June Names

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June is one of my favorite months. School ends next week, and the week after is my birthday and the start of camp. If you are lucky enough to have a June baby, consider giving him or her a subtlety related name to their birth month. I've got some great picks for you.

Birthstone:
Alexandrite- Alexandrite seems like a little much, but any of the Alex names would work perfectly.
Moonstone- I always loved the idea of Moon in the middle spot.
Pearl- Most widely recognized as June's birthstone. Always lovely.

Birth Flower:
Rose- Rose is great on her own, but if you want an elaboration, take a look at this list.

Star Signs:
Gemini- Gemini seems better suited for a pet, but Gemma or Jemima would work just as well to honor baby girl's star sign.

Related to June:
June, Juno, Juniper, etc.- This is the more obvious route to go, but that's not a bad thing. The June names are in vogue, but not super popular.
Summer- June 21 marks the official start of everyone's favorite season, Summer. She's a little past her prime, but remains a solid pick.

Song Names: Simon & Garfunkel

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Simon & Garfunkel are a pretty cool band. I had not heard of them until I watched The Graduate for the first time (two-ish years ago), and my love for them was reaffirmed when I saw The Royal Tenenbaums. It turns out so many of their songs have names in them. There are quite a bit more boys  names and double barrels in the titles than usual, which is perfect if you want a son with an unforgettable name.

Girls:
Anji- Spell it Angie, then forget about it because why would you name your baby Angie?
April- A dated month pick, but the song is really pretty.
Cecilia- Perfect song, perfect name.
Emily- Overused and on the verge of sounding dated.
Kathy- If you need a nickname for Katherine, I would pick Kit or Kate.
Peggy- I could see this one working on a baby, but then again, I know a Peggy (who's my age).
Rose- Sweet. Lovely. Just don't put her in the middle.
Susie- I feel like I always talk about how Susie is a great choice due for a comeback. So I won't say it again.

Boys:
Benedictus- Is your son going to become the Pope? Then skip this one and go for Benedict.
Johnny Ace- Totally awesome, but a hard name to pull off.
Julio- If Julian is back, why can't Julio be too?
Richard Cory- This sounds like the name of a middle aged accountant. Richard by itself could work.
Frank Lloyd- Naming children after specific people is not a good idea.

10 C Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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We're on to C names today. This week is the girls, and it's an excellent group. If you're looking for a C name (way) less trendy than Charlotte or Chloe, I've got your back. Take a look.

Calais- I think names that end in -lais are gorgeous. Calais is a wonderful name, and makes a great middle as well, due to the emphasis on the second syllable.

Cameo- One of my favorite word names. Name your daughter Cameo, then decorate her nursery in vintage silhouettes. It will be awesome.

Carmela- A very sweet name that is often overlooked.

Celestine- Celeste ranks at 469. Too popular for you? Try Celestine, her cooler, moodier older sister.

Ciel- More creative than naming your baby Sky.

Circe- I'm not a big fan of Greek names, but I adore Circe. She's upbeat and spunky.

Citron- Citron is one of my guilty pleasure names. She's a little outlandish, but I think people would get over it.

Cleo- It baffles me that people don't use Cleo. Every -eo name is so popular, how could she have missed the boat? I say take her for yourself. Another cute spelling is Clio, like Abby's daughter.

Clove- I thought this name was going to get a boost from The Hunger Games but it didn't. She's more modern than Clover, and a great name for a foodie.

Coral- Has Downton Abbey made your favorite girl name too trendy? Darn. Give Coral a chance, she'd be super adorable on a baby, plus you have a built in color scheme for the nursery.

Nicknames for Magnolia

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Congrats to Magnolia on breaking into the top 1000! She stands at 981, so while not popular yet, she's definitely on the way up. Magnolia is a great alternative to Margaret, but feels a bit more whimsical. She is a long name, however, and some would say she needs a nickname. If you fall into that camp, take a look at the following list for some inspiration.

Expected:
Maggie- Classic nickname for the Mag- names.
Meg- I recently heard this one on a baby. Very retro-cute.
Lia- With so many other options, I don't think Lia is the right choice of nickname.

Unique:
Mae- Watch out, Mae and May are up and coming.
Molly- I would hesitate to use Molly nowadays considering she's the street name for ecstasy.
Nolia- A little long for a nickname, but still very charming.

Unheard of:
Aggie- People would mishear it for Maggie, but she's a little more interesting.
Nola- Spunky. This would be a fun one if you were from New Orleans.
Nollie- A better alternative to Molly.

Song Names: ABBA

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Do you guys have that one band that is totally not your style but you love them anyways? For me, ABBA is that band. Swedish 70s pop might be the exact opposite of my usual indie rock. They have an interesting mix of names throughout their songs, take a look.

Girls:
Cassandra- I'm not sure if I'd call her a modern classic, but she doesn't sound dated to my ears.
Helen- Ready for a comeback? All the other El- names have, so why not?
Jeanie- I can see Jean, but Jeanie is a stretch.
Mia- Very popular, no one would get the reference.
Nina- The song is Nina, Pretty Ballerina, so you better hopes she likes to dance.
Piper- Cute and peppy.
Suzy- This spelling seems dated to me. Try Susie.

Boys:
Bobby- If you're looking for a nickname for Robert, try Robby or Bertie.
Fernando- This is the only one on the list where I could see people understanding the connection.
Livingston- It might take a while for him to learn how to spell it, but Livingston is a great name.

10 B Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Time for the boys! None of these are in the top 1000, which is perfect if you are looking for a unique name. In my opinion, some of the best boys names are short and sweet, which is what many of the names listed turned out to be. I tried to include something for everybody, but they all turned out to be two syllables or fewer. Oh well, enjoy!

Baird- A lovely choice, so long as you don't call your daughter Bird.

Banning- It's not often that you find a name ending in -ing. Banning is one that works.

Barlow- Marlowe, Harlow, Charlot, all the -low names are coming back, why not add Barlow to the list?

Bauer- An occupational surname meaning farmer that would make a good choice regardless of your job.

Beacon- He shares sounds with Reese Witherspoon's Deacon, yet has a calming, nature-ish feel.

Beal- It will remind people of Ally McBeal, but that's not a bad thing.

Birch- Hands down the best tree name.

Boone-A fun hero name. Decorate his nursery with a woodland theme.

Brio- Brio fits in with names like Leo and Theo, but is way more unique.

Burke- Preppy names are coming back, Burke should be in consideration.

Alternatives to Emma

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Emma is a very loveable name. She's poised to take the top spot from Sophia, which means she's very popular indeed. Lots of people love Emma, but don't want to commit to such a popular name. Fortunately there are some other options that are similar to Emma in terms of sight, sound, and style.

Sight
Elle- She sits safely in the 300s, so popularity is not an issue, but the actress Elle Fanning has made her name rise quite a bit.
Esme- A wonderful literary name.
Etta- Funky retro Etta is a great choice for parents avoiding Emma and Ella.

Sound
Emer- She's pronounced EE-mer, and is a delightful French name.
Enya- A little Enya would feel right at home with other preschoolers named Emma, Anya, and Oona.
Gemma- Seemingly very British, but would work well on an American child.

Style
Eliza- She's got the same old-fashioned feel as Emma, while still being modern.
Imogen- An up-and-comer. Idgie is a cute nickname.
Nina- Elegant and short, just like Emma.