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Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Always in the Top 100

I was taking a look at the top 100 names from 2015 and 1915 and was seeing which names were in both (check out the post here!). After I made the post I was thinking about which of those names have always been in the top 100. So I did some research and came up with a very short list.


I was extremely surprised to see that there was only one girl name. I expected at least one more name to be on this list. Are you surprised by the names? Were there any names you were expecting to see? I had so much fun looking at these list. 

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Sunday, March 26, 2017

100 Years Later and Still Rocking the Top 100!

I thought it would be cool to take a look and see what names were in the top 100 for both 2015 and 1915. After a 100 years what names have stuck around or made there way back onto the list? I have to stay most of the names on this list did not surprise me. There were some names in the 2015 top 100 that I expected to see in the 1915 top 100 like Matthew and Sadie.



William 
2015 rank: #5
1915 rank: #2

James 
2015 Rank: #7
1915 rank: #3

Michael
2015 rank: #9
1915 rank: #43

Benjamin 
2015 rank: #10
1915 rank: #71

Daniel
2015 rank: #12
1915 rank: #55

David
2015 rank: #18
1915 rank: #31

Joseph 
2015 rank: #21
1915 rank: #5

Samuel
2015 rank: #23
1915 rank: #39

Anthony
2015 rank: #25
1915 rank: #36

John
2015 rank: #26
1915 rank: #1

Henry
2015 rank: #29
1915 rank: #14

Andrew
2015 rank: #30
1915 rank: #46

Jack
2015 rank: #40
1915 rank: #27

Charles
2015 rank: #50
1915 rank: #7

Thomas
2015 rank: #51
1915 rank: #10

Robert
2015 rank: #63
1915 rank: #4

Leo 
2015 rank: #91
1915 rank: #47

Theodore
2015 rank: #99
1915 rank: #64


Emma 
2015 rank:#1
1915 rank: #40

Emily 
2015 rank: #8
1915 rank: #99

Charlotte
2015 rank: #9
1915 rank: #81

Elizabeth
2015 rank: #13
1915 rank: #8

Evelyn
2015 rank: #15
1915 rank: #10

Ella 
2105 rank: #18
1915 rank: #75

Grace
2105 rank: #19
1915 rank: #27

Lillian
2015 rank: #26
1915 rank: #15

Anna
2015 rank: #44
1915 rank: #7

Violet
2015 rank: #50
1915 rank: #84

Stella
2015 rank: #51
1915 rank: #64

Lucy 
2015 rank: #55
1915 rank: #79

Sarah
2015 rank: #58
1915 rank: #51

Eleanor
2015 rank: #60
1915 rank: #28

Hazel
2015 rank: #63
1915 rank: #26

Eva
2015 rank: #75
1915 rank: #55

Ruby 
2015 rank: #83
1915 rank: #24

Katherine 
2015 rank: #84
1915 rank: #49

Alice
2015 rank: #87
1915 rank: #13

Julia 
2015 rank: #89
1915 rank: #44

Vivian 
2015 rank: #95
1915 rank: #78

Clara
2015 rank: #98
1915 rank: #38

What are your favorite names from the list? Which names surprised you? I have a few more comparison type posts I would love to do. Be on the look out for them! 

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Friday, March 17, 2017

Traditional Irish Names {Boys}

I am so in love with Irish names. Part of me thinks its because I am Irish myself but the other part is because the names are just so beautiful and unique. They are also easy to spot as Irish just by looking at them. I featured some traditional Irish girl names yesterday so I am going to share with you some traditional Irish boy names today. Names like Aiden, Sean, and Patrick are not on this list so you are getting a nice variety of unique names.


Ailill
Pronounced: AL-yil
Meaning: Elf 
This is a name that is frequent in Irish legend. One Ailill is the youngest husband of Queen Medb. It is believed that she chose him because he was a man without meanness, fear of jealousy, and a match for her own greatness.



Bran 
Pronounced: BRAN
Meaning: Raven
In Irish legend Bran was a mariner who was involved in many adventures. I am a Game of Thrones fan and there is a character with the name int he series. This might be a coincidence but Bran in the show has connects with ravens.



