Some Changes

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Hello everyone--I just wanted to deliver an official update about some changes that are going on around the blog. You may have noticed that I've started to feature banner ads on the sidebar. As my readership grows, this blog is a great opportunity for me to make some extra money, so I have decided to take advantage of that. Also, after years of trying, I've finally added links to the names on the "Boys Names" and "Girls Names" pages on the top bar. Now if you click on any name on those pages, it will take you to all the posts it's mentioned in. (Please let me know if any of the links don't work--I had to link thousands of names, so there's bound to be a few mistakes). I've also updated my About page to include the link to my Nameberry articles. Thanks for your patience everyone! Regular posting will resume on Wednesday.

Super Anagram Names

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I've talked about Anagram Names in the past, but today we are going to discuss the Super Anagram. We've all heard of that family with the kids named Alex, Axel, Xela, Lexa, and Xeal (that's boy, boy, girl, girl, girl), and that got me thinking about other names that can produce the same effect. Hence, the Super Anagram. To qualify as a Super Anagram, there must be at least four useable names produced, with at least three being well-known and/or legitimate names. The others can be uncommon names or something that could be a name (Let's face it, you wouldn't use Xela under normal circumstances). The Super Anagram is an uncommon way to connect all your children's names, albeit an obvious way. Just a warning before I go on- this list features A LOT of misspellings/creative spellings, and not all of the names make great sibsets. Don't be alarmed.

A, A, N, Y
Anay, Anya, Naya, Yana

A, C, E, L
Alec, Cael, Cale, Clea, Lace

A, C, I, L
Cail, Cali, Clia, Laci

A, D, E, V
Evad, Dave, Deva, Veda

A, D, I, N
Adin, Andi, Dani, Dina, Nadi

A, E, D, N
Aden, Dane, Dean, Edna

A, E, K, L
Alek, Elka, Kale, Lake

A, E, L, N
Alen, Elan, Lane, Lena, Neal

A, E, L, X
Alex, Axel, Lexa, Xale, Xeal, Xela

A, G, I, N
Angi, Gani, Gina, Inga

A, I, K, M
Kami, Kima, Maki, Mika

A, I, K, N
Anik, Inka, Kina, Nika

A, I, L, M
Amil, Liam, Lima, Mila

A, I, L, S
Ilsa, Isla, Lasi, Lisa, Sali

A, I, L, V
Alvi, Liva, Vail, Vali

A, I, M, R
Irma, Mari, Mira, Rami

A, I, N, R
Arin, Nari, Nira, Rain, Rina

A, I, R, S
Arsi, Irsa, Risa, Sari, Sira

A, I, T, Z
Itza, Tazi, Tiza, Zita

A, M, O, R
Amor, Mora, Omar, Roma

A, N, O, R
Aron, Nora, Orna, Roan, Rona

E, I, K, L
Elki, Keli, Kiel, Kile

E, I, L, N
Elin, Leni, Neil, Nile

E, L, N, O
Elon, Leon, Noel, Nole


It's pretty obvious that not all of these would make great sibsets. I wouldn't suggest having kids name Lena and Lane, or Noel and Noel. That being said, some of them do work really well. My favorite was the Amor, Mora, Omar, and Roma set. They all have distinct sounds, start with different letters, and have an exotic, Latin feel to them.

Some interesting statistics:
All of the names here have four letters: two vowels and two consonants. With the exception of the first set, none of the vowels repeat within the same sets.
A is the most popular vowel (as well as letter), accounting for 23% of all letters, and is in 88% of all letter groupings.
I was the second most popular vowel, as 15% of all letters, and in 46% of all groupings.
L was the most popular consonant, as approximately 12% of all letters and in 45% of all groups.
Close runner up was N, accounting for 10% of all letters, and was in 42% of all groupings.
The only vowel not featured was U.
Only seven consonants did not appear, and those were B, F, H, J, P, Q, and W.
There are a total of four creative spellings of Aaron featured on this list.

In conclusion, this would be a fun link between children. You CAN pull it off tastefully, but you have to have the right set of letters. If you just plan on having two or three kids with anagram names, check out my post on regular Anagram Names, for options that have been selected for being a good match.

10 Names Jools and Jamie Oliver Should Consider for Baby #5

Mark Caneso via Dribbble

If there ever was a celebrity baby name Hall of Fame, Jools and Jamie Oliver would be in it. They have four children named Poppy Honey Rosie, Daisy Boo Pamela, Petal Blossom Rainbow, and Buddy Bear Maurice. And with their oldest child aged 14, it's safe to say they were using obscure nature names and two middles before it was cool.

Obviously, everyone is very interested to hear what the Olivers will name their fifth (and sadly, last) child. I'm here to give out my top five picks for each gender. Anyone taking bets?

Clover- Clover would be perfect for a fourth daughter, since a fourth leaf makes the sprout extra lucky. Clover is a name that's waiting to take off. If Jamie and Jools choose it for baby number five, I suspect American and English parents alike will follow suit.

Daffodil- Daffodil has a spunky British feel that definitely fits in with the others. Even though many parents avoid Daffodil because of the nickname Daffy, I could see the Olivers embracing it. Another name for a daffodil, Jonquil, could also be a contender, but that feels slightly formal compared to the other childrens' names.

