10 U Name You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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On to the boys! I'm actually surprised at how much I like this list--I had never really thought of any U names before. Take a look, and tell me if you feel the same.

Uberto- Uberto is cool and sophisticated. He's a slimmer version of Umberto--another name I considered putting on this list.

Ugo- If Hugo's too hipster for your taste, try Ugo. He's got a similar feel, but is more exotic and interesting.

Ultan- Ultan is an Irish saint name (Happy Saint Patricks Day!) with good potential for the middle spot. He may be a little out there, but if you're brave enough, he would also make a good first name.

Umber- We love color names, but there are few out there for boys. Umber is one of the few, and makes a striking name for a son. He's also a nice way to honor an Amber.

Urban- What better name than Urban to convey your love for city life? He may sound modern and cosmopolitan, but Urban is a very old name, peaking in 1916.

Uri- Ari is racing up the charts, and though he may not seem popular on paper (#417), he is an extremely trendy choice in many areas of the country (including Chicago--I know a million Aris). Uri is the perfect alternative, yet he's not even on most people's radar screens. Uri is a Hebrew name like Ari, but the names have different meanings. Uri means "light."

Urian- The most popular U name for boys is Uriah (#535). That's not popular at all (only 488 boys were given the name last year), but some parents are looking for something almost no one has used. Urian shares many sounds with Uriah, but did not even place in the top 1000 last year.

Urso- Urso is such a cool name. He's an Italian name meaning "bear," which makes him perfect for a subtle animal-themed sibset.

Utah- State names can be great choices for babies. They can honor a parent's home, where the baby was born, a special place to the parents, and more. Utah is an especially rad name for a boy--he's got the feel of a hipster cowboy.

Uzi- He may share a name with a machine gun, but Uzi is not unusable. Wes Anderson choose him as the name of one of Chaz Tenenbaum's sons (along with Ari) for his film The Royal Tenenbaums. That movie helped me see Uzi as a wearable name, but you have to decide for yourself.

Fall TV Names

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Fall is officially here, and with that comes TV premieres. This year's lineup has some interesting names, and could offer some helpful inspiration to expectant parents.

A to Z
Andrew
Sage (b)
Zelda

Out of all the A and Z names, they choose Andrew and Zelda. Andrew is, perhaps, the least inventive "A" boys name, and Zelda comes in third behind Zoey and Zara. If it were up to me, I would have chosen something like Arlo and Zadie, or August and Zora. Sage is a nice name for a supporting character, though.

Blackish
Andre (x2)
Jack
Rainbow
Zoey

Andre was a good choice for father and son, and Andre, Zoey, and Jack is a nice sibset. I'm really liking Rainbow for the mother character. She's a little bit out there, yet 100% believable.

Cristela
Cristela
Daniela
Felix
Natalia

All these names work really well together. Cristela is the name of the leading actress, and I wonder if this show will give her name a boost.

The Flash
Iris

The only interesting name I could get from this show was Iris, a name more people should embrace. She's vintage and sweet, plus, a flower.

Happyland
Ansel
Gloria

Ansel and Gloria are two names I could see rising a lot in popularity in the next few years. It helps that Ansel is the name of a teen heartthrob, and Gloria has been used by a celebrity or two.

How to Get Away with Murder
Annalise
Asher
Eloise
Laurel
Wes

Annalise is the most talked about name from the Fall TV premieres. It's a great name, but gosh, do I hate that spelling. Anneliese is so much prettier. The names of the students are nice, but would make more sense on babies, not college kids.

Jane the Virgin
Alba
Jane
Petra
Xiomara

What gorgeous names! It's no secret I love Jane, and Alba, Petra, and Xiomara are wonderful as well. I would love to see any of those on a baby, but let's be honest--are any of us brave enough to use Xiomara?

The Originals
Agnes
Bastianna
Cary
Celeste
Davina
Diego
Elijah
Eve
Francesca
Gia
Genevieve
Klaus
Monique
Oliver
Rebekah
Sabine
Thierry

This show wins for best names. Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah are siblings, which is an okay sibset. Klaus stands out for me with that one. But some of these names are straight-up fantastic. Have you ever heard of Bastianna before? Me neither, but I think she's lovely.

Red Band Society
Dash
Jordi
Kenji
Leo
Quinby
Ruben
Simmi (g)


These names are definitely age appropriate. The characters are children, so it's very believable. Simmi stands out to me, though. I wonder if it's a nickname.

Transparent
Bianca
Davina
Len
Maura
Raquel

I watched this show, and it was amazing. The characters names were very fitting, but I was especially intrigued by Maura. The character in the show was originally Mort, but changed her name to Maura when she came out as a woman. Picking your own name seems incredibly challenging to me. Did you notice this is the second Davina we have listed? Out of all the names, I wouldn't have guessed that Davina would be the one repeated.

EDITOR'S NOTE: It was pointed out that Klaus from The Originals is actually Niklaus. In that case, I like the sibset much better. 

Full Names for Wes

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Wes is such a nice nickname. He's masculine yet soft, which is hard to come by in boys names. Also, Wes Anderson might be the best person ever. (And he proves the name works nicely on its own). Most people only think of him as a nickname for Wesley, but he has some great full name options that are way less common. Take a look.

Expected:
Wesley- He's stayed pretty stable for the past 100 years, except for a large uptick in 1977. In 2007 he was his least popular ever, at 195. He's currently been trending slightly upward, coming in at 155 last year.
Westley- Westley is a new, rather invented name that combines the trendy West with the timelessness of Wesley. He lends himself to West, but there's no reason you can't use Wes.
Weston- Weston has been making leaps and bounds lately. He's climbing up the charts, and at this rate, he's posed to take down Wesley.

Unique:
West- I wouldn't name my son West just to call him Wes, because that's way confusing, but whatever floats your boat.
Westbrook- He's a brand name and a surname, but lends himself to many trendy nicknames like Wes, West, and Brooks.
Westcott- Go old school and call him Scott or Scottie, or contemporary and call him Wes or West.

Unheard of:
Webster- He has all the letters to make Wes, so why not?
Westerfield- It's a long surname, but would work nicely, especially if Westerfield is a family name.
Wesleyan- College has been on the mind lately, and I'm visiting this Connecticut school in a few weeks. A college names post is coming up soon, but until then, think about Wesleyan. It's a little much for a baby, but Wes makes him more manageable.