Cairbre
Pronounced: KAHR-bra
Meaning: Charioteer
Cairbre is the name of many historical and mythological figures in medieval Ireland. There was the poet, King of Tara, 1st century High King of Ireland, Ulster Warrior, eponymous founder of the Cenél Coirpri and many others. Not only is it a first name it is also a place name in Ireland. Its a great occupation name that many people wouldn't think of. 




Erskine
Pronounced: UR-skien
Meaning: Projecting Heights 
The name is a surname that was derived from a Scottish town. Erskine Childers is a famous Irish novelist and nationalist. His novel, The Riddle of the Sands is one of great influence. As an Irish patriot, Erskine smuggled guns into Ireland on his sailing yacht.



Fionnbharr
Pronounced: FIN-var
Meaning: Fair hair
Saint Fionnbharr of Cork was a 6th century bishop who was said to have performed miracle cures. The Barry Islands off of Wales were named after him. The name is a great alternative to the ever popular Finn and Finley.



Lorcán
Pronounced: LOR-kan
Meaning: Little Fierce One 
I just adore this name! I think this is the easiest name on the list to pronounce in English. For some reason I thought I talked about this name on Instagram already but I am mistaken. Must have been on someone else's account and not its bugging me because I can't remember. Some of you may know the name because of a character in Harry Potter. 



Oisín
Pronounced: OSH-een, USH-een
Meaning: Little Deer
In Irish legend Oisín was a warrior hero and poet. The name is currently ranked at #12 in Ireland. I am a huge fan of animal name so the meaning is just the cutest. Wouldn't a hunting themed nursery be so cute for a little Oisín?!



Ruaidhrí
Pronounced: ROR-ee
Meaning: Red King 
The last high king before the Norman invasion in Ireland from the 12th century was named Ruaidhrí. This name is great because it is the Irish spelling or Rory. If you can get over the fact that most people won't be able to pronounce it I think its great to use. 



Tadhg
Pronounced: TIEG
Meaning: Poet
An 11th century king of Connact was named Tadhg along with many other kings in Ireland. I think this is one of the few traditional Irish names that I see for boys from time to time. In Ireland the name has gained popularity. It was #69 in 2005 and #40 in 2010. The name is most common in South-west Ireland.



Tighearnán
Pronounced: TEER-nawn
Meaning: Little Lord
Tighearnán is the name of a 12th century king of Breifne  in Ireland. He was contently expanding his kingdom through alliances. The English variant of the name is Tiernan, an easy to pronounce name. 



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Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Traditional Irish Names {Girls}

Irish names are so beautiful. There are the names that are easy on English speaking parents like Aiden, Patrick, and Sean but what I really enjoy is the traditional Irish names. They can be hard to pronounce but are just beautiful. With St. Patrick's Day right I thought it would only be fitting to look at some beautiful Irish names.



Aoife
Pronounced EE-fa 
Meaning: Beauty 
In Irish legend Aoife was a warrior princess. She went to war with her sister but eventually reconciled with her. Sometimes the name is used as an Irish form of Eva or Eve.



Caoimhe 
Pronounced KEE-va
Meaning: Beautiful, Gentle, Kind 
This is such a beautiful name. I really like the anglicized spelling of the name, Keeva. Caoimhe is ranked in the top 20 in Ireland. I think the meaning is also pretty great. 



Gráinne
Pronounced GRAWN-ya
Meaning: Grain 
The first time I saw this name I had no idea it was Irish and thought that it was pronounced like grain. After some research I was corrected. Gráinne is the name of the ancient Irish goddess of grain. Sometimes the name is believed to mean love. 



Mairéad
Pronounced MAW-rayt or Ma-REYD
Meaning: Irish form of Margaret (pearl)
I actually know a girl with the name Mairead. She often tells people that her name is Parade but with an M. Its a great way to honor a Margaret and I am a huge fan of all things Margaret. To no surprise there is a saint with the name. 



Niamh
Pronounced NEEV
Meaning: Bright
I could die for this name! I get so excited to see it used. Irish legend says that Niamh was the daughter of the sea god. The name is in the top 50 in Ireland and #109 in England and Wales. 



Pádraigín
Pronounced PAW-dri-geen
Meaning: Irish form of Patricia (noblemen)
Most of the names on this list I have seen before but Pádraigín is new to me. I feel like this is one of the names that would give people a run for their money when they try to pronounce it. Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin is an Irish singer bearing the name. 



