Friday, November 16, 2012

Land of Nod Holiday Catalogue Names

Everybody knows that the best part of looking through children's catalogues is the names. Companies like The Land of Nod make it very easy to name spot with all their mongrammed items. This holiday issue had some especially good ones.

Girls:

Alva
Annika
Brie
Brittany
Charlotte
Dana
Dominique
Einar
Florence
Ginger
Gloria
Gracie
Gwinaveer
Harper
Harriet
Hazel
Isabell
Isabella
Jayne
Jeanne
Jessa
Lena
Lindsay
Marnie
Mia
Milly
Ruthie
Seraphina
Taylor

Boys:

Adam
Anderson
Archer
Benjamin
Charlie
Christopher
Danny
Dylan
Gill
Henry
Jacob
Jake
Jasper
Jonathon
Julius
Logan
Luke
Mason
Max
Maxwell
Micah
Nicholas
Nolan
Pierre
Quinn
Rex
Rudy
Sam
Simon
Sylvain
Wallace
William
Zane
Zeek

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Belle's Full Names

Belle and Bella seem to be the nicknames of the year. It's no surprise either, with Isabella ranking number two last year, and one the year before. She's more popular than ever, and so are the nicknames that come with her. Needless to say, if you love Belle or Bella, there's no reason to skip straight to Isabella. They have some much more unexpected full names.

Annabella: With all the rage of Annabelle, you'd think Annabella would not be far behind. Think again, because she ranks at a modest 328. She's a bit of a mouthful, but if you're planning on using Belle or Bella, she would make a nice choice for the birth certificate.

Annabelle: She's the quintessential American girl. Annabelle conjures up images of apple pie and pure sweetness. It's no wonder parents love her. She comes in at 111, with her alternate spellings (Annabel, Annabell, Anabelle, Anabell, and Anabel) all making the list as well.

Belia: Meaning beautiful, Belia is the Spanish version of Bella. Perfect for honoring your family's history, though she's so pretty that she might not need a nickname.

Bellamy: Quite possibly my favorite of this list. She doesn't rank in the top 1000, but she's been getting some attention lately. Bellamy just made Nameberry's list of Unusual Girls' Names Destined for Stardom. The name of a Novogratz daughter (twin to Tallulah by the way), Bellamy is appealing to many parents for obvious reasons. She's may be tomboy, but she has America's sweetest nicknames.

Bellatrix: Honestly, I don't suggest you use Bellatrix. Unless you're a celebrity or a major Harry Potter fan, she seems a little- over the top. She has very strong ties with the literary franchise, but if you're planning on calling your little one Bella or Belle, she would make for an interesting choice. Especially if she was born on Halloween (is it just me, or does she seem a bit spooky?).

Gabriella: She's more popular than you think, with a ranking of 34. Gabriella is princessy, elegant, and very regal sounding, and Bella or Belle seems like fitting nicknames.

Gabrielle: Not quite as long, or as popular as Gabriella, she ranks at 119. Simpler, but by no means simple. You don't need four syllables to sound like a princess.

Isabelle: She comes in at 114, with sister Isabel not far behind at 128. She's a beautiful choice, but far from uncommon. My favorite spelling however, is the far from trendy Isobel.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Lily's Full Names

Everybody loves Lily. She stands at a popular 15 on the U.S. charts. Even though you could go right ahead and use Lily (or Lili, Lillie, or Lilly) She has some great longer appellations.

Lileas- Also spelt Lillias, this Scottish version of Lily is extremely unique and beautiful.

Lilia- Lilia is super sweet and girly, and has two built in nicknames.

Liliana- Even though she is originally from Spain, Liliana is catching on with many an American parent.

Lillian- Not far behind Lily at 22, Lillian is a lovely choice for parents that want a modest , well-liked full name for their Lily.

Lilith- Lilith is a charming choice for parents that aren't spooked by her meaning of "night monster".

Lilla- A bit of a mouthful, but Lilla seems like the right choice for parents struggling between Lila and Lily.

Fashion Trends as Names

Recently I was thinking about some of the latest fashion trends, and some of them could work well as (possibly guilty pleasure) names.

