If I Could Name 100 Girls: Volume Three

Rae Shoemaker via Dribbble

About one year ago, I posted my second round of "If I Could Name 100 Girls." It quickly became a popular post, so I thought we'd make it a yearly tradition. So, one year later, here are the names I would choose for 100 daughters. The names that are new to the list are italicized, and the ones that got bumped off are noted at the bottom. Tell me, what would you name 100 girls? (it's harder than it looks!)

Agatha
Aldine
Alouette
Amelie
Anais
Annika
Anouk
Avis
Bee
Birdie
Bonnie
Cameo
Celestine
Celia
Circe
Clea
Clementine
Clove
Coco
Darcy
Delphine
Dorothy
Dulcie
Edie
Eliza
Elsie
Esme
Fatima
Faye
Flannery
Frances
Freya
Frieda
Gemma
Georgia
Greta
Hero
Holiday
Ida
Irene
Isabeau
Ivy
Jane
Kalea
Lark
Leonie
Liddy
Lilou
Liv
Lotte
Lucinda
Margot
Martha
Millie
Minna
Moon
Nancy
Nell
Nettie
Noemi
Nona
Noor
Olive
Oona
Orla
Ottilie
Paloma
Penny
Peridot
Phoebe
Pia
Pimm
Pippa
Plum
Poet
Pomeline
Poppy
Posy
Prairie
Prune
Quebec
Quilla
Romy
Rosie
Ruthie
Season
Solange
Soleil
Sosie
Susanna
Tallulah
Tilda
Umbria
Umeko
Viola
Winnie
Xanthe
Zadie
Zanna
Zinnia


Who's New: Agatha, Bee, Cameo, Celia, Clove, Delphine, Dorothy, Dulcie, Eliza, Elsie, Fatima, Faye, Flannery, Freya, Irene, Kalea, Liv, Millie, Moon, Nettie, Noemi, Noor, Oona, Penny, Pia, Prairie, Prune, Rosie, Ruthie, Tallulah, Umbria, Umeko, Winnie, Zinnia

Who Left: Aine, Audrey, Bay, Citron, Dot, Elke, Elsa, Emmeline, Evie, Flora, Greer, Helena, Imogen, Ireland, Kit, Lillias, Lilo, Louisa, Marais, North, Oceane, Reverie, Romilly, Ruth, Scout, Silvie, Simone, Sloane, Suki, Tate, Tess, Vienna, Willa

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

Day Names

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Baby name inspiration can come from anywhere. Even the time of day your child was born. If you have (or plan to have) a daytime baby, consider some of the following names.

Asa--Asa means "born in the morning," so there's no better name for a daytime son. On top of that, Asa is very stylish right now, and has both Hebrew and Japanese roots. Perfect for families of mixed cultures.

Birdie--The early bird catches the worm--in this case, early Birdie. She's not popular at all, ranking at #3604, but I could see her becoming more mainstream in the near future.

Danica--Danica means "morning star," which is ideal for a baby born in the wee hours before dawn.

Dawn--Then again, you could always go with Dawn herself. She will soon be heading into grandma territory, so if datedness bothers you, I would use her as a middle.

Day--Day is another one that works better in the middle. Short, unisex word names are extremely popular for middle names right now, and Day fits all the criterion.

Dia--Dia is the Spanish word for Day, and works a little bit better as a name. With the popularity of Mia, Gia, and Lia, Dia would not be shocking as a first name.

Early--What better name for an early morning baby than Early? She's cute, upbeat, and a perfect way to honor an Earl.

Noon--Similarly to Day, Noon works best as a middle name. That's not to say you can't use it as a first--I would love to meet a baby named Noon (bonus points if he or she was actually born at 12).

Sunny--Sunny is an adorable, celebrity-endorsed name that would be lovely on a daytime baby.

I'm off next week for Spring Break, so I will see you all back here on the 13th. Happy Springtime holidays!

If I Could Name 100 Girls

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One of my very first posts was called "If I Could Name 100 Girls." A lot has changed for me since 2012, and my taste has definitely shifted. I thought I'd bring it back today to show the evolution of my favorite names.

