Full Names for Huck

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Do you guys read the blog Hey Natalie Jean? She has the most adorable son named Huck, and ever since I started reading her blog (back in middle school!) I've loved the name. Her son's full name is Henry, but if that's not your style, there are some other options for getting to this full-of-fun, slightly mischevious nickname.

Charles- If Charles can be Chuck, then why not Huck? Besides, the latter is a lot more contemporary--I think Chuck needs another generation or two before he can be revived.

Henry- Lovable Henry has many nickname options, most of which I just adore. If you love Henry, just not his popularity status (ahem, me), bite the bullet and use a cool nickname--Hal, Hank, Harry, Huck!--to distinguish him from the others.

Huckleberry- On the other hand, why not use Huck to make his full name seem tamer? Huckleberry is a wild choice, but he's certainly usable (Bear Grylls has a son with the name), plus it gives you the added connection of Huckleberry "Huck" Finn (though it's quite debatable whether or not that's a good thing).

Huxley- Huxley is an English surname that people have been loving lately. He's currently at #1346, but looking at his trajectory, I wouldn't be surprised to see him break the top 1000 this year. His spelling lends himself to the nickname Hux, but I personally prefer Huck.

Huxton- Huxton appears to be an invented name--he was only used on 12 baby boys last year--but he mirrors the English surname style quite well. If you're not deterred by his lack of history, Huxton is a perfect full name for Huck.

Short Middle Names: Boys

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Happy August! After writing my post on Middle Name Statistics, I became obsessed over middle names. So, I've designated August as Middle Name Month. All month long we will be talking about middle names (with the exception of Wednesdays--our series will continue). Let's start off with 100 single syllable names for boys.

Ash
Bas
Beck
Blaine
Blake
Bo
Bram
Brooks
Cal
Charles
Clay
Cliff
Clyde
Dash
Dex
Drake
Eames
Ed
Finn
Fitz
Fritz
Fox
Gabe
George
Gray
Gus
Hal
Hall
Hank
Hart
Hayes
Heath
Huck
Hugh
Jack
James
Jay
Jed
Jem
Jet
Joe
John
Joss
Jude
Jules
Kai
Keats
King
Knox
Lane
Lars
Lee
Leif
Lex
Link
Lou
Mack
Max
Mead
Mo
Nash
Nat
Ned
Neil
Pax
Penn
Pierce
Pip
Quinn
Rafe
Ray
Reid
Rex
Rhodes
Rhys
Ridge
Rome
Royce
Sal
Sam
Shaw
Teague
Thane
Thijs
Todd
Tor
True
Van
Venn
Walt
Webb
Wes
Wolf
Xan
Yale
Yann
York
Zed
Zeus

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!*

Similar Usage Stats: Noah

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A few months ago, I talked about what names were similar in popularity to Sophia throughout the ages. Today, I thought we look at the most popular boys name, Noah. In 2013, Noah was used for 0.9043% of all baby boys (that's less than Sophia!). Take a look to see what names resemble Noah's popularity.

2005, Joseph (9)

1995, Jonathan (23)

1985, Thomas (25)

1975, Charles (25)

1965, Eric (25)

1955, Edward (25)

1945, Jerry (20)

1935, Raymond (17)

1925, Henry (18)

1915, Harry (19)

1905, Fred (18)

1895, Clarence (17)

1885, Albert (16)

It looks like we've gotten more unique in our boy name choices in the past few decades. A name that was given to 0.9% of baby boys went from being in the mid-twenties to the top ten. That's pretty major. 100 years ago, Harry shared similar popularity to Noah. Does that mean Harry is ready for a comeback? I think 2015 could be the year.

Same Meaning Sibsets: Part One

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I'm not usually a fan of baby name gimmicks, but if done right, they can be cute. One subtle way to tie your kids names together is through meaning. Many names share the same meaning, and sometimes they would make a nice sibset together. Take a look.

