10 Names K You Never Thought of Using: Boys

Image Credit

Here's one thing that irks me about K names: they are often times respellings of C names. I tend to prefer the more traditional form, and I'm not about to put names like Konnor or Kristian on this list just because they're not popular. But! That doesn't mean they're all bad. Not in the slightest. I have found ten great choices that hold up to my (high) standards. So let me know what you think (are there any that I've missed?).

Kano- An interesting name that is a funkier alternative to the more preppy Kane.

Keats- Want a name even preppier than Kane? Keats is your man. This guy is prep-city.

Keefe- Simple and tailored, with a nod to Georgia O'Keefe.

Keir- Masculine and suave, plus, a great way to honor a Keira.

Kellam- More interesting and mysterious than Kellan.

Kelvin- Kevin and Melvin sound dowdy on their own, but Kelvin is totally cool and modern.

Kenyon- Collegiate and on-trend. Kenyon is my favorite from this list.

Kiel- Normally he's a nickname for Ezekiel, but I happen to like him on his own, too.

Killian- This is one case when the K spelling came before the C. Cillian may be softer, but Killian is the way to go.

Kyan- All the Ky- names are pretty trendy, but Kyan hasn't caught on. He's a perfect pick if you want something in-style yet unused.

Explorer Names

Image Credit

Hey guys, happy Columbus Day! I don't get this day off of school anymore (in Chicago we get Pulaski Day off instead). I thought it would be perfect to honor the holiday by talking about names for your little explorer. So, enjoy, and tell me what you think.

Expected:
Destiny- A little out of style (there are a lot of Destinys my age), but not a bad virtuous pick.
Journey- Wouldn't she make a cool middle name for a girl? I would like to see that.

Unique:
Asra- I've talked about Azra before, but I think I like this spelling even more. He's an interesting and quirky choice, but not too out-there.
Beatrix- Her roots suggest that she could mean "traveler," which is perfect for your explorer of a daughter.
Doran- Doran means "wanderer" in Gaelic, and is a great choice for a boy or a girl.

Unheard of:
Ferdinand- Double points for Ferdinand, he means "brave journey" and is the first name of esteemed explorer Magellan.
Peregrine- A little long and grand for a boy, I'm not sure if he's useable. Maybe if he was called Perry?
Saira- Gorgeous alternative to Sarah.

Sports Names

Image Credit

You don't necessarily need to honor someone by using their name. You can name your child after something they loved. Dad loves golf and you like vintage names? Hello Birdie.

Basketball:
Nellie- An adorable name, but you all know I prefer Nell.

Cricket:
Cricket- Busy Phillips used this for her daughter recently. Cricket is cute, but not many people would first think of the sport.

Football:
Marty- "Marty Ball" is a football philosophy, and could make a fun retro pick for a son.

Golf:
Ambrose- In golf I call this a scramble, but Ambrose sounds more like a name :)
Austin- Not quite as fashionable as he once was, but he doesn't sound dated yet.
Birdie- Super cute and sweet. Another Busy Phillips choice.
Chip- Usually reserved as a nickname for Junior.
Goldie- Old fashioned pick with lots of flair. For a first name, Gold would be cool.

Soccer:
Derby- A cousin of Darby and Darcy, but way more unique. I like her!
Kit- Short, sweet, and to the point. Use her as a nickname for any of the Kat- names.

Tennis:
Love- But in Tennis it means zero.

Volleyball:
Pepper- Most people don't give her enough credit to be a first name, though I think she'd work rather nicely in the middle.
Spike- An intense boys name that would be cool on a volleyball player's son.

All:
Ace- I know more dogs than kids named Ace, but with Jessica Simpson's baby, that could change.
Field- Suave and preppy. Plus, he can apply to multiple sports.
League- League can apply to any sport. He's cool and sounds right on trend.
Season- My first thought does not go to sports, but Season can be applied to almost any sport.

10 K Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

Image Credit

Have you ever played that game where you pick out your favorite name for each letter of the alphabet? Well, K is always my hardest letter. I just don't love K names. That being said, I really like some of the names on this list (Kahlo is a new guilty-pleasure name of mine). So take a look, and maybe a name or two will surprise you.

Kahlo- Love it, love it, love it. She's on trend, but not trendy, and has a great namesake (the best).

Kalila- Kalila, on the other hand, has a very trendy sound, which she probably won't retain for much longer. But, if you're looking for an unpopular name with a stylish sound, she could be your girl.

Katell- She's a form of Katherine that is never heard in the U.S. I think she'd make a great import, and a wonderful alternative to Kate.

Keela- Keela seems sweet and innocent, yet I can picture her on a woman of any age.

Kerensa- This was my top choice for the Kimye baby back when we were in denial over the whole  "North West" thing. She's got the movie-star glam and star potential.

Keziah- There are two girls in my grade with this name. One pronounces it KEZ-ee-uh, and the other kez-EYE-uh. I prefer the former (it's the original), but either works for this distinctive biblical name.

Kia- Short and sweet. I think the only reason people haven't embraced this name is because of the car brand, but I honestly don't think it's that big of a deal.

Kit- Remember that game I was talking about? Kit is always my answer for girls. Fair warning: if you name your daughter Kit, be prepared to buy all of the American Girl themed items. Though the doll's real name is Margaret.

Kedzie- She's got that andro-girly charm. A nice pick for parents who want something a little less popular than Kenzie.

