10 Italian Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Today we're talking about ten lovely Italian ladies. If you're in need of a glamorous name with a hint of mystery, these girls have got you covered. Take a look. 

Celestina- I'm a fan of any Celeste name, so naturally, I'm fond of Celestina. She's the Italian and Spanish form of Celeste, although in Italian, she's pronounced with a "ch" sound at the beginning. If you're looking for a long, romantic, unusual name, put Celestina on your list. 

Cosetta- Cosetta is an extreme rarity--she was given to four or fewer girls in the U.S. last year. For those of you searching for an almost unique name, Cosetta is a pleasant option. She's the Italian variation of the French name Cosette--almost instantly recognizable from the character in Les Miserables. 

Dicembre- Need an Italian name for your December-born baby? Dicembre would be perfect. She's scarcely used--both in America and in Italy. Like Cosetta, Dicembre is an almost unique choice. 

Domenica- Domenica is a lively, refreshing alternative to Dominique. She's a feminized form of Dominic, and works to honor any of the Dom- names. Nica makes a cute nickname, and is much more modern than Nicki. 

Eloisa- If Eloise is a little too "Plaza Hotel" for you, Eloisa could be the answer to your problems. She's just as sassy and retro, but doesn't carry the same mischievous little girl associations.

Graziella- Graziella is one of those names that is just so fun to say. She can be said with either three or four syllables, but in the U.S. it might be easiest to do four--grahtz-ee-EL-ah. She's a diminutive of Grazia, the Italian form of Grace. 

Isabetta- Elisabetta is a five-syllable mouthful, but fortunately her nickname Isabetta is more managable. She's very charming on her own, but Isabetta can also be used as a nickname for American favorite Elizabeth. She is perfect for families that pass down the name Elizabeth, but want a more distinctive nickname.

Leonida- There's been a lot of love for Leo names lately, especially on the boys side. Leonida is a gorgeous option for a girl. She's the Italian version of Leona, and also stems from the Greek Leonidas. 

Simona- Simona is a name used throughout Europe, particularly in Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria. She's a nice option if you want a name that can honor a Simon, but is longer, or a bit more exotic than Simone. 

Vivia- No doubt about it, "V" is the hottest letter of 2015. We love names with Vs in them--Olivia, Vivian, Ava, Evelyn, etc. Vivia an undiscovered gem that will blend right in. She seems like she could have been made-up--essentially a mash-up of Olivia and Vivian--but trust me, Vivia is one hundred percent Italian.

Full Names for Loie

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What do you guys think of the name Loie? She's not popular at all, but I do know a few girls with the name. Loie can be used on her own, but she's mostly a nickname. There are so many full names she can be a nickname for, and I've listed the best ones right here.

Bellona- This sweet Italian girls name can be nicknamed Bell or Loie.

Carlotta- The more trendy nickname would be Charlie, but I prefer the unexpected Loie.

Clover- One of the sweetest nature names. Loie is a great nickname if you don't like Clove.

Elodie- Loie is a much less popular nickname than Ella or Elle.

Eloise- I love the idea of an Eloise called Loie.

Harlow- She probably doesn't need a nickname, but Loie is a good option if you want one.

Lois- Lois may sound a little grandma-ish to you, but with a nickname like Loie, she's a fresh and viable option.

Lola- A lovely yet popular name. Loie makes her stand out.

Lolita- The stigma surrounding Lolita is unfortunate--she's a gorgeous name. She is definitely usable with a nickname like Loie.

Lotus- Lotus is an exquisite floral name. Loie might be her only nickname option.

Malone- Malone has a masculine, tomboy feel, so Loie is perfect for when you want a softer sound.

Marlowe- Marley and Loie both work as nicknames for the fast rising Marlowe.

Paloma- Paloma is one of the prettiest names. Loie makes a wonderful nickname.

Penelope- There are so many nickname options for Penelope, but Loie is one of the most unexpected.

Sloane- Do you love Sloane, but not her lack of nicknames? Loie works perfectly.

Willow- Loie is a great nickname for the beautiful Willow.

Names from Children's Literature

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Children love anything with their name on it. Thank goodness we live in the digital age, because now you can personalize everything imaginable. Even books. A whole new industry has been created--its sole purpose is to make your child the main character of his or her books. This is great (and very cute), but it's also fun to share a name with a classic character. I've compiled a list of main-character names from award-winning children's books--see if you can sense a theme.

