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!

Contraction Nicknames

What is a contraction nickname you ask? Just like contractions in English, a contraction nickname takes the first part of a name and the last part of the name to form a shorter nickname, sans middle. There are so many great options if you like contraction nicknames--take a look and let me know your favorites!

Ada: Adalia, Adamina, Adara, Adelina, Adina, Adriana
Adele: Adelaide, Adeline
Alexa: Alexandra, Alexandria, Alexandrina, Alexandrita, Alexia
Ana: Anahita, Anala, Anastasia, Andrea, Andromeda, Angela, Angelica, Angelina, Anita, Annabella, Annika, Annissa, Annora, Antonella
Aria: Arcadia, Arcelia, Arianna, Ariella, Arizona, Artemisia
Aura: Aurelia, Aurelina, Aurora
Bay: Bailey
Bea: Beata, Becca, Beeja, Begonia, Belinda, Bellona, Bertha
Bex: Beatrix
Bria: Brianna, Brietta, Brigitta, Britta
Cara: Carlotta, Carolina, Carissa, Carmela, Cassandra
Clara: Claribella, Clarinda, Clarissa
Clea: Clementina, Cleopatra
Corie: Coralie
Dana: Danica, Daniela, Danita
Elsa: Elisa, Eloisa
Emme: Emmanuelle, Emmeline
Eva: Evangelina, Evanthia, Evelina
Fae: Fable, Faustine
Fia: Felicia, Fidelia, Fiona, Fiorella
Gala: Gabriella, Galatea, Galena
Gia: Gardenia. Georgia, Giada, Gianna, Gilda, Giordana, Giovanna, Gisella
Ina: India, Indiana, Indra
Isa: Isabella, Isabetta, Isadora, Isauara, Isla
Jette: Jeanette, Juliette
Jessa: Janessa, Jessamina, Jessica
June: Julianne, Juline, Junelle, Junette, Junine
Lena: Leanna, Leona, Levina
Lia: Lavinia, Lelia, Leocadia, Lilia, Lilianna, Linnea, Liviana
Lola: Lolita, Louella
Lora: Lorena, Lorenza, Lorinda
Lula: Ludmila, Luella
Luna: Luciana
Mia: Maria, Melania, Milada, Milagra, Milena, Miranda, Mireya, Mischa
Mila: Michaela, Milada, Milagra, Milania
Mina: Marina, Martina, Milena, Minerva
Mira: Milagra, Mirabella
Nia: Nabila, Nadia, Nahlia, Natalia, Nelia, Nicasia, Nicola, Nicolina, Nigella, Nina, Nisha
Noa: Nola, Nona, Nora, Nordica, Norma, Novella
Ola: Olida, Olina, Olivia, Olympia
Pia: Pamelia, Pascasia, Patricia, Petunia, Pippa, Piritta, Portia
Pippa: Philippa
Ren: Reagan. Reign
Roma: Romana, Romola
Rory: Rosemary
Rosa: Rosalia, Rosalinda, Rosanna, Rosetta. Rosita
Sara: Sahara, Samara, Samira, Sandra, Sapphira, Sarika
Sia: Sienna, Sierra, Silvana, Simona, Sistina, Sophia, Sophronia, Stephania, Sylvia
Tara: Takara, Tamara
Thea: Theodora, Theodosia, Theresa
Thora: Theodora
Zara: Zahara

Broadway Names

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Love musical theater? Why not give your baby a Broadway worthy name? All of the following come from the titles of Broadway musicals, past and present.