Aine
Aldine
Alouette
Amelie
Anais
Annika
Anouk
Audrey
Avis
Bay
Birdie
Bonnie
Celestine
Circe
Citron
Clea
Clementine
Coco
Darcy
Dot
Edie
Elke
Elsa
Emmeline
Esme
Evie
Flora
Frances
Frieda
Gemma
Georgia
Greer
Greta
Helena
Hero
Holliday
Imogen
Ida
Ireland
Isabeau
Ivy
Jane
Kit
Lark
Leonie
Liddy
Lillias
Lilo
Lilou
Lotte
Louisa
Lucinda
Marais
Margot
Martha
Minna
Nancy
Nell
Nona
North
Oceane
Olive
Orla
Ottilie
Paloma
Peridot
Phoebe
Pimm
Pippa
Plum
Poet
Pomeline
Poppy
Posy
Quebec
Quilla
Reverie
Romilly
Romy
Ruth
Scout
Season
Silvie
Simone
Sloane
Solange
Soleil
Sosie
Suki
Susanna
Tate
Tess
Tilda
Vienna
Viola
Willa
Xanthe
Zadie
Zanna

Best of 2014

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What a year it's been! 2014 has been a great year for the blog. I've posted more than ever before, and we've had a record breaking number of viewers. Thanks so much to everyone for reading--now here's a look at this year's highlights.

January: We talked about Oscar Nominee Names in January (is anyone using Philomena yet?)

February: In February I wrote about Naming a Dog, inspired by my puppy Harvey. 

March: March showed us some names influenced by Texting and Shorthand.

April: I let you read my Junior Research Paper in April--all about baby names!

May: This month we looked at C Names for Girls. I adore Cameo, Celestine, and Circe. 

June: In June we talked about Initial Names. It's such a fun concept, and a great way to use those style outlier honor names. 

July: I wrote about Preppy Names in July (Parts One and Two). This was one of my most popular posts!

August: August introduced us to Hidden Names. The most usable combo was Lainey and Aine. 

September: We reviewed some Modern Virtue Names (Parts One and Two) during the month of September. 

October: In October we discussed Sports Names. As a golfer, I'm rather partial to Birdie. 

November: Just in time for Thanksgiving, I wrote about Herbs and Spices Names. 

December: Happy Holidays! Here are some Holiday Names for your baby. 

And now, viewer favorites:

1. Nicknames for Sophia

2. 10 A Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

3. Initial Names

4. Full Names for Wells

5. Unexpected Flower Names

Sports Names

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You don't necessarily need to honor someone by using their name. You can name your child after something they loved. Dad loves golf and you like vintage names? Hello Birdie.

Basketball:
Nellie- An adorable name, but you all know I prefer Nell.

Cricket:
Cricket- Busy Phillips used this for her daughter recently. Cricket is cute, but not many people would first think of the sport.

Football:
Marty- "Marty Ball" is a football philosophy, and could make a fun retro pick for a son.

Golf:
Ambrose- In golf I call this a scramble, but Ambrose sounds more like a name :)
Austin- Not quite as fashionable as he once was, but he doesn't sound dated yet.
Birdie- Super cute and sweet. Another Busy Phillips choice.
Chip- Usually reserved as a nickname for Junior.
Goldie- Old fashioned pick with lots of flair. For a first name, Gold would be cool.

Soccer:
Derby- A cousin of Darby and Darcy, but way more unique. I like her!
Kit- Short, sweet, and to the point. Use her as a nickname for any of the Kat- names.

Tennis:
Love- But in Tennis it means zero.

Volleyball:
Pepper- Most people don't give her enough credit to be a first name, though I think she'd work rather nicely in the middle.
Spike- An intense boys name that would be cool on a volleyball player's son.

All:
Ace- I know more dogs than kids named Ace, but with Jessica Simpson's baby, that could change.
Field- Suave and preppy. Plus, he can apply to multiple sports.
League- League can apply to any sport. He's cool and sounds right on trend.
Season- My first thought does not go to sports, but Season can be applied to almost any sport.

