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!

Best Unisex Names for Boys

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This list surprised me in many ways. The first is by some of the names. I never would have guessed that names like Dominique, Kimball, and Wynn are all more popular for boys (to be fair, they're all pretty close in terms of boy/girl usage). Second, this list is quite a bit longer than Monday's. I would have thought that there are more unisex names that are considered "for girls" rather than the other way around. Granted, I couldn't have thought of every unisex name, so there still could be more "girlish" ones, I suppose. Let me know what you think--are all of these better suited for the boys?

Abbott
Adrian
Aiden
Alex
Anchor
Angel
Ari
Ash
Ashton
Birch
Bo
Brady
Brighton
Cameron
Carlton
Casey
Cedar
Charlie
Chris
Christian
Cove
Dallas
Daryl
Devin
Dominique
Doran
Drew
Dylan
Elliot
Ellis
Evan
Gardner
Garland
Glenn
Gray
Finn
Flynn
Hart
Hayden
Jazz
Jordan
Jory
Joss
Justus
Keegan
Kimball
Kyle
Lake
Lane
Lincoln
Logan
Linden
Maguire
Mercer
Micah
Nico
Noel
North
Oak
Oakley
Parker
Paxton
Phoenix
Quincy
Ray
Reece
Reid
Ren
Rio
River
Rory
Rowan
Ryan
Sacha
Sam
Samar
Sawyer
Sean
Storm
Tate
Terry
Toby
Tony
True
Tyler
Wynn

Full Names for Abby

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Abby is a very sweet name, it's easy to see why she's so popular (especially as a nickname for Abigail). But, let's face it, Abigail is not everyone's style. Many parents want a less popular or quirkier full name for their Abby, and I have got the perfect list for them.

Expected:
Abigail- Most Abbys out there are probably Abigails (that or just Abby). She's number 8 on the SSA charts, and has been pretty popular for many years now. Looks like Abigail is here to stay.
Abriella- If you prefer Abby over Gabby, go with Abriella rather than Gabriella.
Abrielle- A more trim and dainty version of Abriella. You could also go with the nicknames Bri or Elle, but Abby is my favorite of the bunch.

Unique:
Annabel- It would be a bit more conventional to use Annie or Bella as the nickname, but Abby definitely works.
Arabella- Arabella is quickly rising up the charts. She currently ranks at 210, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the top 150 in the next few years.
Elizabeth- A classic name with an abundance of nicknames. Why not add Abby to that list?
Isabel- Not a big fan of Belle or Izzy? (Me neither, actually). Lucky for you, Abby makes a great nickname for Isabel.

Unheard of:
Abbott- Abbott's tomboy edge is softened by the gentle nickname Abby.
Alabama- She may be a little offbeat, but hey, you can always call her Abby.
Tabitha- You don't often hear of little Tabithas, which isn't that surprising. The most obvious nickname Tabby is too feline, but Abby works perfectly.

Hidden Names

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It's always fun to think of clever ways to name twins (or siblings, for that matter). One possible way to do it is to give one child a long name, and the other child a short name that fits inside. I call this "Hidden Names." To qualify as a Hidden Name, the short name must fit entirely inside the longer one, with at least one letter at either end. There are obviously a lot of Hidden Name sets out there, so I chose the one that make the best sibsets. Take a look, and tell me if you think of any more.

Boy/Boy:
Abbott and Bo
Benedict and Ned

Girl/Girl:
Amaryllis and Mary
Belinda and Elin
Charlotte and Harlo
Eloise and Lois
Gardenia and Arden
Genevieve and Evie
Guinevere and Neve
Isabella and Sabel
Lainey and Aine
Madelena and Adele
Reverie and Eve

Girl/Boy:
Aidan and Ida
Carlotta and Arlo
Eleonora and Leo
Faustina and Austin
Florence and Oren
Lelia and Eli
Michaela and Chae
Mirabel and Ira
Nicolina and Colin
Sabella and Abel
Everard and Vera

Preppy Names Part One: Girls

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Preppiness is something I come in contact with a lot. At my high school, it's considered very stylish to be "preppy." It's not my style, but considering that so many young people identify as preppy, I thought I'd come up with a list of baby names to match their look. Check back on Friday for part two.

Abbott
Beacon
Berkeley
Blair
Blake
Brooke
Bryce
Campbell
Hollister
Kimball
Landry
Monroe
Navy
Paige
Prescott
Sheridan
Sloane
Tate
Tuesday
Walker
Wallis
Waverly
Yeardley

10 A Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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It seems like everyone and their best friend has a daughter named Ava. Or Audrey, Amelia, or Addie. There are so many great A names out there, but why choose one that's popular? There's a wealth of A names you haven't even thought of, and they're just as good (or better) than the ones in the top 1000.


Abbott- She lends herself to the nickname Abby, but why call her that, when she has the coolest name in the world.

Adair- She fits in with the Blair Claire crowd, but has the added bonus of being vintage.

Albany- One of my favorite place names.

Aldine- Pronounced ALL-dean she's a lovely name that guaranteed to sound fresh but not too out there.

Alouette- The most fabulous way to get to Lulu.

Amabel- Too many Annabels? Amabel is cuter, and comes with the nicknames Maeby and Mabel.

Anouk- German beauty with that stylish -oo sound.

Arcellia- A more innovative way to sound princessy than Seraphina.

Ardith- Worried about the popularity of Edith and Edie? Try Ardith.

Avis- The best Av- name out there (in my opinion). Plus, she means bird, which means you could call her Birdie as a nickname. Double awesome.