Chicago Names: City Streets

I'm all about subtle honor names--names that honor someone in a way that isn't obvious or flashy. Using the name of the street such honoree grew up on definitely fits into the "subtle honor" category. In fact, I have the name of the street I was born on on my short list for potential middles. Today I'm featuring Chicago street name--this is the city I live in, after all. I would love to make this a series to compare street names of cities around the country. Let me know which city you'd like to be featured next!

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

Food Names: Herbs and Spices

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Happy Thanksgiving-week! In honor of the holiday we are going to talk about food names all week. Back in October I covered fruits and veggies, so today is all about herbs and spices. There are so many options here, and I adore almost all these names. Let me know what you think! Would you name your baby after a spice? (I totally would).

Expected:
Basil- Though as a name, he's mostly pronounce BAH-zull.
Bay- Lovely, especially for a girl, I think.
Dill- He works as a nickname for Dillon, but not so much on his own.
Ginger- A name more people should be using.
Jasmine- Jasmine is beautiful, and was popular in the past.
Juniper- Up and coming, she also comes with nicknames June, Junie, and Juno.
Pepper- Spicy and fun.
Rosemary- So sweet, the nickname Romy seals the deal.
Sage- Another name that is truly unisex. Sage has been used by a few celebrities.
Willow- Will- names have been popular lately, perhaps because of the Smith family?

Unique:
Angelica- A little outdated, but usable.
Anise- Don't confuse her with Anais, this one's pronounced ANN-iss.
Carraway- Too similar to carried away? I think she still works.
Cassia- Feminine choice brought into the light by the YA Matched series.
Cicely- She would often get confused with Cecily, but still is a lovely pick.
Lavender- One of the most girly nature names out there.
Rue- She should be gaining popularity soon, thanks to The Hunger Games books and movies.
Saffron- Fun choice, especially for a chef.
Tarragon- It works for either gender, but it's similarity to Tara makes me read girl on this one.

Unheard of:

Artemisia- An elaboration of Artemis. Does she need elaboration though?
Clary- Another name from a YA Dystopian novel. Cute nickname for Clare or Clara names.
Clove- What's with it with YA Dystopian books and spice names? Another one from The Hunger Games, Clove is a simple yet strong name for a girl.
Myrtle- She's so far gone, she might never come back.
Nigella- So closely associated with Nigella Lawson, but a pretty pick nonetheless.
Olida- A great choice for the underused letter "O".
Perilla- She sounds very name-y, I'm surprised she hasn't been used yet.
Quassia- The world could use more "Q" names. This is a great one.
Ramsons- A little close to Ransom, but hey, that's a name too.
Sorrel- This herb is a great pick for a baby boy.
Verbena- The -ena ending make her name-worthy. But the strong -rb- sound gives me pause.

Great Gatsby Names

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We just finished reading The Great Gatsby in my English class, and I was shocked how many names were packed into that little book. It's been around 100 years since these names were in vogue for babies, which means most of them are due to come back very soon. Whether you're a fan of the book or not, these names make for great picks for a son or daughter.

Girls:
Ardita
Carraway
Catherine
Claudia
Consuela
Daisy
Faustina
Fay
Gloria
Jacqueline
Jordan
Judy
June
Lilly
Lucille
Myrtle
Pammy
Sigourney

Boys:
Arthur
Benny
Carraway
Cecil
Chester
Clarence
Don
Duke
Edgar
Ernest
Francis
Gatsby
George
Gus
Henry
Horace
Jay
Lester
Meyer
Nick
Rex
Russell
Tom
Ulysses
Willie
Wilson

All of these names make for good inspiration, but if you want to honor the book, I would choose a more obvious name, like Gatsby, Carraway, or Daisy.

Green Baby Names

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Happy March! This month makes everyone think of the color green- Saint Patrick's Day is coming up, and Spring is almost here. To celebrate this green-tinged month, I have compiled a list of names that are also shades of green. Perfect for a March baby!

Expected:
Emerald- She was Pantone's color of the year last year, and is picking up popularity.
Hunter- The -er ending is very trendy right now, and people's first thought will not be the color.
Jade- A beautiful color, but an even more beautiful name.
Kelly- Both the name and the color were once trendy. Now, not so much.
Lincoln- I talk about Lincoln a lot on here. It's a great name for either gender, but most people won't know it's a shade of green.
Olive- Olive is the first name that comes to mind when I think "green names." She's a lovely name that was once considered unique, but is now turning mainstream.

Unique:
Fern- She's the little girl in Charlotte's Web as well as the poetry loving dog on Arthur. With so many great associations, what's not to love about Fern?
Forest- The baby name is more often spelled Forrest, but the shade of green is spelled like the noun. Either one is useable, but I suggest the double R.
India- She's obviously way more of a place name than a color name, but India is an amazing choice nonetheless.
Myrtle- Most of today's parents wouldn't consider her an attractive choice, but hey, you could call her Tilly.
Paris- Paris is in the same boat as India. Go with India.

Unheard of:
Citrine- I've talked about Citron before, but Citrine sounds more like a name. I'm liking it.
Cyan- Technically Cyan is a blue-green shade, but whatever. Kyan and Kayan are already boys names, so why not Cyan?
Pine- I adore Pine for a baby boy. It's the perfect mix of nature and masculine.
Sea- I love Sea on her own, but many parents want longer full names. I like Season best.
Teal- Short and sweet. That's how I like my baby names.       

Fashionable Old Lady Names

Fashionable Old Lady Names: Edith, Elsa, Esther, Betty, Eve, Beatrice, Etta, Pearl, Theodora, Ruth, Iris, Mabel, Martha, Myrtle, Helen, Georgina, Mildred, Imogene, Peggy, Polly, Agnes, Addie, Gertrude, Leona, Murielle, Irene, Angela, Andrea, Donna