor can fit into many a sibset.

Omaira- Omaira means "red," so put her on the list for any ginger-haired, Autumn-born babies that you'll have. There's not much information on her, but it seems as if she derived from Omar, and therefore makes a lovely honor name for him.

Peridot- Oh, Peridot. I have talked about her so much (one, two, three, four, five, six). She's definitely one of my guilty pleasure names. And the nickname Dot! I die.

Zaina- Zaina (and similarly, Zayna) are variations of Zaynab--"beautiful" in Arabic, and also a tree name. -ain names might be the next big thing in the U.S., so Zaina would be right on trend.

Zuelia- I'm a big fan of a Julia substituion (see here: Tulia), so you can imagine how excited I was to find Zuelia. I love her soothing zue sound, though I understand the similarity to "zoo" might bother some people.

20 Unexpected Gemstone Names

Livi Po via Dribbble

Gemstone names are always fun, but once a name becomes as popular as Ruby, Jade, or Diamond, it begins to lose its gemstoniness, and sound more and more like an average name. Luckily, none of the following have reached that level of popularity (and dare I say, probably never will). These gemstone names are truly unexpected.

Agate- A beautiful veiny quartz. She's a great way to get to Aggie if you're not a fan of Agatha or Agnes.

Alexandrite- One of the birthstones for June. Perfect for a boy or a girl.

Amethyst- Famous for its purply hue. Lovely choice for a February-born daughter.

Aquamarine- A blueish-green gem, much like its name suggests. She makes a fun, surprising middle name,

Beryl- Beryl is a subset of minerals that includes emerald and aquamarine. As a name she sounds a bit outdated, but is moving into the "charming" territory.

Carnelian- A red-brown semi-precious gemstone. She makes an unusual way to get to the nickname Carnie.

Celestine- A blue mineral, also called celestite. Long time readers will know that Celestine is one of my favorite guilty-pleasure names for a girl.

Cinnabar- Cinnabar is a lovely red mineral often used in jewelry. The name can be used for a son or daughter, with the possibility of the nickname Cinna.

Citrine- A yellow gemstone that symbolizes success and prosperity. Every once in a while I hear of a girl named Citrine, and I'm always enchanted.

Garnet- January's gemstone. Garnet is one of the tamer gemstone names on this list--it fits right in with the baby names of today.

Heliotrope- A variety of Jasper, also called bloodstone. Even though its name suggests a purple coloring, its actually green and red. Heliotrope would make a lovely middle name for a daughter, plus, it's also a flower name.

Jacinth- Jacinth is a red-orange gem, and the Middle-English word for Hyacinth. She's the perfect addition to my collection of Jacin- names.

Moonstone- A gorgeous irridescent gemstone. Anyone else think this would make a positively dreamy name for a daughter? (no pun intended)

Morganite- A pink beryl, found in many a wedding ring. It puts a fun spin on the name Morgan.

Onyx- A shiny stone known for its jet black color. He's one of the few gemstone names that works especially well on a son.

Peridot- Peridot is a lovely green gem. It's no secret I love it as a name for a daughter, especially with the nickname Dot.

Quartz- Quite a popular mineral, but an uncommon Q name for either gender.

Sapphire- A royal blue gem rich in color. Not unheard of as a name, but certainly a surprising choice.

Topaz- A well-known mineral that comes in many colors. She makes a good name possibility for parents looking for something with that zesty "Z."

Turquoise- Turquoise is a beautiful stone that comes from Turkey.She's a color and gemstone name, which makes her twice as nice.

Full Names for Dot

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You guys, is Dot not the most adorable name ever? I can't get enough of her, and she's inching her way up my favorites list. I love Dot by herself, but I know many of you think she needs to be a nickname. So, I have compiled a list of possible fuller forms. Let me know what you think!

Expected:
Dorothea- A very grand name. She's a bit of a style outlier for Americans, but Dot makes her more accessible.
Dorothy- I can't wait till Dorothy comes back into style. She has so many great nicknames, but Dot is forever my favorite.

Unique:
Dortha- A slightly frumpier form of Dorothy. She's not my cup of tea.
Theodora- She doesn't lend herself to Dot as easily as Dorothy does, but all the letters are there, so why not? There aren't many Theodoras running around, but I bet the ones that are answer to Theo rather than Dot.
Theodosia- I read a book series about a girl named Theodosia when I was in middle school, so I have a soft spot for this name. It's always fun to read books about kids with your name, so start your daughter off with a collection of the books.

Unheard of:
Domitilla- The obvious nickname for Domitilla is Dom or Domi, but Dot is so much cuter.
Peridot- If you've been reading here for a while, you will know that I love Peridot. Half of the reason why I love her is because she's the coolest way to get to Dot (the other half is because she's totally rad).

