10 A Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Last week we talked about unusual A names for girls, and now it's time for the boys. The boys names in this series will be slightly different than the girls. Due to the lack of variety of boys names, some of the ones listed are in the top 1000. However, they are all below 500. Take a look, and tell me if you'd consider any of them for your own child.


Alaric- Alaric sounds cool, calm, and collected, traits you might want to give to a son.

Alban- Has that popular -an ending. Spell it Alben, and he's another way to get to Ben.

Ansel- I was inspired by my ACT passage on Ansel Adams to put this one on the list. It sounds slightly feminine, but there's an obvious connection, so he wouldn't get confused for a girl.

Anton- Joanna Goddard's baby is named Anton, and it wears very well. I wasn't too keen on it before, but seeing it on an actual baby made me see how useable Anton is.

Argo- Yeah, there's the movie, but Argo would make a fun name for a son. I would wait a few years, until people forget about the movie's catchphrase though.

Arlo- Arlo is Argo's softer, safer cousin. Plus, he fits in with rising names like Marlowe and Harlow.

Asa- Actor Asa Butterfield brought his name back into the spotlight. Even so, some people will think it's a girl name, a la Ava and Ana.

Axton- There's Paxton, Maxton, Braxton, and Jaxton, why not Axton? He's not my favorite name in the world, but he's a good option for parents looking for a name that's unique with trendy sounds.

Aza- Spices up Asa.

Azriel- This Hebrew name is a cool alternative to the overused Gabriel.

10 German Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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We're on to German names for boys today--a real favorite of mine. What are your favorite German names? Tell me below.

Alaric- For those of you looking for a robust, masculine name, put Alaric on your list. He means "all powerful ruler," and has ties to ancient kings.

Ansel- With teen heartthrob Ansel Elgort making his way into the mainsteam, are we going to see more baby Ansels? My guess is yes. People are loving softer names for boys lately, and Ansel is just that.

Arno- The strong, sophisticated Arno has never been that popular (he peaked in 1897 at #728), but could be become so? The generation of children who grew up watching Hey Arnold! are transitioning into parenthood--might they be inspired to drop off the last two letters?

Benno- Ooh, I adore Benno! He's a swankier version of the much overused Ben, and a great pan-European choice.

Fritz- Fritz is another one of my favorites--he goes on and off my short list constantly. He can be used as a nickname for Frederick or on his own (we all know which I prefer). Fritz is downright spunky--I predict we will be seeing more of him in the coming years.

Humphrey- The big question here: is Humphrey a dog name? The short answer is yes. Currently, you will meet a lot more dogs than humans with the name Humphrey. But I have a theory (and I know I've explained this before) that the dog names we choose are just ahead of the curve for humans. In a couple years, we'll all be on board with Humphrey. Trust me.

Ivo- I'm a big fan of the short, unique name, and Ivo definitely falls into that category. He's gentler than Ivor, and more modern than Ivan. Ivo's an all around great choice.

Rainer- Nowadays, Rain has gone completely to the girls. If you're disappointed by this, I suggest you take a look at Rainer. He blends nature and surname-style perfectly.

Romer- It'll take a few generations for Homer to be usable again, but in the mean time, how about Romer? He gets bonus points for the unisex nickname Romy.

Till- This contemporary nickname is all over the place in Germany. He's in the top 100 on his own, but was commonly used as a short form of Dietrich or Theodoric in the past.

Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 27

As 2018 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on the year in celebrity baby names. It was an exciting time—three (yes, three!) Kardashians babies were born this year, Chicago, Stormi, and True. Chrissy Teigen and John Legend named their son Miles Theodore, Cardi B and Offset gave their daughter the name Kulture Kiari. Other notable celebrity baby names from 2018 include Colette Koala (Macklemore), Marvel Jane (Pete Wentz) and Rani Rose (Kate Hudson).

