10 French Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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You guessed it, the next leg of this series is going to be by culture. Today we are going to look at French names, a perrenial favorite among American parents. If you're looking for something beyond Gabrielle or Vivienne, consider one of the following.

Anais- Anais is the lovely French version of Anne, and most people are familiar with her as the name of author Anais Nin. She's got a quirky cute feel, perfect for the daughter of creative parents.

Axelle- French names aren't known for being rebellious, but Axelle is just that. She has legitimate French roots, though most people will think you just made an addition to Axel. Nevertheless, she is an interesting pick. I'm putting Axelle on my list of future celebrity baby names.

Celestine- If you've read this blog for a while, you will know how much I love Celestine. She's been meantioned in six previous blog posts, which is a lot more than most other names can say. Celestine is absolutely gorgeous. For those of you too afraid to put her in the first name position, make her a middle for a short first name.

Delphine- Delphine means exactly what she sounds like, "dolphin." She's a name I often hear meantioned among the baby name crowd, but I've never encountered one in real life. Though most likely the average Joe on the street has never heard of her.

Francoise- Frances and Francis are on the rise. Francesca and Francisco have hit plauteus. The impeccibly French Francoise has never even broken the top 1000, making her a truely unique pick. Adorable nicknames Frannie and Francie are a bonus.

Leonor- Eleanor is just getting more and more popular, but her exotic variant Leonor is practically unheard of. She lends herself to the nicknames Leo and Leonie, which Eleanor doesn't offer.

Lilou- Lilou is a catch-all nickname for all L names in France, and even non-L names as well (I know a French Amelie called Lilou). She's a whimsical option, and a charming alternative to Lily.

Maelys- Maelys has all the right sounds. She's pronounced (may-LEES)--her long vowels and soft consonants make her a great contendor for parents who love liquidy names. There is normally an umlaut over the e, which makes her kind of tricky for American use. However, that should never be a deal breaker.

Magalie- Part Margaret, part Amelie, Magalie is the best French name you've never heard of. She'd make a great import.

Pomeline- Pomeline wins for my all time favorite guilty pleasure name. I would never use her on my own child, but man is she gorgeous. Pomme (the French word for apple) is a sweet nickname.

Month Names: March

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Happy (almost) March! March is a usually a gross month in Chicago--it's not quite Spring, and we still have a ton of snow. But, we are getting closer to those warmer months. I've come up with a list of names suitable for a March baby, let me know what you think.

Birthstone:
Aquamarine- Marina, Marine, or Aqua would all work to honor this gorgeous gemstone. Aquamarine symbolizes courage, so Brave would work as well.

Birth Flower:
Daffodil- Daffodil is an eccentric flower name, but don't let that stop you from using her.
Jonquil- However, Jonquil is the other name for Daffodils, and works nicely on a boy.

Birth Colors:
White- Some good white-inspired names are Snow, Ivory, and Lacy, though Snow seems a little out of place on a March baby.

Star Sign:
Pisces- The Pisces symbol is a fish, so oceanic names like Pike, Roe, or Fisher would work nicely.
Aries- Aries itself works as a name, but if you want something a little more subtle, try Ariel or Ari.

Related to March:
Leo Names- March comes in like a lion, so why not use a Leo name? My favorites are Leo, Leopold, Leonie, and Leonardo.
March- March is a great month name, and one of the few that works better on boys.
Spring Names- March is the first month of Spring (hooray!), so any flower name would be perfect. Also consider Primavera, the Spanish word for Spring.
St. Patrick's Day- March 17th is St. Patrick's Day. Check out this list for ideas.

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

Month Names: August

I'm off to Italy, but before I go I have one last post for you. I'll be back on the 18th with regular posts.

It's August! Can you believe it? This is a busy month for me, with vacationing, the golf team, and going back to school for my Senior year (ah!). I couldn't be more excited though, so I was very happy to put together this list of August baby names. Tell me what you think (and would you consider using any of these for an August baby?)