Rainbow Sibsets: Part One

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Color names are so fun, and no doubt, someone out there has a color themed sibset. Stuff like this can get a little bit gimmick-y, but not if you do it in the right way. Let me show you what I mean.


Catalina, Charleston, Isabelline, Peridot, and Scarlet
Blue, Green, White, Green, Red

Ciel, Dune, and Snow
Blue, Brown, White

Lace, Olive, Plum, and Rose
White, Green, Purple, Pink

Jasmine, Kelly, Tiffany, and Veronica
Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple

Cyan, Emerald, and Sienna
Blue, Green, Orange

Cordovan, Crimson, and Rackley
Brown, Red, Blue

Coral, Fern, Forest, Mauve, and Myrtle
Pink, Green, Green, Purple, Green

Liberty, Navy, and Vale
Blue, Blue, Pink

Carmine, Roman, and Umber
Red, Grey, Brown

Copper, Jet, Russet, and Slate
Red, Black, Red, Grey

If I Could Name 100 Girls

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One of my very first posts was called "If I Could Name 100 Girls." A lot has changed for me since 2012, and my taste has definitely shifted. I thought I'd bring it back today to show the evolution of my favorite names.

Aine
Aldine
Alouette
Amelie
Anais
Annika
Anouk
Audrey
Avis
Bay
Birdie
Bonnie
Celestine
Circe
Citron
Clea
Clementine
Coco
Darcy
Dot
Edie
Elke
Elsa
Emmeline
Esme
Evie
Flora
Frances
Frieda
Gemma
Georgia
Greer
Greta
Helena
Hero
Holliday
Imogen
Ida
Ireland
Isabeau
Ivy
Jane
Kit
Lark
Leonie
Liddy
Lillias
Lilo
Lilou
Lotte
Louisa
Lucinda
Marais
Margot
Martha
Minna
Nancy
Nell
Nona
North
Oceane
Olive
Orla
Ottilie
Paloma
Peridot
Phoebe
Pimm
Pippa
Plum
Poet
Pomeline
Poppy
Posy
Quebec
Quilla
Reverie
Romilly
Romy
Ruth
Scout
Season
Silvie
Simone
Sloane
Solange
Soleil
Sosie
Suki
Susanna
Tate
Tess
Tilda
Vienna
Viola
Willa
Xanthe
Zadie
Zanna

10 P Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Remember back in February when I told you that F was my favorite letter for names? P is a close second. I LOVE P girl names, in fact, seven of the following names have been on my favorites list at one time or another.

Palma- A Spanish surname that evokes scenes of the beach.

Pamina- A great way to honor a Pamela. Plus, you can call her Mina or Minnie.

Pasha- I've been hearing a lot of Sashas around lately (and she might be going to the boys), but Pasha is a darling alternative.

Penna- Penna is the quirky-cute name many parents are looking for. I prefer her on her own, but she also works as a nickname for Penelope.

Peridot- This gemstone name has only one pitfall--is it pear-ih-doe or pear-ih-dot? I'm a fan of the latter, because then you can call her Dot.

Pimm- Pimm was a favorite of mine for a long time. I was first introduced to her by Abby, and I think she'd make the perfect sister name for Nell. Alas, whenever I bring her up, I get a less than warm reception.

Plum- Food names can be hit or miss, but Plum is definitely a winner. This sweet, purple-hued name should be used more often.

Pomme- She's the French word for apple, which makes Pomme a sort of food name as well. I love her as a nickname for Pomeline (a guilty pleasure name of mine), but she works well on her own, too.

Posy- Posy is so charming! She works as an unusual nickname for Sophia.

Prairie- Prairie is an unexpected nature name ready to be picked up by hipsters. She could become quite popular in the coming years.

Month Names: August

I'm off to Italy, but before I go I have one last post for you. I'll be back on the 18th with regular posts.

It's August! Can you believe it? This is a busy month for me, with vacationing, the golf team, and going back to school for my Senior year (ah!). I couldn't be more excited though, so I was very happy to put together this list of August baby names. Tell me what you think (and would you consider using any of these for an August baby?)

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Birthstone:
Felicity- The real August birthstone is Sardonyx, but that's a mouthful, so go with Felicity (a form of the stone) instead.
Peridot- 100% my favorite gem stone name. You can pronounce her PAIR-ih-doe or PAIR-ih-dot, both of which are beautiful. Nickname Dot is a plus.

Birth Flower:
Gladiola- Need a stylish, floral way to honor a Gladys? Gladiola is the best option.
Poppy- This fun and peppy British name is incredibly adorable.

