Once Upon a Time Baby Names

Windy : a name that has occasionally been a variant of Wendy, but most often a word name in the English language. It is considered a 70’s name because it peaked in 1975, dropping down to just 7 girls in 2017. Warrick : this name comes from the place name Warwick, or Warwickshire, meaning “dam settlement.” There are several namesakes for Warrick both as a given name and a surname. Xanthippe : a name that hasn’t been used in the U.S., Xanthippe means “yellow horse” in Greek. Most people will not be aware that she was the wife of Socrates. Xenon : this is a chemical element that would make an edgy baby name and fit right in with other X names and boy names ending in -n. It is a noble gas found in our atmosphere and is atomic number 54. Yanella : this is the Hispanic form of Janella, which ultimately comes from Jane, meaning “god is gracious.” This spelling hasn’t been used in the U.S. but Yanela, Yaneli, Yanelis, Yaneliz, Yanelle, Yanellie and Yanelly have been. York : a town since...

Tacita : this Latin name means “silent, secret,” and was given to the nymph Lara after Jupiter was cruel and cut out her tongue. Tacitus is the masculine, used as a Roman cognomen, and found on the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus. The names are pronounced TASS-ih-tuh and TASS-it-uss. The names Tacy and Tace derive from the root word taceo as well, and could make fitting nicknames. Talarican (tah-LAR-ih-kan), Tarkin (TAR-kin), and Tarquin (TAR-kwin): while Talarican stands out as the name of a Pictish bishop and saint, Tarquin is the English variant of Latin masculine name Tarquinius, which was a famous Roman gens used by the kings of Rome. The etymology is unknown.  Tarquin is the only spelling that has been used in the U.S., since 1987, and only rarely.  Uriana : this may be a female form of Urian, meaning “privileged birth,” from Welsh masculine name Urien.  Urien was a legendary Welsh figure who featured in Arthurian Romances. Uriana has only been used ...

Iskra : a Croatian, Russian and Polish girl name meaning “spark,” it is seeing the light of day in the U.S. thanks to body-positive model Iskra Lawrence. It was also the name of a newspaper founded by Lenin in 1900. The name is still not listed in U.S. statistics. Ingram : this name came to England from the Normans, and it likely means “Ing’s raven” or comes from the ancient Germanic tribe known as the Angles, combined with hraben , meaning “raven.” Listed in the U.S. starting in 1883, it has always been extremely rare, and was only given to 10 boys in 2017. Gram could make an easy nickname. Jacoba : everyone seems to love Jacob, but not as much love is given to Jacoba and Jacobina. Jacoba, always rare in the U.S., was used since 1900 and given to 5 girls in 2017. Jacobia was used only in 1991 and 1992, 5 times each, and Jacobina seems to have not been used at all. Jackdaw : this is a bird name, and one not usually seen among other bird name lists. It is one of few birds able to im...

Elbereth : this name has not been used in the U.S. it is a Lord of the Rings name meaning “star-queen.” Elynas : this name has not been used in the U.S. you may remember this as the name of the King of Albany (Scotland) from the story of  Melusine . Traditional searches for this name’s meaning turned up nothing until I found his supposed real name - Gille Sidhean, which might mean “steward of the fey,” or Elinas d’Albha. He is connected to the Vere and Anjou lines and said to be born circa 704, but with names this old sometimes there is more speculation than fact, although it becomes very interesting when the lines blur (like, some would say, King Arthur). At the end of  this  speculation there is a bit more of his ancestry connecting him to the Ulsters. Unfortunately I have yet to find the name’s meaning, but Helinus looks promising. Fruzsina : the Hungarian form of Euphrosyne, meaning “mirth.” It is pronounced fruuz-EE-nah. Eufrozina and Frosina are other variants. ...

Desdemona by Theodore Chasseriau Desdemona (dez-deh-MOH-nah) is an English literary name meaning "ill-fated." William Shakespeare used the name in Othello, but the play was based on the story Un Capitano Moro which was in Giovanni Battista Giraldi's Gli Hecatommithi, where the name was spelled Disdemona, from the Greek word dysdaimonia . It has never been a terribly popular name because of the character, who is murdered by her husband, and the name's meaning. However, Desdemona has been a character name in several other works of fiction since, including the Midnighters trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, the book Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, and Jimmy Buffet's Where is Joe Merchant? Desdemona also features in two other plays - Toni Morrison's Desdemona , and Paula Vogel's Desdemona: A Play about a Handkerchief . It's also been used for four songs, is a moon of Uranus, and an asteroid demonically named 666 Desdemona. Desdemona Mazza was an Italian s...