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Birthstone:
Felicity- The real August birthstone is Sardonyx, but that's a mouthful, so go with Felicity (a form of the stone) instead.
Peridot- 100% my favorite gem stone name. You can pronounce her PAIR-ih-doe or PAIR-ih-dot, both of which are beautiful. Nickname Dot is a plus.

Birth Flower:
Gladiola- Need a stylish, floral way to honor a Gladys? Gladiola is the best option.
Poppy- This fun and peppy British name is incredibly adorable.

Birth Colors:
Orange- Orange doesn't have a ton of color names, but some of the best are Amber, Coral, Tawny, Peach, and Portland.
Red- Red, on the other hand, offers a plethora of options. Try Crimson, Russet, Carmine, or Cerise if you're adventurous, or Rose, Scarlet, Terra, or Ruby if you're not.

Star Sign:
Leo- The Leo names are very in vogue. You can't go wrong! I listed some here last month.
Virgo- Virgo might not be a great name for your baby, but Virginia is.

Related to August:
Aug. Names- The Aug- names are quite popular now. If you want to move beyond hipster favorite August, try Augustus, Augustine, or Augusta.
Oct. Names- August is the eighth month, which means Oct- is the appropriate prefix. Octavia is the most useable one of the bunch, but you could always go for Octivus.

July Names

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Tomorrow is the first day of July, a month that can be rather hot and unbearable here in Chicago. However, it is a month that offers a lot of inspiration in the baby name department. Whether you want your baby's name to subtly or obviously honor his or her birth month, this list can give you plenty of ideas.

Birthstone:
Ruby- A cute name on the rise, perfect for any time of year.

Birth Flower:
Larkspur- If Larkspur seems like too much for you, Lark or Larkin would be just fine.
Water Lily- This one offers so many options. From the water part you can get names like Sea, Lake, River, and Bay. From Lily you can use Lilia, Lillian, Lilith, or even Shoshanna. If you want, go all the way with this one and call her Oceane Liliana.

Birth Colors:
Green- So many shades of green make great baby names. The most useable ones are Olive, Fern, Forest, Hunter, India, Paris, Pine, and Sea (another great reason to use Sea).
Russet- What a cool name for a boy. He's perfect to honor a Russell, plus you can call him Russ.

Star Sign:
Leo- Late July babies will be Leos, which offers great options such as Leo, Leonardo, and Leopold for boys, and Leona, Leonie, or even Cleo for girls.

Related to July:
4th of July- Having a July 4th baby? Some parents like to go with the obvious connection and choose America or Liberty. Want something a little more understated? Try Justus.
Jul Names- Of course you can always go for the names that sound like July, including Julia, Juliette, Julian, and Julius.
Seven- July is the seventh month, and Seven is one of the few numbers that really seems to work as a baby name.
Summer- Summer is in full swing in July, so she makes perfect sense as a name.

10 B Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Time for the boys! None of these are in the top 1000, which is perfect if you are looking for a unique name. In my opinion, some of the best boys names are short and sweet, which is what many of the names listed turned out to be. I tried to include something for everybody, but they all turned out to be two syllables or fewer. Oh well, enjoy!

Baird- A lovely choice, so long as you don't call your daughter Bird.

Banning- It's not often that you find a name ending in -ing. Banning is one that works.

Barlow- Marlowe, Harlow, Charlot, all the -low names are coming back, why not add Barlow to the list?

Bauer- An occupational surname meaning farmer that would make a good choice regardless of your job.

Beacon- He shares sounds with Reese Witherspoon's Deacon, yet has a calming, nature-ish feel.

Beal- It will remind people of Ally McBeal, but that's not a bad thing.

Birch- Hands down the best tree name.

Boone-A fun hero name. Decorate his nursery with a woodland theme.

Brio- Brio fits in with names like Leo and Theo, but is way more unique.

Burke- Preppy names are coming back, Burke should be in consideration.

Full Names for Leo

Leo is a cute name that has gotten really popular over the years. He's most popular by himself, but if you want a longer moniker to put on the birth certificate, here are some options.

Expected:
Leon
Leonard
Leonardo
Lionel

Unique:
Aurelio
Emilio
Julio
Leopold
Rogelio

Unheard of:
Leonid
Leonitus