Lilac- Lovely Lilac screams "Oliver baby name" to me. Like Poppy, Daisy, and Petal, it's sweet, youthful, and floral. Lilac is an elusive "on trend, but not trendy" name. The popularity of Lila and Lily give it major style points, but it's not even in the top 1000. That makes Lilac a spotless choice.

Posey- Each of the Oliver daughters have a P name somewhere in the lineup, so Posey seems like the natural choice for one of baby number five's names. With the floral tie, I'd say she's a strong contender for the first name.

Tulip- Tulip is my favorite choice for the Olivers. It's spunky and unexpected, yet cohesive with the sibling names. Tulip would be a fantastic name to complete the Oliver sibset--go out with a bang!


Basil- Can you get any more British than Basil? It originally came from Greece, but has unshakable English associations. Along with the herb connection and the fact that he would share a first initial with his brother, Basil seems ideal for the fifth Oliver baby.

Huckleberry- Admittedly, Huckleberry seems a bit out of place compared to the other Oliver childrens' names. It's a whopping four syllables long, while the rest of them are only two. However, stylistically, Huckleberry is a perfect match. Plus, the nickname Huck feels just right for this sibset.

Robin- It seems like Robin might be coming back into fashion with the boys, so now would be a perfect time for Olivers to use it--before it becomes mainstream. The nickname Robbie is adorable, and practically the perfect brother name for Buddy.

Sage- Although Sage is used more often for girls (at least in the US), it strikes me as the perfect name for an Oliver boy. Jamie and Jools prefer feminine and casual names for their daughters, and hippie-ish Sage feels more masculine compared to Poppy, Daisy, and Petal. With a link to Jamie's profession, and Jools' love of nature names, Sage could be one to watch.

Wolf- After using Bear in the middle for their son Buddy, I wouldn't be surprised to see Wolf on the birth announcement. It may sound a little harsher than Poppy, Daisy, Petal, and Buddy, but calling him Wolfie is instantly softening. And you have to admit, Wolfie sounds pretty cute in that sibset.

*Update* Jamie and Jools have welcomed a son--River Rocket Blue!

"Light" Names for Hanukkah

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Happy Hanukkah to all my friends and readers who are celebrating! Light is a very important theme and symbol of the holiday, so I thought we'd take a look at names that mean light today. It's a fun connection to have if your baby is born during these eight days of celebration. Names that are bolded also have Hebrew origins, for an extra Hanukkah link.

Girls

Azenor

Chiara

Elaine

Eleanor

Elena

Ellen

Helen

Helena

Laoise

Leora

Lucasta

Lucia

Luciana

Lucienne

Lucille

Lucinda

Lumiere

Luz

Lux

Nahara

Nell

Nira

Noor
Ori

Orit

Orli

Senara

Toula

Yetta

Zohara

Boys

Beacon

Deepak

Hikaru

Lito

Lucian

Luciano

Lucius

Meyer

Ori

Pradeep

Siraj

Uri

Valo

Zohar

Nameberry Guest Blog

Hello everyone! My first guest blog for Nameberry was posted today. Here's the link to read it. The post is called 16 Arabic Names Ready to Import. If you read this or this post of mine, you will recognize a few of the names.

To new readers sent over from Nameberry: welcome! I encourage you to check out the archives and subscribe. I usually post on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. More information about the blog and myself can be found in the About section.

Thanks to all my readers, and everyone at Nameberry. I am so lucky to be a part of such an amazing community.

Short Middle Names: Boys

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Happy August! After writing my post on Middle Name Statistics, I became obsessed over middle names. So, I've designated August as Middle Name Month. All month long we will be talking about middle names (with the exception of Wednesdays--our series will continue). Let's start off with 100 single syllable names for boys.

Ash
Bas
Beck
Blaine
Blake
Bo
Bram
Brooks
Cal
Charles
Clay
Cliff
Clyde
Dash
Dex
Drake
Eames
Ed
Finn
Fitz
Fritz
Fox
Gabe
George
Gray
Gus
Hal
Hall
Hank
Hart
Hayes
Heath
Huck
Hugh
Jack
James
Jay
Jed
Jem
Jet
Joe
John
Joss
Jude
Jules
Kai
Keats
King
Knox
Lane
Lars
Lee
Leif
Lex
Link
Lou
Mack
Max
Mead
Mo
Nash
Nat
Ned
Neil
Pax
Penn
Pierce
Pip
Quinn
Rafe
Ray
Reid
Rex
Rhodes
Rhys
Ridge
Rome
Royce
Sal
Sam
Shaw
Teague
Thane
Thijs
Todd
Tor
True
Van
Venn
Walt
Webb
Wes
Wolf
Xan
Yale
Yann
York
Zed
Zeus

Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Volume 18

I've been making predictions long enough that now I'm forecasting the names of siblings for children whose names I've made predictions for. Such is the case with Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. In my very first set of predictions, almost two years ago, I suggested potential names for their baby who would eventually be dubbed Luna Simone. Now they are expecting baby number two, and I get to try my hand once again!

