Names for a Fifth Born

Valerie Jar via Dribbble

Happy Blogoversay! To celebrate the fifth year of the blog, we're going to look at names that mean five. Perfect for a fifth born, a baby born on the 5th of the month, or for a V.

Enu- Enu is a West African name meaning "fifth born." It's a unisex name, and would make a perfect middle for a boy or a girl.

Five- Why not take a page from the celebrity baby name handbook and name your fifth child Five? Celebrity designers Bob and Cortney Novogratz gave this name to their third son (Their other children have great names as well--Wolfgang "Wolfie," Bellamy, Tallulah, Breaker, Holleder, and Major).

Fritz- I know of a V who goes by Fritz. Does it work? I vote yes. Fritz sounds enough like "fifth," and by the time you have five men with the same name in one family, you're bound to run out of nicknames.

Gorou- Gorou is a traditional Japanese name for the fifth son. He's practically unheard of in the US, but that doesn't make him unusable. If you're unable to take the plunge, you could always use Gorou as a pet name for baby number five.

Quentin- Bring on the Q names! The Quen and Quin suffix mean "fifth," so really any Quinn name works spledidly for a fifth born child. I picked some of my favorites to highlight, including Quentin. He's got a classic aura about him--Quentin is never a bad choice.

Quincy- Quincy is a darling French name that used to be solely masculine. Nowadays, it's considered unisex, but still is heard much more on boys. However, that might not be for long. I predict Quincy will go the way of Quinn, eventually the numbers will even out, and then I believe Quincy could even be seen as more feminine. In this day and age of unisex name and gender-bending, who knows what could happen?

Quinto- This lovely Spanish Quentin variation is ideal for a family who loves the sound of Quinn, just not the popularity (or unisex factor). Quinto is fresh and fun--plus, your son is guarunteed to be the only one on the block.

Quinty- If Quincy isn't jaunty enough for you, how about Quinty? She's a modern Dutch name derived from Quinta. Quinty has a jovial spirit; I would love to hear her used in the US.

Pompeo- Pompeo is an Italian variation of Pompey, a historical Latin name. Both mean "five," but Pompeo is the more wearable option, especially for an American baby. With a handsome sound and historical origins, Pompeo is a fantastic choice for a fifth-born baby. 

10 Irish Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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So many Americans have Irish heritage, yet few have embraced truly Irish names. I'm not talking about Caoimhe or Eithne necessarily, but using names with Irish origins can be a fun way to showcase your heritage. I have ten more than usable choices here--stay tuned for the boys list next week.

Aine- You've definitely seen the anglicized version of Aine before--Anya. Aine is much the same, but with a slight pronunciation difference. Aine is said more like AWN-ya. In Irish mythology, Aine is the queen of the fairies.

Carlin- Spunky, androgynous Carlin is the modern answer to Carly. She's an uncommon unisex choice, but the -lin suffix has me thinking she's better on a girl, although Carlin was traditionally a boys name. Carlin is the perfect name for your young star--she means "little champion."

Darcy- Darcy is quite the pan-European choice, with roots in Irish, English, and French. Like Carlin, it can be used for boys and girls, though in Ireland Darcy is strictly feminine. Darcy's lack of popularity in the U.S. has always surprised me. She's very similar to Lucy, and many Americans love Pride & Prejudice.

Fia- Talk about a pan-European name--Fia blows Darcy out of the water with use in Ireland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, and more. In Ireland, she's spelled Fiadh, but that could prove tricky for anyone without (or even with) Irish heritage. Last Monday I talked about Full Names for Fia, in case she's a bit too short for you.

Flannery- Flannery is one of the most striking literary names out there. She's heavily associated with Southern Gothic writer Flannery O'Connor (born Mary Flannery O'Connor), who makes for a mystical namesake. We're seeing a rise in names like Waverly and Bellamy, so why not Flannery?

Mirren- Speaking of notable namesakes, how about everyone's favorite Dame, Helen Mirren? Her last name is of Irish-Scottish origins with a puzzling history. She may be a variation of the Irish Saint Mirin's name, or possibly a Scottish nickname for Marion and other Mary names. Either way, Mirren is a lovely, fashionable name waiting to be discovered.

