Nautical Names

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I profiled Beachy Names last week, and while this is a similar post (a few names overlap), Nautical Names are much different. Beachy Names have a laid back, summery feel, where as Nautical Names are much preppier, and less nature-y. Which do you prefer? Let me know.

Anchor- The symbol of preppiness everywhere, Anchor makes a wonderful name for your strong, sea-loving son or daughter.

Beacon- As in lighthouse. I've talked about Beacon many times before (here, here, here, and here) with the hopes of convincing people to use it. No luck yet, but I'm still hopeful.

Catalina- A Catalina is a type of yacht, and arguably, one of the most usable names on this list. No one would blink an eye at a baby named Catalina, or, at least I wouldn't.

Crew- All boats need a crew, so why not have it be your son? He's short, punchy, and with similarities to names like Cruz, makes a spectacular nautical name.

Harbor- Harbor is a name I'm always telling people to use. It can be used on a boy or girl, and it's the best alternative to Harper.

Marina- Some people park their boats in the Harbor, others, the Marina. Sibset potential? Marina is very graceful and feminine--qualities not often found in preppy or nautical names.

Nautica- Sometimes names with subtle connections are in order, and other times they are not. Nautica falls into the latter camp, as she is merely one letter away from being "nautical."

Navy- Navy and white are the two most nautical colors, but unfortunately White doesn't work as a name. But Navy is a lovely name, so long as you convince people it's after the color, not the branch of military.

Sailor- Even though Christie Brinkley named Sailor back in 1998, the name has only recently experienced mega-gains. Sailor is a unisex name, but is currently used for girls 90% of the time.

Sea- Sea is one of my very favorites. She's ethereal and whimsical and oh-so-lovely.

Skipper- A skipper is a captain of a boat, as well as Barbie's little sister. That makes me see it as more of a girls name, but I suppose it would also work well on boys. Skip, Skippy, and Kip are some possible nicknames.

Beachy Names

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Summer is in full swing, and what better time than now to give your child a beachy name? Here are my favorites.

Blue- The color of almost everything at the beach, from the waves to the sky.

Coral- A cute, retro spin on the trendy Cora.

Cove- A cool, up-and-coming nature name for boys.

Dune- A unisex name (also spelled Doon) that conjures up images of the sand hills.

Harbor- For those of you who want a beachy alternative to Harper.

Lake- In Chicago we swim at the lake, so this will always have a beachy feel to me.

Marine- Chicer and more unique than Marina. Marine is very trendy in France.

Oceane- One of my favorite water names. This French name is pronounced oh-SHAY-ahn.

Palma- Palm trees remind me of beach vacations, and Palma reminds me of palm trees. Perfect.

Pearl- The best ocean treasure.

Roxy- Roxy is a cute swimwear company based in California. She's usually used as a nickname for Roxanne, but your beach babe can rock it on it's own.

Sandy- Dated, but most definitely beachy.

Sea- Sea is another one of my favorite water names. She's absolutely lovely. Use her on her own, or as a nickname for Season.

Sky- The beach isn't all about the sand and water--the sky is beautiful as well.

Summer- The best time to go to the beach.

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.

Food Names: Squash and Pumpkins

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What's the star vegetable of every Thanksgiving meal? Pumpkin, of course! As the quintessential ingredient in many holiday recipes, I thought we'd take a look at some of the pumpkin and squash varieties that would make good baby names.

Expected:
Gem- Cute, but better as a nickname for Gemma.
Jack- So popular, but so handsome.
Patty- Way too dated.
Marina- So pretty; a lovely nature name.
Max- One super trendy boys name, he has many full forms
Summer- Maybe not for your November baby.

Unique:
Alba- Sweet and ready for a comeback.
Kuri- Does she sound too much like Curry? You could always pronounce it KOO-ri
Marine- More straightforward than Marina.
Sperling- A good alternative to Sterling.
Tatuma/Tatume- An elaboration of Tatum? Definitely makes her more feminine.
Valenciano- If you want an extravagant form of Valencio.

Unheard of:
Amphora- Pretty and feminine.
Aurantia- Very unique, comes with the nickname Tia.
Caserta- the Cas- sound is trendy, why not add this one to the list?
Citrullina- Reminiscent of citrus, which makes her prefect for a Fall/Winter baby.
Cocozelle- My favorite of this list. Wouldn't it make you smile to meet a baby Cocozelle?
Ebisu- Sounds very foreign, but still very usable in the U.S.

10 M Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Today's list is a great one, so let's get right to it.

Madigan- She's so similar to Madison, yet nobody uses her. Quite possibly the best alternative to all of those Mad- names. 

Maisie- Sweet and cutesy with a bit of Southern charm. A good nickname choice if you can't decide between Maggie or Daisy. 

Marin- A modern, feminine name that's not too girly. She can be spelled in a plethora of ways, including Merryn, Marryn, Marrin, or Marren. 

Marine- Marine is tranquil and beachy, perfect for families settled along the coast. She has a gorgeous sound, and is more contemporary than Marina. 

Marais- One of my favorite middle names. She's pronounced muh-RAY; the emphasis on the second syllable makes her flow very well with almost any first name. 

Mika- Mika is chirpy, but polished. She has Japanese, Hebrew and Russian roots, which makes her a nice option for multicultural families. 

Minna- Ooh, I love Minna. She had everything I look for in a name. She's not too long or girly, pretty much nickname-less, and nobody's heard of her. 

Mirabel- Now Mirabel is ultra-femme. No doubt about it, Mirabel is a girly girl. If she does turn out to be a tomboy, you can always shorten it to Mira. 

Mirren- Is it only an American thing to give our children celebrity surnames? I've been hearing a lot of them lately--Keaton, Anniston, Jolie, etc. Mirren is a real winner though, both in sound and namesake. 

Moon- How dreamy is Moon? I love her gentle sound. I would love to see her as a first name, but if she's a little too out there for you, the middle is nice, too. 

Summer Names

Summer's almost here! To celebrate, I thought I'd do a post on names for summer babies.

Girls:

Calida
Clara
Iliana
Isla
June
July
Marina
Marisol
Muriel
Phoebe
Rae
Rubyaina
Sandy
Shirley
Sky
Sol
Soleil
Summer
Sunny
Sunshine

Boys:

Albert
Alberto
August
Augustus
Brighton
Cyrus
Fulbright
Julio
Junot
Kai
Leo
Ray
Sol
Stash