Super Anagram Names

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I've talked about Anagram Names in the past, but today we are going to discuss the Super Anagram. We've all heard of that family with the kids named Alex, Axel, Xela, Lexa, and Xeal (that's boy, boy, girl, girl, girl), and that got me thinking about other names that can produce the same effect. Hence, the Super Anagram. To qualify as a Super Anagram, there must be at least four useable names produced, with at least three being well-known and/or legitimate names. The others can be uncommon names or something that could be a name (Let's face it, you wouldn't use Xela under normal circumstances). The Super Anagram is an uncommon way to connect all your children's names, albeit an obvious way. Just a warning before I go on- this list features A LOT of misspellings/creative spellings, and not all of the names make great sibsets. Don't be alarmed.

A, A, N, Y
Anay, Anya, Naya, Yana

A, C, E, L
Alec, Cael, Cale, Clea, Lace

A, C, I, L
Cail, Cali, Clia, Laci

A, D, E, V
Evad, Dave, Deva, Veda

A, D, I, N
Adin, Andi, Dani, Dina, Nadi

A, E, D, N
Aden, Dane, Dean, Edna

A, E, K, L
Alek, Elka, Kale, Lake

A, E, L, N
Alen, Elan, Lane, Lena, Neal

A, E, L, X
Alex, Axel, Lexa, Xale, Xeal, Xela

A, G, I, N
Angi, Gani, Gina, Inga

A, I, K, M
Kami, Kima, Maki, Mika

A, I, K, N
Anik, Inka, Kina, Nika

A, I, L, M
Amil, Liam, Lima, Mila

A, I, L, S
Ilsa, Isla, Lasi, Lisa, Sali

A, I, L, V
Alvi, Liva, Vail, Vali

A, I, M, R
Irma, Mari, Mira, Rami

A, I, N, R
Arin, Nari, Nira, Rain, Rina

A, I, R, S
Arsi, Irsa, Risa, Sari, Sira

A, I, T, Z
Itza, Tazi, Tiza, Zita

A, M, O, R
Amor, Mora, Omar, Roma

A, N, O, R
Aron, Nora, Orna, Roan, Rona

E, I, K, L
Elki, Keli, Kiel, Kile

E, I, L, N
Elin, Leni, Neil, Nile

E, L, N, O
Elon, Leon, Noel, Nole


It's pretty obvious that not all of these would make great sibsets. I wouldn't suggest having kids name Lena and Lane, or Noel and Noel. That being said, some of them do work really well. My favorite was the Amor, Mora, Omar, and Roma set. They all have distinct sounds, start with different letters, and have an exotic, Latin feel to them.

Some interesting statistics:
All of the names here have four letters: two vowels and two consonants. With the exception of the first set, none of the vowels repeat within the same sets.
A is the most popular vowel (as well as letter), accounting for 23% of all letters, and is in 88% of all letter groupings.
I was the second most popular vowel, as 15% of all letters, and in 46% of all groupings.
L was the most popular consonant, as approximately 12% of all letters and in 45% of all groups.
Close runner up was N, accounting for 10% of all letters, and was in 42% of all groupings.
The only vowel not featured was U.
Only seven consonants did not appear, and those were B, F, H, J, P, Q, and W.
There are a total of four creative spellings of Aaron featured on this list.

In conclusion, this would be a fun link between children. You CAN pull it off tastefully, but you have to have the right set of letters. If you just plan on having two or three kids with anagram names, check out my post on regular Anagram Names, for options that have been selected for being a good match.

Full Names for Charley

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As of late, Charlie has been heading towards the girls. Charley, Charleigh, and Charliegh are the more common female spellings, and are often used as a nickname for Charlotte. I'm not a big fan of Charley on a girl (maybe I'm bias, I have a brother named Charlie), however she's rising fast. Love Charley but not Charlotte? Take a look at this list.

