Once Upon a Time Baby Names

  What a beautiful holiday plant to name your baby girl after. We all know someone with a Christmas related name, but not this rare gem. Pronounced POYN-setta, although some do say poin-SET-ee-ah or POINT-set-ah, you can create a wide range of nicknames such as Pippa, Settia, or just Tia. In 2010 and 2011 there were no babies named Poinsettia. The poinsettia was named for Joel Poinsett, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. It is said he is the one who brought attention to this plant for botanists to study. It's hard to believe this Christmas plant is actually tropical. The Aztecs used this plant to produce red dye, and today Mexicans and Guatemalans call it "Noche Buena," Christmas Eve, although in Spain it is called the Easter flower. The poinsettia's Christmas origin began in Mexico, where a young girl's gift of weeds to Jesus's altar at church blossomed into poinsettias. A century later, Franciscan friars in Mexico used this plant in their Christmas celebrations

Think of Judy Garland (real name Frances Gumm), Hollywood starlet, or musician Garland Jeffries when considering Garland, unisex, as a baby name. Transfer this traditional surname into a modern holiday name, and suddenly Christmas garlands will be special to them. Garland is from Old English and Old French origins, meaning "land of the spear," " wreath ," or "prize." Garland ranked until 1984 on the Social Security Administration's list of the top 1000 baby names, albeit low on the list. Nameberry says Garland is "fragrant and celebratory." For a boy, nicknames include Garry or Lando (as in Orlando), and for a girl, Laney or Galla, perhaps. In 2010 there were 14 baby boys named Garland but no baby girls named Garland. In 2011 there were 21 baby boys named Garland (also in 2015) and 6 girls named Garland.

We have multiple choices for star names, from the obvious, Star, to the not so obvious, Estreya. Star Starlight Starling Starla Starry Stella Estelle Estella Estreya Estrella Estelita Estrellita Estee Esther Danica Hester Maria, Mary and their variants mean "star of the sea" Vesper & Vespera Nana Nova Sidra Siria Tara Twila Twyla Asta Astra Astera Asteria Asterina Astraea Astrea Astri Astria Actual stars: Altair (Altaira) Capella Arcturus Sirius Aludra Nashira Avior The Garnet Star (Garnet, January's birth stone) Mira Mimosa Gemma Rana Vega Bellatrix Mintaka Meissa Alcyone Atlas Electra Maia Tania Alula Polaris Spica Zaniah Constellations and galaxies: Draco Andromeda Aquila Ara Carina Cassiopeia Columba Delphinus (from which we get the lovely name Delphina) Leo Lyra Norma Orion Pegasus Perseus Phoenix Taurus (from which we get the lovely name Tauria) Ursa (Ursula is acceptable as a full name, Ursa the nickname) Vela

There are three different kinds of Carols. One, the surname Carroll, as in Lewis Carroll (born Charles) of Alice in Wonderland fame. There were 7 baby boys given Carroll as a first name in 2011. Two, the girl's name Carol, feminine variant of Charles. Three, Carol in the winter kind of way, as in Christmas caroling (my favorite kind of Carol). Carol last ranked in 2006 at #972 Carroll is suitable for a boy, but upon hearing the name many might be confused on the gender. Carol was originally a male anglicized form of Carolus, meaning "free man." As a female name it probably started as a short form of Caroline. Charles comes from the same root. Carola, Carly, Charlotte, Carla, Carlene, Charla and Carolina are all feminine variants of the same meaning. Charlemagne, Carl, Carlo, Carlos, and Chuck are all male variants of the same meaning. Chip, Chaz and Chad have been used as nicknames. Carol can also be given as a reference to caroling, carol from the English word for "

Everyone knows how stressful the holidays can be, but everyone also knows how peaceful those silent nights can be. Here is my holiday list of names that are peaceful... Dove, the universal symbol of peace. Columba, pn. co-LUM-ba, meaning "dove." There is a St. Columba. Paloma, Spanish, also meaning "dove." In 2010 Paloma ranked at #698. Aloma is the shorter form of Paloma, meaning "dove." Callum, from Scottish Gaelic Calum, a variant of Columba, meaning "dove." Calumina is the female variant. Culver is Old English from the same root as Callum, meaning "dove." Jemima, Hebrew, meaning "dove." Yonina is also Hebrew, meaning "dove." Paz, Spanish, in reference to Our Lady of Peace, means "peace." Paxton (male) is from Latin and Old English, meaning "peace town." Concordia, meaning "harmony," the goddess of peace after a battle. Olivia, meaning "olive tree." Extending (giving) an oli

Traditionally, if you're a Capricorn you should be wearing a ruby, although turquoise is considered December's modern stone. It is not uncommon for a month to have more than one stone. So, since Ruby currently ranks #113, I will cover Turquoise, and it's Turkish gem-turned-baby-name, Fairuza. Turquoise would make a fine middle name in my opinion, because it's not as feminine and frilly as Ruby, Amethyst, Coral, etc. Fairuza, on the other hand, has first name potential. Fairuza is Turkish, meaning "turquoise." Pronounced fy-RO-zah, fair-OO-zah, or FY-ru-zah, you might be more inclined to ask actress Fairuza Balk (of The Craft and Waterboy fame) how she pronounces her name. A suitable nickname for Fairuza is Fay. It was originally spelled Firouza, which is where the fy-RO-zah pronunciations come from. It can also mean "happiness," "luck," "precious one" and "victory." I believe the word fairuz means "turquoise

Today's name : North (male) Potential nicknames : Nor Origin : Old English, from nord . This is where "Norse" and "Nordic" come from. Popularity : North has long been used as a surname, including variants such as Northman, and occasionally used as a given name. In 2010 there were 19 baby boys named North, and in 2011 there were 20. Fun fact : North hosts a ton of different impressions: snow, "up north," winter, Christmas time, cardinal north, etc. It has also been the hereditary surname of the Earls of Guildford.

