Share a Coke Names: Summer 2015

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Some of my most-viewed posts profile last summer's Share a Coke campaign (part one, part two). This year, Coca Cola is bringing it back, and they've added tons more names. Here I've listed all the names that didn't appear on the U.S. or U.K. lists last year. It's all after the jump.

Splittable Names for Twins

Abby and Gail
Ame and Lia
Angel and Lina
Anna and Belle
Arri and Anna
Alex and Xander or Alex and Ander
Brooke and Lynn
Chris and Tina
Eliza and Beth
Eva and Lynn or Eve and Lynn
Henry and Etta
Jill and Ian or Gill and Ian
Kate and Lynn
Lily and Ana
Mac and Kenzie
Maddie and Lynn
Mary and Lynn
Rose and Mary
Will and Liam

Nicknames for Evangeline

Evangeline is a very beautiful, albeit trendy girls name. If you want your Evangeline to stand out from the crowd, here are some nicknames she could go by.

Angel
Angeline
Angie
Eva
Evan
Eve
Evie
Gigi
Lina
Vivi

10 Czech Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

Eho via Dribbble

We don't hear about Czech names often, but there are some wonderful options! My personal favorite of today's list is Lida--how lovely would she be on a baby girl? Let me know your favorites, I always love to hear them.

Apolena- I don't know about you guys, but I love the name Apollonia, just not her five syllables. Thankfully, the Czech version is Apolena--a slightly shorter version that I think I like even more.

Dosia- Dosia is a Czech version of the Greek Dorothea. She also has roots in Poland, where she is used as a nickname for Teodozja or Dorota. As far as pronunciation goes, in the Czech Republic, Dosia is said like DAH-shuh.

Edita- With Edith on the rise in the US, it's time to start looking for variations. I'm particularly fond of the Czech one, Edita. She could easily go by the retro-cool nickname Edie, if you're a fan.

Evka- Speaking of names on the rise, let's talk about Eva. She's currently at #82 in America, and similar names (Ava, Eve, Evie, etc.) are soaring as well. The Czech Eva is Evka, and it's safe to say she hasn't hit it big yet. If you're not offended by the hard K sound (currently not very vogue, but I love it!), then Evka could be a lovely Eva alternate.

Lenka- Lenka is originally a short form of Madalena and Helena in the Czech Republic, but I think she's gorgeous in her own right. She's similar to the rising name Lena, but has an undeniable European feel.

Lida- Lida is name that has great potential. I can definitely see her catching on in the US. She's a diminutive of Ludmila (unfortunately, not one I can see catching on), but is unrelated to the Greek Leda. Americans love L names for girls, so tell me--am I crazy, or could Lida be our next big import?

Milena- No doubt you are familiar with Milena as the real name of mega-star Mila Kunis. She's currently ranked at #798, making her the most popular name on this list, as well as the most well-known Czech name to Americans. Milena is used in many European countries, so she's a good cross-cultural pick.

Olina- Olga might not be your style, but how about her Czech form, Olina? She's less harsh and more feminine, plus she can shorten to Lina. Olina is a Czech name by design, but also used throughout Scandinavia.

Olivie- Olivie and a Czech and French name. As you may have guessed, she's a variation of Olivia. Unlike her more popular sister, the emphasis is not on the second syllable. Instead, Olivie, is pronounced oh-liv-EE.

Tila- Isn't Tila cute? She's a Czech nickname for Matilda, and much like my favorite Matilda knock-off (Tilda!) she's splendid on her own. That being said, she makes a fun, unexpected nickname for an American Matilda.

Nicknames for Emmeline

However you pronounce it, Emmeline is a pretty cute name. Here are some nicknames if she's just a little too long.

Elle
Emma
Emme (or Emmy, Emy, or Emmie)
Lina
Lynn
Mel
Milla
Millie

Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 23

When it comes to naming babies, everyone has a different set of priorities and values. One we talk about a lot is sibset coherence. Whether or not you're a name nerd, it's easy to see the merits of a coordinated sibset. Oftentimes one has to refer to their children as a group, and well-matched names makes it easy for others to view them as a set. 

But how much does this matter when the siblings of a new baby are adults? My inclination is: not much. Adult children are off living their own lives, and the amount of times they will be lumped into the same group as their infant sibling is much less than if they had grown up together. Therefore, I don't think anyone should stress over trying to find the perfect name for their son who will be twenty years his sister's junior. Tastes change over the years, and after a few decades, so do styles. 

Many celebrities expecting babies this month are going to be naming children with 20 or 30-plus age differences from some of their siblings, and will have to determine the importance of this issue for themselves. Daniel Craig's adult daughter Ella will have a little sister or brother at the end of this year, as will Norman Reedus's grown son Mingus. Josh Brolin's 29- and 24-year-old children are going to be the older siblings of a baby girl, and Brigitte Nielsen's four adult sons (ranging in age from 23 to 34) will welcome another sibling into their brood. 

For some, like Daniel Craig, creating a harmonious sibset shouldn't be too much of a problem. For other, like Brigitte Nielsen, it's already a lost cause. As for the rest, I'm curious to see how it will play out--will these stars decide that a well-matched sibset is the way to go, or give it up to choose the name that most speaks to their heart?

Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Cyrus Michael Christopher

Five years ago, Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy gave their son the historic, regal-adjacent name Cyrus. It strikes that elusive unpopular-but-familiar balance that is so often coveted by parents-to-be. I've got my fingers crossed for Claire and Hugh to do it again—any of my suggestions below would fit the bill.
Girl: Cleo, Della, Fern, Greta, Isadora, Lucinda, Minna, Phoebe, Romy

Boy: Boaz, Bram, Edmund, Jasper, Lucian, Mercer, Oren, Royce, Simeon

Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Ella, Henry (previous relationships)

Both Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig have children from a previous relationship. Daniel's 25-year-old daughter is named Ella, while Rachel's 11-year-old son is named Henry. The two names already work well together in terms of style, so the pressure is off for the new baby's name to cohere their blended family. As long as they stick with the modern classics, this combined sibset will be perfectly coordinated.
Girl: Alice, Amelia, Clara, Ivy, Lily, Lucy, Mila, Nora, Sophie, Ruby, Violet

Boy: August, Charlie, Jack, Oliver, Owen, Russell, Spencer, Theo, William

Shenae Grimes-Beech and Josh Beech

Gender: girl

Siblings: none

90210 star Shenae Grimes-Beech is a hardcore rock and roll fan. Lucky for her, rock and roll (and music more generally) offers a wealth of baby name inspiration. From guitar-strumming surnames to soulful ballads, Shenae and Josh should have no trouble finding the perfect name for their little wild child--whether they prefer girly and sweet or sassy and androgynous names.

Girl: Axelle, Bowie, Dylan, Everly, Hendrix, Jagger, Jett, Layla, Presley, Rose
*Update* I was right—baby girl is Bowie Scarlett!

Chanel Iman and Sterling Shepard

Gender: unknown

Siblings: none

Model Chanel Iman and football player Sterling Shepard are expecting their first child together later this year! Chanel's style is unabashedly feminine, so I predict we will see something lovely and romantic for her baby's name, no matter if it's a boy or girl. I'd like to see her use a name with French origins like her own—Celeste or Sabine are my favorites for girls, and I'm partial to Julien if baby is a boy. 

Girl: Anastasia, Camille, Celeste, Elle, Rose, Ruby, Sabine, Scarlett, Simone

Boy: Clark, Dominic, Julien, Lucian, Marcel, Maxim, Quincy, Roman, Sebastian
*Update* It's a girl--Cali Clay!

Francesca Eastwood and Alexander Wraith

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Trajan (previous relationship)

Clint Eastwood's daughter Francesca's name is a variant of her mother's: Frances. I would love to see her continue the tradition and use another Franc- name if her baby is a girl—something like Franny or Frankie, or even just France—a cheerful (and drastically underused) place name. Even if Francesca does not want to be her child's namesake, I expect something frilly and ladylike for a daughter, or handsome and classic for a son.

Girl: Cecilia, Eloise, France, Frankie, Franny, Genevieve, Juliette, Vivienne

Boy: August, Charles, Elliott, Harrison, Henry, Jack, James, Jasper, Theodore
*Update* Welcome, Titan Wraith Eastwood!

Kathryn Boyd and Josh Brolin

Gender: girl

Siblings: Trevor, Eden (previous relationship)

Back in the late eighties and early nineties, Josh Brolin named his kids Trevor and Eden. Trevor was a well-used name during his son's birth—sitting well within the top 100—although Eden was barely in the top 700 when his daughter was born in 1994. Now, with an age gap of almost a quarter century between his two youngest children, I'm curious to see if his tastes have changed. For their newest daughter, will Josh and Kathryn choose something well-established like Trevor, or an up-and-comer, like Eden once was?
Girl: Aurora, Briar, Emerald, Grace, Harper, Haven, Ivy, Lena, Lyra, Piper, Willow
*Update* She's here—Westlyn Reign!

Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Mingus Lucien (previous relationship)

Norman Reedus's adult son has the unusual Scottish name Mingus. He is named for Charles Mingus, the jazz musician. Perhaps Norman will be inspired by jazz again for his second child's name, although expectant mother Diane Kruger is a native of Germany, so maybe a Bavarian name is in order. No matter which direction they choose, there's a plethora of good options.

Girl: Adelheid, Billie, Ella, Greta, Ilsa, Josephine, Lina, Lorelei, Matilda, Zinnia

Boy: Axel, Bix, Conrad, Ellington, Hugo, Kaiser, Kenton, Leon, Loudan, Till

Brigitte Nielsen and Mattia Dessi

Gender: unknown

Siblings:  Julian, Killian Marcus, Douglas Aaron, and Raoul Ayrton Jr. (previous relationships)

At 54 years old, Brigitte Nielsen is officially the oldest celebrity mom-to-be I've ever profiled. She has four adult sons, each with a name of different origin. Husband Mattia Dessi is Italian, so it's likely we'll see an Italian name for baby number five. Although Brigitte appears to have eclectic taste in baby names, so that's not a guarantee.

Girl: Amara, Bianca, Brenna, Gia, Giuliana, Keira, Maeve, Tamsin, Wynne

Boy: Alonzo, Dario, Declan, Conor, Marco, Matteo, Nolan, Orlando, Romeo
*Update* Wow, it's a girl--welcome Frida!