10 B Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Time for the latest installment of this Wednesday series. Today we are looking at B names for girls. The most popular ones are Brooklyn, Bella, Bailey, and Brianna, which I consider overused. There are so many great options out there, so lets take a look.

Beah- She sounds like Leah with a B, and makes a great nickname for Beatrice or Beatrix.

Bergen- Many consider this a boy name, but the Bergen I know is a girl, and she wears it well.

Beryl- I fell in love with Beryl after reading A Taxonomy of Barnacles (I know it doesn't sound like it, but it's a novel). Slightly old-fashioned, but full of charm.

Bijou- One of the best water related names, along with Bay.

Bird- Super fun. Use it as the first name and call her Birdie, or stick it in the middle to make a more popular name spunky.

Blanca- She would make a great sister to Sofia.

Boheme- Girls Gone Child's Rebecca Woolf gave this name to one of her twins. She goes by Bo, which is super cute on a girl.

Bonita- Bonita means pretty in Spanish. She's a great choice if you want a girly name with a tomboyish nickname.

Britta- Bridget feels slightly dated, but Britta would be perfect for a baby.

Bronte- A gorgeous literary name, she would sound wonderful as a first or middle.

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.

Animal Names

Animal names have been a recent trend among celebrities. From Busy Phillips' Cricket to Alex O'Laughlin's Lion we have quite a group. Want your own creature? Here is some inspiration.

Bear
Bee
Bird
Birdie
Bunny
Cat
Coyote
Crane
Cricket
Doe
Dove
Drake
Elk
Falcon
Finch
Fox
Hawk
Jack
Jay
Jill
Joey
Kit
Kitty
Lark
Lion
Pike
Raven
Robin
Seal
Sparrow
Swan
Tiger
Wolf
Wren

Full Names for Bee

Bee is a such a sweet nickname. For full names, you can really use any name that starts with B, but here are the names I think work very well.

Beatrice
Beatrix
Beatriz
Beeja
Beverly
Birdie
Delbe
Elizabeth
Phoebe
Selby
Shelby

Nicknames for Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a classic name. She has many nicknames and variations, some more popular than others. Here I have listed all the nicknames I could think of.

Battie
Bee
Bess
Bessie
Bet
Beth
Betsy
Betty
Birdie
Bitsy
Bitty
Ella
Elle
Ellie
Eliza
Elsa
Elsie
Izzy
Lia
Libby
Liddy
Lilibet
Lilo
Lisa
Lissy
Liz
Liza
Lizzie
Tib
Tibby
Zaza

If I Could Name 100 Girls...

They would be named... (in no particular order)

1. Nell
2. North
3. Clementine
4. Elsa
5. Frances
6. Nancy
7. Vivian
8. Bay
9. Hazel
10. Orla
11. Carys
12. Joanna
13. Amelie
14. Eloise
15. Effie
16. Harriet
17. Lilith
18. Nona
19. Olive
20. Paloma
21. Quincy
22. Reagan
23. Sloane
24. Solange
25. Sidney
26. Tillie
27. Tait
28. Walker
29. Andromeda
30. Bo
31. Flora
32. Fiona
33. Lucy
34. Louise
35. Blythe
36. Blake
37. Blair
38. Clara
39. Imogen
40. Hayes
41. Pimm
42. Romilly
43. Ingrid
44. Meryl
45. Gianna
46. Lane
47. Betty
48. April
49. Grey
50. Edith
51. Reid
52. Felicity
53. Adele
54. Adelaide
55. Georgia
56. Pippa
57. Poppy
58. Violet
59. Eliza
60. Lola
61. Simone
62. Audrey
63. Cornelia
64. Phoebe
65. Chevron
66. Rue
67. Holland
68. Vienna
69. Cicily
70. Sephora
71. Gemma
72. Birdie
73. Sadie
74. Reverie
75. Peony
76. Coral
77. Summer
78. Ruth
79. Mabel
80. Fawn
81. Beatrice
82. Alice
83. Marina
84. Flair
85. June
86. March
87. Helena
88. Miriam
89. Pearl
90. Clover
91. Clio
92. Evie
93. Stella
94. Anja
95. Irene
96. Leonie
97. Kit
98. Zoey
99. Anabel
100. Paige