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!

Hipster Baby Name or Hipster City?

Image Credit

There's been some chatter amongst namers lately. It seems like the rest of the world doesn't know what a "hipster baby name" is. This was recently brought to our attention by a few key websites (ahem, Buzzfeed, SF Gate, Daily Mail), making lists of Hipster Baby Names, and 2015 Popular Name Predictions. So I'm here to set the record straight. A hipster baby name is on the cusp of cool. It seems unstylish or out-there to most parents, but then gains favor. On the other hand, a hipster city is a metropolitan area with a high concentration of liberal young adults. Sometimes the two intertwine, but a seasoned baby namer can usually tell the difference.

Take my quiz first to test your knowledge, then come back and read my responses.

Powered by Interact

Best of 2013

Image Credit

Happy New Year, everyone! I'll get back to regular posting soon, but in the mean time, here's the best blog posts of 2013.


January: In January we talked about Kimye's baby. I didn't predict it there, but I may have the year before.
February: We viewed some full names for Alex for both genders in February.
March: This month we went over all the lovely nicknames for Elizabeth, my personal favorite being Elsa.
April: In April we looked at names inspired by Chicago neighborhoods. This was my favorite post of the year.
May: May showed us the best names of Britain, with Boden Catalog Names.
June: This month we saw what the best anagram names for twins were. My favorite sets were Dot and Tod, and Arlo and Orla.
July: In July we talked about full names for Nell, my absolute favorite.
August: August taught us about full names for Lissie, there are a surprising amount.
September: We went over animal names in September.
October: On Halloween we looked at names of our favorite candies.
November: In November we went over some unexpected calendar names.
December: Finally, last month we enjoyed looking at names culled from the Olive & Cocoa catalog.

The top three viewers favorites of the year were:

1. Nicknames for Susannah
2. Full Names for Cece
3. Nicknames for Henry

Thanks for reading, and happy 2014!

Chicago Neighborhood Names

Chicago has hundreds of neighborhoods. I pulled the ones with the most name potential.

Albany- There's an Albany Park here in Chicago, but most people think of New York first.
Anderson- Andersonville is one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago, and Anderson is stylish right now. Bonus points for the nickname Anders.
Arcadia- For Arcadia Terrace. A little clunky, but wearable.
Archer- A cool name for boys right now, this one can represent Archer Heights.
Austin- More Texas than Chicago neighborhood.
Avalon- An awesome alternative to Ava, there's a neighborhood called Avalon Park in Chicago.
Beverly- A little dated, but her sounds are on track to be stylish.
Brighton- A unisex name more common for girls.
Chester- For West Chesterfield. He's very vintage and possibly ready for revival.
Douglas- Another old man name, there's a Douglas and Douglas Park in Chicago.
Edison- A cool surname name perfect for lovers of science or Edison Park.
Forest- Forest (or more likely, Forrest) is another revival. This is the spelling used for the neighborhood Forest Glen.
Glen- A vintage unisex name that's short and sweet.
Ford- Whether it's after Henry Ford or Ford City, he's a neat name endorsed by celebrities.
Gage- The perfect tough boy name.
Gale- Galewood is a neighborhood in Chicago, and thanks to The Hunger Games, Gale is now unisex (especially this spelling).
Garfield- Garfield still makes us think of cats, but his nickname Gar would be cool to honor Garfield Park or Ridge.
Grace- For Graceland. A common, slightly boring girls name.
Irving- Another vintage pick, he comes with the nickname Irv.
Jackson- Super popular pick for boys.
Jefferson- A unique way to honor a Jeffrey, or Jefferson Park.
Jeffrey- He's dated, but not a bad pick.
Kelvyn- Very andro-girly, this one's for Kelvyn Park.
Kennedy- She's a popular unisex pick for girls.
Ken- For Kenwood. Very Sixties, surfer boy vibe.
Lake- There are four neighborhoods with Lakeview in the name. Lake makes a cool first or middle for either gender.
LeClaire- A cool update on Claire; after LeClaire Courts.
Lincoln- Lincoln Park and Lincoln Square are both very popular 'hoods here. Lincoln is a popular, now unisex name (thanks to Kristen Bell) that is rising up the charts.
Logan- A widely used unisex name, though more often for boys.
Mary- A classic name for girls that can be used for either Marycrest or Marynook.
Mayfair- A unique update on the sugary sweet May.
McKinley- Another andro-girly name, this one's for McKinley Park.
Morgan- A top 100 girls name, but used for both genders.
North- Not specifically representing any neighborhood, but North is still one of my favorites (especially for a girl).
Oak- This would make a cool middle for either gender.
Peterson- A contemporary way to honor Peter.
Prairie- For the Prairie District. One part modern. Two parts hippie.
Raven- Ravenswood is a fun neighborhood here in Chicago. Love it too? Raven an underused option.
River- Becoming more and more popular for both genders.
Roger- Rogers Park is Chicago's most north-east tip. Roger is a nice, vintage name that can honor this lakeside neighborhood.
Roscoe- An interesting name that's practically unheard of.
Rose- Overused as a middle, underused as a first. Rose can be for Rosehill, Roseland, or Rosemoor.
Scott- For Scottsdale. An up and coming dad name.
Sheridan- An undiscovered unisex name.
Washington- Not sure if I'd stick my kid with this one, but he'd make a cool middle.
Wrigley- Whether it's after Wrigley Field or Wrigleyville, you hear many a dog called Wrigley in Chicago.

Of course, why not just Chicago? It has the nickname Chi, and the ever-popular "O" ending. Maybe for a middle? ;)