Full Names for Genie

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I've been hearing a lot about the name Genie recently. She's a fun, spunky, magical nickname that many parents overlook. So, if you've been crushing on Genie lately, and need a full name to go with it, I have the list for you.

Expected:
Eugenie- A royal name with Genie right inside.
Genevieve- Quintessential Gen- name of today. Using Genie would make her stand out.
Imogene- If Immy and Idgie are too British for you, go with Genie.

Unique:
Genesis- Think Genesis has no modern nicknames? Think again.
Geneva- A lush, ethereal name. She needs no nickname, but use one if you must.
Imogen- Current hipster favorite. More stylish than her sister Imogene, and gets to Genie (almost) as well.

Unheard of:
Bergen- I'm not sure if this one works. Bergen has a hard G, so Genie is not intuitive, but if you are in desperate need of a nickname for Bergen, Genie would be my top choice.
Eugenia- She's so long, a nickname is almost a necessity. Genie would be super cute.
Genova- I personally prefer Geneva, but if you're looking for something slightly more obscure, I'd go with Genova.

Full Names for Evie

I was going through my archives the other day, and was shocked to find out that I hadn't done a post on Evie yet (!) Evie is one of my favorite cutesy nicknames for girls, and she has so many options for full names. If you're not a fan of any of the following, just use Evie on her own (that's how I prefer it).

Eva--At #88, Eva's rapid revival is plateauing. However, she will remain popular for years to come, and is a classy, sophisticated name for a daughter.

Evangeline--There's a plethora of nickname options for Evangeline, but Evie is by far the sweetest, most contemporary option. Evangeline means "good news," making her an adorable name for any baby girl.

Eve--Eve and Eva are so similar, yet there is such disparity in their popularity. Eva stands tall at #88, while Eve remains overlooked at just #490. The style gap has always been there. Eva peaked in 1900 at #33, and Eve was the most popular in 1907 at #414. Does this surprise anyone else? They are both beautiful names but the bottom line is if you prefer uncommon names, go with Eve.

Evelina--Want a princess-y sounding name? Just choose one ending in -ina. No other suffix for girls feels more fantastical. Evelina is not yet in the top 1000, but parents are noticing her charm--she is quickly rising up the charts.

Evelyn--This elegant, vintage beauty is our most popular of the list--#20 in 2013. If there are other Evelyns in your neighborhood, the nickname Evie could set yours apart.

Evening--I talked about Evening on Friday in my Night Names post. -ing names are not common choices for American parents, but the Eve- prefix (and accessibility to Evie) make Evening very usable.

Geneva--Ooh, I would love to meet a baby named Geneva. She's a unique yet known name, which is a combination many parents are looking for.

Genevieve--Genevieve ranks at #219, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the top 150 next month. That would be a long way to jump, so if it doesn't happen this year, expect Genevieve to break 150 in 2015. As far as nicknames go, Evie is much more modern than Gen.

Guinevere--Finally, we have Guinevere. She's seen as somewhat nicknameless, but Evie works perfectly. I also know a Guinevere who goes by Guinnie, if that's more your style.

First Lady Names

Laura Worthington via You Work for Them

Today is President's Day in the U.S., so to honor the holiday, I thought we'd take a look at some noteworthy names of First Ladies. I picked ten I wanted to talk about, but there are obviously so many more I didn't cover. What is your favorite first lady inspired name?

Bird: Lady Bird Johnson 
Lady Bird Johnson, born Claudia Alta, was the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She has perhaps the most unusual monikers out of all the First Ladies, a combination of her childhood nickname (Lady) and affectionate pet name (Bird). Bird makes quite a charming nature name, perfect for the middle position. Alternatively, make it the first name and use the nickname Birdie. 

Bess: Bess Truman
Bess Truman, wife of Harry S. Truman, was born Elizabeth Virginia. She was supposedly called Bessie during her childhood, as a nickname for Elizabeth. I can definitely see Bess coming back in style, especially when used as a short form for Elizabeth. Bessie, however, still reads "cow."

