Stylish Choices Outside the Top 1000: 2015 Girls

Syd Nagoshi via Instagram

It can be really frustrating to see your top choices break into the top 1000--no one wants people to discover their favorite name! If you are looking for a name that's guaranteed to be uncommon, outside the top 1000 is the best place to look. None of these names were used over 263 times--that being said, it's impossible to tell how many of these are being used as nicknames for more popular names. The names are ordered from most uses to least: 263 to 5. Make sure to come back on Friday for the boys list, and check out the 2014 list to see what's changed.

Contraction Nicknames

What is a contraction nickname you ask? Just like contractions in English, a contraction nickname takes the first part of a name and the last part of the name to form a shorter nickname, sans middle. There are so many great options if you like contraction nicknames--take a look and let me know your favorites!

Ada: Adalia, Adamina, Adara, Adelina, Adina, Adriana
Adele: Adelaide, Adeline
Alexa: Alexandra, Alexandria, Alexandrina, Alexandrita, Alexia
Ana: Anahita, Anala, Anastasia, Andrea, Andromeda, Angela, Angelica, Angelina, Anita, Annabella, Annika, Annissa, Annora, Antonella
Aria: Arcadia, Arcelia, Arianna, Ariella, Arizona, Artemisia
Aura: Aurelia, Aurelina, Aurora
Bay: Bailey
Bea: Beata, Becca, Beeja, Begonia, Belinda, Bellona, Bertha
Bex: Beatrix
Bria: Brianna, Brietta, Brigitta, Britta
Cara: Carlotta, Carolina, Carissa, Carmela, Cassandra
Clara: Claribella, Clarinda, Clarissa
Clea: Clementina, Cleopatra
Corie: Coralie
Dana: Danica, Daniela, Danita
Elsa: Elisa, Eloisa
Emme: Emmanuelle, Emmeline
Eva: Evangelina, Evanthia, Evelina
Fae: Fable, Faustine
Fia: Felicia, Fidelia, Fiona, Fiorella
Gala: Gabriella, Galatea, Galena
Gia: Gardenia. Georgia, Giada, Gianna, Gilda, Giordana, Giovanna, Gisella
Ina: India, Indiana, Indra
Isa: Isabella, Isabetta, Isadora, Isauara, Isla
Jette: Jeanette, Juliette
Jessa: Janessa, Jessamina, Jessica
June: Julianne, Juline, Junelle, Junette, Junine
Lena: Leanna, Leona, Levina
Lia: Lavinia, Lelia, Leocadia, Lilia, Lilianna, Linnea, Liviana
Lola: Lolita, Louella
Lora: Lorena, Lorenza, Lorinda
Lula: Ludmila, Luella
Luna: Luciana
Mia: Maria, Melania, Milada, Milagra, Milena, Miranda, Mireya, Mischa
Mila: Michaela, Milada, Milagra, Milania
Mina: Marina, Martina, Milena, Minerva
Mira: Milagra, Mirabella
Nia: Nabila, Nadia, Nahlia, Natalia, Nelia, Nicasia, Nicola, Nicolina, Nigella, Nina, Nisha
Noa: Nola, Nona, Nora, Nordica, Norma, Novella
Ola: Olida, Olina, Olivia, Olympia
Pia: Pamelia, Pascasia, Patricia, Petunia, Pippa, Piritta, Portia
Pippa: Philippa
Ren: Reagan. Reign
Roma: Romana, Romola
Rory: Rosemary
Rosa: Rosalia, Rosalinda, Rosanna, Rosetta. Rosita
Sara: Sahara, Samara, Samira, Sandra, Sapphira, Sarika
Sia: Sienna, Sierra, Silvana, Simona, Sistina, Sophia, Sophronia, Stephania, Sylvia
Tara: Takara, Tamara
Thea: Theodora, Theodosia, Theresa
Thora: Theodora
Zara: Zahara

Names with "an"

I recently got an email from a reader asking for some naming inspiration.