Looking ahead, 2019 should be a great year as well. Stars like Jessica Simpson, Carrie Underwood, and Snooki are all expecting new babies in the new year. Amy Schumer, Molly Yeh, and Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are going to become parents for the first time in 2019. So what names will they choose for their babies? I’ve made my predictions for some of them below.

Angela and Alfonso Ribeiro

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Sienna (previous relationship), Alfonso Lincoln, Anders Reyn

Angela and Alfonso Ribeiro’s two sons each have A names—Alfonso and Anders. Now that they’re expecting their third, are they going to make this a pattern? Alfonso’s teenage daughter is named Sienna, so it could be fun to find another S name, especially if the baby is a girl. But even if they don’t choose to do an initial theme, there are plenty of great options for the Ribeiro sibset.
Girl: Adeline, Allegra, Arya, Carolina, Emilia, Isabella, Juliet, Maya, Scarlett, Willow

Boy: Alaric, Axel, Benson, Dexter, Julius, Linus, Lucien, Quincy, Vincent, Winston
*Update* Another A—Ava Sue!

Michelle Mulitz and Ben Feldman

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Charlie Milton

In 2017, Ben Feldman and wife Michelle Mulitz gave their son the name Charlie Milton. Milton is an honor name from Michelle’s side of the family, but Charlie was chosen for its cute-factor. The pair of names makes quite the vintage combination. Should Ben and Michelle try and emulate that style for their next child’s name, they should consider the following.

Girl: Clara, Edie, Eliza, Eloise, Flora, Hazel, Ivy, Jane, Lucy, Ruby, Ruth, Violet

Boy: Eli, Emmett, Finn, George, Gus, Henry, Jack, Levi, Liam, Max, Milo, Theo

Molly Yeh and Nick Hagen

Gender: unknown

Siblings: none

Food blogger and TV personality Molly Yeh is pregnant with her first child. She and her husband Nick are interested in using names or variations of names from their family trees. Molly has Chinese and Jewish roots, while Nick’s ancestors come from northern Europe. This gives them quite a large pool to choose from, and I wouldn’t be surprised if their later sibset ended up with an eclectic feel.

Girl: Anouk, Aviva, Dalia, Ilsa, Joanie, Lia, Liora, Marnie, May, Mina, Roux

Boy: Asa, Asher, Bo, Ira, Isaac, Jack, Jacob, Jonah, Kai, Noam, Pim, Samson
*Update* A little girl—Bernadette Rosemary, called Bernie!

Janet Montgomery and Joe Fox

Gender: unknown

Siblings: none

British actress Janet Montgomery and boyfriend Joe Fox share a dog named Guthrie. Guthrie is a Scottish name in origin, but feels decidedly country-western, thanks in part to singer Woody Guthrie. Cowboy and -girl names are actually some of the fastest rising in England and Wales, so I’d wager that the couple will chose something with some country vibes for their son or daughter.

Girl: Hallie, Harlow, Indie, Josie, Mabel, Paisley, Rosalie, Sadie, Savannah, Skylar

Boy: Brody, Carter, Grayson, Hunter, Jax, Jude, Levi, Lincoln, Maddox, Wyatt
*Update* It's a girl—Sunday Juno!

Jess Weixler and Hamish Brocklebank

Gender: unknown

Siblings: none

Jess Weixler hails from the South—Kentucky, to be exact—while her husband Hamish Brocklebank is from the UK. While it might seem like these two regions would have disparate naming styles, there are some names that overlap. I took names that are rising on the UK charts and also have style cred in the American South to come up with a list of possibilities for Jess and Hamish.

Girl: Callie, Daisy, Ellie, Esme, Georgia, Maisie, Molly, Paisley, Scarlett, Willow

Boy: Benjamin, Gabriel, Grayson, Jackson, Jude, Miles, Rowan, Teddy, Toby
*Update* Welcome, Beatrice Danger!

