Showing posts with label River. Show all posts
Showing posts with label River. Show all posts

Monday, March 17, 2014

St. Patrick's Day Names

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Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my Irish readers! I don't have much Irish heritage, so I don't celebrate the holiday, but I thought it'd be fun to compile a list of names, mostly based on history. Most of these would be a great way to honor your Irish descent.

Expected:
Christian- It's a Christian holiday.
Ireland- Straight to the point, but I really love the name Ireland.
Patricia- The female form of Patrick. Too old fashioned.
Patrick- Too obvious an association for a March 17 baby.

Unique:
Bell- There's a bell called St. Patrick's Bell. Spelled like this, it is a subtle nod to the holiday.
River- In Chicago we dye the river green on St. Patrick's Day. River would make a lovely choice for either gender born around March 17 (or any time).
Tara- One of St. Patrick's churches is on the Hill of Tara. She's a little dated, but the connotation is nice.
Saul- St. Patrick founded his first church in a town called Saul. He's a very uncommon name that deserves wider recognition.

Unheard of:
Bishop- Before he was a saint, he was a bishop. This name gets used from time to time. Only use it if you're religious.
Celestine- Pope Celestine sent St. Patrick to be the first bishop to Irish Christians. Celestine is a lovely elaboration of Celeste.
Padrig- He's the Welsh form of Patrick. He might be a little hard for Americans to grasp at first, but I think Padrig is still useable.
Palladius- Palladius is the supposed name of the real St. Patrick. A little over the top, Pallas would be a nice contraction.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Chicago Neighborhood Names

Chicago has hundreds of neighborhoods. I pulled the ones with the most name potential.

Albany- There's an Albany Park here in Chicago, but most people think of New York first.
Anderson- Andersonville is one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago, and Anderson is stylish right now. Bonus points for the nickname Anders.
Arcadia- For Arcadia Terrace. A little clunky, but wearable.
Archer- A cool name for boys right now, this one can represent Archer Heights.
Austin- More Texas than Chicago neighborhood.
Avalon- An awesome alternative to Ava, there's a neighborhood called Avalon Park in Chicago.
Beverly- A little dated, but her sounds are on track to be stylish.
Brighton- A unisex name more common for girls.
Chester- For West Chesterfield. He's very vintage and possibly ready for revival.
Douglas- Another old man name, there's a Douglas and Douglas Park in Chicago.
Edison- A cool surname name perfect for lovers of science or Edison Park.
Forest- Forest (or more likely, Forrest) is another revival. This is the spelling used for the neighborhood Forest Glen.
Glen- A vintage unisex name that's short and sweet.
Ford- Whether it's after Henry Ford or Ford City, he's a neat name endorsed by celebrities.
Gage- The perfect tough boy name.
Gale- Galewood is a neighborhood in Chicago, and thanks to The Hunger Games, Gale is now unisex (especially this spelling).
Garfield- Garfield still makes us think of cats, but his nickname Gar would be cool to honor Garfield Park or Ridge.
Grace- For Graceland. A common, slightly boring girls name.
Irving- Another vintage pick, he comes with the nickname Irv.
Jackson- Super popular pick for boys.
Jefferson- A unique way to honor a Jeffrey, or Jefferson Park.
Jeffrey- He's dated, but not a bad pick.
Kelvyn- Very andro-girly, this one's for Kelvyn Park.
Kennedy- She's a popular unisex pick for girls.
Ken- For Kenwood. Very Sixties, surfer boy vibe.
Lake- There are four neighborhoods with Lakeview in the name. Lake makes a cool first or middle for either gender.
LeClaire- A cool update on Claire; after LeClaire Courts.
Lincoln- Lincoln Park and Lincoln Square are both very popular 'hoods here. Lincoln is a popular, now unisex name (thanks to Kristen Bell) that is rising up the charts.
Logan- A widely used unisex name, though more often for boys.
Mary- A classic name for girls that can be used for either Marycrest or Marynook.
Mayfair- A unique update on the sugary sweet May.
McKinley- Another andro-girly name, this one's for McKinley Park.
Morgan- A top 100 girls name, but used for both genders.
North- Not specifically representing any neighborhood, but North is still one of my favorites (especially for a girl).
Oak- This would make a cool middle for either gender.
Peterson- A contemporary way to honor Peter.
Prairie- For the Prairie District. One part modern. Two parts hippie.
Raven- Ravenswood is a fun neighborhood here in Chicago. Love it too? Raven an underused option.
River- Becoming more and more popular for both genders.
Roger- Rogers Park is Chicago's most north-east tip. Roger is a nice, vintage name that can honor this lakeside neighborhood.
Roscoe- An interesting name that's practically unheard of.
Rose- Overused as a middle, underused as a first. Rose can be for Rosehill, Roseland, or Rosemoor.
Scott- For Scottsdale. An up and coming dad name.
Sheridan- An undiscovered unisex name.
Washington- Not sure if I'd stick my kid with this one, but he'd make a cool middle.
Wrigley- Whether it's after Wrigley Field or Wrigleyville, you hear many a dog called Wrigley in Chicago.

Of course, why not just Chicago? It has the nickname Chi, and the ever-popular "O" ending. Maybe for a middle? ;)