Fiona writes:

My first 2 children both have a theme of "an" - Marianne and Kassandra. It happened accidentally, but the more we think about future names, the more we seem attracted to this sound. It would be great to have some help and inspiration please! 
Our second child was only born this year, so we are jumping the gun a little but we do plan a 3rd child (hopefully, as obviously thanks to mother nature's blips, having a child is not in our complete control!) and our experience is that it is never too early to start thinking about names.

With many thanks,
Fiona 

Past the page break I have put together an exhaustive list of names with -an in them. I've italicised the ones I think work best with Marianne and Kassandra. Feel free to leave your thoughts or suggestions for Fiona in the comments. If you have a naming question that you would like me to post on the blog, feel free to email me at skihm (at) hotmail (dot) com. 

Celestial Names: Constellations

Image Credit

Ever thought of looking towards the night sky for baby name inspiration? Constellations have wonderful names--I've picked out the best and most useable to list here today.

Girls
Andromeda
Aquila
Ara
Auriga
Carina
Cassiopeia
Columba
Hydra
Lacerta
Libra
Lyra
Norma
Sagitta
Tucana
Ursa
Vela

Boys
Caelum
Crux
Cygnus
Delphinus
Hercules
Leo
Orion
Perseus

Either
Aries
Indus
Phoenix
Pictor
Pyxis
Sculptor

If I Could Name 100 Girls...

They would be named... (in no particular order)

1. Nell
2. North
3. Clementine
4. Elsa
5. Frances
6. Nancy
7. Vivian
8. Bay
9. Hazel
10. Orla
11. Carys
12. Joanna
13. Amelie
14. Eloise
15. Effie
16. Harriet
17. Lilith
18. Nona
19. Olive
20. Paloma
21. Quincy
22. Reagan
23. Sloane
24. Solange
25. Sidney
26. Tillie
27. Tait
28. Walker
29. Andromeda
30. Bo
31. Flora
32. Fiona
33. Lucy
34. Louise
35. Blythe
36. Blake
37. Blair
38. Clara
39. Imogen
40. Hayes
41. Pimm
42. Romilly
43. Ingrid
44. Meryl
45. Gianna
46. Lane
47. Betty
48. April
49. Grey
50. Edith
51. Reid
52. Felicity
53. Adele
54. Adelaide
55. Georgia
56. Pippa
57. Poppy
58. Violet
59. Eliza
60. Lola
61. Simone
62. Audrey
63. Cornelia
64. Phoebe
65. Chevron
66. Rue
67. Holland
68. Vienna
69. Cicily
70. Sephora
71. Gemma
72. Birdie
73. Sadie
74. Reverie
75. Peony
76. Coral
77. Summer
78. Ruth
79. Mabel
80. Fawn
81. Beatrice
82. Alice
83. Marina
84. Flair
85. June
86. March
87. Helena
88. Miriam
89. Pearl
90. Clover
91. Clio
92. Evie
93. Stella
94. Anja
95. Irene
96. Leonie
97. Kit
98. Zoey
99. Anabel
100. Paige

The Ann(e) Names

There are many names that begin and end with the sound of Ann(e). Here they are:

Anna
Anne
Anabel
Anastasia
Andrea
Andromeda
Angela
Angelica
Angelina
Angeline
Angelique
Angie
Annabella
Annaleigh
Anneliese
Annette
Annika
Annie
Annily
Annis
Annissa
Anniston
Annemarie
Annona
Annora
Annot
Antoinette
Antonia
Anwen

Long Girls Names

Some people love long girls names. Personally, they're not my style, but I thought I'd do a post on them today. They are all at least four sylablles long, even though some look shorter.

Adriana
Alexandra
Alexandria
Amelia
Annabella
Anastasia
Andromeda
Angelina
Arriana
Cecelia
Chrysanthemum
Eleanora
Elizabeth
Esmerelda
Evangeline
Felicity
Gabriella
Gladiola
Isabella
Isodora
Julianna
Liliana
Liviana
Magnolia
Meloria
Natalia
Penelope
Serenity
Theodora
Theodosia
Valentina
Valeria
Victoria
Veronica
Willamina