Abner--Lil' Abner
Adele--Adele
Aida--Aida
Allegro--Allegro
Alma--Alma, Where Do You Live?
Annie--Annie; Annie Get Your Gun
Anya--Anya
Babette--Babette
Beatrice--An Evening with Beatrice Lillie
Bess--Porgy and Bess
Billie--Billie
Billy--Billy Elliot
Birdie--Bring Back Birdie; Bye Bye Birdie
Brooklyn--Brooklyn
Carmelina--Carmelina
Carmen--Carmen Jones
Caroline--Caroline, or Change
Carrie--Carrie
Charity--Sweet Charity
Charley--Where's Charley?
Chris--Chris and the Wonderful Lamp
Christine--Christine; Marie Christine
Coco--Coco
David--King David
Dolly--Hello, Dolly!
Eddie--Very Good, Eddie
Edwin--The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Eileen--Eileen
Elsie--Elsie
Evangeline--Evangeline, or the Belle of Arcadia
Fanny--Fanny
Finian--Finian's Rainbow
Flora--Flora the Red Menace
George--George M.!; Sunday in the Park with George
Giovanni--Bravo Giovanni
Hattie--Panama Hattie
Hazel--Hazel Flagg
Henry--Henry, Sweet Henry; John Henry
Illya--Illya Darling
Irene--Irene
Jamie--Three Wishes for Jamie
Jane--Jane Eyre
Jerome--Jerome Robbins' Birthday
Jerry--Jerry's Girls
Jersey--Jersey Boys
Joey--Pal Joey
John--John Henry
Johnny--Johnny Johnson; Little Johnny Jones
Juan--Juan Darien
Jubilee--Jubilee
Juliet--Me and Juliet
Juno--Juno
Kate--Kiss Me, Kate
Kay--Oh, Kay!
Kean--Kean
Kelly--Kelly
Lennon--Lennon
Liberty--Miss Liberty
Lillie--An Evening with Beatrice Lillie
Mabel--Mack & Mabel
Mack--Mack & Mabel
Maddox--Red, White, and Maddox
Marie--Marie Christine
Marinka--Marinka
Memphis--Memphis
Merlin--Merlin
Millie--Thoroughly Modern Millie
Molly--The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Monty--The Full Monty
Nanette--No, No, Nanette
Paris--Paris
Peter--Peter Pan
Pippin--Pippin
Rex--Rex
Roberta--Roberta
Rocky--Rocky the Musical
Rosalie--Rosalie
Rose-Marie--Rose-Marie
Sadie--Sadie Thompson
Sally--Sally
Sammy--What Makes Sammy Run?
Sarafina--Sarafina!
Sawyer--The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Sweeney--Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tiffany--Breakfast at Tiffany's
Todd--Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tom--The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Tommy--The Who's Tommy
Venus--One Touch of Venus
Victor--Victor/Victoria
Victoria--Victor/Victoria
Will--The Will Rogers Follies

The Best Middle Names for Girls

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As I mentioned on Monday, the best middle names are those of which the second syllable is stressed. Some of the most popular nicknames for girls follow this pattern--think Marie, Nicole, Louise, Michelle, etc. This list contains all of the girl names I could think of that fit the description, though I'm sure I missed a few. Let me know your favorites (I'm partial to Marais).

Abril
Adele
Aldine
Aline
Amor
Anouk
Berlin
Bernice
Boheme
Brianne
Brielle
Calais
Camille
Capri
Caprice
Cecile
Celeste
Celine
Cerie
Cerise
Chanel
Chantel
Charlene
Charlize
Ciel
Citron
Clarice
Clotilde
Colette
Colleen
Danielle
Danit
Delphine
Deneb
Eileen
Elaine
Elise
Estelle
Faustine
Geneve
Georgette
Giselle
Harpreet
Helaine
Iman
Ione
Irene
Janelle
Joanne
Jolie
July
Justine
Kathleen
LaRue
LaSalle
LaShay
Leanne
Louise
Lourdes
LuAnn
Lucille
Maelys
Malone
Marais
Marie
Marin
Marine
Matisse
Maureen
Maxine
Michelle
Miel
Molloy
Monet
Monroe
Nanette
Nicole
Pauline
Quebec
Raquel
Renee
Rochelle
Roisin
Rosette
Sabine
Serene
Shalom
Shirin
Simone
Siobhan
Solange
Soleil
Tabit
Tamar
Therese
Unique

Westminster Show Dog Names

The Winner, Miss P.

I'm always fascinated by the way people name their pets. There are less rules when it comes to naming a pet--the name can be silly, outrageous, or one of a celebrity. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a great place to scout out dog names, with over 100 dogs in attendance. I wrote down the call names of *almost* every dog, which should give us a good idea of some trends in pet naming.

Animal Names 
Le Gato
Zebra

Brand Names
Bentley
Harley
Maybelline
Mercedes
Snapple
Splenda
Vogue

Celebrity Namesakes
Adele
Beckham
Bourdain
Madonna
Mae West
Matisse
Ringo

Culture-Reflecting Names
Cristo
Haas
Schweitzer
Sunito

Currently Trendy Names
Beckett
Ben x2
Charlie
Cooper
Cece
Gia
Gideon
Grace
Harper
Jacob
James
Lane
Mackenzie
Nash
Nathan
Nico
Owen
Romeo
Samantha
Savannah
Summer

