Halloween Candy Names (Updated)

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Happy Halloween, everybody! I updated my Halloween candy post from last year, enjoy.

Expected:

Henry- People probably won't get the connection unless you hand out Oh Henrys.

Joy- Slightly dated, but a lovely name nonetheless.

Kat- Stick with Kit.

Mary Jane- A nasty candy, but sweet name.

Mike- He's definitely a dad name, but I have met some young kids named Mike recently.

Reese- A great name, and who doesn't love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups?

Ruth- Baby Ruths are delicious, and would be a great first Halloween costume for your baby.

Unique:

Heath- A classy name and a classy candy. It's a perfect match.

Ike- I love the nickname Ike, especially for Isaac. More people should consider him an option.

Kit- My favorite nickname for Katherine. She's simple and modern.

York- Ultra preppy. And the peppermint patties are solid.

Unheard of:

Charleston- An extravagant way to get to Charlie.

Honey- I don't think anyone gives out Bit O' Honeys on Halloween, so maybe the name should retire along with the candy.

Pixie- Strictly nickname only, and even that's a little much.

Tootsie- I happen to enjoy Tootsie Rolls, but using her as a name is a little too Dustin Hoffman.

10 L Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Will Liam make it to the number one spot? My prediction is yes, but we might not see it happen for another year or two. I find Liam incredibly sweet, but wouldn't ever use him myself. He's just too popular. Maybe you agree with me, maybe you don't, but it's hard to deny that there are other great L names out there. I have a great list with ten of them today. And the best part is, they aren't even in the top 1000.

Laird- A tailored and professional name that could easily work on a child as well. Laird is definitely one to put on the list.

Lander- Landon is ranked at 39. Anderson and Anders are both found in the top 1000. Lander is just as stylish as his more popular brothers, but you won't find another one in town.

Lars- I've always had a soft spot for Lars. I think he works even if you're not Scandinavian, but if you won't use him as a first name, he's great in the middle.

Lazlo- Lazlo is such a fun name. He's so happy sounding. He could also be spelled Laszlo, but I prefer this simplified spelling.

Leif- A widely overlooked name that would work so well in America. Spelled Leaf, he'd be perfect for your nature loving Fall baby.

Lester- When I was six, I named one of my baby dolls Lester. I have no idea where I heard the name, but I still like it. He's very old man cool.

Linus- Speaking of old man cool; Linus! He's mainly associated with the Peanuts character, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Besides, it gives you the perfect nursery theme.

Lloyd- He may sound like a curmudgeonly old fellow, but Lloyd is ripe for revival (almost). I really like him, but I know most people don't, so we should give him another decade or two. Just don't put him on the Gone Forever list, because I know he will come back someday.

Locke- Preppy and sophisticated. He would make a great middle name, but Locke also has first name potential.

Lodge- How cool is Lodge? He's very woodsy and rugged; perfect for all those hipster parents.

Full Names for Abby

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Abby is a very sweet name, it's easy to see why she's so popular (especially as a nickname for Abigail). But, let's face it, Abigail is not everyone's style. Many parents want a less popular or quirkier full name for their Abby, and I have got the perfect list for them.

Expected:
Abigail- Most Abbys out there are probably Abigails (that or just Abby). She's number 8 on the SSA charts, and has been pretty popular for many years now. Looks like Abigail is here to stay.
Abriella- If you prefer Abby over Gabby, go with Abriella rather than Gabriella.
Abrielle- A more trim and dainty version of Abriella. You could also go with the nicknames Bri or Elle, but Abby is my favorite of the bunch.

Unique:
Annabel- It would be a bit more conventional to use Annie or Bella as the nickname, but Abby definitely works.
Arabella- Arabella is quickly rising up the charts. She currently ranks at 210, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the top 150 in the next few years.
Elizabeth- A classic name with an abundance of nicknames. Why not add Abby to that list?
Isabel- Not a big fan of Belle or Izzy? (Me neither, actually). Lucky for you, Abby makes a great nickname for Isabel.

Unheard of:
Abbott- Abbott's tomboy edge is softened by the gentle nickname Abby.
Alabama- She may be a little offbeat, but hey, you can always call her Abby.
Tabitha- You don't often hear of little Tabithas, which isn't that surprising. The most obvious nickname Tabby is too feline, but Abby works perfectly.

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. 