Today's name : Winter, a favorite among message boards Pronunciation : WIN-ter Potential nicknames : Win, Winnie, Terrie Origin : The Old English season name for the coldest months of the year. Popularity : Winter only ranked twice since 1880 - it was #1000 in 1978 and #705 in 1979, both times for girls. In 2010 there were 217 baby girls named Winter and 12 baby boys named Winter, making this a unisex name. In 2011 there were 13 baby boys named Winter and 10 Wynter, and 237 baby girls named Winter, 145 spelled Wynter. Fun fact : (1) Harlow Winter Kate Madden, daughter of Nicole Richie and Joel Madden. Their son is named Sparrow James Midnight. (2) Winter Ave Zoli is an actress. (3) Gretchen Mol's daughter Winter.

Today's name: Cardinal You know, the red bird most visible in winter against the white backdrop of snow. And although I see no reason why this name should be limited to males, know that the male bird is the brightly colored red, and females are a brown. However, you could also be talking about cardinal north or the senior ecclesiastical official in Catholicism or cardinal numbers, among a few other possibilities. Pronunciation: CAR-din-al Potential nicknames: Card, Cardy Origin: The word cardinal comes from the Latin cardinalis , meaning "chief, principal, pivotal." The bird was named for its resemblance to the cardinal's robes. Popularity: Although there were 21 baby boys named Cardin (a variant of Carden, meaning "wood carder") in 2010, and 17 in 2011, there were none or less than five named Cardinal both years. I'm surprised there aren't any babies named for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Today's name : Evangeline Or try Evangelina, Evangela, or Evangelista The male form in Greece is Evangelos Pronunciation : ee-VAN-jel-een, ev-AN-jel-een, and occasionally ev-AN-jel-ine (as in Caroline) Although emphasis can be stressed on the "gel" syllable instead, and even the "line" syllable Potential nicknames : Evie, Eva, Evan, Vana, Lina, Angie, Angel, Gilly Origin : Greek (and Cajun/Acadian), meaning "bearer of good news." It was invented by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for his Acadian epic poem, "Evangeline," although the events of the poem really happened in reality during the Acadian Expulsion. Evangeline derives from the Greek word euangelion, evangel , the term for the gospels, and Latin evangelium . Popularity : In 2010 there were 20 baby girls named Evangaline, 12 Evangelene, 30 Evangelia, 9 Evangelin, 188 Evangelina, 953 Evangelin,28 Evangelyn, 8 Evangelynn and 953 Evangeline, ranking at #333, her highest ever until 2011, rising

Working with name associations... Sometimes you can't let cultural (or any other kind of) associations hold you back from choosing a name that you love. Here are some examples of how to deal with common associations…   #1 Names from books, TV, movies and history. You love the name Dexter, but everyone now associates that name with Dexter the serial killer, from the TV show with the same name. You don’t want people to think your son will grow up to be a killer, but you love the name to death (no pun intended). Assert the fact, to everyone that mentions the TV show, that there were Dexter’s before the TV show, and there will be Dexter’s after it. (This happened to poor Ursula, meaning “little [female] bear,” when it was used for the octopus witch in The Little Mermaid.) Other examples: You want to name your little girl Matilda, but everyone associates that name with the little witch. Just tell them, “That character was very inspirational to little girls.” Or maybe you love Xena, but

Today's name : Shepherd Pronunciation : SHEP-urd Potential nicknames : Shep, Sheppy, Harry, Perry Origin : Old English, occupational word name meaning, "sheep herder." Mainly used in the 19th century. Sheep herding is one of the oldest known professions, and the shepherd Endymion from Greek mythology is also credited as being the first astrologer since being outside in open pastures took up a lot of a herder's time. Popularity : This name last appeared on the SSA charts in 1887 at #906, never to be seen again. In 2010 there were 64 baby boys named Shepard, 100 Shepherd, and 10 Sheppard. In 2011 there were 101 named Shepherd, 57 Shepard, and 9 Sheppard. By 2015 there was a modest increase of use: Shepherd saw 173 births, ranking at #1108. Fun fact : (1) As a surname, the most famous namesake may be Earnest Shepard, illustrator of Winnie the Pooh . (2) Jerry Seinfeld chose this name for his son. (3) This name is religious to those who chose to see it that way,

Today's name : Emmanuelle Pronunciation : eh-MAHN-yu-ELL Potential nicknames : Emmy, Em, Emma, Elle, Ella, Ellie, Mandy Origin : Hebrew, meaning "God is with us." This is the feminine form of Emmanuel, from the Hebrew name Immanuel. Emmanuella is another variant. Emmanuelle is known for being a French name. Popularity : In 2010 there were 11 baby girls named Emmanuel (the male spelling, but said nearly the same), 26 girls named Emmanuela, 43 Emmanuella, and 47 Emmanuelle. As for nicknames, there were 272 Emmy's along with serveral other different spellings, 17,179 Emma's, 747 Elle's, 9,796 Ella's and 2,886 Ellie's. It seems that if you want to get these nicknames (or Emma, not necessarily a nickname) the best way to go is using a longer full name. Emmanuelle is considered rare, but can still get you Elle or Emmy. In 2011 there were 21 Emanuela, 21 Emmanuela, 36 Emmanuella, and 37 Emmanuelle. Fun fact : (1)Ffashion designers Emmanuel Ungaro and Emmanuel