Girls
Alice- Alice in Wonderland 
Anne- Anne of Green Gables
Charlotte- Charlotte's Web
Coraline- Coraline
Eloise- Eloise 
Frances- Bread and Jam for Frances
Harriet- Harriet the Spy
Madeline- Madeline
Margaret- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
Matilda- Matilda
Meg- A Wrinkle in Time
Olivia- Olivia
Pippi- Pippi Longstocking
Ramona- Ramona the Pest

Boys
Alexander- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Charlie- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Clifford- Clifford the Big Red Dog
David- No, David!
George- Curious George
Harry- Harry Potter
Hugo- The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Max- Where the Wild Things Are
Milo- The Phantom Tollbooth
Stanley- Holes

Don't all these names sound like they belong in one big sibset? I was a little surprised to see so many classic, British names. I've read all these books (with the exception of Coraline and A Wrinkle in Time), and all of the title characters are worthy namesakes. If these names are your style, definitely consider one for your child. Trust me, it's a lot of fun.

Nicknames for Eloise

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The first time I met an Eloise, I was eleven years old. Even back then I was astonished to meet one that was so close to my age. These days I feel like I hear Eloise all over the place! She's a lovely name--and how can you resist when there's the amazing book series? Now is a great time to use Eloise, but be careful, she's quickly moving up the charts. I have some great nicknames listed here for Eloise, just in case she needs one (and I know how much you guys love nicknames).

Expected:
Ellie- Very sweet and girly. Perfect for a childhood nickname.
Elle- After watching Legally Blonde, many of my classmates with El- names (and some without) wanted to be called Elle. It's very likely your Eloise will love it too.

Unique:
Lou- I think Lou is one of those "perfect nicknames." She's short, not too girly or too masculine, and can work on almost any girl.
Lulu- It's funny how Lou is not very feminine, but you add another one, and BAM. She's girly to the max. Lulu is adorable, but more appropriate for a child. Luckily she has Eloise to fall back on.

Unheard of:
Elsie- We all love Elsa these days, but what about Elsie? She ranks 365 on her own--not far behind Eloise--but is scarcely heard as a nickname for her.
Loie- You don't hear of many Loies. I know a couple of women with this chic French name, but she is not listed on many of the popular baby name websites. She's gorgeous, unique, and one of those nicknames you can use for the rest of your life.

Fall TV Names

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Fall is officially here, and with that comes TV premieres. This year's lineup has some interesting names, and could offer some helpful inspiration to expectant parents.

A to Z
Andrew
Sage (b)
Zelda

Out of all the A and Z names, they choose Andrew and Zelda. Andrew is, perhaps, the least inventive "A" boys name, and Zelda comes in third behind Zoey and Zara. If it were up to me, I would have chosen something like Arlo and Zadie, or August and Zora. Sage is a nice name for a supporting character, though.

Blackish
Andre (x2)
Jack
Rainbow
Zoey

Andre was a good choice for father and son, and Andre, Zoey, and Jack is a nice sibset. I'm really liking Rainbow for the mother character. She's a little bit out there, yet 100% believable.

Cristela
Cristela
Daniela
Felix
Natalia

All these names work really well together. Cristela is the name of the leading actress, and I wonder if this show will give her name a boost.

The Flash
Iris

The only interesting name I could get from this show was Iris, a name more people should embrace. She's vintage and sweet, plus, a flower.

Happyland
Ansel
Gloria

Ansel and Gloria are two names I could see rising a lot in popularity in the next few years. It helps that Ansel is the name of a teen heartthrob, and Gloria has been used by a celebrity or two.

How to Get Away with Murder
Annalise
Asher
Eloise
Laurel
Wes

Annalise is the most talked about name from the Fall TV premieres. It's a great name, but gosh, do I hate that spelling. Anneliese is so much prettier. The names of the students are nice, but would make more sense on babies, not college kids.

Jane the Virgin
Alba
Jane
Petra
Xiomara

What gorgeous names! It's no secret I love Jane, and Alba, Petra, and Xiomara are wonderful as well. I would love to see any of those on a baby, but let's be honest--are any of us brave enough to use Xiomara?

The Originals
Agnes
Bastianna
Cary
Celeste
Davina
Diego
Elijah
Eve
Francesca
Gia
Genevieve
Klaus
Monique
Oliver
Rebekah
Sabine
Thierry

This show wins for best names. Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah are siblings, which is an okay sibset. Klaus stands out for me with that one. But some of these names are straight-up fantastic. Have you ever heard of Bastianna before? Me neither, but I think she's lovely.

Red Band Society
Dash
Jordi
Kenji
Leo
Quinby
Ruben
Simmi (g)


These names are definitely age appropriate. The characters are children, so it's very believable. Simmi stands out to me, though. I wonder if it's a nickname.