Welles is an Old English surname meaning "spring of water." Wellesley is a variant, commonly found as a surname as well. As a surname Welles dates back to 1086 and is credited to a well (spring) in Lincolnshire. As far as Wellesley goes, there were 5 girls given the name in 2015, none in 2016, 5 in 2017and 6 boys in 1923, that is all. For Welles, there were 46 boys given the name in 2017 and no girls. There's really only one namesake with Welles as a first name - Welles Crowther, an American who died saving others during 9/11. Wellesley is perhaps more well known as the surname of the Dukes of Wellington and there are no well known namesakes with Wellesley as their given name. Welles is a decidedly nickname-free name, while Wellesley can be shortened to Welles.

Bex can be a nickname for Rebecca and Beckett, but Bex, which happens to be a municipality in Switzerland, could be a name of its own. Some of you might recognize Bex Taylor-Klaus who has starred in the TV shows Arrow , House of Lies , Scream , and The Killing . However, Bex can be short for Bexley, which happens to be a place in east London and in Ohio. That's two-for-one in the place names department. Bexley, which means "boxtree meadow," ranked #970 in 2016 for girls (275 girls total), while it was only given to 13 boys that year. Bex was not used at all. As far as namesakes go, Bexley was the surname of actor Donald Thomas "Bubba" Bexley. Bexley is sometimes said to mean "pasture by the stream," and as  this article  claims, it was recorded as Bix, later Bixle, in the Domesday Book . But that might not be entirely accurate, and it seems Bex was recorded in the book itself.  This source  tells us it actually means "box tree meadow," from t...

These medieval names still have potential for the right parents. Here they are with U.S. statistics when applicable. Boys Ailwin Alden (still in use with 388 boys in 2016) Alric (13 boys in 2016) Anselm (12 in 2016) Ashwin (70 in 2016) Beric (6 in 2016) Bertram (6 in 2016) Birstan Blacwin Brynstan Caedmon (30 in 2016) Cenhelm or Kenelm Cenred Cynric - prn. KIN-rik Delwyn Dunstan Edric (42 in 2016) Elstan Elwin (13) & Elwyn (12) Everard (none, but 87 Everardo) Fordwin Godric (36 in 2016) Harold (285 in 2016) Herbert (80 in 2016) Holbert - gives the nickname Holt easy Jaruman Lambin Lanfranc Leofred Leofric Mervin (53 in 2016) Norbert (5 in 2016) Nordman (0), Norman (180) Nothelm, possibly Northelm Ordric Osborn (16 in 2016), Osmer, Osmund, Osric, Oswin Randal (190 Randall compared to 24 Randal) Roderic, Roderick (7 Roderic & 199 Roderick) Rodney (338) Roger (407) Sabert Selwyn (6) Sperling Swithin - a bit of an oddball but I could ...

Brightwen is a unisex baby name that means "bright friend" in Old English from the root words beorht and wine . However, as pointed out by K. M. Sheard, it was also influenced by Beorhtwynn, beorht still meaning "friend,"  wynn meaning "joy." Brightwyna/Brigthwyna (BRIYT-win-uh seems intuitive but it's likely BRIGT-win-uh) is a strictly female form of the name, a variant of Brichtwyn (BRIKT-win), which may be related to the Dutch name Brecht (BREKT), whose feminine form is Brechtje (BREKT-yeh). Its other close relations Robert and Albert may be more familiar. Brithwen, Beorhtwynn, and Brichtwen could be other forms. We also know of Beorhtwulf, which was used around 840 on medieval Anglo-Saxons, possibly a king. The bert/beorht element was not uncommon. Brightwen may be more often found as a surname, as in the case of Scottish naturalist Eliza Brightwen. It is important to note that the surname developed after the Norman Conquest, while the given name...

This Anglo-Saxon place name would also work quite well as a baby name for girls. The English kingdom of Mercia, which was part of a heptarchy during the 8th century, derived from the Old English word merce , meaning "border people," also found as mryce and mierce . It is ultimately from a root word meaning "boundary." The kingdom was independent from the 6th century to the 9th century. Mercia is typically pronounced mer-SEE-uh. Sometimes this name is found as a variant of Mercy and pronounced mer-SEE-uh, but it may have also been a variant of Marsha and pronounced MER-sha. As for namesakes, Mercia MacDermott was a writer of Bulgarian history, and Mercia Deane-Johns is an Australian actress. Mercia is a very rare baby name in the U.S. In 2016 it was only given to 5 girls, and although it has been used every now and again since 1918, it has never been given more than 9 times in a year.