Dolley: Dolley Madison
James Madison's wife Dolley Madison has quite a mysterious name. Some have suggested that she was born Dorothea, others claim Dorothy, and some, just Dolley. The spelling of her name has also been the object of confusion, as documents vary between Dolley, Dolly, and even Dollie. Nowadays Dolley might hold too much baggage with the Dolly Parton association, but nevertheless, she's a sweet retro nickname.

Florence: Florence Harding
Florence Harding, wife of Warren G. Harding, was born Florence Mabel (what a combo!). She has a spectacular name that hasn't quite come into favor yet, despite similar -or- names like Cora and Nora rising in popularity.

Ida: Ida McKinley
Ida McKinley (no middle name) was the wife of President William McKinley. Her name, like many German names is very strong. With short, ends-in-a names being so in vogue, I'd like to see Ida back in the top 1000. 

Letitia: Letitia Tyler
Letitia Tyler was married to President John Tyler, who was first the Vice-President, and then the President of the United States. She vanished from the top 1000 in 1982, although she never broke the top 500. In this day and age, the similar Lettice or Lettie might be more favorable. 

Lou: Lou Hoover
Herbert Hoover's wife Lou was born simply Lou. Nowadays people assume a girl called Lou has a fuller name (Louisa, Lucy, maybe), but back in the late 1800s, this wasn't the case. I love the idea of using just Lou as a first name, but I know many of you won't agree with me. 

Lucretia: Lucretia Garfield
Lucretia Garfield, First Lady to James Garfield's President, was called Crete by those who were close to her. She dropped from the top 1000 in the late '70s, but like Letitia, never made it into the top 500. She might seem a little futsy to modern parents, but I think she's a fun way to get to Lu, Lulu, and the like.

Mamie: Mamie Eisenhower
Mamie Eisenhower was the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. She was named Mamie Geneva, after the song Lovely Lake Geneva. Normally Mamie is considered a nickname for Margaret or Mary, but it's not extremely uncommon to see her as a given name. Mamie fits in with all the retro revivals of today, but is not likely to crack the top 1000 anytime soon, so go ahead and use her. Fun fact: Mamie Eisenhower had a sister named Mabel Frances who was called Mike.

Martha: Martha Washington
Martha Washington was the very first of the First Ladies to ever serve the United States. She did not have a middle name--Martha was born in 1731, where it was common practice to not give daughters middle names, since their maiden name would move to that position once they got married. Martha has been on a steady decline ever since the mid-century, but never made it out of the top 1000. I'm hopeful such a timeless name will begin to pick up steam soon.

Celebrity Baby Name Suggestions: Volume I

via The Modern Mark

Here's a fun and light-hearted post for your Friday. I give some high-profile celebrities suggestions for their future babys' name. Let me know if you like it (and if there are any celebs you want me to include in the next round).

Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Anne Hathaway's sweet personality and understated-yet-glamorous style make me think she'll choose something equally charming for her future babe.
Boy: Arthur, Bastien, Benedict, Conrad, Garrison, Ira, Philip, Phineas, Samson, Teddy
Girl: Agnes, Camille, Celeste, Eliza, Harriet, Linnea, Millie, Ophelia, Rosemary, Tess
*Update* Welcome Jonathan Rosebanks! Definitely a classic and classy choice.

Kimberley and James Van Der Beek
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Olivia, Annabel, and Joshua
They picked three well-liked names for their current children, why not choose one more?
Boy: Elijah, Gabriel, Ian, Jackson, Maxwell, Nathaniel, Owen, Samuel, Thomas
Girl: Charlotte, Elizabeth, Ella, Grace, Julia, Leah, Nora, Piper, Sophia, Victoria
*Update* Baby girl is here--her name is Emilia

Amelia Warner and Jamie Dornan
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Dulcie
Dulcie is quirky, cute, and oh-so-British. Sticking with that theme, here are my picks.
Boy: Archie, Freddie, Harry, Harvey, Kit, Leon, Louis, Ollie, Remy, Rex, Toby
Girl: Cleo, Esme, Evie, Freya, Georgie, Hattie, Marnie, Phoebe, Scarlett, Sylvie
*Update* It's a girl--Elva!

Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Rose Byrne is incredibly chic and stylish. She's going to be one of those celebrities whose baby's name becomes a national sensation. Her boyfriend is Italian and Cuban, so a cross-cultural choice seems to be in order.
Boy: Carlo, Caspian, Cecilio, Enzo, Ezio, Laszlo, Leo, Marcello, Octavio, Rafe, Silvio
Girl: Allegra, Antonella, Eloisa, Estella, Fia, Flora, Florence, Lucinda, Simona. Zelda
*Update* It's a boy! His name is Rocco, so I was right on with the cross-cultural name.

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
No doubt such a trendy, high profile power-couple will pick a name to match.
Boy: Anchor, Arrow, Beck, Dex, Ever, Jethro, Neon, Onyx, Quest, Teague
Girl: Avalon, Aziza, Bellamy, Geneva, Lux, Roxie, Salome, Valencia, Zadie
*Update* Welcome Luna Simone Legend!

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock
Gender: boy
Siblings: River Rose
River Rose's little brother is going to have an equally on-trend but under-the-radar name (and possibly another double nature name).
Boy: Arrow, Birch, Dune, Echo, Edge, Everest, Indigo, Oak, Pine, Ridge, Summit, Timber
*Update* Not a nature name, but another R name--welcome Remington Alexander!

Luisana Lopilato and Michael Buble
Gender: boy
Siblings: Noah
When celebrities have the guts to choose a top ten name (nevermind the #1 name), they couldn't care less about popularity. Noah's little bro will most likely have an established, top 100 name.
Boy: Ben, Elijah, Gavin, Hudson, Isaac, Isaiah, Joshua, Levi, Nathan, William
*Update* Baby boy is Elias! I was close.

Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Willa Lou and River (b)
Keri Russell is ahead of the curve when it comes to giving her babies names. Her older two kids were named well before their names were on anyones' minds.
Boy: Benno, Bram, Dez, Fintan, Grove, Joss, Ned, Oswald, Roscoe, Thoren, Wells
Girl: Anouk, Clover, Darcy, Frankie, Isa, Lotus, Luella, Pia, Primrose, Poet, Soleil
*Update* Hello, Sam!

Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Oliver Finlay
Oliver Finlay has that "it" factor. It's a name that sounds so impeccably cool--you kind of want to use it on your own baby.
Boy: Dashiell, Ezra, Henry, Julian, Miles, Nolan, Sebastian, Wesley
Girl: Alice, Cora, Gemma, Hazel, Ivy, Lola, Sadie, Stella, Violet

*Update* It's a boy—Hugo Wilson!

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Arabella and Joseph
Arabella and Joseph. Ultra-feminine vs. ultra-classic. These are traditional parents in every sense of the word, so I bet they'll follow the same protocol with baby #3.
Boy: Andrew, Benjamin, Charles, Jonathan, Michael, Nicholas, Samuel, William
Girl: Alexandria, Anastasia, Francesca, Julianna, Luciana, Valentina, Viviana
*Update* It's a boy! Name is Theodore James

Heather Morris and Taylor Hubbell
Gender: boy
Siblings: Eli
Short, sweet, and very casual. If we use that model, Eli will have a brother named:
Boy: Ben, Charlie, Cole, Evan, Finn, Gabe, Jack, Jake, Jace, Luke, Reid, Sam
*Update* Baby boy is Owen Bartlett

Font Names

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As you may be able to tell from the images that go with each post, I am a big fan of typography. Most often that means coming up with a font of your own, but today we are going to focus on names of standard fonts. Perfect for the baby of design-nerd parents.

