10 English Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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This new series has gotten a great response so far. I'm glad you all like it as much as I do. Today we're on English names for boys--there's one for every comfort zone.

Auberon- Auberon is a nice option for parents looking for a more delicate, not hyper-masculine name. He derives from Aubrey, so he has potential to be an honor name as well. 

Benton- Yes, there are many ways to get to Ben. But Benton is one of the most attractive of the bunch. Plus, he's easy to pronounce and spell, so there'd be little to no confusion. 

Hobson- Hobson has a delightfully British sound, but I think he'd do well in America. He comes from Robert, and hasn't been in the top 1000 since 1900. As a bonus, the nickname Hobbes has a innocent and playful feel, thanks to Bill Watterson's comic books. 

Hyde- Has Hyde given up his Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde association? My first thought is the Chicago neighborhood Hyde Park, but I am a native Chicagoan. I like Hyde's short simplicity and surname feel. He'd be wonderful as a middle, and perhaps as a first name if you're undeterred. 

Jem- What do you guys think of Jem? Personally, I see him as a lovely nickname for James, Jeremy, and the like. But I worry he sounds too feminine for American ears. I would LOVE to see someone use Jem on a son--please tell me if you do. 

Ogden- I talked about Ogden in my O Names post back in December. He's still one of my favorites--wouldn't the nickname Oggie be so cute?

Palmer- I always find it interesting which names gain favor, and which ones are left behind. Palmer is definitely one of the latter, though similar names like Parker and Porter have had major success. The palm association makes him ideal for an Easter or summertime baby. 

Shaw- Shaw is another name I wonder about all the time. He's uncomplicated, neat, and a surname name. Why haven't people discovered him? With the Seans, Shauns, and Shawns of the world preparing to become parents, maybe Shaw will see a resurgance. 

St. John- Quite possibly the best baby name trivia question ever: How do you pronounce St. John? Ask anyone on the street, and they'll give you a funny look and say (SAINT-JON). Anyone who's thoroughly examined a baby name book will tell you, nope, it's SIN-jin. How's that for confusing? Fortunately, if you named your baby St. John, you could pronounce it however you please--there aren't enough of them in America for it to be "wrong." If you did choose to pronounce it the traditional way, be prepared for a lot of correcting. 

Tad- Let's end on a more usable one. Tad is nickname for Theodore (originally Thaddeus), which is great if you love it, but can't get behind Theo or Teddy. People seem to have trouble finding ways to honor Todds, but his similarity to Tad makes me think that this could work. 

Same Meaning Sibsets: Part Four

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These same meaning sibsets are some of my favorites to make. I know you guys like them too, and I want to know what meanings you'd like to be featured. Tell me in the comments below, and it might be in the next SMS post!

Fair
Banning + Venn
Beal + Finley
Justin + McKinley

Famous
Aloisia + Clothilde
Estes + Roald
Filmore + Roger
Herbert, Roland, + Rudy
Orlando + Rowena

Fire
Edan, Haco + Nuri
Egan + Hayden
Tyson + McCoy

Flourish
Florence + Thalia
Florin + Umar

Fortune
Fayola + Tarot
Felicity, Gadiel + Halona

Friend
Alden + Cara
Baldwin + Bellamy
Connelly + Darwin
Edwin, Ruthie, + Winnie
Khalil + Rafiq
Nadim, Sadik, + Yadira
Raya + Samir

Hipster Baby Name or Hipster City: International Edition

One of my most popular posts is Hipster Baby Name or Hipster City? Now I'm bringing it back, but this time we're going outside of the states. What exactly is a hipster baby name? Hipster baby names seem too quirky, old fashioned, or extreme for yuppie parents. In fact, they're probably names you never would have thought of. The trickier part is identifying a hipster city--I had some trouble with it myself. For the purpose of this post, a hipster city has to be well-known for housing trend-setting twenty-somethings. I know that every city has a hipster neighborhood, but to be a real HC, it has to go beyond that (Tip: the bigger the city, the more likely it is to be a hipster city). Good luck on the quiz, and make sure to come back after the jump to read my justifications.

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10 English Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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English names are always popular in America, due to the fact that there is no language or pronounciation barrier. However, trends in Britain are very different from those on this side of the pond. I've picked ten very British names for this list today--any of which would be right at home in America.