Today's name : Theodore Pronunciation : THEE-oh-dor Potential nicknames : Theo, Teddy, Terry, Teo, Rory Origin : Greek, from Theodoros, meaning, "God's gift." Teodor, Feodor and Fedor Popularity : In 2010 there were 220 baby boys named Theo, 26 named Theodor, 1,305 named Theodore, and 8 named Theodoros. Theodore ranked at #263, a slow rise in the past decade. There were also 69 boys named Teddy and 80 named Ted. In 2011 Theodore rose in popularity to #231 with 1,545 births. There were also 240 named Theo. Fun fact : (1) Teddy bear comes from the name Theodore, thanks to U.S. president Teddy Roosevelt. It was tied to an incident in which he refused to kill a black bear that had been hunted down, clubbed, and then tied to a tree for him to shoot. He thought the act was unsportsmanlike, but killed the bear to end its suffering. (2) Multiple Saint Theodores and two Popes. (3) Tudor is the Welsh variant of Theodore. The Tudor Dynasty of kings, also known as the House of Tu

Today's name : Natale (unisex, but would probably work better on a girl) Connected to this name is Natalie, Natalia/Natalja, Noelle and Natasha Pronunciation : na-TAH-lay Potential nicknames : Nat, Nattie/Natty, Nala, Tally, Tillie, Allie/Ally (and Noa or Elle for Noelle) Origin : Natale is a variant of the Spanish word/name Natal and the French word/name Noel, meaning "birthday, Christmas." This name refers to the birth of Christ. Natalie, Natasha (the Russian pet form of Natalya) and Natalia all mean "birthday/Christ's birthday" as well, although Noelle means "born on Christmas." Popularity : These names are extremely popular is various forms. Here are the stats for each name I mentioned above (and more) for 2010, although I left just a few out: 9 baby girls named Natacha, 9 named Natahlia, 5 girls named Natale, 19 Natalea, 7 Nataleah, 535 Natalee, 91 Nataleigh, 33 Nataley, 164 Natali, 3,025 Natalia, 28 Nataliah, 8,715 Natalie, 11 Natal

Today's name : Balthazar Pronunciation : BAL-thuh-zar Potential nicknames : Baz, Bally, Balto (which is the natural nickname), Zar, Zaro Origin : A variation on the Babylonian name Balthasar, meaning "Baal protect the king." Baal, or Ba'al, was a Phoenician God, but the titel Baal may have been used the same way "God" could apply to anyone's god, not just one. Popularity : In 2010 there were 39 baby boys named Baltazar, but zero or less than five named Balthasar or Balthazar. In 2011 there were 13 baby boys named Balthazar and 33 Baltazar. Apparently writers use this name more than parents. Fun fact : (1) Along with Caspar and Melchior, Balthazar was one of the three wise men who brought gifts to the newborn Christ. Balthazar is the one who brought frankincense. Balthasar is a variant of the biblical king Belshazzar, which could be the reason why, although the three wise men were not named in the Bible, this was thought to be one of the names. It would

Ok, wow. I am seven days behind on my posts. I don't know how I'll catch up!! Today's name : Rudolpha (since Rudolph is nearly out of the question, but it's still Christmas time) Pronunciation : ru-DOL-fah Potential nicknames : Rudy, Dolly, Rue, Rua, Dolpha Origin : You might be thinking reindeer, but Rudolpha is Old German, the feminine variant of Rudolph, meaning "famous wolf." While Rudolph has many variants, including Rolf, Rudy, Rudolpho, and Rollo, the girl's name Rudolpha is just that. Popularity : In 2010 and 2011 there were no baby girls named Rudolpha (despite it's rare and cute nicknames). Don't expect it to rise in popularity this century, and it hasn't been popular for a very long time. For boys, Rudolph last ranked in 1992 at #994. In 2013 the spelling Rudolf was only given to 5 boys. Fun fact : (1) Movie star Rudolph Valentino. (2) Rudolph "Rudy" Giuliani, former mayor of New York. (3) King Rudolph I of Germ

Today's name : Luna Also try Lunabelle, Lunabella, Lunette, Lunetta, Luneth, or even Crescentia Pronunciation : LOO-nah Potential nicknames : Luu, Lulu, Una, NaNa Origin : Latin, meaning "moon." It can be traced back to the word lumen , meaning "light." Popularity : Luna has always been mildly popular. In 1880 she ranked at #444, while today she ranks at #278 with 1,138 births in 2011. There were 934 baby girls named Luna in 2010, ranking at #343, along with 7 Lunabella's and 5 Lunabelle's. Luna has been popular in Belgium for a while now as a top 10 name. Fun fact : (1) Luna is associated as the name of the Roman goddess of the moon. It is one of the names of Artemis. The Greeks called her Selene. (2) Luna Lovegood, a character in Harry Potter. (3) Luna can be a special name given to those born as the astrological sign Cancer, whose ruling planet is the moon. (4) Some of you might recognize the name Luna from the Japanese animated TV show, also a manga

  ( source ) Today's name: Angel (Angela, Angelina, etc. & Angelo, Angelus, etc.) Pronunciation: AYN-jel, AHN-hail, AHN-hel Potential nicknames: Ang, Angie, Annie, Anne, Ana Origin: Greek, meaning "messenger." Transfered in the New Testament and Church Latin to mean "messenger of God" with the rise of Christianity. Angelos was the first version of Angel, and Angela became widely used in the 18th century. Popularity: Angel and its variants seem to be perpetually popular. In 2011 Angel ranked #52 for boys, while Angelo was at #298. For girls, Angela was #189 in 2011, while Angel was #216, Angelica was #373, Angelina #104 and Angeline #753. In 2010 there were 1,587 baby girls named Angel (ranking at #194 on the U.S. top 1000), 8,716 baby boys named Angel (ranking at #42 on the top 1000), 1,898 baby girls named Angela (ranking at #160), 1,143 baby boys named Angelo (ranking at #290), 3,110 baby girls named Angelina (ranking at #93), and even 32 baby girls named