Expected:
Andy
Archer
Ashley
Aurora
Georgia
Gigi
Gill
Harlow
Harrington
Heather
Jenson
Joanna
Kai
Kristen
Miller
Miriam
Nina
Shelley
Vera
William
Willow

Unique:
Alexandria
Allegro
Arial
Aster
Bell
Constantia
Corona
Dax
Dom
Ellington
Everson
Geneva
Janson
Jefferson
Korinna
Lexia
Mona
Rockwell
Sistina
Vale
Vladimir

Unheard of:
Aisha
Albertus
Aldus
Aquiline
Avenir
Berkeley
Berlin
Cambria
Caslon
Colonna
Kochi
Lucida
Maiola
Revue
Skia
Verdana

Full Names for Gigi

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Gigi is one of those cutesy, double-barrel nicknames that everyone loves. She can be a nickname for so many names, it can be overwhelming to pick just one. I made a giant list for you today--take a look and tell me your favorites.

Angiola
Bridgitte
Evangeline
Frangia
Geneva
Genevieve
Georgette
Georgia
Georgiana
Georgina
Giada
Gianella
Gianna
Giannina
Gina
Ginger
Giordana
Giovanna
Gisella
Giselle
Giuliana
Imagine
Margaret
Padget
Regina
Virginia

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!

College Names: Part Two (E-M)

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Today is my only day this week without any tours, hooray! Yesterday I saw Swarthmore, and today we are driving to Brown. Enjoy this next round of college names, and I'll catch up with you Friday.

Girl:
Elmira
Elon
Embry
Emory
Geneva
Grace
Hope
Iona
Juniata
Kendall
Keuka
Lesley
Liberty
Lourdes
Lynn
Marian
Marietta
Medaille
Mercy
Meredith

Boy:
Emmanuel
Ferris
Franklin
Gannon
Garrett
Gordon
Hamilton
Harding
Harrington
Hendrix
Howard
Jarvis
Judson
Kean
Keene
Kenyon
Knox
Langston
Lawrence
Lewis
Lyon
Macalester
Miles
Miller
Mitchell
Morris

Either:
Ellis
Gardner
Grinnell
Lander
Lane
Lee
Lehigh
Lyndon
Malone
Mercer
Molloy
Monroe
Montclair
Morgan

Stylish Choices Outside the Top 1000: 2014 Girls

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We all know the parents with that one requirement when it comes to names: Nothing inside the top 1000. Who knows, maybe it's you! I'll admit, I can be a bit of a name snob myself--I do prefer my favorites to be practically unique. All the names after the jump are outside the top 1000, in order of most used to least used (Esperanza with 257 uses in 2014, Romilly with 5). What's your favorite? Let me know.

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.

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

Full Names for Jen or Jenny

Looking for a way to honor Grandma Jennifer? (Do those exist yet?) If you plan on giving your child a Jen name, here are some options to consider.

Geneva
Genevieve
Genesis
Genova
Imogen
Jenelle (Janelle)
Jenessa
Jenibelle
Jenica
Jenifry
Jenner
Jenna
Jennifer
Jennison
Jensen

Celebrity Baby Name Predicitons: Volume 17

Are cousins likely to have names of similar styles? My first instinct is no (everyone has their own individual taste!), but when you look to famous families, some cousin-sets are remarkably well-coordinated.

Think of the Duggars, who despite choosing names from all over the popularity charts, all give their children names with religious significance. Now Joy-Anna Duggar is pregnant for the first time, and odds are she'll continue this family tradition.

Additionally, the Kardashians come to mind when thinking of cousins with similar names. It's hard to tell where the line is drawn for sibsets when given a list of names like North, Reign, Penelope, Dream, Saint, and Mason (for the record, it's North and Saint; Mason, Penelope, and Reign; and Dream). Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner both announced their pregnancies this month, and I'd be willing to bet that their naming style will be more alike their sisters' and brother's than not.

So what do you think? Are these celebrity siblings going to break the mold or follow suit when it comes to baby names?

Alexandra Breckenridge and Casey Neil Hooper
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Jack
Jack is a genuine, likable, every-man type of name. You really can't go wrong with a name like Jack, which explains its enduring popularity across the Western world. Jack can fit with many naming styles, but I have a feeling Alexandra Breckenridge and Casey Neil Hooper will go for another friendly, nickname-like name for their second child.
Girl: Clara, Charlotte, Emmy, Evie, Grace, Hattie, Kate, Libby, Lucy, Millie
Boy: Ben, Charlie, Eli, Finn, Henry, Ian, Luke, Milo, Oliver, Sam, Toby, Will
*Update* It's a girl--Billie!