Expected:
Carlotta- The Spanish form of Charlotte would make a very nice way to get to Charley.
Carolina- Better pronounced CARE-oh-LEE-nuh than CARE-oh-LINE-uh.
Caroline- Classic and lovely.
Carolyn- Ready for a comeback? Maybe, with this spunky nickname.
Charity- She's a dated virtue name, but everyone's heard of her.
Charlize- A household name, thanks to Charlize Theron.
Charlotte- She's gaining popularity at lightning speed, so watch out.

Unique:
Carissa (Charissa)- She is pronounced without the "H" sound, and is a very feminine name for the tomboyish Charley.
Carla- Yes, she's a little old, but Charley freshens her up.
Carlton- Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Carlton makes this one available for the girls.
Carmela- The sweetest way to get to Charley.
Carmen- A recent celebrity baby name, and a great full name for Charley.
Charisse- A girly French name that means "grace."
Charlene- Very dated, but Charley makes her sound fresh.
Charmaine- An unexpected way to get to Charley.

Unheard of:
Chardon- A Native American unisex name that means "sand bar."
Charisma- A word name that might be a lot to live up to.
Charlette- Unfortunately, she will often be confused with Charlotte.
Charlot- She rhymes with Harlow, but seems like a miss-spelling of Charlotte.
Charnell- She could go by Charley or Nellie.
Charo- A Spanish name meaning "rosary." Perfect for families with Spanish heritage.

Olympic Venue Names

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I know every name nerd is excited about the names of this year's Olympic athletes, but why not take inspiration elsewhere? Today we are going to look at names of previous Olympic venues.

Expected:
London
Paris
Sydney

Unique:
Atlanta
Berlin
(St.) Louis
Rome

Unheard of:
Athens
Barcelona
Oslo
Seoul

Finally, this year's Olympic city, Sochi, would make a great baby name. She could be an update to the ever-popular Sophie, and would be perfect for parents with Russian heritage.

Presidents Day Names

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Happy Presidents Day! Unfortunately, I don't have the day off of school, because of the Polar Vortex snow days (Boo.) However, I have some presidential surnames for you.

Expected:
Arthur- Not a well-known president, but a well-known baby name
Carter- Great president, lovely name
Harrison- Rising in popularity.
Jackson- One of the highest ranked of this list.
Kennedy- After who seems to be America's favorite president.
Lincoln- Now unisex!
Madison- One of the few names that is strictly female on this list
McKinley- Many a TV high school are named after this president. I'm thinking Glee and Freaks and Geeks. However, it is a popular andro-girly choice.
Reagan- A great name, but very closely tied to the president.
Taylor- Now sounding dated.
Tyler- An enduring choice, he's well-liked by many people.

Unique:
Adams- Be warned, he would often get  mistaken for just Adam.
Clinton- It works as a first name, a la style guru Clinton Kelly.
Hayes- I love it for a girl, but most people think it's strictly boy.
Jefferson- How cool, to honor a Jeff or Jeffrey?
Monroe- A celebrity endorsed unisex pick.
Truman- True would be a cute nickname.
Wilson- A wonderful alternative to William.

Unheard of:
Cleveland- A long, but useable place name.
Fillmore- Very cool, but many people haven't heard of this president.
Ford- He screams "American made cars" but I still like him.
Garfield- Too feline.
Hoover- I'm liking the "oo" sound. Hoover should get more attention.
Nixon- Probably the worst president to name your child after, but that "X" is very trendy.
Pierce- The name itself is not unheard of, but the president is.
Washington- He's lengthy, but implies American royalty.

On Naming a Dog

Recently, my family got a puppy (that puppy). The number one stress inducer was this guy's name. I know, it shouldn't be so hard. I mean, we have a naming expert in the family! Alas, it was decided that all five of us would agree on the name. That's not what you want to here when your calling out names like Viggo and Fritz, while others are shouting Waffle, Brick, and Oscar. To be clear, the only reason why Oscar was a "no" was because it is in the top 50 for dogs. I would not stand for that. Anyways, as you can see everyone has very different naming styles. Some of us wanted a British name (he is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel after all), and others wanted a very masculine name. The short list ended up being:

Nigel
Chester (called Chet, maybe?)
Woody

This dog was about to be named Woody (which I disliked) when all of a sudden yours truly thought of the perfect name for this nugget. Harvey. Once I suggested Harvey, it was done. Everyone liked it (thank goodness) and we get compliments on his name every day. But you know how it goes, and he has many nicknames. I call him Harv or Harvey-man, and my mom is fond of Stinky, Stinkman, or Little Stink.

