Flower Meanings

via 100 Layer Cake-let

We all know the person who gave their daughter a flower name because of it's beauty, but have you ever considered basing the decision off of a flower's meaning? Back in the day, people used to send each other flowers to convey a message. Each flower has its own secret meaning. I chose some of the most name-worthy flowers and did some research on their symbolization.

Amaryllis--dramatic
Anemone--fragile
Aster--contentment
Azalea--abundance
Begonia--deep thoughts
Calla Lily--regal
Camellia--graciousness
Chrysanthemum--excitement, truth
Cosmo--peaceful
Daffodil--chivalry
Daisy--innocence
Freesia--spirited
Gardenia--joy
Ginger--proud
Heather--solitude
Holly--domestic happiness
Hyacinth--sincerity
Iris--inspiration
Ivy--fidelity
Jasmine--grace, elegance
Larkspur--beautiful spirit
Lavender--distrust
Lilac--first love
Magnolia--dignity
Marigold--desire for wealth
Peony--healing
Poppy--consolation
Rose--admiration, love, unity, purity, friendship
Violet--faithfulness
Wisteria--steadfast
Yarrow--good health
Zinnia--thoughts of friends


*all meanings taken from aboutflowers.com*
Note: these meanings are somewhat subjective and vary from site to site.

Full Names for Minnie

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Ever since I watched the wonderful new movie The Diary of a Teenage Girl, I can't stop thinking about the name Minnie. She'd make a great nickname for a baby born today (or even a full name). Take a look at these options for full forms.

Araminta- This quirky British name lends herself more to Minty than Minnie, but the latter is better for parents who want a more subdued nickname.

Clementine- Clementine is one of the few long names with a lack of nickname options. If Clem or Clemmie aren't your thing, Minnie would be a lovely nickname for your darling Clementine.

Dominique- Most of the Dominiques I know go by Domi when they need a short form, but Minnie makes for a more whimsical choice.

Domino- Speaking of whimsical names, how about Domino? She's certainly delightful on her own, but Minnie makes her more accessible.

Jasmine- Jasmine strikes me as slightly dated, but she's still in the top 100 (albeit, at #100), but as the most popular name on this list, she very well could be the most prominent way to get to Minnie (I doubt it, but they don't have statistics on this stuff, so who knows!). Minnie's a great nickname option for those of you who don't like Jazz.

Jessamine- Jessamine is Jasmine's funkier ancestor--she was the original spelling of the flower's name. Jess and Jessa sound a bit old as nicknames, but charming Minnie is perfectly fresh.

Mignon- Mignon is a sweet French name meaning "delicate and dainty." Her original nickname is Mignonette, but if you're looking for something slimmer--and perhaps a bit less dainty--Minnie is your girl.

Minerva- The nickname Minnie originally comes from Minerva--the name of the Roman goddess of wisdom. She shares her meaning of wisdom with Sophia, making Minerva/Minnie a good alternative to Sophia/Sophie.

Minna- Minna, though German by origin, is currently used all around Europe. She's especially popular in Scandinavia. I don't think she needs a nickname, but if you must, Minnie's the best option. 

Minuet- For a Minnie with a musical connection, try Minuet. She's a French ballroom dance, which gives the name a romantic, rhythmic feel.

Wilhelmina- Wilhelmina a lot to handle for a baby girl, but luckily she's chock full of nicknames. I'd vote for Minnie over Billie or Willa any day.

Rainbow Sibsets: Part One

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Color names are so fun, and no doubt, someone out there has a color themed sibset. Stuff like this can get a little bit gimmick-y, but not if you do it in the right way. Let me show you what I mean.


Catalina, Charleston, Isabelline, Peridot, and Scarlet
Blue, Green, White, Green, Red

Ciel, Dune, and Snow
Blue, Brown, White

Lace, Olive, Plum, and Rose
White, Green, Purple, Pink

Jasmine, Kelly, Tiffany, and Veronica
Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple

Cyan, Emerald, and Sienna
Blue, Green, Orange

Cordovan, Crimson, and Rackley
Brown, Red, Blue

Coral, Fern, Forest, Mauve, and Myrtle
Pink, Green, Green, Purple, Green

Liberty, Navy, and Vale
Blue, Blue, Pink

Carmine, Roman, and Umber
Red, Grey, Brown

Copper, Jet, Russet, and Slate
Red, Black, Red, Grey

Month Names: February

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Ooh, I love February. Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday (tied with Thanksgiving), and we are getting closer to Spring. If you are having a February baby, you should think about using a February name. Take a look.

