Stylish Choices Outside the Top 1000: 2015 Girls

Syd Nagoshi via Instagram

It can be really frustrating to see your top choices break into the top 1000--no one wants people to discover their favorite name! If you are looking for a name that's guaranteed to be uncommon, outside the top 1000 is the best place to look. None of these names were used over 263 times--that being said, it's impossible to tell how many of these are being used as nicknames for more popular names. The names are ordered from most uses to least: 263 to 5. Make sure to come back on Friday for the boys list, and check out the 2014 list to see what's changed.

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

Full Names for Gwen

I couldn't find a cool picture of Gwen, so I made one myself (A Beautiful Mess App).

I've been digging Gwen lately. And Gwyn. I like both spellings. Gwen peaked in 1959, but seems like a great choice for a baby of today (maybe it's because of Spiderman's Gwen Stacy?). To me, Gwen seems perfect all on her own, especially for a modern girl, but others (many) feel differently. I've come up with a list of full names for a little Gwen (and Gwyn), but be prepared--a lot of them are very (very) Welsh.

Expected:
Guinevere- The spelling's not exactly there, but the sound is. Guinevere is a lovely name from Arthurian legend. Gwen would make a great nickname, but my favorite one is Guinnie.
Gwendolen/Gwendolyn- The most popular of the list, and perhaps the most basic. She's a great name, nonetheless. (and Gwendolen is the original).
Gwyneth- A beautiful name, and my favorite of the list, but she's so closely tied to Gwyneth Paltrow. If you absolutely love it, it's worth it.

Unique:
Gwenda- I'm not so sure about this one. She seems like a mash-up of Glenda and Gwen. Though, I assure you, she's totally legit.
Gwendoline- There's Carolyn/Caroline, and now Gwendolyn/Gwendoline. I like it! Very cute.
Gwennan- Ooh, this one is very appealing. Slightly masculine, yet still very useable on a girl, and the nickname Gwen! Undiscovered gem.
Gwylan- This one's a little harder to get to Gwyn from, but she still works. Gwylan gives me the same feeling as Gwennan, but I don't think she's quite as nice.

Unheard of:
Gwenaelle- What a mouthful. But, if one parent likes Gwen, and the other Ellie, this could be a good compromise.
Gweneira- Sweet and girly. I can't see this one catching on, but she makes a lovely choice.
Gwenllian- If you put Gwen and Gillian together you would get Gwenllian. Fun fact: Gwenllian was a popular name for medieval Welsh royals --Behind the Name dot com.
Gwynedd- A Welsh unisex name (just so you know, in Wales, Gwyn is male, Gwen is female). Probably better on a boy with the Ned ending, but it works for a girl, too.