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Jionni LaValle

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Lorenzo Dominic and Giovanna Marie

Snooki Polizzi and Jionni LaValle are going to welcome their third child in 2019. Based on the names of their oldest two children, odds are that he or she will have a lengthy Italian name, which ties back to their ancestral heritage. I’d love to see them use an up-and-coming Italian name like Antonella or Luciano—their celebrity influence could propel these names into the mainstream.

Girl: Antonella, Bianca, Carina, Daniella, Giorgia, Giuliana, Lucia, Sienna, Viviana

Boy: Antonio, Emilio, Leonardo, Luciano, Marcello, Matteo, Maximo, Nicolo, Santino
*Update* Hello, Angelo James!

Carly Matros and Zachery Bryan

Gender: boy

Siblings: Gemma, Taylor (g), Jordana Nicole

Zachery Bryan was a child star of the ‘90s, and it seems like his naming style might be influenced by that decade. Taylor was a top ten pick for girls from 1993-2000 (peaking at Number 6 from ’94-’96). Jordana has never broken through the top 1000, but the very similar Jordan peaked for girls in 1997 at Number 40. Gemma is somewhat of an outlier in the sibset, as it has currently plateaued around Number 250. Now that Carly and Zachery are expecting a boy, are we going to see this same ‘90s style come through in his name?

Boy: Aiden, Brady, Carson, Clayton, Cody, Dylan, Griffin, Kyle, Lucas, Porter, Ryan
*Update* He's here—Pierce Alexander!

Kayla Rae Reid and Ryan Lochte

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Caiden Zane

Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte and his wife Kayla picked the name Caiden Zane for their son in 2016. It’s a name that’s emblematic of the decade, given the popularity of the -aiden names and affection for high-value Scrabble letters like Z. I expect their next child to have a name that is similarly on-trend and representative of the 2010s.

Girl: Addison, Aubree, Blakely, Brielle, Emerson, Everly, Kinsley, Rylee, Zoey

Boy: Axel, Bentley, Bryson, Colton, Jace, Jaxon, Kingston, Logan, Luke, Maverick
*Update* A girl—Liv Rae!

Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 30

Creating a coordinated sibset can be hard enough, but when the siblings in question are half-siblings, it’s even harder. A new partner means a new set of opinions and ideas to account for, so frequently sibset cohesion is a preference that gets discarded in favor of an eclectic sibset (nothing wrong with that!).

Half of our celebrities this month will be naming half-siblings, so I’m curious to see where they fall along the sibset coordination continuum. It seems likely that Jamie Bell, Randy Houser, and Doug Reinhardt will all use names that pair well with their older sons’. Myleene Klass, on the other hand, has already embraced the eclectic sibset model with daughters named Ava and Hero. I’m looking forward to hearing what she chooses for their half-sister or brother.

Take a look at my predictions and let me know your suggestions in the comments. Also, let me know—have you named half-siblings? How did you feel about sibset cohesion?

Krysten Ritter and Adam Granduciel

Gender: unknown

Siblings: none

Krysten Ritter recently debuted her baby bump at the Oscar’s—her first child with War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel. People in hip bands often use hip baby names, and Krysten and Adam should be no exception to the rule. Any one of these hipster-chic baby names would be adorable on their son or daughter.

Girl: Clementine, Delilah, Eloise, Harriet, Juniper, Louisa, Lux, Mabel, Nova, Pearl

Boy: Alaric, Ansel, Calder, Hugo, Linus, Magnus, Milo, Rafferty, Thoren, Winston

Zinzi Evans and Ryan Coogler

Gender: unknown

Siblings: none

Director Ryan Coogler’s films have met much acclaim over the past few years—Fruitvale Station, Creed, and most recently, Black Panther. African American identity is a major theme throughout his works—I could definitely see him and wife Zinzi choosing a name inspired by a black historic or cultural icon for their son or daughter.