Thought of the day: why not name a baby Season? Winter babies have been given every holiday and seasonal name under the sun, the most easily recognizable ones being Holly and Noelle. Other seasons influence other names, such as Autumn, March and Summer. But what about Season, with the ultra-cute nickname Sea for a boy or girl, or Sonny for a boy? Bonus: it works for any time of the year. Season is Latin, meaning "time of sowing." There is an actress named Season Hubley. In 2010 there were 6 baby girls named Season, as well as 6 in 2011. I know some of you are thinking "Are you nuts?" But after taking a ride through the SSA's extended list (meaning, beyond the top 1000) choices like Season and December deserve praise in comparison to Honystee, Palin, Payshence and Abcde. Yes, there were 24 baby girls named Abcde in 2010. Now do you think Season is weird?

Thought of the day: can Ember be a nickname? Why, yes, it can! Especially for a December baby, although any month ending in -ember works as well. Dec ember. (dee-SEM-bur) If you don't like the growing-in-popularity name Ember, which has only ranked on the U.S. top 1000 since 2009, there is also Emmy, Decie, Berry, Cece, and Dee. Ember ranked highest in 2011 at #671 (419 births), after #821 in 2010 (323 births) and #885. This shows that Ember is rapidly climbing the charts. December is Latin, meaning "the tenth month," although on our calenders it is the 12th month. That is because it was the 10th month on the Roman calender. There were 31 baby girls named December in 2010 and 33 in 2011.

Today's name: Heidi Pronunciation: HY-dee Potential nicknames: Dee/Di, DiDi, Heid... Origin: Surprisingly, Heidi is the short form of the Old German name Adelaide, meaning "exhalted nature," although Adelaide means "noble kind." Kind of the same thing. Simply put, they both mean "noble person." Heidi can also be a nickname for Hildegard and Heidrun. Popularity: In 2010 there were 1,059 baby girls named Heidi, ranking at #303 on the U.S. top 1000. There were also 9 baby girls spelled Heide and 334 spelled Heidy. In 2011 it ranked at #331, a slight fall, with 943 births. Fun fact: (1) You might recognize this name from Johanna Sprydi's novel "Heidi," in which there is a main character from the Swiss Alps with the same name, although her full name was Adalheid (Adalaide). This has been made into a 1937 movie. (2) Heidi Montag, a famous actress. (3) Adelaide was popular due to Queen Adelaide, the German princess who married Prince William IV.

Today's name: Franklin Pronunciation: FRANK-lyn Potential nicknames: Frank, Franky/Frankie, Lin Origin: Middle English, meaning "free landholder," referring to a free man who owned land in the feudal system and was not of noble birth. The name was derived from franc , the French word for "free." Franklin is not related to Frank and Franco. Popularity: In 2011 there were 513 baby boys named Franklin, ranking at #504, and in 2010 there were 508 baby boys named Franklin, its ranking moved to #503. In comparison, there were 45 baby boys named Franklyn, 1,062 named Frank, 252 named Franco, 5 named Frankey, 271 named Frankie, 15 named Franko, and 58 Franky in 2010. Fun fact: (1) Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Franklin Pierce. (2) Inventor/philosopher/scientist Benjamin Franklin. (3) Singer Aretha Franklin. (4) Chaucer's The Franklin's Tale , part of The Canterbury Tales , in which the name Franklin is actually the literal word for "free landowner."

the astrological twins Pronunciation: TAM-sin, tom-ah-SEE-nah Potential nicknames: Tam, Tams, Tammy, Tommie, Sina, Tina, Tansy Alternate spellings: Tamzin, Tamasin, Tomasin, Thomasin, Tamsen Origin: Tamsin is the English short form of the name Thomasina, which is the Aramaic feminine variant of Thomas. Tamsin, Thomasina, and Thomas mean "twin." It is really up to you if you want to name a non-twin Tamsin or Thomasina, since people name non-twin boys Thomas regularly. Popularity: There were only 9 baby girls named Tamsin in 2010, which means it did not rank on the top 1000. In 2011 there were only 8 baby girls named Tamsin and 6 named Thomasina. Thomasina only ranked once - in 1932 at #970. Fun facts for Tamsin: (1) Tamsin was used as a given name about a century after the Victorian Era. (2) Tamsin has been traditionally used in Cornwall. (3) Tamsin was a 1999 novel by Peter S. Beagle - the same guy that wrote The Last Unicorn . (4) Actresses Tamsin Egerton, T

People do this all the time - unusual first name, common middle, vice versa. I think it’s great, but I personally prefer the first name to be the uncommon one, because I like the fact that a name can provide a sense of individuality. Personally, being know as both my first and last name (not even initials, because there was another Christina S.) from 1st grade to college, I definitely craved a more uncommon name. Obviously I love names, so when considering naming my own future children, I always check the popularity of a name I'm interested in. My limit tends to hang around 200 births per year, which means about 4 babies with that name per state, but not necessarily every state. (Although I would go higher for the right name.) Once you get to about 250 births per year, the name pops up on the top 1000. Of course, in the end, all that will matter is your baby and not anyone else with the name, unless you are intentionally naming after someone. I just find it hard to believe that som