Behati Prinsloo and Adam Levine
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Dusty Rose
Although the name Dusty peaked in 1976, the combination of Dusty Rose--given to Behati Prinsloo and Adam Levine's daughter--feels very current. It helps that both are word names, which have become popular with celebrities and non-celebrities alike over the past few years. I'm curious to see what Behati and Adam will pair with Dusty--my guess is another sweet and sassy word name.
Girl: Coco, Fawn, Ivy, Lacey, Luna, Pepper, Sable, Sunday, Willow, Winter
Boy: Beau, Cash, Channing, Chase, Miles, Phoenix, Ridge, Stone, Tanner
*Update* Another little lady--Gio Grace!

Michelle and Donald Glover
Gender: boy
Siblings: Legend
A name like Legend can be a lot to live up to. However, at #311 and rising, more and more parents are deciding that it isn't too much of a burden for their sons to carry. Michelle and Donald Glover's Legend is going to have a little brother, who will probably have a similarly "high-stakes" name.
Boy: Ever, Danger, Flash, Jazz, Lucky, Maverick, Rocket, Sage, Wild, Zen

Hilarie Burton and Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Augustus "Gus"
Augustus is a long and extravagant name, but Hilarie Burton and Jeffrey Dean Morgan's son is called Gus, which is quite the opposite. I'd love to see them use another lengthy name paired with a short and sweet nickname for baby number two--especially one with Latin roots.
Girl: Clementine, Cordelia, Isadora, Lucinda, Margaret, Matilda, Octavia
Boy: Calvin, Felix, Maxfield, Phineas, Roscoe, Samson, Sebastian, Theodore
*Update* It's a girl—George Virginia!

Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
The Duggars are known for giving their children uncommon, often themed names, but the latest arrivals have remarkably normal, restrained names (Mason, Henry, and Samuel). There's no telling if Joy-Anna and Austin will go in an uncommon direction or not, but more than likely they will choose a strong biblical name for their son or daughter.
Girl: Abigail, Ada, Delilah, Eden, Elizabeth, Galilee, Mara, Rebekah, Susannah
Boy: Adam, Boaz, Cyrus, Elijah, Gideon, Isaac, Levi, Moses, Reuben, Solomon

*Update* I was right—baby boy is Gideon Martyn!

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott
Gender: girl
Siblings: none
Kylie Jenner is a bold, high fashion woman--she's not afraid to take risks when it comes to her personal style. So why should we think that she would do anything different when it comes to her daughter's name? We should expect a striking and stylish, yet relatively uncommon name from Kylie Jenner, something like one of the names listed below.
Girl: Bliss, Dove, Essence, Gem, Nova, Reverie, Rumor, Season, Story, Velvet
*Update* Baby girl is Stormi!

Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Prince Oliver (previous relationship)
The Kardashians seem to love names that connote power and status. Kourtney Kardashian was one of the original adopters of the "aspirational" baby name trend when she named her son Reign in 2014. Her sister Kim followed suit one year later with her son Saint. With cousins called Reign and Saint, and a half-brother named Prince, I expect Khloe and Tristan's baby name to follow this apparent Kardashian pattern.
Girl: Contessa, Empress, Jubilee, Majesty, Royalty, Verity, Wisdom
Boy: Brave, Kingdom, Major, Noble, Onyx, Pharaoh, Sergeant, Royal
*Update* It's a girl--True!

Lauren Parsekian and Aaron Paul
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Lauren Parsekian and Aaron Paul are world travelers. Their Instagram accounts are filled with images of treks across Europe and rendezvous around the United States. Because of this, I think a place name might be in order for their little babe--perhaps the name of a city with special significance to the couple.
Girl: Aspen, Britain, Geneva, Holland, India, Moon, Sicily, Venice, Vienna
Boy: Cyprus, Denver, Dover, Memphis, Milan, Orion, Oslo, Rio, Rome, York
*Update* Welcome, Story Annabelle!