Rochester Castle in Kent Place-name meets preppy bookworm, the Old English name Rochester is a bit of Chester and a bit of a handsome classic like Robert, Rockwell or Roderick. In England, -chester/cester is a suffix meaning "fort, soldier camp." It comes from Latin castrum , dating back to ancient Roman times. Therefore the boy's name Chester means "soldier camp," and Rochester means "stone fortress." It seems like using Rochester is a perfect way to honor a Chester in the family tree, or Chester or Chet could be Rochester's nickname. Most are familiar with the city of Rochester, NY or Rochester, MI, but there are several more place names in the U.S. and abroad. Namesakes include Rochester Van Jones in "The Jack Benny Program," Rochester Neal of "The Dixie Nightingales" band, musician Rochester Fosgate, and four songs with Rochester in the title. As a surname it is not uncommon. There are also the titles Baron and Earl ...

This boy's name is of Old English origin, pronounced RAM-zee, has a few possible meanings. One is the seemingly obvious "ram island," while another is "raven island." In Old English ,  hræm was raven, and ramm was ram. In Old Norse, rammr was strong, giving this a third meaning of "strong island." The name comes from the Clan Ramsay, dating back to the 11th century, beginning with Symon de Ramesie. As a surname there are dozens of namesakes, but the spelling Ramsey is more popular for namesakes as a first name. The Baron de Ramsey is also a title in the Peerage of the UK. It seems that the spelling Ramsey comes as a toponymic surname. The spelling Ramsay was given to only 7 boys in 2016, hinting that it is still primarily a surname, while Ramsey was chosen for 150 boys, definitely falling in the category of place-name turned baby name. Perhaps the only well-known literary & TV character is Ramsay Snow (aka Ramsay Bolton) from the Game of Thro...

If Osric (OZ-rik) looks at all familiar, you've probably read Shakespeare's Hamlet , in which Osric is a courtier. Osric is also a prince in the fantasy series The Chronicles of Amber , a king in the 1982 movie Conan the Barbarian , and there is actor Osric Chau. From history we have a handful of namesakes. Osric of Deira was a king in the kingdom of Deira in the mid-600's, Northern England, but he did not leave much of a legacy. Osric of Northumbria ruled from 718 until 729, and he may be a descendant of Osric of Deira. Osric of Sussex probably ruled at the same time as Osric of Northumbria, but in Sussex alongside another ruler. Osric of the Hwicce was an Anglo-Saxon ruler in the kingdom of Hwicce and might've ruled jointly with his brother. His mother came from Northumbria, so there is a possible relation to the first two Osric's. This last king left a bit more of a legacy, founding two monasteries - Bath Abbey and Gloucester Cathedral. The legendary chroni...

Baylor is a name that sounds similar to modern favorites Blair and Taylor, giving it a slightly preppy vibe, yet it has an almost medieval underlying quality - like something out of a fantasy story. It is generally taken to mean "one who delivers goods" from the English term bailor . We are a bit uncertain, but it is first found as a surname after the Norman Invasion in the form of Baeler, in Westmoreland. As a German occupational surname, from beile , it means "measuring stick," given in reference to those who made them or inspected them. Baylor is relatively new in terms of popularity, first popping onto the top 1000 in 2014 for boys, with 218 boys given the name that year, and soon it will break the top 1000 for girls because it was given to 215 girls in 2015. It remains an uncommon choice for either gender - at least until it climbs higher on the chart. Popularity might be in part thanks to Baylor University, founded by R.E.B. Baylor. The spelling Bailor was g...

Galt is a boy's name meaning "wild boar" in Old Norse and Old English. Galton is a separate name, and the meaning "steep wooded land" is unsubstantiated. In Old Norse it began use as a nickname, a reference to someone who used the strength or ferocity of a wild boar in battle. The name also has a place in Old Gaelic - used to refer to someone from Gaul, meaning "foreigner," and therefore a surname of separate origins (but still one that started as a nickname). Gault is another form of the surname, which has a connection to the Norwegian word gald , meaning "hard/high ground," and it is the name of the archaeological clay formation Gault. If you follow little  breadcrumbs  there's a bit more interesting info connecting the Gaelic name with the Scandinavian one and adding in a possible Viking and Huguenot twist. As for namesakes, there may only be one with Galt as a given name: musician Galt MacDermot. But with the last name, there is Sir...