Birthstone:
Amethyst- February's birthstone is the Amethyst, but if that's too crazy for you, use a different shade of purple like Lavender, Plum, or Violet

Birth Flower:
Violet- Speaking of Violet, that's February's birth flower! She's a colorful vintage flower name, and Blake Lively just chose it for her daughter.

Birth Colors:
Light Blue- Plenty of light blues have very normal names. Try Alice, Celeste, Maya, or Sky.
Yellow- Yellow is a bright, happy color that comes with some beautiful name choices. My favorites are Citrine, Jasmine, and Saffron.

Star Sign:
Aquarius- There are so many wonderful names for water babies. Recent favorites of mine include Harbor, Sea, and Oceane.
Pisces- The sign of Pisces is a fish, which means names like Pike or Fisher would be perfect for babies born after February 18th.

Related to February:
Valentine's Day- Valentine's Day is a great holiday for baby names. You could go classic with Valentina or Valentino, or more subtle with Freya or Querida.

Food Names: Herbs and Spices

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Happy Thanksgiving-week! In honor of the holiday we are going to talk about food names all week. Back in October I covered fruits and veggies, so today is all about herbs and spices. There are so many options here, and I adore almost all these names. Let me know what you think! Would you name your baby after a spice? (I totally would).

Expected:
Basil- Though as a name, he's mostly pronounce BAH-zull.
Bay- Lovely, especially for a girl, I think.
Dill- He works as a nickname for Dillon, but not so much on his own.
Ginger- A name more people should be using.
Jasmine- Jasmine is beautiful, and was popular in the past.
Juniper- Up and coming, she also comes with nicknames June, Junie, and Juno.
Pepper- Spicy and fun.
Rosemary- So sweet, the nickname Romy seals the deal.
Sage- Another name that is truly unisex. Sage has been used by a few celebrities.
Willow- Will- names have been popular lately, perhaps because of the Smith family?

Unique:
Angelica- A little outdated, but usable.
Anise- Don't confuse her with Anais, this one's pronounced ANN-iss.
Carraway- Too similar to carried away? I think she still works.
Cassia- Feminine choice brought into the light by the YA Matched series.
Cicely- She would often get confused with Cecily, but still is a lovely pick.
Lavender- One of the most girly nature names out there.
Rue- She should be gaining popularity soon, thanks to The Hunger Games books and movies.
Saffron- Fun choice, especially for a chef.
Tarragon- It works for either gender, but it's similarity to Tara makes me read girl on this one.

Unheard of:

Artemisia- An elaboration of Artemis. Does she need elaboration though?
Clary- Another name from a YA Dystopian novel. Cute nickname for Clare or Clara names.
Clove- What's with it with YA Dystopian books and spice names? Another one from The Hunger Games, Clove is a simple yet strong name for a girl.
Myrtle- She's so far gone, she might never come back.
Nigella- So closely associated with Nigella Lawson, but a pretty pick nonetheless.
Olida- A great choice for the underused letter "O".
Perilla- She sounds very name-y, I'm surprised she hasn't been used yet.
Quassia- The world could use more "Q" names. This is a great one.
Ramsons- A little close to Ransom, but hey, that's a name too.
Sorrel- This herb is a great pick for a baby boy.
Verbena- The -ena ending make her name-worthy. But the strong -rb- sound gives me pause.

Month Names: October

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October is my favorite month of the year. I love the weather, food, festivity, basically everything ever about October. If you're having a baby this October (or just love the month as much as I do), you might want to consider honoring it with a name. Let me show you what I mean.

Birthstone:
Jasper- Apparently the "Mystical Birthstone" (whatever that is) of October is Jasper. Jasper's a great name, but I'm not sure if the Mystical Birthstone thing will hold up.
Opal- Opal is the real birthstone of October, and is one of the many underused gem names. I think she could be the next Pearl.

Birth Flower:
Calendula- Hmm. So, how useable is Calendula? I think she'd be pretty sweet if called Callie or Lula, but the final call is up to you.

Birth Colors:
White- There aren't many attractive names for shade of white, but Snow, Ivory, and Lace are nice options.
Yellow- Yellow offers more choices, with Amber, Citrine, Jasmine, and Saffron being the most tame picks.

Star Sign:
Libra- Like I said last month, I think Libra would make a great name. A sister for Justice, perhaps?
Scorpio- Maybe a middle name. But I still hesitate.

