10 P Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Are we already on P names for boys? Yikes, I can't believe this series is almost over. I'm really excited about the names I picked out for today. Normally P boys names aren't my thing, but I'm digging these choices. Tell me what you think.

Pace- I can't believe no one has ever thought of Pace, considering his wordiness and similarity to Chase. What a cool name. Pronounced PAH-chay he means peace in Italian, which is nice. 

Painter- Painter is an occupation name that America has not yet embraced, though he is a favorite among the baby name community. You can call him Paine for short. 

Palmer- Palmer is one of those unique names that is extremely unisex. There is an almost equal amount of boys and girls named Palmer, with a just a few more girls getting the name last year. That shouldn't discourage you though, I happen to prefer Palmer on a boy. 

Pascoe- Pascoe is a variant of Pascal, both of which are heavily associated with Easter. Pascoe seems like a more American-friendly choice, and could be worn by a child born any time of year. 

Patton- Patrick is most definitely a dad name, and he's quickly moving into grandpa territory. New parents are going to need a way to honor Patricks, and Patton is ready for the job. He's modern, unused, and has a trendy ending. Perfect. 

Penn- Ultimate prep-school kid name. 

Pike- He's a little fishy, but also streamlined and modern. Pike would be a great honor name for someone who loves to fish. 

Pine- A super rad name for nature loving or northern parents. 

Portland- I adore Portland (the city), and think it makes for a great (yet unusual) name. If Scotland is viable, why not Portland?

Powell- Powell's is the famous bookstore in Portland, so I suggest you pick one or the other. 

Full Names for Maggie

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Maggie is a sweet, old fashioned nickname that sounds great with sister names such as Sadie, Lily, and Lucy. She's not too popular on her own (231), but Maggie is one of the more popular nicknames for Margaret, which ranks at 181. Margaret is not the only way to get to Maggie though. Maggie has many full forms, ranging from the classic and charming, to the bold and colorful. Take a look.

Expected:
Magnolia- This Southern flower has tons of nicknames, and recently made the top 1000.
Margaret- I think it's safe to say that Maggie is currently her most popular nickname, though I've heard a couple of Gretas and Megs around, too.
Marguerite- I know quite a few Marguerites, and all of them go by Daisy. Change it up with Maggie.

Unique:
Magda- Magda sounds a little stodgy. Probably not the best choice for a 2015 baby.
Magdalene- Gorgeous and ethereal. Add one more syllable to Magda, and the whole vibe changes.
Margarita- She gives Maggie some Latin flair. I love it.

Unheard of:
Magenta- How's that for a full name? Magenta is super spunky, and the nickname Maggie is a nice balance.
Maguire- Maggie makes this unisex Irish surname swing girl for me.

Month Names: January

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Happy New Year everybody! I'm so glad it's finally 2015. It's going to be a good year, I can feel it. If you're having a baby this month, consider sneaking a January-related name in the choice pool. I have a lot of great options for you.

Birthstone: 
Garnet- Garnet is a great gemstone name, and one of the few that works better on boys.

Birth Flower:
Camellia- Camellia is a beautiful name on her own, but you can also call her Cammie.
Carnation- I'm not sure how usable Carnation is as a name. You could call her Carnie?
Plum Blossom- In China, January's flower is the Plum Blossom. You might not want to use them as a set, but Plum or Blossom make fun names on their own.
Snowdrop- Snowdrop doesn't really work as a name, but there are names that are related to snow, like Neve.

Birth Colors: 
Black- Black itself isn't a name, but Ebony, Jet, Noir, and Onyx are.
Dark Blue- We went over dark blue names in November. I stand by my picks of Cobalt, Indigo, and Navy.

Star Sign:
Aquarius- Aquarius means water bearer, so a water name like Bay, Lake, or Oceane would be perfect.
Capricorn- Last month I suggested Caprice as an option. Does it work?

Related to January:
Jan Names- Most of the Jan- names are not in style, but Jane, January, and Janson are in vogue.
Winter- Winter is in full swing, why not name your daughter after her birth season?

10 P Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Remember back in February when I told you that F was my favorite letter for names? P is a close second. I LOVE P girl names, in fact, seven of the following names have been on my favorites list at one time or another.

Palma- A Spanish surname that evokes scenes of the beach.

Pamina- A great way to honor a Pamela. Plus, you can call her Mina or Minnie.

Pasha- I've been hearing a lot of Sashas around lately (and she might be going to the boys), but Pasha is a darling alternative.

Penna- Penna is the quirky-cute name many parents are looking for. I prefer her on her own, but she also works as a nickname for Penelope.

Peridot- This gemstone name has only one pitfall--is it pear-ih-doe or pear-ih-dot? I'm a fan of the latter, because then you can call her Dot.

Pimm- Pimm was a favorite of mine for a long time. I was first introduced to her by Abby, and I think she'd make the perfect sister name for Nell. Alas, whenever I bring her up, I get a less than warm reception.

Plum- Food names can be hit or miss, but Plum is definitely a winner. This sweet, purple-hued name should be used more often.