Girl: Clarissa, Ella, Eulalie, Ida, Natalie, Pearl, Ruby, Sadie, Simone, Zora

Boy: Alexander, August, Carver, Henry, Langston, Levi, Marshall, Miles, Quincy, Walker

Kate Mara and Jamie Bell

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Jack Matfin (previous relationship)

Actors Jamie Bell and Kate Mara are expecting their first child together later this year. Jamie’s five-year-old son is named Jack—the sort of every-boy name that can work in many a sibset. I chose names that paired well with Jack for Kate and Jamie—most of them with a slight British accent (since Jamie hails from the UK).
Girl: Cecilia, Clare, Esme, Frances, Maeve, Mia, Ruby, Sadie, Tessa, Zelda

Boy: Alistair, Camden, Graham, Grant, Henry, Jude, Louis, Owen, Rex, Wells

Myleene Klass and Simon Motson

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Ava Bailey and Hero Harper (previous relationship)

Singer Myleene Klass has taken to calling her baby bump “Snoop,” although I’d be surprised if that’s a hint about his or her name. Her older two daughter are Ava and Hero—two very different names stylistically. She could go in either direction for baby number three’s name—maybe even a completely new one (might his or her name actually be Snoop?)—but these are some names that could bridge the gap between Ava and Hero.

Girl: Bea, Della, Honor, Juno, Lula, Lux, Scout, Romy, Roxy, Zadie

Boy: Bram, Cosmo, Emrys, Felix, Jude, Phoenix, Rhys, Roscoe, Kit

Maryse Ouellet and Mike "The Miz" Mizanin

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Monroe Sky

Maryse and Mike Mizanin seem to have branded themselves the “M” family. With everyone having an M as both their first and last initial, the odds are in favor of baby number two having a name that follows suit. That narrows the pool significantly, but there are still so many M options to choose from! Maryse is from Montreal, so I would love to see she and Mike choose something with French influence—maybe Mardi or Maelle.

Girl: Macyn, Madigan, Maelle, Mardi, Mariana, Marley, Marlowe, Marvel, Meilani, Mila

Boy: Madden, Maddox, Major, Matthias, Maverick, Maxx, Memphis, Mercer, Milan, Myles

Tatiana Starzynski and Randy Houser

Gender: unknown

Siblings: West (previous relationship)

With a dog named Hawk and a son named West, it’s clear country singer Randy Houser likes rugged word names for boys. I could especially see him and Tatiana going for something like Crew or Nash. If it’s a girl, I think we will see something similarly rough-and-tumble, modern, and not too feminine—I like the idea of Brynn or Marlowe.

Girl: Brynn, Emlyn, Frankie, Henley, Laurel, Leighton, Lou, Marlowe, True

Boy: Cord, Crew, Ever, Ford, Gray, Hayes, Jett, Lincoln, Maverick, Nash
*Update* Welcome, Huckleberry Randolph!

Hayley Stommel and Tyler Hubbard

Gender: boy

Siblings: Olivia Rose

Another country starbaby! Although this country star has different style. Hayley and Tyler Hubbard chose the name Olivia Rose for their daughter—a classic combo, and one that’s pretty easy to like. Now they’re expecting a son, but I have a feeling they’ll follow the same system. It’s likely they’ll go with another inoffensive choice, probably another name in the top 100.

Boy: Blake, Brady, Ethan, Jackson, Landon, Logan, Lucas, Mason, Nolan, Zachary

Mia Irons and Doug Reinhardt

Gender: boy/boy twins

Siblings: Koby (previous relationship)

It’s going to be identical twin boys for Mia Irons and Doug Reinhardt! Naming twins poses an extra challenge—the names should be matched as a pair, but also fit in within the larger sibset. Doug has a son named Koby, so I’m expecting something similarly short and punchy for his next two sons. He and Mia can mix and match any of the following options:

Boy: Ace, Beck, Bo, Chase, Dash, Drake, Hayden, Jake, Jax, Logan, Roman, Van