Róisín
Pronounced ROSH-een 
Meaning: Form of Rose
Róisín is very popular in Ireland at number 25.  There was poem from the 16th-17th century called Roisin Dubh or Dark Little Rose. I think this is such a cool alternative to Rose. 



Saoirse 
Pronounced SEER-sha
Meaning: Freedom 
Saoirse Ronan can be found in the movie The Lovely Bones and brought light to the name. After she started staring in more and more movies people slowly learned how to pronounce the name and were noticing it more. In Ireland the name is in the top 20 and has been for years. 



Siobhán
Pronounced shi-VAWN
Meaning: Variant of Jeanne (Yahweh is gracious) 
I knew a Siobhán in high school and thought it was the coolest thing. If you can't tell I was so excited to hear her name. Many early Irish queens had the name but it was introduced to America by actress Siobhan McKenna from the 1940s and 1950s. 



Úna
Pronounced OO-na
Meaning: Lamb 
I adore the name Una! Its probably my favorite U name for girls. Like other names on this list Una is from a poem. One called Una Poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson and For Una by Robinson Jeffers. Other spellings of the name include Oona, Unah, and Unna. 

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Friday, March 10, 2017

Unique One Syllable Middle Names {Boys}

Yesterday I featured 10 unique one syllable girl middle names and today I am going to do the boys! Today is Middle Name Pride day and the inspiration behind the two blog posts. What is your middle name? What are your favorite middle names? I always love to hear people's full names and see how they flow.

I know a lot of people like one syllable middle names because a lot of times they flow good with the first name. Another aspect of naming that I have noticed over the years is people like unique names but don't feel they can use them as a name. I say that just because it doesn't work as the first name doesn't mean it can't work as the middle name! That is why I have a list of unique one syllable names that you can use below.



Ford- I have Ford in my top 10 but I have been noticing people using it in the middle name spot. It is great to use after the car company if your like cars.

Penn- Penn always makes me think of William Penn but that could be because I'm from Pennsylvania. I also like Penn in honor of a writer.

Holt- Holt is a Southern name and a word name. It has a sound to it that is unique and different.

West- Kim Kardashian named her daughter North so why can't West be used? It sounds very southern and county in my mind.

Boone- I am starting to realize by looking at this list that a lot of the names are county feeling. Boone is no different. Its not a name you will hear around much.

Ames- James is a common middle name for boys so why not use Ames. Its a nice way to honor a James and has almost the same sound.

Rush- I am a huge fan of word names so its no surprise I like the name Rush. You can also make it a nature name to like the rush of water going by.

Twain- Mark Twain is a famous author out there. If there are parents who like literature or him as an author Twain would make a perfect middle name.

Creed- Creed is a religious name and one that isn't known immediately. A creed is a formal statement of Christian beliefs.

Kit- I adore the name Kit for a boy. The only thing is I could never use it as a first name unless I used it as a nickname but I can't find a full name I love. If you want to honor a Christopher or Christian I think this is a good way to do it.


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Thursday, March 9, 2017

Unique One Syllable Middle Names {Girls}

The middle name is the place to put your unique names that you aren't brave enough to use as a first name. I think having a cool middle name is the best and its always nice to stand out int he crowd a little. My middle name is Ashley, not unique but when I tell people they are always surprised and are expecting it to be Anne or Marie. A lot of middle names are one syllable and the one syllable names are the names that go with just about any first name. I have 10 unique one syllable names for you for girls.



Rue- Rue has many forms to her: Golden Girls Actress, Hunger Games character, surname, and herbal plant

Air- Dare I saw a nature name? Air is natural so I'd say it works.

Snow- I have raved about his name in the past few months. It's short, sweet and a nature name.

Teal- Color names make great middle names. It's also a bird name believe it or not.

Maeve- Maeve makes a great May or Marie alternative, both of which are common middle names for girls.

Dove- This is the second bird name on the list but its a little more noticeable as a bird name than Teal. I love the romantic, peaceful feeling of the name.

Sloane- Sloane is an 80s move name from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 2015 she ranked at #327

Blair- I am a huge Gossip Girls fan and Blair was one of my favorite characters. I like how the name just flows off the tongue.

Noor- Noor is so much like Nora. Since Nora is two syllables and ends with an A it might not go well with a lot of first names. Noor is the perfect fix.