Likewise, I predicted (correctly, I might add) the name of Hilaria and Alec Baldwin's second son back in April of 2016. They recently announced that they will be having another baby boy in 2018, so we will see if I can get his name right as well.

Bethany Hamilton and Adam Dirks

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Tobias

Faith is very important to Bethany Hamilton and Adam Dirks, so it was no surprise when they gave their son the biblical name Tobias in 2015. Now that they are expecting their second child, it's almost a given that his or her name will also have biblical and religious significance.

Girl: Abigail, Ada, Eve, Dinah, Lillith, Naomi, Ruth, Susannah, Tabitha

Boy: Abel, Ezekiel, Ezra, Gideon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Judah, Nathaniel
*Update* It's a boy--Wesley Phillip!

Crystal Smith and Ne-Yo

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Madilyn Grace, Mason Evan (previous relationship), Shaffer Chimere Jr. 
Although Ne-Yo's youngest son is a junior with an uncommon name, his older two children have names that rank pretty high on the popularity charts. That makes me think his next child will have a name more in-line with his or her half siblings, rather than their brother. I like the idea of honoring Crystal with the name Gemma if the baby is a girl--it's a subtle honor name, but works well with the blended sibset. 

Girl: Arianna, Aubrey, Chloe, Gemma, Georgia, Kylie, Savannah, Sofia, Zoey

Boy: Asher, Camden, Carter, Jackson, Landon, Logan, Luke, Nolan, Owen
*Update* It's a boy--Roman Alexander-Raj

Hannah and Eddie Redmayne

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Iris Mary
Iris Mary is a sweet and understated name, which feels rare for celebrities these days. That was not a surprising choice coming from Hannah and Eddie Redmayne, who keep very quiet about their private lives. It's likely that their next child will be given a name with a similar feel--something vintage, slightly British, and nothing too outlandish. 

Girl: Clara, Coralie, Gloria, Lydia, Matilda, May, Phoebe, Ruby, Vivian, Willa

Boy: Callum, George, Henry, James, Miles, Oliver, Peter, Reid, Simon, Spencer
*Update* Welcome, Luke Richard!

Hilaria and Alec Baldwin

Gender: boy

Siblings: Ireland (previous relationship), Carmen Gabriela, Rafael Thomas, Leonardo Ángel Charles 

It's the third boy in a row for the Baldwins, and rumor has it they're sticking with the same theme for this baby--romantic artist names. There are plenty of stunning options to choose from, so even if they end up having three more boys, the inspiration will never run dry.

Boy: Antonio, Diego, Domenico, Eduardo, Francisco, Joaquin, Pablo, Ramon, Salvador, Sandro
*Update* Baby boy is Romeo Alejandro David!

Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Cree Taylor

Cree is a modern and unexpected name for a son. Of course, it sounds like it would fit in perfectly on almost any playground, yet it's rare to find Cree in a baby name book. It can be hard to find names in that sweet spot, but I'm certain Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict are going to hit the nail on the head once again with baby number two.

Girl: Aura, Bay, Coco, Echo, Ever, Indie, Moon, Season, Sol, Zuly

Boy: Beck, Blue, Bram, Dax, Ford, Joss, Link, Quince, Rex, Van
*Update* A girl—Cairo Tiahna!

Jordin Sparks and Dana Isaiah

Gender: unknown

Siblings: none

Jordin Sparks and her husband Dana Isaiah are both quite religious. Unlike Bethany Hamilton, I don't think they will go the traditional biblical name route. Something contemporary feels much more appropriate for this couple. I have a feeling Jordin and Dana will choose a fresh spiritual or virtuous name for their son or daughter.

Girl: Easter, Eden, Faith, Galilee, Grace, Heaven, Keziah, Mercy

Boy: Boaz, Ezekiel, Jethro, Jude, Justice, Loyal, True, Trust, Zion
*Update* Hello, Dana Isaiah Jr.!

Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel

Gender: girl

Siblings: Flynn Christopher (previous relationship)

Almost seven years ago, Miranda Kerr and then-partner Orlando Bloom named their son Flynn, catapulting the name into the top 1000. Now Miranda is expecting a girl--I'm hoping she and husband Evan Spiegel will choose a similarly dashing, under-the-radar name for their daughter.

Girl: Blythe, Bryony, Darcy, Harlow, Laney, Lark, Romy, Ruby, Waverly
*Update* The rumors were wrong--it's a boy! Welcome, Hart!

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Luna Simone

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend are about to become parents of two! I feel confident about my grasp on their girl name style, but if the're baby is a boy, who knows what they'll pair with Luna? I could forsee them going in a few different directions, like music-inspired (Miles), word names (Gray, Wolf), or modern (Arlo, Knox). They gave their older daughter the very well-received name Luna Simone, so either way, I have no doubt that they'll hit all the style marks again.

Girl: Celeste, Cleo, Coco, Elle, Esme, Fleur, Nova, Scarlett, Wren, Zadie

Boy: Arlo, Gray, Knox, Miles, Remington, River, Rocco, Wilder, Wolf

*Update* An on-the-nose prediction—welcome, Miles Theodore!