Girls:

Bow(e)- Spell it Beau and it's a boy's name, but Bowe (especially with that e) would be lovely on a little girl.
Coral- The color coral was big this summer. The name Coral is about ready for a comeback, it is vintage and oh so sweet.
Dot- As in the Polka Dot. She is cute as a nickname for Dorothy, or even on her own.
Floral- Rhymes with the antique Laurel, but a bit more spunky.
Peplum- A style of shirt, Peplum comes with the fabulous nicknames of either Peppy (a la Peppy Miller) or the lovely Plum.


Boys:

Jack- As in England's Union Jack, a popular pattern this year. Jack is short and sweet, but a little too popular.
Plaid- Plaid would make a daring middle name for a little boy.
Neon- Close to Neo, but a bit more bright!
Oxford- This shoe style would make a smart and quirky name for a boy.
Tribal- Tribal patterns were all the rage this year. With the nickname Tribe, it fits in with the short, masculine names.

Either:

Chevron- Chevron stripes are very trendy, and it could make a great unisex name.
Navy- The dark blue hue of Fall 2012 would make an appealing choice for a girl or boy.

Unique Alternatives to the Top Ten Names: 2012 Edition

We could all name our kids Sophia and Jacob, but there are so many more unique options. Listed here are my favorite lesser-used alternatives to the top ten of each gender.

Girls:

Sophia: Fiona, Philippa (nn Pippa?), Philomina, Seraphina
Isabella: Bellamy, Esmeralda, Isabeau, Isadora
Emma: Amelie, Emmeline, Lila
Olivia: Bolivia, Livia, Olive, Vivian
Ava: Ada, Avalon, Eva, Eve, Ever
Emily: Amelie, Melody, Millie, Romilly, Tillie
Abigail: Abear, Adelaide, Adelia, Gail
Madison: Ellison, Madeleine, Magdalena
Mia: Leia, Milla, Thea
Chloe: Celeste, Clara, Clio

Boys:

Jacob: Corbin, Jacobi, Jay
Mason: Carson, Edison, Logan
William: Leander, Logan, Warren, Willis
Jayden: Gray, Hayden, Jay
Noah: Isaac, Nathan, Nolan, Owen
Michael: Mack, Matthias, Maxwell
Ethan: Egan, Eli, Logan
Alexander, Alexei, Alvin, Anders, Anderson
Aiden: Adair, Adeon, Dennis
Daniel: Damian, Danner, Dashiell, Dennis

Thursday, April 12, 2012

If I Could Name 100 Girls...

They would be named... (in no particular order)

1. Nell
2. North
3. Clementine
4. Elsa
5. Frances
6. Nancy
7. Vivian
8. Bay
9. Hazel
10. Orla
11. Carys
12. Joanna
13. Amelie
14. Eloise
15. Effie
16. Harriet
17. Lilith
18. Nona
19. Olive
20. Paloma
21. Quincy
22. Reagan
23. Sloane
24. Solange
25. Sidney
26. Tillie
27. Tait
28. Walker
29. Andromeda
30. Bo
31. Flora
32. Fiona
33. Lucy
34. Louise
35. Blythe
36. Blake
37. Blair
38. Clara
39. Imogen
40. Hayes
41. Pimm
42. Romilly
43. Ingrid
44. Meryl
45. Gianna
46. Lane
47. Betty
48. April
49. Grey
50. Edith
51. Reid
52. Felicity
53. Adele
54. Adelaide
55. Georgia
56. Pippa
57. Poppy
58. Violet
59. Eliza
60. Lola
61. Simone
62. Audrey
63. Cornelia
64. Phoebe
65. Chevron
66. Rue
67. Holland
68. Vienna
69. Cicily
70. Sephora
71. Gemma
72. Birdie
73. Sadie
74. Reverie
75. Peony
76. Coral
77. Summer
78. Ruth
79. Mabel
80. Fawn
81. Beatrice
82. Alice
83. Marina
84. Flair
85. June
86. March
87. Helena
88. Miriam
89. Pearl
90. Clover
91. Clio
92. Evie
93. Stella
94. Anja
95. Irene
96. Leonie
97. Kit
98. Zoey
99. Anabel
100. Paige

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Valentines Names

Girls:

Amora
Amy
Carys
Cheryl
Darlene
Esme
February
Freya
Love
Lovey
Querida
Suki
Valentina
Venus

Boys:

Armando
Bennett
Cupid
David
Keefe
Luthando
Valentine
Valentino