Claire Names

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Claire is a modern classic. You wouldn't be surprised to meet a mom named Claire, and it's not uncommon to run into younger ones either. Claire has many variants, which are getting exceedingly popular. Though Claire reigns supreme, I have a feeling Clara could beat her out for the number one Claire name in the coming years. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Clara- Elegant and vintage, it's no wonder parents love Clara. At #131, is it possible she could crack the top 100?

Clarabella- She may seem like a smoosh name, but Clarabella has real Latin roots. She's quite a mouthful, though. If you must, choose Clarabelle.

Clarabelle- Slightly more subdued than Clarabella. For a slimmed-down version, try Claribel.

Claremont- My first thought is college--but as a high school senior, I have higher education on the brain. I like her sound, and I think she works.

Clarice- My association with this name is Clarice Bean, a funny childrens book series by Lauren Child. Clarice may be a little outdated, but she still fits in on the playground.

Clarinda- I know most of you will hate it, but I think Clarinda is pretty charming! I've explained my love of Lucinda before, I think -inda names are due for a comeback.

Clarion- Clarion is definitely the most contemporary name on this list. I think she's lovely.

Clarissa- Maybe it's her similarity to Melissa, or the '90s TV show Clarissa Explains it All, but I cannot picture her on a baby born in 2015.

Clarity- Clarity is a unique virtue name with an updated sound. Much better than Chastity.

Clary- She's a nickname, but I think Clary would also work well on her own. Maybe as a sister to Sadie?

Eclair- Does Eclair work as a name? She should work in theory--it's only one extra syllable to the name Claire--but she still seems a little off.

Montclair- Switch around Claremont, and you've got Montclair. I could see this one working on a boy.

Sinclair- Another Claire name that swings masculine is Sinclair. He has a sauve, old-timey feel that I love.

Middle Name Statistics

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Middle names are something we all like to talk about, but unfortunately, the Social Security Administration doesn't record middle names of babies, only first names. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I saw that my high school graduation program included most peoples' middle names--this offered me a set of data. Now, my high school only graduated 736 people, and some don't have middle names, or didn't want it to be listed in the program. However, my area is extremely diverse--racially, socio-economically, and religiously--so the small set of data I do have is still worth anaylzing. So, here's the data for the most common middle names among the Class of 2015 ('96 and '97 babies).

Girls
1. Marie (15)
2. Elizabeth (14) and Elisabeth (1)
3. Ann (4) and Anne (5)
4. Nicole (7) and Nykole (1)
5. Rose (8)
6. Grace (5)
7. Lee (2) and Leigh (3)
8. Jean (3) and Jeanne (1)
9. Louise (4)
10. Lynn (3) and Lynee (1)

Notable Trends

• Alex- Names: Alexandra, Alexandria, Alexis (2)
• An- Names: Analiese, Angelin, Anna, Ann (4), Anne (5), Annie
• -Ay Names: Kay, May, Monet, Rae, (2), Shae
• El- Names: Elaine, Elena, Elisabeth, Elizabeth (14), Ella, Eloise, Elvira
• Esme Names: Esme (2), Esmeralda
• Iman- Names: Iman (2), Imani
• La- Names: Lanae (2), Lan'Yel, Larae, Lashae, Lashay, Latasha, Latefah, Latoya
• Heritage Choices: Abu, Fatima, Fionnuala, Guadalupe, Inez, Keiko, Ondina, Roisin
• Only two: Claire, Catherine/Katherine, Mary

Gems

• Bartholomew
• Bean
• Beata
• Chiffon
• Elvira
• Hopes
• Houston
• Love
• Magaly
• Saffia
• Salome

Boys
1. James (10)
2. Edward (7)
3. William (7)
4. Charles (6)
5. Thomas (6)
6. Joseph (5)
7. Michael (4) and Micael (1)
8. Anthony (4)
9. David (4)
10. John (4)
11. Patrick (4)

Notable Trends

• Al Names: Alan, Alexander (3), Allen
• Ed- Names: Edmond, Eduardo, Edward (7), Edwin
• Mark Names: Marcus, Markus (2)
• Zach: Zachary (2), Zachery
• Brit Picks: Basil, Edmond, George, Phillip (2), Sinclair, Tucker (2)
• Heritage Choices: Angel, Azriel, Enahoro, Hong, Mitja, Sohail
• Only two: Lee, Matthew, Peter, Robert

Gems

• Aksel
• Basil
• Jewel
• Kirby
• Moss
• Sinclair
• Soliman
• Winter
• Wolfgang

*I'm taking next week off for the holiday. Sorry for the infrequent posting--this has been a busy summer for me!*

Warby Parker Names

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Do you guys like Warby Parker glasses? I don't wear glasses, but I might invest in a pair of their sunglasses (that are super awesome as well). All the Warby Parker glasses have names, which are just as cool as the glasses themselves. I've left out a few obscurities (mainly Duckworth), but the rest of these names are perfect for any hip baby.

Girls
Annette
Clara
Julia
Madison
Mallory
Minnie
Piper

Boys
Aldous
Ames
Arthur
Aslin
Ballard
Banks
Baxter
Beckett
Begley
Bensen
Burke
Chamberlain
Chandler
Cliff
Clyde
Crane
Crossfield
Dale
Dean
Dixon
Downing
Durand
Duval
Eli
Everett
Felton
Fillmore
Finch
Fitz
Garrett
Griffin
Halford
Hall
Hardy
Haskell
Holt
Hutton
Huxley
Ingram
Kidd
Langston
Linwood
Lyle
Marcel
Marple
Marshall
Miles
Mitchell
Nash
Nedwin
Neville
Oliver
Ormsby
Owen
Percey
Pierce
Preston
Quentin
Raglan
Ramsay
Robinson
Ryder
Seymour
Sims
Sinclair
Stewart
Teddy
Thatcher
Theo
Thompson
Upton
Wally
Watts
Webb
Wilkie
Wiloughby
Winston
Zagg

Unisex
Ainsworth
Batten
Coley
Ellison
Goodney
Kimbal
Lowry
McKee
Paley
Quimby
Raleigh
Reece
Reilly
Ripley
Rowan
Sibley
Sloan
Walker

Stylish Choices Outside the Top 1000: 2015 Boys

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It can feel almost impossible to find a unique, uncommon name for a boy. But trust me, not everyone gives their son a name in the top 20, and there are some wonderful options out there if you want a name on the less popular side. I've culled the beyond the top 1000 list (so you don't have to) and picked out some of the best underused names, with between 202 and 5 uses. Last year's list is here--click over the jump to view this year's.