Middle Name Statistics

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Middle names are something we all like to talk about, but unfortunately, the Social Security Administration doesn't record middle names of babies, only first names. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I saw that my high school graduation program included most peoples' middle names--this offered me a set of data. Now, my high school only graduated 736 people, and some don't have middle names, or didn't want it to be listed in the program. However, my area is extremely diverse--racially, socio-economically, and religiously--so the small set of data I do have is still worth anaylzing. So, here's the data for the most common middle names among the Class of 2015 ('96 and '97 babies).

Girls
1. Marie (15)
2. Elizabeth (14) and Elisabeth (1)
3. Ann (4) and Anne (5)
4. Nicole (7) and Nykole (1)
5. Rose (8)
6. Grace (5)
7. Lee (2) and Leigh (3)
8. Jean (3) and Jeanne (1)
9. Louise (4)
10. Lynn (3) and Lynee (1)

Notable Trends

• Alex- Names: Alexandra, Alexandria, Alexis (2)
• An- Names: Analiese, Angelin, Anna, Ann (4), Anne (5), Annie
• -Ay Names: Kay, May, Monet, Rae, (2), Shae
• El- Names: Elaine, Elena, Elisabeth, Elizabeth (14), Ella, Eloise, Elvira
• Esme Names: Esme (2), Esmeralda
• Iman- Names: Iman (2), Imani
• La- Names: Lanae (2), Lan'Yel, Larae, Lashae, Lashay, Latasha, Latefah, Latoya
• Heritage Choices: Abu, Fatima, Fionnuala, Guadalupe, Inez, Keiko, Ondina, Roisin
• Only two: Claire, Catherine/Katherine, Mary

Gems

• Bartholomew
• Bean
• Beata
• Chiffon
• Elvira
• Hopes
• Houston
• Love
• Magaly
• Saffia
• Salome

Boys
1. James (10)
2. Edward (7)
3. William (7)
4. Charles (6)
5. Thomas (6)
6. Joseph (5)
7. Michael (4) and Micael (1)
8. Anthony (4)
9. David (4)
10. John (4)
11. Patrick (4)

Notable Trends

• Al Names: Alan, Alexander (3), Allen
• Ed- Names: Edmond, Eduardo, Edward (7), Edwin
• Mark Names: Marcus, Markus (2)
• Zach: Zachary (2), Zachery
• Brit Picks: Basil, Edmond, George, Phillip (2), Sinclair, Tucker (2)
• Heritage Choices: Angel, Azriel, Enahoro, Hong, Mitja, Sohail
• Only two: Lee, Matthew, Peter, Robert

Gems

• Aksel
• Basil
• Jewel
• Kirby
• Moss
• Sinclair
• Soliman
• Winter
• Wolfgang

*I'm taking next week off for the holiday. Sorry for the infrequent posting--this has been a busy summer for me!*

10 J Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Finally, no more I names. J is an easy letter to work with, there are so many names that begin with it. If you're looking for something a little more offbeat, I suggest you try this list. We've got an interesting group today.

Jacinta- Pronounced with an H sound as opposed to a J, Jacinta is the Spanish word for hyacinth.

Jalila- A cute and unique way to get to the nickname Lila.

Janna- You could pronounce her (YAH-nuh) or (JAN-uh), but if you choose the former be prepared for some confusion. If you happen to like that pronunciation, Iana gets the point across more clearly.

Jean- I get it, she seems dated. But if everyone's going gaga over Jane, it's not unreasonable to think Jean would be the next step. It feels refreshing on a baby girl.

Jemsa- She sounds very British to my ear. Half Gemma, half Elsa, how can you go wrong?

Jetta- Jette is pretty stylish as a nickname, but if you don't like Juliette, what are you to do? Jetta sounds a bit more tough but can still be called Jette, so it's perfect.

Jocasta- She's one of the few Jo- names that sounds super fresh. Perfect for honoring Aunt Joanna or Grandma Joan.

Joss- Yes, Joss can be a girl name, too. You could use her as a nickname for Jocelyn, but I'm also fond of her by herself.

Jules- Much spunkier than Julia or Juliet.

July- July has been snubbed as a month name. She's fun, quirky, and perfect for any time of the year.

Song Names: ABBA

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Do you guys have that one band that is totally not your style but you love them anyways? For me, ABBA is that band. Swedish 70s pop might be the exact opposite of my usual indie rock. They have an interesting mix of names throughout their songs, take a look.

Girls:
Cassandra- I'm not sure if I'd call her a modern classic, but she doesn't sound dated to my ears.
Helen- Ready for a comeback? All the other El- names have, so why not?
Jeanie- I can see Jean, but Jeanie is a stretch.
Mia- Very popular, no one would get the reference.
Nina- The song is Nina, Pretty Ballerina, so you better hopes she likes to dance.
Piper- Cute and peppy.
Suzy- This spelling seems dated to me. Try Susie.

Boys:
Bobby- If you're looking for a nickname for Robert, try Robby or Bertie.
Fernando- This is the only one on the list where I could see people understanding the connection.
Livingston- It might take a while for him to learn how to spell it, but Livingston is a great name.

Nicknames for Jessamine

Jessamine is an elaborate name rich with nicknames. If she's too much of a mouthful to you, consider one of these nicknames.

Jean
Jess
Jessa
Jessie
Min
Mina
Sam
Sammie (Sammy)