Oona- We've all heard of Oona, right? She's hardly unheard of, but the chances that you'll run into one on an American street are slim to none. Spelled Oonagh, she's quite popular in Ireland. Like Aine, she has roots in Irish mythology, this time as a princess.

Orla- Oona may have been a mythological princess, but Orla actually means "golden princess." She's very trendy in Ireland and Scotland, ranking #69 and #29, respectively. If the "oral" anagram bothers you, consider spelling her the traditional Irish way, Orlaith (which is actually a slimmer version of Orfhlaith).

Roisin- Rose is a beautiful name. She's particularly alluring as a middle name, as evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of girls named "first name" Rose "last name" every year. I suggest as a country, we look for alternatives to this admittedly lovely, but perhaps overused appellation. Roisin is (part of) the answer. She's a perfect middle name, means "little rose," and sounds an awful lot like America's Favorite Middle Name. Roisin isn't just reserved for the middle though. She makes a delightful first name as well.

Tierney- Tierney is a unisex first name and familiar Irish surname. The surname actually came second in this case--in the beginning, Tierney was only a first name. Like most Irish names, this isn't her original spelling. Tierney is a variation of Tighearnach--but don't worry, that spelling doesn't get much use anymore.

Bell and Bella Names

Nowadays it seems there a Bella in every classroom. Most of these stem from choices like Gabriella or Isabella. If you want to be more creative, here are choices that start or end with the -bel sound.

Expected:
Annabelle
Annabella
Isabel
Isabella

Unique:
Adabella
Arabella
Bellamy
Bellatrix
Campbell
Jezebel
Maybelle
Mirabelle
Sabella

Unheard of:
Bellachay
Bellezza
Bellona
Zabel

Belle's Full Names

Belle and Bella seem to be the nicknames of the year. It's no surprise either, with Isabella ranking number two last year, and one the year before. She's more popular than ever, and so are the nicknames that come with her. Needless to say, if you love Belle or Bella, there's no reason to skip straight to Isabella. They have some much more unexpected full names.

Annabella: With all the rage of Annabelle, you'd think Annabella would not be far behind. Think again, because she ranks at a modest 328. She's a bit of a mouthful, but if you're planning on using Belle or Bella, she would make a nice choice for the birth certificate.

Annabelle: She's the quintessential American girl. Annabelle conjures up images of apple pie and pure sweetness. It's no wonder parents love her. She comes in at 111, with her alternate spellings (Annabel, Annabell, Anabelle, Anabell, and Anabel) all making the list as well.

Belia: Meaning beautiful, Belia is the Spanish version of Bella. Perfect for honoring your family's history, though she's so pretty that she might not need a nickname.

Bellamy: Quite possibly my favorite of this list. She doesn't rank in the top 1000, but she's been getting some attention lately. Bellamy just made Nameberry's list of Unusual Girls' Names Destined for Stardom. The name of a Novogratz daughter (twin to Tallulah by the way), Bellamy is appealing to many parents for obvious reasons. She's may be tomboy, but she has America's sweetest nicknames.

Bellatrix: Honestly, I don't suggest you use Bellatrix. Unless you're a celebrity or a major Harry Potter fan, she seems a little- over the top. She has very strong ties with the literary franchise, but if you're planning on calling your little one Bella or Belle, she would make for an interesting choice. Especially if she was born on Halloween (is it just me, or does she seem a bit spooky?).

Gabriella: She's more popular than you think, with a ranking of 34. Gabriella is princessy, elegant, and very regal sounding, and Bella or Belle seems like fitting nicknames.

Gabrielle: Not quite as long, or as popular as Gabriella, she ranks at 119. Simpler, but by no means simple. You don't need four syllables to sound like a princess.

Isabelle: She comes in at 114, with sister Isabel not far behind at 128. She's a beautiful choice, but far from uncommon. My favorite spelling however, is the far from trendy Isobel.