Severus is definitely too associated with Snape, and Severine can sound a bit like “severing,” despite its popularity from the Bond movie. But what about Severa, as in Saint Severa, which sounds a little bit like Vera, a little like the number 7, and a little like the rising-in-popularity baby name Seven (as in Harlow Seven Beckham)? It should even be easier for Americans to pronounce correctly than Severine. Severa, along with Severine, Severana, Severina, Severea, and Severia, comes from the Latin masculine name Severus, meaning "severe," or "stern." Severa is a Spanish and Italian variant. St. Severus was male. You can pronounce Severa say-VEH-rah, seh-VAYR-uh, or SEV-er-uh. There were no baby girls named Severa in 2010 or 2011, and I highly doubt it was given in previous years. However, there were 37 baby girls named Seven in 2010 and 31 in 2011. Before you dismiss this name, Severa and its variants come with the cute nicknames Sevvie, Vera, Verie, Sera,

Today's name: Abel Pronunciation: AY-bel Potential nicknames: Abe, Bello Origin: Hebrew, meaning "breath." It is said this name comes from the Hebrew name Hevel and implies vanity, but it could also come from an Assyrian word meaning "meadow." Popularity: Used since the 6th century, Abel has a long history of use. In 2011 there were 1,497 baby boys named Abel, which means it ranked at #237 on the U.S. top 1000, a slow rise from a decade ago, and also from 1880. In 2010 there were 1,119 baby boys named Abel, #292. It is even more popular in Hungary. Fun fact: (1) In the Bible, Abel was the second son of Adam and Eve. He was murdered out of jealously by his brother Cain because Abel had pleased God more than Cain. He was also said to be the first shepherd. The Christian Church claims he is a pre-Christian martyr, thus a saint. There is also a Saint Abel of Reims from the 8th century. (2) Tasmania was named in honor of explorer Abel Tasman. (3) The Abel Prize is a

Today's name: Odette (the only other variant being Odetta) Pronunciation: oh-DET Potential nicknames: Odie, Oda, Detta, Dottie, Etta, Ettie Origin: French and Old Germanic, meaning "wealth." Popularity: In 2015 there were 86 girls named Odette, in 2011 there were 48, and in 2010 there were 19 (compare to 48 Odessa and 23 Odelia in 2010). She does not rank on the U.S. top 1000. It ranked #967 in 1899 and #843 in 1905. Perfect for your little ballerina or graceful swan. Fun fact: (1) Odette was the name of the white (good) swan character in the famous ballet "Swan Lake," which recently inspired a movie. Odile was the name of the black swan. (2) You might be more or less familiar with Princess Odette from the animated movie "The Swan Princess." (3) Folk singer Odetta. (4) Actress Odette Justman. (5) Actor Mark Ruffalo's daughter. (6) Odette de Crecy was the wife of Charles Swann in Proust's "A la Recherche du Temps Perdu."

Today's name: Matteo Pronunciation: mah-TAY-oh Potential nicknames: Matt, Matty, Teo Origin: This is the Italian variant of the Hebrew name Matthew, meaning "gift of God." Popularity: In 2010 there were 639 baby boys named Matteo, ranking at #428 on the U.S. popularity chart, jumping up from #555 in 2009. In 2011 it went up again to #385 (747 births). More people are leaning towards this name instead of common Matthew, and -o endings are getting more popular. There were also 6 baby boys named Mattheo, 29 Matheo, 694 Mathew, 13,954 Matthew, and 51 named just Matt. Mateo, spelled with just one T, has been more popular. In 2011 it was #171 (2,182 births), in 2010 it was #222. Fun fact: (1) Colin Firth's son. Not really anything else to mention.

Today's name: Cosima Cosima Wagner Pronunciation: KO-see-mah, also KO-zee-mah Potential nicknames: Cosi, Coco, Sima, Cosma, Sisi Origin: Italian, via the Greek word kosmos, meaning "cosmos," "beauty," and also "order." The name is in reference to the order and beauty of the cosmos, the universe. The male counterpart is Cosimo, and different cultures use Cosmo and Cosma. This name is often heard in Germany, Greece, and upper-class Britain as well. The name is Cosmina in Romanian, which is equally lovely, and possibly more rare. Popularity: Cosima is a rare name. In 2010 there were 10 baby girls named Cosima, none named Cosmina, and none spelled Kosima or Kosmina. In 2011 there were only 6 girls named Cosima. Fun fact: (1) Cosima Wagner, wife of composer Richard Wagner, daughter of Franz Liszt. (2) There are four known celebrity babies with this name. The first is chef Nigella Lawson's daughter, Cosima Thomasina, and the second is supermodel Claudia

Today's name: Massimo (male) Pronunciation: MAH-see-moh Potential nicknames: Masi, Simo, Max Origin: Along with Massimiliano, Massimo is the Italian variant of the Latin name Maximilian (which was the name of three Roman emperors and a few saints), meaning "greatest." Popularity: Massimo did not rank on the top 1000 baby names in 2010, but there were 148 baby boys born named Massimo and 5 named Massimiliano. In 2011 there were 107 named Massimo. Fun fact: (1) The name Maksim is also a variant of Maximilian. (2) Massimo has been the surname of many powerful Roman families. (3) Saint Massimo, a 5th century bishop. (4) Massimo D'Alema, Italian Prime Minister. (5) Massimo Capra, Canadian celebrity chef. .