Beautiful
Astrid + Ingrid
Aoife + Calla
Callie + Bonnie

Free
Charles + Frances
Caroline, Darby, + Lottie

Happy
Felix, Asher, + Blythe
Ada + Felicity
Gwyneth + Hillary

Life
Chaya + Evie
Ava, Liv, + Zoe
Vivian + Zenaida

Light
Nell + Liora
Elena, Lucy, + Nora
Helena + Lucinda
Lux + Orly
Eleanor + Lucian

Wise
Alfred + Sophia
Aldo + Ramona
Raymond + Shannon

Movie Names: The Royal Tenenbaums

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The Royal Tenenbaums is my all time favorite movie. As I mentioned earlier this week, I love Wes Anderson, so this should come as no surprise. One of the things I love most about Wes Anderson (though not as much as his quirky characters and whimsical sets) is how he names his characters. In every one of his movies, the names are specially tailored to the characters, or so it seems. If you haven't seen a Wes Anderson movie before, I highly recommend the Royal Tenenbaums as your first one. It's a lovely film, with lovely names.

Boys:
Ari- He's a name often associated with Nice Jewish Boys, but he can work for a boy with any culture or religion.
Chaz- Normally a nickname for Charles. Not quite useable on the birth certificate, but he would make a nice retro nickname.
Dudley- Dudley's name was perfect for his character, because he was dud-ish. That being said, it's not a good connotation for your child.
Eli- Eli is one of the great characters in this film, but if you want to name a baby after him, go with his last name- Cash.
Henry- Sweet and classic.
Mordecai- He's Richie's falcon in the movie, and would be a fun connection for a boy. However, he is a lot of name.
Pagoda- Whimsical and delighting, but maybe for a girl?
Raleigh- Many would consider this a girl name, but Raleigh wore surprisingly well on his character (played by Bill Murray!)
Richie- Chaz's brother's name is also more common as a nickname (this time for Richard), but is used in its own right. Richie holds up better than Chaz.
Royal- Is this one set to come back? Maybe, because names like Duke and Deacon are heading upwards.
Uzi- Ari's brother (surprised?). The gun connotation is a bad one, but that doesn't rule it out.

Girls:
Etheline- A beautiful elaboration of the crotchety sounding Ethel.
Margot- One of the best names in the entire film. Margot is stunning and glamorous, just like her character.
Rachael- She's not a big character in the movie (Ari and Uzi's dead mother), but she has a great name that is falling slightly out of favor.

Full Names for Charlie

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We recently discussed Full Names for Charley, which got me to thinking, "What are other options if you want to name your son Charlie?" Turns out, while there are less options for the male Charlie, there are still more than enough choices.

Expected:
Carl- He's mostly a dad name nowadays, but the nickname Charlie livens him up.
Carlos- Spanish speakers would normally call him Carlitos as a nickname, but Charlie works too.
Charles- The classic.

Unique:
Carlton- Don't worry about The Fresh Prince of Bel Air references, those will be long gone by the time he's in school.
Carlo- Hipper than Carlos, maybe it's that "O" ending.
Carlson- He sounds a little dowdy, but Charlie is a great nickname to change that.
Charleston- The dance, the city, so many great associations for your little Charlie!

Unheard of:
Carlisle- A little feminine, but if you're planning on calling him Charlie, I say go for it.
Carmichael- The obvious nicknames are Mike, Mikey, Mickey, etc., but Charlie is the freshest of them all.
Carroll- It's too bad he sounds like a middle aged woman, because Carroll would make a really nice choice for a son.
Charlton- Sounds like a butchered version of Carlton.

Blog Names: The Socialite Family

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I recently stumbled upon a French blog called The Socialite Family, and fell in love with it. I adore the homes featured on the blog, but I love the names even more. Listed here are the names of the children.