Related to October:
Hope- Opal means hope, so if you want an even subtler connection, here's your gal.
Octavia, Octavio, Octavius, etc.- So, October is not the eighth month, but it was at one time, which is why it got it's name. This is probably the most obvious connection, but you have to admit, Octavia is pretty charming (and that nickname Tavi, too).

And the Nominees Are: Oscar Nominee Names

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I adore the Oscars. Other award shows are so bland, but The Academy Awards captivate me all night long. I have compiled some names inspired by Oscar nominated films, actors, and more as inspiration for a babe born on the fantastic night.

Expected:
Jasmine- The Woody Allen directed film Blue Jasmine was nominated for best writing. Jasmine is a lovely name, if not slightly outdated.
Lupita- Lupita Nyong'o of 12 Years a Slave is getting a lot of attention this year. Her fashion sense and acting skills are highly praised, but what about her name? Lupita is a great choice that should be embraced by more parents.
Omar- This Palestinian film of the same name is nominated for best foreign language film. Omar is a great cross-cultural name, perfect for families of mixed backgrounds.
Wolf- Wolf is a cool-boy's name, but The Wolf of Wall Street might not be the movie to gain inspiration from.

Unique:
Blue- Again from Blue Jasmine, but this time, more likely to be inspired by Beyoncé's daughter.
Celestine- What a gorgeous elaboration of Celeste. Inspired by the animated film Ernest and Celestine, about a mouse and a bear.
Ernest- This old-school pick would make a refreshing choice on a baby.
Moon- The Moon Song from Her was absolutely beautiful (and deserve the win in my book). What a lovely lullaby it would make for a daughter named Moon.
Phillips- I'm not a fan of Tom Hanks, but his surname in Captain Phillips is baby name worthy.

Unheard of:
Dallas- This unisex name will remind people of Texas much more than Dallas Buyers Club.
Gatsby- Nominated for costume design, The Great Gatsby has a plethora of great named characters, but Gatsby makes your intentions obvious.
Llewyn- Inside Llewyn Davis was nominated for best cinematography. Llewyn strikes me as out of the box but wearable. A more masculine form of Llewellyn.
Philomena- I haven't seen the film, but Philomena is a great Greek name that is one hundred percent wearable in 2014.

Celebrity Baby Name Predictions: Duggar Baby No. 20

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Have you heard the news? Mega-family and reality TV stars the Duggars are expecting baby number twenty. Here are some of my predictions for the name of their latest arrival, sticking with the "J" theme.

Girls:
Safe: Jacelyn, Jacey, Jade, Jane, Janelle, Jemma, Jersey, Jessa, Julia, Juliette, June
Daring: Jacqueline, January, Jasmine, Jemima, Jenevieve, Jessamine, Jetta, Jocelyn, Jolie, Juno
Out-there: Jacinta, Jenesis, Joella, Juniper

Boys:
Safe: Jaden, Jareth/Jarett, Jasper, Jonah, Jonas, Jude, Julian, Julius
Daring: Jagger, Jarvis, Jensen, Jet, Justice
Out-there: Jabez, Jerusalem, Jethro, Journey

My top picks: Juliette for a girl and Jonah for a boy.

Full Names for Min or Minnie

Min and Minnie give off different vibes. Minnie is sweet, Min is feisty. Minnie is girly, while Min is sporty. The great thing about the following names is that they work with the nicknames Min or Minnie, so you can pick the one that best suits your daughter.

Adamina
Amina
Armina
Carmen
Carmine
Jasmine
Jessamine
Lumina
Mina
Minerva
Minette
Minetta
Minna
Minuette
Tasmine
Thamina
Wilhelmina
Yasmine

Prediction: Duggars Next Baby

As some of you might know, I happen to watch the TV show 19 Kids and Counting on a regular basis. In case you are unaware of their strange naming style, all their kids names start with J. They even named one of their daughters Jinger. Now, I hate J names for either gender, but I started to think about what the Duggars would name their next hypothetical child. I have a few guesses that I wanted to share with you guys.

Boys:

Jacob- I am really surprised that they haven't used this one yet. This is my top guess for their next boy.
Jasper
Jeffery
Jeremy
Jerusalem- Out there, but biblical, which they like.
Joel
Jonas/Jonah
Jorge- If they pronounced it JORE-ge.
Jude/Judah
Justice

Girls:

Jade/Jada
Jane
Janelle
Jasmine
Jemma
Jenesis- Genesis, with a J. Biblical, and they have no problem switching G's for J's.
Jenevieve
Jianna
Joselyn
Journey
Julia- My top guess for the girls. It's a classic.
Juliette