Una and the Lion - Briton Riviere For most Lio/Leo names the "i" or "e" sound is interchangeable in the U.S., making Leo sound LAY-oh or LEE-oh depending on who you ask. Pronunciation of Lionel: LY-on-ell                 Pronunciation of Lionella : lee-oh-NELL-uh Potential nicknames: Lio, Lion; Lio, Lia, Lila, Liona, Nella Origin: English variant form of Latin name Leo, meaning "lion," but the -el ending of Lionel makes it mean "young lion." Lionella is the female Italian variant, along with the equally obscure Leonella. Popularity: For boys in 2011, Leo ranked #167 (2,226 births), Leon #405 (690 births), Leonel #459 (578 births), Lionel #786 (282 births), Leonard #705 (322 births), Leonardo #149 (2,631 births), Leandro #835 (257 births), and Leonidas #888 (232 births). Non-ranking variants of Leo in 2011 included 5 Liandro, 5 Leondro, 6 Lyonel, 6 Leonte, 7 Lionardo, 7 Lion, 8 Leovardo, 8 Leonitus, 8 Leonidus, 9 Lionell, 9 Leon

Today's name: Arthur Is Arthur too popular for you? Try Arturo, the classy Italian and Spanish form of the name. Do you have Finnish roots? Try the Finnish forms, Arto and Arrturi. For Scottish flair try Artair. A 19th c. painting by Frank Dicksee Pronunciation: AR-ther, AR-thur Potential nicknames: Art, Artie, Bear Origin: Celtic, meaning "bear," "bear-like," or "bear king," from the Celtic word for bear, artos , and the Latin name  Artorius . In Welsh it could mean "bear man." Arthur was first found in the Latin form Artorius, of unknown meaning. A similar and possibly connected name, Arnthor, is Old German meaning "Thor, the eagle." The Irish Gaelic meaning suggests "stone." (Sword in the stone, anyone?) Popularity: This name was definitely used in the Middle Ages, although it dates back to pre-Roman times in Britan. It slowed in popularity, then had a resurgence in the 19th century.One reason for this is because the D

Today's name: Rowena Artwork of the beautiful Rowena and King Vortigern. Pronunciation: row-EEN-ah, row-ENN-ah, ROW-enn-ah, row-AY-na Potential nicknames: Row, Rowie, Rowen, Rona, Rena, Wendy Origin: (1) Old English from Old German, meaning "fame and happiness." (2) Possibly Welsh, meaning "slender and fair" or, less likely, the Saxon form of Celtic Rhonwen, meaning "white skirt," "bright spear," or "fair lance." Popularity: Rowena is a very rare name, although it did rank toward the bottom of the SSA list until 1963. There were only 7 baby girls named Rowena in 2010, slightly increasing to 15 births in 2011. Fun fact: (1) One of two heroines in Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" from 1819. In the movie her name is pronounced the traditional way, row-EE-nah. (2) Geoffrey of Monmouth claims Rowena was the daughter of Saxon chief Hengist, therefore making her a princess. This was supposedly the first mention of the name Rowena

Today's name: Emrys (male) Vortigern and the dragons http://www.vortigernstudies.org.uk/ Pronunciation: EM-riss Potential nicknames: Em, Rys Origin: Welsh, meaning "immortal." Variant of Greek boy's name Ambrose, both coming from Ambrosios. Popularity: Emrys is a very rare name in America, as there were only 9 baby boys born in 2010 with this name. It decreased by two in 2011 to only 7 boys born named Emrys. Fun fact: (1) Emrys James, a Welsh Shakespearean actor born in 1928. (2) Part of Arthurian legend's Merlin, his full name being Myrddin Emrys Ambrosius. Geoffrey of Monmouth combined 5th century military leader Emrys Wledig's name with Myrddin Wyllt, a slightly famous prophet, to get Merlin's name. In Latin form his name is Merlinus Ambrosius. (3) Saint Ambrose of the 300s. (4) The historic castle of Dinas Emrys is now in ruins. Legend has it that Merlin was involved in freeing two battling dragons living under the castle of King Vortigern (see Rowena

Today's name: Lavender Pronunciation: LAV-en-der Potential nicknames: Lavie, Andie, Enna Origin: From the Latin lavandula / lavendula , a flowering plant in the mint family that blooms in shades of blue and lilac. The ancient Greeks called lavender nardus after the Syrian city of Naarda. The late Latin name meant "to wash," presumably because lavender was used to dye and scent fabric. Popularity: Lavender joined other popular flower names of the 18th century and was used on both boys and girls, although it has never been as popular as Lily, Rose and Violet, especially in recent years. It is worth noting that during the flower-name-rage in the 18th century, every flower had a meaning, and lavender symbolized distrust. In 2010 there were only 23 baby girls named Lavender. In 2011 there were 34. Fun fact: (1) During Roman times lavender was an occupational name for a washer-woman, presumably because lavendula meant "to wash." (2) The genus of lavender includes an

Today's name: Atreyu Pronunciation: ah-TRAY-yu Potential nicknames: Atreyu can be nicknamed Trey or Tru. Origin: German, through the use of the fictional native language in the novel it came from, meaning "son of all." The meaning came to be so because Atreyu's parents were killed by a buffalo soon after he was born and his village raised him. Popularity: In 2010 there were 130 baby boys named Atreyu (about 2.6 per state) which does not rank on the Social Security Administration's top 1000 baby names in the U.S. In 2011 there were 5 spelled Atreu, 8 Atrayu, and 125 Atreyu. If you think it's weird, keep in mind there were 91 Anakin's in 2011. Atreyu is currently the most searched for name leading readers to this blog. Fun fact: You will probably remember "The NeverEnding Story," Michael Ende's German novel and the 1980s movie series, in which one of the main characters is named Atreyu. If the book or movie does not instantly com