Aliocha (boy) and Hiroko (girl)
Anne, Nemo, Leon, and Jules
Arsene (girl)
Bishop, Ford, and Clark
Camille
Camillo
Charles and Eve
Chiara, Ines, and Joseph
Eli and Thom
Gustave and Honore
Honore
Jacques and Paul
Leontine, Abel, and Violette
Lola
Lucio
Margaux and Raul
Minnie and Roxanne
Nataniel and Vadim
Selma, Gabriel, and Gaspard
Reina and Niels
Vasco (girl)
Wolfy and West

State Capital Names

A nice way to honor your roots would be to name your child after where you are from. If you live in the States, you might want to consider your state's capital. Most state capitals (or a variation) work, with the exception of Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont.

Expected:
Augusta (ME)- My first thought is golf, but maybe that's just me. Augusta is a beautiful name though.
Austin (TX)- This name definitely reminds people of Texas. It's great if that's what your going for.
Carson (NV- Carson City)- On trend
Charleston (WV)- Comes with the bonus nickname Charlie.
Cheyenne (WY)- Sounds a little dated, but she would definitely work.
Helena (MT)- The capital is pronounced (HEL-en-uh), but many prefer (he-LAY-nuh).
Jackson (MS)- Too common of a name to remind people of the city.
Juneau (AK)- Makes Juno a place name.
Harris (PA- Harrisburg)- He's less common than Harrison, and both are great names.
Lincoln (NE)- Newly gender-neutral, Lincoln is a great name.
Madison (WI)- Like Jackson, she's too common to remind people of Wisconsin.
Olympia (WA)- A beautiful name, and Pia is a cute short form.
Paul (MN- Saint Paul)- Classic.
Phoenix (AZ)- A bold, but not unusual choice for boy or girl.
Pierre (SD)- Don't use it unless you're French.
Raleigh (NC)- This works for a boy or girl (thinking Raleigh St. Clair).

Unique:
Albany (NY)- This place name is way underused.
Annapolis (MD)- Call her Annie, or put this in the middle.
Atlanta (GA)- Super cool for girl.
Boston (MA)- Strong and handsome.
Columbia (SC)- My first though is college, but this would not make a bad name.
Columbus (OH)- Reminds me too much of history class.
Denver (CO)- Just don't name his sister Aspen.
Frankfort (KY)- I prefer just Frank, but this is nice if you come from Kentucky.
Hartford (CT)- Hart is a lovely short form.
Jefferson (MO- Jefferson City)- A bold choice, but I would stay with it, and away from Jeff.
Montgomery (AL)- It's long and the only nickname is Monty. How about as a middle?
Nashville (TN)- Call him Nash.
Richmond (VA)- Great way to honor Grandpa Richard and Aunt Virginia.
Trenton (NJ)- Very hip, and you can call him Trent.

Unheard of:
Bismarck (ND)- Honors a Mark and North Dakota.
Boise (ID)- I think of potatoes, but I've never been to Idaho.
Concord (NH)- If you can get past the grape association, this could be cool.
Des Moines (IA)- It barely works. Better stick it in the middle.
Dover (DE)- I just hope his best friend isn't Ben.
Honolulu (HI)- A little wild, but the nickname Lulu tones her down.
Lansing (MI)- I like it for either gender.
Sacramento (CA)- Long and nicknameless. If you're okay with that, use it!
Salem (OR)- Too witchy. Portland is a better Oregon city name.
Springfield (IL)- This one's a stretch. Make it a middle, or call her Spring.
Tallahassee (FL)- Only if you call her Tally.
Topeka (KS)- Cute and unusual.

25 Days of Christmas: Carol

Our Christmas name today is Carol. She is the English version of Charles, and means "free man." She peaked in the 1940s, ranking at #5. Today she would mostly be considered a "grandma name" but on a baby she might sound fresh again.

Carol has many full name options, including more modern ones like Caroline and Carolina, and also under-used choices like Carlotta, Carolyn, and Carline. She also works on her own, or would be great in the middle spot.

Carol is a great name that merges holiday and music. If you want a unexpected, old-fashioned name for your baby girl, Carol would make a lovely, simple choice.