Yardley, also sometimes spelled Yeardley or Yeardlea (less often Yeardlee, Yeardleigh and Yeardlie), is an English surname occassionally found as a given name. It means "enclosed (fenced) meadow," and is pronounced YARD-lee. There are a few namesakes for Yeardley: George Yeardley, plantation owner and a former governor of Virginia whose wife was Temperence Flowerdew Yaerdley; voice actress Yeardley Smith, who was born Martha (Marge,  The Simpsons ); lacrosse player Yeardley Love, who was murdered; also Quaker missionary John Yeardley. The spelling Yardley is largely used as a place name, and it can be seen on several people as a surname, but as a given name this is the name of patent attorney Yardley Chittick, born Charles Yardly Chittick, and news reporter Megyn Kelly's daughter. The cosmetics brand Yardley of London was established in 1770. In the news last year (2015) a baby was named Yardley and her brother was named Camden for Orioles home field Camden Yards. Oth...

Oscar de le Renta  Sailor is a baby name with immediate imagery impact: an actual sailor on the sea, or perhaps someone in the Navy. While the word sailor as we know it today does refer to a person who sails a boat, and it has meant that in English since the 17th century, as a surname it comes from Old French sailleor, meaning "leaper, dancer," which was used as an occupational surname, and from Old German seil, meaning "rope," as an occupational name: rope maker. There is possibly a connection here between the use of ropes in sailing. It sounds summery, modern and unisex. This name is rising in popularity, from only five boys given the name in 1997 and then ten girls in 1998, in 2015 it increased to 42 boys and 234 girls, making it rank just outside the top 1000 for girls (but still rare on boys). You may have heard this name on a little one before, but perhaps Sailor isn't how that child's name was spelled. Saylor, Sayler, and Saylar have also been us...

Garden is a baby name option for the very brave, although it wouldn't be the first time this unisex name was used. It was used in 1923 on five boys, but for all we know this may have been a surname used in honor, much like the use of Gardener as a given name (although Gardener is an occupational surname). Garden basically means "enclosed yard," but through time it has been used to refer to a home orchard, kitchen garden or personal yard. Today we immediately think of a beautiful flower, herb, or vegetable garden. It sounds similar to the vintage gemstone name Garnet, the trending Arden, masculine Gordon, and popular Grayden-Ayden type names (names ending with N are very popular now).

Sir William Wallace stained glass in Edinburgh Castle Wallace (WAHL-iss) is an unusual baby name, since it means "Welshman," but it's of Old French origin, from the word waleis that translates to "Celtic foreigner." Before this, Wallace came from the cognate of an Old English word (Wylisc, Welisc) of the same meaning: "Welshman; foreigner." It originated as a surname. Most of the namesakes bearing Wallace as a surname were from the 1800's and 1900's, and there are many namesakes representing the armed forces, law, media, sports, religion, and sciences. If this name interests you, be sure to look up Alfred Russel Wallace, who was the first to create the theory of evolution in regard to natural selection, and who inspired Charles Darwin. In fiction there are characters in Final Fantasy VII , Pulp Fiction , Stargate , EastEnders , The Office and more with Wallace as their last name. The surname Walsh is connected to Wallace. Wallace may h...

Eternity graffiti, Arthur Stace Eternity is an intriguing option as a girls baby name. While word names are always popular, those with grand meanings are favorites. Serenity, for example, has been climbing the charts steadily and now sits high at #71. Eternity, however, remains rare. In 2015 there were only 84 baby girls given the name, which is about the same amount for the past decade. It has only been used since about 1990, which is when Calvin Klein introduced the perfume Eternity. However, the universal concept of eternity (mathematical, philosophical, religious or otherwise) has been around for, pun intended , eternity, and there is no off-putting association for it. From old Latin aeturnus , Eternity means "without beginning or end." Synonym: forever. It is easy to see as a name - just like Destiny or Trinity. It has a modern, feminine sound, like Eve, Lily (currently ranking at #25) or Emily (currently ranking at #8). Nicknames could be Etty, Teri, or Terny, ...