Transparent
Bianca
Davina
Len
Maura
Raquel

I watched this show, and it was amazing. The characters names were very fitting, but I was especially intrigued by Maura. The character in the show was originally Mort, but changed her name to Maura when she came out as a woman. Picking your own name seems incredibly challenging to me. Did you notice this is the second Davina we have listed? Out of all the names, I wouldn't have guessed that Davina would be the one repeated.

EDITOR'S NOTE: It was pointed out that Klaus from The Originals is actually Niklaus. In that case, I like the sibset much better. 

10 H Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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This list was a fun one to put together. There are so many great, undiscovered H girls names. What's your favorite on this list? (I can't decide between Hero and Harbor). Which names would you add? Tell me in the comments!

Hadiya- Hadiya is a GORGEOUS name. I've loved it ever since I used it in a school assignment freshman year.

Halona- Super pretty and feminine, yet not over the top. She would be a great way to honor a Hal.

Hanita- I get it, Anita sounds super dated. Have no fear! Hanita is a unique choice that updates Great Aunt Anita's name.

Harbor- I can't believe no one has thought of this yet. Harbor just sounds like a name. Plus, there are so many parents looking for a name that is similar to Harper, yet barely used. Harbor is the obvious answer. Put me in the books for predicting the popularity of Harbor. I can feel it. Next big celebrity baby name?

Helaine- She sounds like a mix of Helen and Elaine, which is perfect if you need to honor both of those ladies.

Helia- A pretty Greek name with the best meaning (sunshine!). I would choose Helia over Delia in a heartbeat.

Heloise- Eloise too mainstream? Try Heloise, which is essentially the same...but less popular. (I don't suggest this one for use if you want to avoid Eloise confusion).

Helsa- Frozen ruined Elsa. Maybe, but we can't say for sure. You could always go with Helsa, but unfortunately her first syllable is not as pretty.

Henrietta- Are there people besides myself who like this name? Henrietta is super cool, embrace her charm and wealth of nickname possibilities.

Hero- A Shakespearian modern word name? That sounds like a oxymoron, but it's not. Hero meets both those requirements while managing to be super spunky, and yes, useable.

Holloway- Holloway seemed a little crazy at first, until I met an adorable little girl with the name. She's a lovely name that is more modern than Holly and less Christmas than Holiday.

Hidden Names

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It's always fun to think of clever ways to name twins (or siblings, for that matter). One possible way to do it is to give one child a long name, and the other child a short name that fits inside. I call this "Hidden Names." To qualify as a Hidden Name, the short name must fit entirely inside the longer one, with at least one letter at either end. There are obviously a lot of Hidden Name sets out there, so I chose the one that make the best sibsets. Take a look, and tell me if you think of any more.

Boy/Boy:
Abbott and Bo
Benedict and Ned

Girl/Girl:
Amaryllis and Mary
Belinda and Elin
Charlotte and Harlo
Eloise and Lois
Gardenia and Arden
Genevieve and Evie
Guinevere and Neve
Isabella and Sabel
Lainey and Aine
Madelena and Adele
Reverie and Eve

Girl/Boy:
Aidan and Ida
Carlotta and Arlo
Eleonora and Leo
Faustina and Austin
Florence and Oren
Lelia and Eli
Michaela and Chae
Mirabel and Ira
Nicolina and Colin
Sabella and Abel
Everard and Vera

Full Names for Elsie

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Elsie is such a wonderful name. I love her as a nickname for Elsa, but I'm worried that Elsa's popularity will rise as a result of Frozen. If you want some other great names that shorten to Elsie, I have some picks for you.

Expected:
Elise- Elise is surprisingly common, ranking 151. Rearrange her letters to get Elsie.
Elizabeth- Pair this uncommon nickname with the classic Elizabeth.
Elsa- The obvious choice. I adore Elsa.

Unique:
Elisa- Not nearly as common as Elise, but very similar.
Ellis- Use Elsie to make this unisex name girly.
Eloise- Literary darling.

Unheard of:
Ellison- Usually used as a boy name, but Elsie makes an unexpected and sweet nickname.
Elspeth- A lovely form of Elizabeth that should be used more often.
Elysia- Hardly used, but her sounds are in vogue.

I apologize for the boring week, my Spring Break starts tomorrow and I have a fun week planned out. More great posts are coming, including my Junior Research Paper, which is all about names and destiny. Have a good weekend!

Full Names for Lulu

Lulu is a fun, sweet nickname that is used by many a parent. She's great on her own, but if that's not your style, here are some longer appellations.

Alouette
Eloise
Heloise
Honolulu
Louisa
Louise
Louelle
Louella
Louisiana
Luana
Luca
Lucerne
Lucetta
Lucia
Luciana
Lucienne
Lucille
Lucinda
Lucy
Lula
Lumiere
Luna
Nuala
Tallulah