Pomme- She's the French word for apple, which makes Pomme a sort of food name as well. I love her as a nickname for Pomeline (a guilty pleasure name of mine), but she works well on her own, too.

Posy- Posy is so charming! She works as an unusual nickname for Sophia.

Prairie- Prairie is an unexpected nature name ready to be picked up by hipsters. She could become quite popular in the coming years.

Best of 2014

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What a year it's been! 2014 has been a great year for the blog. I've posted more than ever before, and we've had a record breaking number of viewers. Thanks so much to everyone for reading--now here's a look at this year's highlights.

January: We talked about Oscar Nominee Names in January (is anyone using Philomena yet?)

February: In February I wrote about Naming a Dog, inspired by my puppy Harvey. 

March: March showed us some names influenced by Texting and Shorthand.

April: I let you read my Junior Research Paper in April--all about baby names!

May: This month we looked at C Names for Girls. I adore Cameo, Celestine, and Circe. 

June: In June we talked about Initial Names. It's such a fun concept, and a great way to use those style outlier honor names. 

July: I wrote about Preppy Names in July (Parts One and Two). This was one of my most popular posts!

August: August introduced us to Hidden Names. The most usable combo was Lainey and Aine. 

September: We reviewed some Modern Virtue Names (Parts One and Two) during the month of September. 

October: In October we discussed Sports Names. As a golfer, I'm rather partial to Birdie. 

November: Just in time for Thanksgiving, I wrote about Herbs and Spices Names. 

December: Happy Holidays! Here are some Holiday Names for your baby. 

And now, viewer favorites:

1. Nicknames for Sophia

2. 10 A Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

3. Initial Names

4. Full Names for Wells

5. Unexpected Flower Names

Holiday Names

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Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you guys are having a great holiday season. I've posted about holiday names many times in the past, and this year I am going to do something a little different. There are so many holiday names, but many of they are not all cohesive. I've split up 24 names into four categories--Familiar, Fashionable, Festive, and Funky--to help you pick the perfect holiday baby name based on your style. Let me know what you think!

Familiar
Bell- Do you have certain names where you hate one spelling but love the other one? For me, that's Bell. I really don't like Belle, but Bell makes me swoon.
Carol- Old fashioned; I would choose Caroline instead.
Holly- I think she's cuter as a nickname for Holiday.
Joy- Sweet, sweet, sweet. Perfect for the Holidays.
Natalie- She's not tied to Christmas anymore, so she makes for a subtle holiday name.
Nicholas- I'm not very fond of Nicholas, but that's probably because he peaked around the time I was born.

Fashionable
Eve- There's no better name for a girl born on December 24th.
Natalia- Kicks Natalie up a notch.
Neve- Gorgeous name meaning snow.
Pax- He means peace, which is a great meaning year-round.
Piper- This trendy girls name has her own line in the Twelve Days of Christmas song.
Winter- The most coveted season name.

Festive
Christmas- Might as well go big.
December- December is a unisex name, but if you use it on a girl, she can be called Ember.
Garland- One of my favorite G names for boys.
Holiday- Ooh, I adore Holiday. I would use her in a heartbeat.
Merry- I prefer Mary, but hey, Merry is better for a holiday baby.
Noel- Noel is very sophisticated, especially when pronounced (nole) on a boy.

Funky
North- Did Kim Kardashian ruin this name for everyone? Maybe stick her in the middle.
Plum- Plum is my other favorite of the list. She's just so cute!
Season- If you use her in the middle, don't make Holiday her first name.
Silver- A very festive color, seldom heard as a name.
Star- If Star is overkill, try Stella or Estelle.
Yule- Many people overlook Y names, but Yule is one of the better ones out there.



That's all for this week, thank you so much for reading. I will be off next week for the holidays. Check back on December 29th for a year in review post.

10 O Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Oh boy, O names for boys! I couldn't resist. O names are the coolest. 

Oak- Tree names are on the up-and-up, and Oak is no exception. He still is below the top 1000 though, so you have time to snag him. 

Oberon- Oberon is a Shakespearean name with some serious style. Obie would be a cool nickname. 

Odin- Odin is our most popular name on this list, ranking at #573. I was surprised at first, because I have never heard this name before. But after considering how close he was to Aiden, it all made sense. 

Ogden- Ooh, I love Ogden. He's the name of a major street here in Chicago, which, of course makes me love him even more. 

Omer- Homer has been ruined (forever?). But Omer is up for grabs. But they are awfully close. 

Onyx- A color name with quite a few high point Scrabble letters. Could Onyx be the next baby of Robert Downing Jr.?

Oren- Oren is cute, simple, and musical. Anyone a fan of Oren Lavie? 

Oro- Oro means gold in Spanish, which is perfect for your little treasure. 

Oxford- He might sound a little pretentious and preppy to some, but I think Oxford is a winner. Plus, Ford makes for a rad nickname. 

Oz- You might get a few jokes about being "great and powerful," but that's not so bad. And calling him Ozzie will eliminate that problem.