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!

10 O Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Oh boy, O names for boys! I couldn't resist. O names are the coolest. 

Oak- Tree names are on the up-and-up, and Oak is no exception. He still is below the top 1000 though, so you have time to snag him. 

Oberon- Oberon is a Shakespearean name with some serious style. Obie would be a cool nickname. 

Odin- Odin is our most popular name on this list, ranking at #573. I was surprised at first, because I have never heard this name before. But after considering how close he was to Aiden, it all made sense. 

Ogden- Ooh, I love Ogden. He's the name of a major street here in Chicago, which, of course makes me love him even more. 

Omer- Homer has been ruined (forever?). But Omer is up for grabs. But they are awfully close. 

Onyx- A color name with quite a few high point Scrabble letters. Could Onyx be the next baby of Robert Downing Jr.?

Oren- Oren is cute, simple, and musical. Anyone a fan of Oren Lavie? 

Oro- Oro means gold in Spanish, which is perfect for your little treasure. 

Oxford- He might sound a little pretentious and preppy to some, but I think Oxford is a winner. Plus, Ford makes for a rad nickname. 

Oz- You might get a few jokes about being "great and powerful," but that's not so bad. And calling him Ozzie will eliminate that problem. 

10 J Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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There are five J names in the boys top 20. Five. That's one fourth of the group. So, saying they're popular is an understatement. If you like J names, but are scared they are too trendy, I say don't worry. There are plenty of great J names out there, that have yet to be discovered.

Jaco- I have a confession- I don't like Jacob. I think he's overused and not attractive sounding. But Jaco? Super cool. I guess it's that B I have a problem with, because Jaco is an awesome name.

Jans- Jan would sound frumpy and dull on a baby girl. I think it's time we switch genders. Jans is modern and sleek, and actually, very masculine.

Jarvis- Ooh, one of my favorite Chicago baby names. You can't deny Jarvis's cool factor.

Jefferson- Presidential and prestigious, yet totally accessible.

Jethro- Starts with J, end with O, it's a perfect combo. And the rad nickname Jeth helps a little, too.

Jex- We like Dex and Rex, so why not Jex? The only qualm is that I can't think of a good full name for him. Jexon?

Jones- Surname names for boys are always a homerun. Yet Jones seems to have missed the boat. I happen to think he would sound adorable on a little boy, and would definitely age nicely.

Jory- This unisex name is definitely that (the Jori and Jorie I know are female), but overall opinion swings more towards boy.

Joss- I know, I put this one on last week's girl list. But with namesakes like Joss Whedon, it's impossible not to consider for both genders. If he's too nicknamey for you, try it as an update for Josh, with the full name being Joshua.

Judson- If you smoosh Hudson and Judd, you get Judson. But it's not a made up name, I promise. He's an English name, and would make a fresh alternative to all the -son names.

St. Patrick's Day Names

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Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my Irish readers! I don't have much Irish heritage, so I don't celebrate the holiday, but I thought it'd be fun to compile a list of names, mostly based on history. Most of these would be a great way to honor your Irish descent.

Expected:
Christian- It's a Christian holiday.
Ireland- Straight to the point, but I really love the name Ireland.
Patricia- The female form of Patrick. Too old fashioned.
Patrick- Too obvious an association for a March 17 baby.

Unique:
Bell- There's a bell called St. Patrick's Bell. Spelled like this, it is a subtle nod to the holiday.
River- In Chicago we dye the river green on St. Patrick's Day. River would make a lovely choice for either gender born around March 17 (or any time).
Tara- One of St. Patrick's churches is on the Hill of Tara. She's a little dated, but the connotation is nice.
Saul- St. Patrick founded his first church in a town called Saul. He's a very uncommon name that deserves wider recognition.

Unheard of:
Bishop- Before he was a saint, he was a bishop. This name gets used from time to time. Only use it if you're religious.
Celestine- Pope Celestine sent St. Patrick to be the first bishop to Irish Christians. Celestine is a lovely elaboration of Celeste.
Padrig- He's the Welsh form of Patrick. He might be a little hard for Americans to grasp at first, but I think Padrig is still useable.
Palladius- Palladius is the supposed name of the real St. Patrick. A little over the top, Pallas would be a nice contraction.

Chicago Names: L Stops

As a Chicago teenager, I find myself taking the L more and more. Lately I've noticed some of the stops have great baby name potential. Whether you live in the city or not, these are some spunky choices for your baby.

Expected:
Addison
Archer
Austin
Clark
Davis
Harrison
Jackson
Lawrence
Madison
Morgan
Paulina
Quincy
Wilson

Unique:
Adams
Ashland
Berwyn
Clinton
Damen
Foster
Francisco
Garfield
Jarvis
Kimball
Linden
Monroe
Sedgwick
Sheridan
Washington
Wellington

Unheard of:
Argyle
Belmont
Bryn Mawr
Cicero
Kedzie
Laramie
LaSalle
Loyola
Morse
Racine
Rockwell