Naming a dog is different from naming a human, but still very difficult. Here are some suggestions for naming your puppy (or any animal).
1. Agree. It's best if everybody likes the name, so keep that in mind while choosing.
2. Come up with a lot of names. I must have suggested hundreds.
3. Keep trying. I didn't think of Harvey till the very end, so I'm glad I kept going at it.
4. Don't settle. If I had done that, this dog would have been named Woody.
5. Keep it fun (try). The naming process was one of the least enjoyable for me, which is too bad because it should be the most fun. Naming an animal is stressful, but don't get too upset over it. It's more fun if you keep the conversations light.

Catalog Names: Boden Spring 2014

via Boden

I'm starting to think Boden chooses their models solely on their names. I mean, really.

P.S. The kids names are mostly the same this time around, but I'm including them anyways. P.P.S. Why don't they include the names of the babies?!?

Girls 
Expected:

Anna

Elle

Emily

Grace

Julia

Nicole

Sarah

Veronica 

 

Unique:

Blake

Chanell

Filippa

Fiona

Freya

Lotte 

Martha

Olga

Selma

 

Unheard of:

Arlenis

Cintia

Egle

Giedre

Inguna

Lucca 

Thyra

Boys

Expected:

Adam

Caleb

Charlie

Matthew

Michael

Oliver

Theo

Ryan

Will

Unique:

Ellis

Harry

Hayden 

Tre

Unheard of:

Brando

Rafael

Ralf

Pictured above is the gorgeous named, and just straight up gorgeous Arlenis.

And the Nominees Are: Oscar Nominee Names

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I adore the Oscars. Other award shows are so bland, but The Academy Awards captivate me all night long. I have compiled some names inspired by Oscar nominated films, actors, and more as inspiration for a babe born on the fantastic night.

Expected:
Jasmine- The Woody Allen directed film Blue Jasmine was nominated for best writing. Jasmine is a lovely name, if not slightly outdated.
Lupita- Lupita Nyong'o of 12 Years a Slave is getting a lot of attention this year. Her fashion sense and acting skills are highly praised, but what about her name? Lupita is a great choice that should be embraced by more parents.
Omar- This Palestinian film of the same name is nominated for best foreign language film. Omar is a great cross-cultural name, perfect for families of mixed backgrounds.
Wolf- Wolf is a cool-boy's name, but The Wolf of Wall Street might not be the movie to gain inspiration from.

Unique:
Blue- Again from Blue Jasmine, but this time, more likely to be inspired by Beyoncé's daughter.
Celestine- What a gorgeous elaboration of Celeste. Inspired by the animated film Ernest and Celestine, about a mouse and a bear.
Ernest- This old-school pick would make a refreshing choice on a baby.
Moon- The Moon Song from Her was absolutely beautiful (and deserve the win in my book). What a lovely lullaby it would make for a daughter named Moon.
Phillips- I'm not a fan of Tom Hanks, but his surname in Captain Phillips is baby name worthy.

Unheard of:
Dallas- This unisex name will remind people of Texas much more than Dallas Buyers Club.
Gatsby- Nominated for costume design, The Great Gatsby has a plethora of great named characters, but Gatsby makes your intentions obvious.
Llewyn- Inside Llewyn Davis was nominated for best cinematography. Llewyn strikes me as out of the box but wearable. A more masculine form of Llewellyn.
Philomena- I haven't seen the film, but Philomena is a great Greek name that is one hundred percent wearable in 2014.