10 L Name You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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L is a super popular letter for names right now. Lily, Layla, Lucy, and Leah are some of the most popular ones, which definitely shows a trend. We like L names that are two syllables, have a strong vowel sound, and preferably a "Y" in there somewhere. The names on this list might not meet all that criterion, but they have something else going for them--their popularity. None of these L names are in the top 1000, so you don't need to worry that your daughter will go by "Leonie F." in school.

Lake- I have a feeling actress Lake Bell will give this one a boost (will we see her in next year's top 1000?) but she still won't be that popular. Lake is a great nature name that works for both genders, but now swings female.

Larkin- A unisex surname that has one of the sweetest nicknames--Lark.

Leatrice- Is Beatrice too popular for you? (she ranks at 593, so I doubt it). Try Leatrice, which is almost the same name, but with an L.

Leonie- Pronounce her however you like (is it LAY-oh-nie, lay-OH-nie, LEE-oh-nie, or lee-OH-nie?) but you can't really go wrong. She's a super cute name, and an excellent way to honor all the Leonas and Leos in your life.

Libra- I've talked about Libra a lot in the past, she's one of the best star sign names out there. Libby would be a nice nickname.

Lilias- She's one of the few full forms of Lily that hasn't become very popular. I think she's the most gorgeous of the bunch; I would choose her over Lillian or Liliana any day.

Lilo- I adore Lilo, she's much more spunky than Lily. But the Disney character has turned me off to her, I wonder if other Lilo lovers feel the same.

Linden- A unisex tree name that I prefer for girls. Linden would make a great modern way to honor a Lindsay.

Lolita- I know why everyone doesn't want to name their daughter Lolita. But gosh, she's such a pretty name. Any brave parents out there?

Lotus- So many nature names this week! Lotus is a lovely, almost ethereal, flower name, perfect for your beautiful, mellow baby girl.

Lucienne- A very sophisticated and French way to get to Lucy. She's much prettier than Lucille, in my opinion.

Catalog Names: Mini Boden, October 2014

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Last week my monthly Boden catalogs came in the mail, and there was good news and bad news. The good news was that there are new models, which means new names to talk about. The bad news? They are no longer listing the names in the women's Boden catalog. Only Mini Boden. That kind of bummed me out, but there were so many great kids names that it made up for it (almost). Let me know what you think.

Girls

Expected:
Cecilia
Hope
Jessica
Julia
Kaia (x2)
Matilda
Molly
Regan
Sara
Sofia

Unique:
Aimee
Amelie
Martha
Poppy
Rebeka
Winona
Yasmin

Unheard of:
Bronte
Cai
Caprii
Kyja


Boys

Expected:
Cameron
Daniel
Ethan
Finn
Jackson
Noah

Unique:
Declan
Freddie
George
Markus
Teddy
Tristan (x2)

Unheard of:
Barnaby
Orlando
Soli

Food Names: Fruits and Veggies

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Food offers a lot of inspiration when it comes to baby names. There are a lot of fun choices, like Plum and Fig, but there are also more standard ones, like Olive. So however adventurous you are with your baby names, you can be influenced by fruits and veggies.

Expected:
Cherry- Sounds like an old-fashioned nickname.
Clementine- One of my faves. So spunky.
Ginger- Super cute, and makes a great nickname for Virginia.
Kale- Better spelled Cael.
Nori- Kimye's nickname for baby North, and also seaweed.
Olive- A favorite among hipster parents and celebrities.
Peach- Southern and old.
Plum- I adore Plum. More people should be using her.

Unique:
Canna- Interesting alternative to Hannah.
Carola- Reminds me a little too much of Crayola, but workable.
Chaya- Very pretty and feminine.
Huckleberry- The name of one of Bear Grylls's sons. Nickname Huck is adorable.
Nance- Better left as a nickname for Nancy.
Pearl- Inspired by Pearl Onions, Pearl is a vintage name ready to comeback.
Pepper- Quirky-cool, reminiscent of Annie's fellow orphan.

Unheard of:
Apple- Too Gwyneth Paltrow? Maybe.
Beet- She's better spelled Biet, a la NYC blogger Belle's daughter.
Ceriman- Interesting choice for either gender.
Citron- Just enough sour spunk to make this French choice totally rad.
Currant- It shares likeness with Curran, but is a little wordy.
Fig- A daring pick, probably best reserved for the middle.
Quince- A Shakespearian name starting with the overlooked letter Q.
Sorrel- A leafy green, Sorrel makes a nice, unique choice for a son.