Today's name: Topaz, November's birthstone Pronunciation: TOW-paz Potential nicknames: Topa, Paz (like Paz Vega) Topaz could potentially be a nickname for Topanga Origin: Topaz is the Latin name (Latin Topazus from Greek Topazios) of this golden jewel. It does not have a formal meaning. It has been used in England, sparingly, since the 13th century. Popularity: Never in the top 1000, with zero births in 2010 and 2011. Just in case you were wondering, there were 15 baby girls named Topanga in 2010 and 18 Topanga's in 2011. Fun fact: (1) Topazios, the original form of the name Topaz, came from the ancient St. John's Island in the Red Sea, where a yellowish gem could be mined. (Today it is believed that gem was actually chrysolite, not topaz.) (2) Topaz comes in an array of colors. Only the golden/orange colored version is November's birthstone, which symbolizes friendship. (3) Topaz is the state gem of Utah. There is also a Topaz Mountain in Utah. (4) Topaz is mentio

Today's name: Lewis Pronunciation: LU-iss (not to be confused with LU-ee) Potential nicknames: Although strong on its own, Lewis could be a Lew/Lou or Lewie. Origin: Germanic, meaning "fame and war," equivalent to "renowned fighter." It is the English spelling of French Louis. Both names come from the Old German name Aloysius, although some sources say it is from the Old High German name Hluodowig. Popularity: In 2010 there were 319 baby boys named Lewis (along with 124 named Louie and 901 named Louis), ranking at #717. It was in the tp 100 from 1880 to 1930, but its ranking has not changed much in the past decade. In 2003 it ranked #2 in Scotland (and for the past 3 years), #16 in England, #17 in Wales, and #19 in Northern Ireland. In 2011 it went up to #633 with 366 births. Other variants also ranked - Luis, Louis and Luis. Fun fact: (1) Author Lewis Caroll, born Charles Dodgson, of Alice in Wonderland fame. (2) The Isle of Lewis, also known as the Hebrides,

Today's name: Millicent Pronunciation: MIL-ih-sent Potential nicknames: Mil, Millie, Milla, Milcie, Missy, Min, Minnie Origin: Used since the Middle Ages, Millicent is Old French and was brought to England by the Normans in the French form of Melisent and Old Germanic form of Melisende, meaning "strong at work." Melisent and Melisende/Melisande came from the Old Germanic name Amalasuintha, which become Malasintha, and then Melisenda. Popularity: Not in the top 1000 for at least 45 years, there were 67 baby girls named Millicent in 2010 and 64 in 2011. Fun facts: (1) Dame Millicent Fawcet was an early British suffragist and feminist. Coincidentally, Millicent Preston-Stanley is an Australian feminist and politician, and another politician is Millicent Fenwick. (2) A double Harry Potter name: Millicent Bagnold, former Minister of Magic (another politician position, although fictional), and Millicent Bulstrode, a Hogwart's student. (3) A character in Sylvia Pla

Today's name: Ellis (male) Pronunciation: EL-iss Potential nicknames: El, Eli Origin: (1) Anglicized variant of Elias, from Elijah, meaning "the Lord is my God," often transfered from surname use. Eli and Elliot are related. (2) A Welsh Anglicized variant of Elisud, from the word elus , meaning "kind, benevolent." Popularity: In 2010 Ellis ranked #732, a very slow rise from 2000. (Elias, on the other hand, ranked at # 141, and Elijah at # 18.) It is seldom seen as a girl's name. In 2010 there were 311 baby boys named Ellis, 7 named Elis, 13,735 named Elijah, and 2,799 named Elias. In 2011 it went up to #724 with 311 births again. Fun fact: (1) Ellis Bell was the psuedonym Emily Bronte chose when she first began publishing her work, making it seem as if she were male. (2) Ellis Island, the gateway for immigrants, named after the last private owner of the island named Samuel Ellis. .

Arthur Rackham - The Meeting of Oberon and Titania Pronunciation: ty-TAY-nee-ah Potential nicknames: Ti/Ty, Tita, Tani, Tania, Tani, Tay, Nia Origin: Greek, meaning "giant," from the word titan. Popularity: In 2010 there were only 6 baby girls named Titania, and in 2011 it went back down to 0. Fun fact: (1) Most widely known as Shakespeare's Queen of the Faeries in his play A Midsummer Night's Dream . Her husband (the King of the Faeries) name was Oberon. Titania and Oberon are also moons of Uranus. (2) Before Shakespeare gave this name to the faerie queen, "Titania" was a general name for daughters of titans. In Greek mythology the titans were a race of giants. They were the "older" gods, the ones the Olympian gods overthrew, and their myths go back further in time. Their leader was Chronos, a god of time (among other things), who was overthrown by his son Zeus. However, everything started with Gaia/Gaea, whose worship may have bega

Today's names: Alastair, Alistair and Alasdair Pronunciation: AL-ah-stayr, AL-uh-stayr, AL-us-dare Potential nicknames: Al, Alic, Alix, Dair Origin: From the Greek name Alexandros (Alexander), meaning "man's defender." Alastair and Alistair are anglicised forms of Alasdair, the Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander. Other variants include: Alasdhair, Alasteir, Alastar, Alaster, Alastor, Alaisdair, Alaistair, Alaister, Aleister, Alester, Alistair, Alistar, Alister, Allaistar, Allaster, Allastir, Allistair, Allister, Allistir, Allysdair, Allystair, Allyster, Alysdair, Alysdare, Alystair, Alyster, Allastair, and Aldair. Popularity: In 2010 there were 15 baby boys named Alasdair, 25 Alastair, 6 Alaster, 81 Alistair, 5 Alistar, 28 Allister, and 29 Alister. In 2011 there were 108 Alistair, 57 Alister, 33 Allister, 27 Alastair and 23 Alasdair. Jump to 2015 and 194 boys were given the spelling Alistair, 36 named Alasdair, 47 Alastair, 28 Aleister, 81 Alister, 46 Alliste