Araminta- Araminta is one of those quintessentially English names. She's long and regal, but in true British style, comes with a spunky nickname--Minty.

Cicely- Cicely is the English form of Cecilia. Switch the i for an e, and you have Cecily--who's poised to break into the top 1000. Or, spell her Sicily, and she becomes an Italian place name.

Ginny- Sweet Ginny was long ago replaced by Jenny, though I believe she may be making a comeback. I've met more than one young Ginny at my job, and she sounds very fresh. In these days where we're tired of Jennys and Jennifers, might Ginny be the perfect solution?

Halsey- Halsey is an undiscovered gem. She's a great alternative and honor name for Hallie and Holly, and she fits right in with the preppy surname trend.

Jennison- Like I said before, people are so over Jennifer (well, not everyone, she's actually still at #220). Jennison is a more contemporary option, and shares many of the same sounds--she's honor name material.

Jessamy- If Jessamine is a little much for you, try Jessamy. This less formal variation is bright and chirpy. She means jasmine flower, which is fantastic if you need to honor a Jasmine.

Norabel- If you're looking to expound upon Nora, but aren't a fan of Honora, Norabel could be the right name for you. She's quirky and cute--and much more interesting than Annabel. Best of all, as a smush name, she has a whole new meaning--beautiful light. Can't get much better than that.

Ouida- I always like to throw a polarizing name into the mix. You're either going to love Ouida, or you'll hate her. She's a diminutive of Louisa and Ouisa, and pronounced WEE-dah. Ouida requires a brave namer, but I think she'd be an amazing addition to many European inspired sibsets (Tilda and Ouida, Romy and Ouida?)

Romilly- Speaking of Romy, my favorite full name for her is Romilly. She was originally a boy name, but now would only be considered for a daughter. Romilly couldn't be more perfect for Italian-English families, considering her British roots and meaning of "man of Rome."

Tamsin- Looking for a good name for a twin? Try Tasmin, as that is her meaning. She comes from Thomasina, a name that's almost never used today. If you must use a nickname, Tamsy is much more modern (and more British) than Tammy.

Jul- Names

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As it is the first full week in July, it seemed only fitting to do a post on names with the Jul- prefix. They're wonderful for a baby born any time of the year, but it can also make a special connection between their name and birth month.

Girls
Jules--cute, but I prefer it on boys.
Julha--July in Portuguese.
Julia--classic and classy.
Julianna--an elegant, tasteful choice.
Julianne--she's growing on me, thanks to Julianne Moore.
Julianita--quite a mouthful.
Julie--heading into grandma name territory.
Julieta--we love Juliette, so why not Julieta? She's lovely.
Juliet(te)--Peoples' Choice Award for favorite Jul- name.
Julina--not one you hear often, but very pretty.
Juline--the -line suffix is pretty dated, but Juline was never popular, so you could get away with it.
Julinka--the Hungarian version of Julia has a quirky feel that I adore.
Julissa--this way you can use Lissy as a nickname.
July--I love July! She's my favorite underused month name.

Boys
Jules--so handsome and European.
Julian--on the rise and poised to break the top 40.
Juliano--Julian with some added Latin flair.
Julio--Doesn't he just make you think of that fabulous Simon & Garfunkel song?
Julius--not quite as popular as the similar Julian, but nevertheless, he's on the up and up.

Middle Name Statistics

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Middle names are something we all like to talk about, but unfortunately, the Social Security Administration doesn't record middle names of babies, only first names. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I saw that my high school graduation program included most peoples' middle names--this offered me a set of data. Now, my high school only graduated 736 people, and some don't have middle names, or didn't want it to be listed in the program. However, my area is extremely diverse--racially, socio-economically, and religiously--so the small set of data I do have is still worth anaylzing. So, here's the data for the most common middle names among the Class of 2015 ('96 and '97 babies).