Birth Colors:
Orange- Orange doesn't have a ton of color names, but some of the best are Amber, Coral, Tawny, Peach, and Portland.
Red- Red, on the other hand, offers a plethora of options. Try Crimson, Russet, Carmine, or Cerise if you're adventurous, or Rose, Scarlet, Terra, or Ruby if you're not.

Star Sign:
Leo- The Leo names are very in vogue. You can't go wrong! I listed some here last month.
Virgo- Virgo might not be a great name for your baby, but Virginia is.

Related to August:
Aug. Names- The Aug- names are quite popular now. If you want to move beyond hipster favorite August, try Augustus, Augustine, or Augusta.
Oct. Names- August is the eighth month, which means Oct- is the appropriate prefix. Octavia is the most useable one of the bunch, but you could always go for Octivus.

If I Could Name 100 Girls: Volume Three

Rae Shoemaker via Dribbble

About one year ago, I posted my second round of "If I Could Name 100 Girls." It quickly became a popular post, so I thought we'd make it a yearly tradition. So, one year later, here are the names I would choose for 100 daughters. The names that are new to the list are italicized, and the ones that got bumped off are noted at the bottom. Tell me, what would you name 100 girls? (it's harder than it looks!)

Agatha
Aldine
Alouette
Amelie
Anais
Annika
Anouk
Avis
Bee
Birdie
Bonnie
Cameo
Celestine
Celia
Circe
Clea
Clementine
Clove
Coco
Darcy
Delphine
Dorothy
Dulcie
Edie
Eliza
Elsie
Esme
Fatima
Faye
Flannery
Frances
Freya
Frieda
Gemma
Georgia
Greta
Hero
Holiday
Ida
Irene
Isabeau
Ivy
Jane
Kalea
Lark
Leonie
Liddy
Lilou
Liv
Lotte
Lucinda
Margot
Martha
Millie
Minna
Moon
Nancy
Nell
Nettie
Noemi
Nona
Noor
Olive
Oona
Orla
Ottilie
Paloma
Penny
Peridot
Phoebe
Pia
Pimm
Pippa
Plum
Poet
Pomeline
Poppy
Posy
Prairie
Prune
Quebec
Quilla
Romy
Rosie
Ruthie
Season
Solange
Soleil
Sosie
Susanna
Tallulah
Tilda
Umbria
Umeko
Viola
Winnie
Xanthe
Zadie
Zanna
Zinnia


Who's New: Agatha, Bee, Cameo, Celia, Clove, Delphine, Dorothy, Dulcie, Eliza, Elsie, Fatima, Faye, Flannery, Freya, Irene, Kalea, Liv, Millie, Moon, Nettie, Noemi, Noor, Oona, Penny, Pia, Prairie, Prune, Rosie, Ruthie, Tallulah, Umbria, Umeko, Winnie, Zinnia

Who Left: Aine, Audrey, Bay, Citron, Dot, Elke, Elsa, Emmeline, Evie, Flora, Greer, Helena, Imogen, Ireland, Kit, Lillias, Lilo, Louisa, Marais, North, Oceane, Reverie, Romilly, Ruth, Scout, Silvie, Simone, Sloane, Suki, Tate, Tess, Vienna, Willa

Long Middle Names: Girls

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Long middle names can sound quite fantastical on girls, especially when paired with a long first name. But even if the first name is relatively short, the long middle name always does a nice job of balancing it out. I have 100 three syllable names that make lovely middle names for you to look at today. Of course, there are many more that did not make this list, so tell me--on this list or otherwise--what's your favorite long middle name for a girl?

Abigail
Alaska
Alouette
Alyssa
Amandine
Amelie
Anais
Annabel
Anneliese
Ariel
Augusta
Aurora
Beatrice
Bonita
Cameo
Carissa
Carmela
Cassandra
Cecilia
Celestine
Clarissa
Claudia
Clementine
Coralie
Dahlia
Dominique
Elena
Eloise
Emily
Eulalie
Francesca
Gabrielle
Geneva
Genevieve
Gloria
Helena
Hollister
Imogen
Isabeau
Joanna
Josephine
Jubilee
Juliette
Juniper
Kerensa
Keziah
Lavender
Leona
Liatris
Lilia
Linnea
Lolita
Louisa
Lucinda
Madigan
Margaret
Maria
Marigold
Marina
Marisol
Melody
Meredith
Mignonette
Mirabel
Naomi
Nigella
Ottilie
Paloma
Peridot
Pomeline
Querida
Quintessa
Reverie
Romilly
Rosalie
Rosemary
Salome
Santana
Saskia
Sienna
Sierra
Simona
Sophia
Umbria
Verity
Veronique
Vienna
Viola
Violet
Virginia
Vivian
Ximena
Zahara
Zinnia