Today's Name: Viridiana Or try Verdis, Verdiana, Viridia, Viridian, Viridianne, or Viridis Pronunciation: ver-id-ee-AHN-uh Potential nicknames: Viri, Vivi, Vira, Vana, Diana, Dia, Ana Origin: From the Latin word veridis, meaning "green," which also means "young; fresh." Popularity: A rare name, Viridiana first appeared on the SSA charts in 1991 at #981, then disappeared after ranking #934 in 1998. In 2011 there were 62 girls named Viridiana. Fun fact: (1) Saint Viridiana, born in 1182, whose feast day is February 1. (2) Viridiana is a Spanish film. (3) Spanish actress Viridiana Alatriste. (4) Related is the color (pigment) viridian, a shade of spring green, and just so happens to be the name of a city in Pokemon. Also related (by name) is the Viridian Design Movement, and composer Giuseppe Verdi. .

Today's name: Merrick (male) Pronunciation: MEHR-ick Potential nicknames: Merr, Merri, Rick, Ricky/Ricki, Eric, Mick, Micky Origin: The Anglicized version of Meurig, the Welsh variant of Maurice and ultimately the Latin maurus , meaning "dark skin." I have to say, Merrick beats Maurice any day of the week. Merrick means "moor." It is also possible the name came from an Old French personal name meaning "famous ruler," or a different French name, both with Germanic influences. Popularity: Merrick is used more as a surname than a given name, but as a boys first name we see it as early as 1905 in the U.S. In 2010 there were 125 baby boys named Merrick, 11 named Merric, and 16 named Merrik. There were also 13 baby girls named Merrick. In 2011 there were 11 girls given the name, which has not been too unusual since the 1980's, and 7 boys named Meric, 7 Merric, 10 Merick, 12 Merik, 13 Merrik, 15 Merek, and 116 Merrick. It jumped to 191 boys nam

A note on male suffixes thoroughly ignored: For goodness sake, please don’t add “-wyn” or “-son” to any girl’s names, because both “-wyn” and “-son” suffixes are for males. The "-son" suffix literally means "son," as in "son of [insert male name here]" and you typically see "-son" in traditional surnames. It is the difference between a Julia and a Julian, a Naoki and a Naoko, a Carole and a Caroll. Most of us can’t help but fall in love with some Welsh and English names, such as Bronwyn and Madison (and Madison has been completely taken over by Team Pink) but understanding and researching a name you’re interested in makes all the difference in the world. You should have an interest beyond “what sounds good,” and delve deeper into meaning, suffix/gender, associations good or bad, namesakes and origin. And yes, even Gwyn is masculine, used for boys in Wales, where the suffixes "-wyn" and "-wen" come from. In my personal opinion

Hi, everyone. Yesterday morning I was checking my email and I saw that Yahoo posted an article that there are now 7 billion people in the world. Check out the article: http://news.yahoo.com/various-7-billionth-babies-celebrated-worldwide-064439018.html  There are deeper issues in the article, ones that should be taken very seriously, (like, do all of these new babies have food, water, families, etc?), but I will leave that to you and your free time. So how does this tie into a baby name blog? Because that means there are 7 billion people with their own unique name (or not-so-unique). I just wanted to say that, with 7 billion people in this world, names are bound to be used multiple times, as they have been used repeatedly countless times through history, and most likely the exact same combination of first and middle names will be repeated as well. There might be two Isabella Marie's born on the same day, or the one born in 2011 might share her name with one born in 1990. There are

Today's name: Zelda (which I thought would be perfect to post today since it is a little witchy, and Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D came out just a few months ago) Pronunciation: ZEHL-dah Potential nicknames: Zell, Zellie, Ellie, or maybe even Zsa-Zsa or ZiZi Origin: (1) The German diminutive of Griselda/Grizelda, meaning "dark battle" or "grey battle maiden," but can also come from a word for stone or gravel. (2) Yiddish cognate of German name Salida, meaning "joy" or "luck." (3) Old English variant of Selda, meaning "companion." Popularity: Zelda first appeared on the SSA charts in 1880 when records of names first started being kept by the Social Security Administration, and it ranked at #834. It worked its way up to #379 in 1911, then worked its way back down to #997 in 1967, where it was last seen. When the first Zelda video game came out there were a handful of babies each year between 1985 and 1991 presumably named for her, but n

Here is my October list of relevant Halloween baby names! Enjoy Girls: Persephone  (means "to bring death") Beatrix ("tricks") Arista (can mean "harvest") Hallow  (All Hallow's Eve) Elphaba (The Wicked Witch) Morrigan (meaning "great queen, nightmare queen") Nerissa (meaning "black-haired") Zelda & Hilda (Sabrina's witch aunts, also "Broom Hilda") Sabrina  (the Teenage Witch) Elvira (Mistress of the Dark) Morticia (The Munsters) Carrie (Steven King) Piper, Pru, Phoebe & Paige (All Hallow's) Eve Tituba (Salem witch) Wednesday (Adams) Wendy (Casper's witch friend) Rosemary (Rosemary's baby) Buffy (the Vampire Slayer) Drusilla (a vampire from Buffy) Tabitha & Endora (from Bewitched) Ligeia, Lenore & Rowena (Poe characters) Jacquelyn (for Jack-o-lantern) Lilith (meaning "of the night," a she-demon) Autumn Stormy Amber (an orange color) Jetta (meaning "black) Lamia (a snake-woman