Girls
1. Marie (15)
2. Elizabeth (14) and Elisabeth (1)
3. Ann (4) and Anne (5)
4. Nicole (7) and Nykole (1)
5. Rose (8)
6. Grace (5)
7. Lee (2) and Leigh (3)
8. Jean (3) and Jeanne (1)
9. Louise (4)
10. Lynn (3) and Lynee (1)

Notable Trends

• Alex- Names: Alexandra, Alexandria, Alexis (2)
• An- Names: Analiese, Angelin, Anna, Ann (4), Anne (5), Annie
• -Ay Names: Kay, May, Monet, Rae, (2), Shae
• El- Names: Elaine, Elena, Elisabeth, Elizabeth (14), Ella, Eloise, Elvira
• Esme Names: Esme (2), Esmeralda
• Iman- Names: Iman (2), Imani
• La- Names: Lanae (2), Lan'Yel, Larae, Lashae, Lashay, Latasha, Latefah, Latoya
• Heritage Choices: Abu, Fatima, Fionnuala, Guadalupe, Inez, Keiko, Ondina, Roisin
• Only two: Claire, Catherine/Katherine, Mary

Gems

• Bartholomew
• Bean
• Beata
• Chiffon
• Elvira
• Hopes
• Houston
• Love
• Magaly
• Saffia
• Salome

Boys
1. James (10)
2. Edward (7)
3. William (7)
4. Charles (6)
5. Thomas (6)
6. Joseph (5)
7. Michael (4) and Micael (1)
8. Anthony (4)
9. David (4)
10. John (4)
11. Patrick (4)

Notable Trends

• Al Names: Alan, Alexander (3), Allen
• Ed- Names: Edmond, Eduardo, Edward (7), Edwin
• Mark Names: Marcus, Markus (2)
• Zach: Zachary (2), Zachery
• Brit Picks: Basil, Edmond, George, Phillip (2), Sinclair, Tucker (2)
• Heritage Choices: Angel, Azriel, Enahoro, Hong, Mitja, Sohail
• Only two: Lee, Matthew, Peter, Robert

Gems

• Aksel
• Basil
• Jewel
• Kirby
• Moss
• Sinclair
• Soliman
• Winter
• Wolfgang

*I'm taking next week off for the holiday. Sorry for the infrequent posting--this has been a busy summer for me!*

10 French Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Last week was our first installment of this new series, and I want to know what you guys think! How is it compared to the alphabet letters? Today's list is all about French names for boys. Americans love French names for girls, but many don't consider using one on a boy (or don't even know their favorite boy name is French). Take a look.

Bastien- Bastien is the French form of the Latin Sebastian, and is often considered an alternate spelling to the more popular Bastian. Bastien, Bastian, and Sebastian are all skyrocketing in popularity, each one at an all time high (with Sebastian at #34). Bas or Baz makes a cute nickname.

Croix- Croix means cross in French, making him a sweet and subtle way to honor both heritage and religion. He can be prononced KROY (like the drink La Croix, most Americans' first association) or KWAH (as it would be said in France).

Emeric- Emeric would make a great import to America. The Em- prefix is very popular right now, and unlike most of them, he's exclusively for boys.

Florin- The Flor- names (mostly Flora and Florence) are experiencing a slight rise in the United States, and they're all over the place in Europe. Florin is quite popular in France, and would be very charming on this side of the pond.

Gable- With Gabriel being so fashionable (#24), it shocks me that Gable isn't even in the top 5000. He's such a wonderful name! Clark Gable makes a dashing namesake, especially if you love Old Hollywood.

Jules- Jules may sound girly to American ears, but in French he's very masculine (and trendy! He's #6). I think it's time for Jules to go back to the boys--we need a swanky nickname for all our Julians and Juliuses.

Mathis- Matthew is an ever-popular classic, and Matthias is on his way to becoming mainstream. Next in line? Mathis. Pronounced like Matisse, he's a slim, stylish variant of Matthew with a lot of potential.

Olivier- Oliver is becoming a big hit in the U.S., and soon parents are going to be searching for alternatives. Olivier (oh-LIV-ee-ay) could be the answer. Oli or Ollie are nice nicknames.

Vardon- I've been hearing a lot of -arden names lately, is that the next big sound? If so, put Vardon on your list before the trend hits. He's a French surname meaning "green knoll."

Yann- Yann is the French form of John, and makes a very preppy pick for a baby boy. He can be a nickname for Yancy or Yannick if you prefer longer names.