Cutesy Names
Jetty
Miss P.
Odgie
Skeeter
Sunnybear

Food Names
Ginger
Jelly
Pepper x2
Salty
Salumi, "Lumi"
Whiskey

Guys' Guy Names
Cal
Cody
Danny
Desi
Dewey
Frank
Gus
Izzy (b)
Jake
Jerry x2
J.J.
J.T.
Larry
Manny
Mick
Nick
Reece
Rocky x3
Sean
Taylor
Ted
Timmy
Trey

Ladylike Names
Allegra
Carlotta
Chelsea
Claribel
Elin
Holly
Hope
Libby
Liza
Nopa
Poppy

Old Fashioned Names
Alan
Angie
Billy
Chauncey
Cyrus
Etta
Franklin
Ginny
Harry
Hector
Helen
Hobson
Ina
Liz
Louie
Magnolia
Moses
Ned
Odin x2
Pip
Percy
Rudy
Stuart
Toby x2
Vance
Vinnie
Wally
Winston
Witt

Word Names
Bingo
Bogie
Blue x2
Caveman
Comet
Crunch
Cubit
Debit
Derby
Flame
Flash
Jedi
Judge
Night
Precious
Princess
Rain
Rebel
Rerun
Rocket
Rumor
Scoop
Sparkles
Splash
Stitch
Swagger
Teller
Tipper
Turbo
Veto
Wink

10 O Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Ooh, O names! There are so many more than you think. They are waiting to be discovered, so let's get right to it.

Oceane- Oceane is not simply Ocean with an extra e (she should have an accent mark over the first one). This gorgeous French name is pronounced O-shay-ahn.

Odele- Odele is extremely rare, but sounds on-trend (thanks to names like Adele), making her a viable option.

Odessa- Want an interesting, unusual, alternative to Tessa? Odessa's your girl. Dessie or Essie makes for a cute nickname.

Ola- She's short, sweet, and Scandinavian. If three letters isn't substantial enough for you, try Solange, Maiola, or Gladiola as full names.

Oona- I was a little surprised to hear that this Irish beauty has never ranked in the United States top 1000. How can we not love Oona? I think she'd make a great sister name to many of our more popular names, including (but not limited to) Lily, Evie, and Nolan.

Opal- This gemstone name is scarcely heard, but with Pearl on the rise, I wouldn't be surprised if Opal was next.

Ophira- She's Sophia's quirkier cousin. Not to mention the name of one of my favorite NPR hosts, Ophira Eisenberg.

Orla- I really love these Irish O names. And Orla is so lovely! If I were Irish, I'd use Orla in a heartbeat.

Orlie- As a nickname for Orla, or on her own, you can't deny Orlie's cute factor. Fair warning: Spelled Orly, she's texting shorthand for "Oh, really?"

Ottilie- Ottilie is such a romantic name (don't you agree?). Her stunning qualities are only improved by the equally charming nickname Tillie.

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

10 E Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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E is such a popular letter to begin girls names with. There are seven of them in the top 100. There's a reason E names are so trendy, so many of them are gorgeous. So if you're over Emma and Eva (or even Eloise for that matter) take a look at this list of E names for girls, none of which are in the top 1000.

Early- This word name would be so sweet on a little girl, and it's a pretty way to honor an Earl.

Effie- Cute and spunky. She doesn't need Euphemia to be a full form, use Effie on her own.

Electra- Very electric (hah). This is the Greek version, but for a slightly softer form try the Italian Elettra.

Elke- I've adored Elke ever since Emily of The Beetle Shack used it for her daughter. She's actually a form of Adelheid, which makes her a good choice if you need to honor a Heidi or Adele.

Elspeth- One of the most beautiful variations of Elizabeth. She's a great way to get to Elsie.

Eluned- A name you almost never hear. Perfect if you want a creative way to use the nickname Luna.

Emmanuelle- At first glance she seems like a little much, but she offers a wealth of nickname possibilities. Use Emma or Elle for something classic, or Manny or Nell for something less common.

Enid- Most people consider this an "ugly" name, but all I can think of is Enid Coleslaw from Ghost World. And if she's not a worthy namesake then who is?

Eugenie- Sharing your name with a real life princess? That's something many little girls dream of. Plus Genie makes an unexpected retro-sounding nickname.

Eulalie- She's so charming and sweet, yet non-name-nerds haven't heard of her. I prefer just Eulalie, but if you need something a little more sugary sweet go with Eulalia.


*That's all for this week, as Friday is a holiday. Happy 4th of July everybody!*

Full Names for Addie

Right now, Addie is a very popular nickname. She has many full form options, ranging from over-used to obscure.

Ada
Adair
Adalia
Adalynn
Adamina
Adara
Addison
Adelaide
Adele
Adelia
Adeline
Adelpha
Adina