Kimball- A unisex name that will probably work better for girls these days. Kimball would be a nice way to honor all the Kimberlys that will be grandparents in about ten years. So keep this one in your back pocket if you're my age.

Full Names for Gwen

I couldn't find a cool picture of Gwen, so I made one myself (A Beautiful Mess App).

I've been digging Gwen lately. And Gwyn. I like both spellings. Gwen peaked in 1959, but seems like a great choice for a baby of today (maybe it's because of Spiderman's Gwen Stacy?). To me, Gwen seems perfect all on her own, especially for a modern girl, but others (many) feel differently. I've come up with a list of full names for a little Gwen (and Gwyn), but be prepared--a lot of them are very (very) Welsh.

Expected:
Guinevere- The spelling's not exactly there, but the sound is. Guinevere is a lovely name from Arthurian legend. Gwen would make a great nickname, but my favorite one is Guinnie.
Gwendolen/Gwendolyn- The most popular of the list, and perhaps the most basic. She's a great name, nonetheless. (and Gwendolen is the original).
Gwyneth- A beautiful name, and my favorite of the list, but she's so closely tied to Gwyneth Paltrow. If you absolutely love it, it's worth it.

Unique:
Gwenda- I'm not so sure about this one. She seems like a mash-up of Glenda and Gwen. Though, I assure you, she's totally legit.
Gwendoline- There's Carolyn/Caroline, and now Gwendolyn/Gwendoline. I like it! Very cute.
Gwennan- Ooh, this one is very appealing. Slightly masculine, yet still very useable on a girl, and the nickname Gwen! Undiscovered gem.
Gwylan- This one's a little harder to get to Gwyn from, but she still works. Gwylan gives me the same feeling as Gwennan, but I don't think she's quite as nice.

Unheard of:
Gwenaelle- What a mouthful. But, if one parent likes Gwen, and the other Ellie, this could be a good compromise.
Gweneira- Sweet and girly. I can't see this one catching on, but she makes a lovely choice.
Gwenllian- If you put Gwen and Gillian together you would get Gwenllian. Fun fact: Gwenllian was a popular name for medieval Welsh royals --Behind the Name dot com.
Gwynedd- A Welsh unisex name (just so you know, in Wales, Gwyn is male, Gwen is female). Probably better on a boy with the Ned ending, but it works for a girl, too.

Month Names: October

Image Credit

October is my favorite month of the year. I love the weather, food, festivity, basically everything ever about October. If you're having a baby this October (or just love the month as much as I do), you might want to consider honoring it with a name. Let me show you what I mean.

Birthstone:
Jasper- Apparently the "Mystical Birthstone" (whatever that is) of October is Jasper. Jasper's a great name, but I'm not sure if the Mystical Birthstone thing will hold up.
Opal- Opal is the real birthstone of October, and is one of the many underused gem names. I think she could be the next Pearl.

Birth Flower:
Calendula- Hmm. So, how useable is Calendula? I think she'd be pretty sweet if called Callie or Lula, but the final call is up to you.

Birth Colors:
White- There aren't many attractive names for shade of white, but Snow, Ivory, and Lace are nice options.
Yellow- Yellow offers more choices, with Amber, Citrine, Jasmine, and Saffron being the most tame picks.

Star Sign:
Libra- Like I said last month, I think Libra would make a great name. A sister for Justice, perhaps?
Scorpio- Maybe a middle name. But I still hesitate.

Related to October:
Hope- Opal means hope, so if you want an even subtler connection, here's your gal.
Octavia, Octavio, Octavius, etc.- So, October is not the eighth month, but it was at one time, which is why it got it's name. This is probably the most obvious connection, but you have to admit, Octavia is pretty charming (and that nickname Tavi, too).

10 J Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

Image Credit

There are five J names in the boys top 20. Five. That's one fourth of the group. So, saying they're popular is an understatement. If you like J names, but are scared they are too trendy, I say don't worry. There are plenty of great J names out there, that have yet to be discovered.

Jaco- I have a confession- I don't like Jacob. I think he's overused and not attractive sounding. But Jaco? Super cool. I guess it's that B I have a problem with, because Jaco is an awesome name.

Jans- Jan would sound frumpy and dull on a baby girl. I think it's time we switch genders. Jans is modern and sleek, and actually, very masculine.

Jarvis- Ooh, one of my favorite Chicago baby names. You can't deny Jarvis's cool factor.

Jefferson- Presidential and prestigious, yet totally accessible.

Jethro- Starts with J, end with O, it's a perfect combo. And the rad nickname Jeth helps a little, too.

Jex- We like Dex and Rex, so why not Jex? The only qualm is that I can't think of a good full name for him. Jexon?

Jones- Surname names for boys are always a homerun. Yet Jones seems to have missed the boat. I happen to think he would sound adorable on a little boy, and would definitely age nicely.

Jory- This unisex name is definitely that (the Jori and Jorie I know are female), but overall opinion swings more towards boy.

Joss- I know, I put this one on last week's girl list. But with namesakes like Joss Whedon, it's impossible not to consider for both genders. If he's too nicknamey for you, try it as an update for Josh, with the full name being Joshua.

Judson- If you smoosh Hudson and Judd, you get Judson. But it's not a made up name, I promise. He's an English name, and would make a fresh alternative to all the -son names.