Maude- Maude is a vintage name that can remind people of Queens and the British.


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Monday, March 6, 2017

Unisex Irish Surnames

I adore surname names as first names. They always feel so fresh and cool. One of my favorite parts about surname first names is they are a great and unique way to honor one or more members of your family. Since St. Patrick's Day is this month I thought it would be great to write about unisex Irish surnames. Irish surnames always seem to have a different feel to them than other surnames. I choice to do unisex names because lets face it most surnames are unisex.



Clancy
Red-Haired Warrior
As I was doing research for this blog post I noticed that the name favors boys more so than girl. I always thought that Clancy would work really nice on a girl because it reminds me a little of Claire and Nancy. The most famous Clancy out there is Tom Clancy, a novelist and video game designer. We also have a lot of fictional characters named Clancy that are males. They come from The Simpsons, The Darkest Minds trilogy, and the tv show House. Clancy can be a nickname for the name Clarence.

Connolly
Valiant  Hound/Wolf
Love, Friendship
Connolly makes a great alternative or a way to honor a Connor. As the population ages the Connors because older and more and more are having kids. Because Connolly is unisex its an easy way to name a girl after a Connor. If you have a Colleen in your family or like the name but want something that sounds more modern I think Connolly/Connelly is a great option. There are a few spellings to the name; Connolly, Connelly, or Connall.

Dempsey
Proud
Now I have seen the name Dempsey on both girls and boys equally. The last time I saw the name was while browsing Instagram when I came across a set of twin girls. One was named Dempsey and I can't remember for the life of me what the second girl's name was. I know they were adopted and just the cutest thing. Many people might think of Patrick Dempsey from Grey's Anatomy.

Flannery
Red Valour 
Flannery is another name I heard on Instagram. It was on a little girl and I thought it was so cool right away. Flannery O'Connor is a female writer who used the name before surname names were popular. Her birth name was Mary Flannery O'Connor and she had 2 novels and many other pieces of writing. In the book The Secret Language of Girls by Frances O'Roark Dowell there is a girl amend Flannery.

Gallagher 
Descendant of foreign helper 
I know many, many families with the surname Gallagher and was always so used to it in the surname spot. It took a little bit for me to see the name as a first name. The most recent place I have heard the name was from he tv show Shameless. The family are the show are named Gallagher. This is one of the names on the list I can see equally on both a girl and a boy. Gally or Ally would make cute nicknames. 

Madigan
Dog, Mastiff
Years ago I came across this name as a girls name. It was an alternative to the popular Madison and I fell in love. It wasn't until months later that I realized it was an unisex name. just like Madison. Simmone Jade Mackinnon named her son Madigan James Mackinnon and that is really the only boy I could find with the name. Madgian Shive is a female musician bearing the name.

Murphy
Sea Warrior 
I am a huge fan of The 100. One of the characters on the show goes by Murphy and I always think of him. Personality I lean toward the name on a boy but I wouldn't be opposed to see it on a girl. As a surname it is very common in Ireland. I'm sure some of you know families with the surname where you live. The one downside to the name, which I don't think many people will pick up on, is Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong will).

Rooney
Descendant of the Champion 
I just love how upbeat this name sounds. Roo or Rue is such a great nickname for this name. Rooney Mara is an actress (you can find her in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and brought light tot he name, especially for girls. If you didn't know about Rooney Mara than maybe you know about Mickey Rooney from Night at the Museum, The Fox and the Hound, and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Sheridan
Searcher
One of my favorite parts about having a name instagram is being able to connect with other people who love names in an easy way. There are so many names that I was introduced to because of other names and Sheridan was one. Just recently Ianthe from Namestation featured a subset and one of the girls was named Sheridan. I fell in love right away. The beginning sound makes me think girl but the end makes me think boy.

Tierney
Descendant of a lord 
Like Madigan, Tierney is a name I loved years ago. I think go of a girl right away but it works just as well on a boy. I would even be happy to hear it on a boy. Tierney Sutton is an American female jazz singer. The original form of Tierney is Tiarnach and there are several saints with the name both male and female. 






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Friday, March 3, 2017

Happy Names

There are people out there who focus on the meaning of names and prefer names that have good meanings. I personally don't put much thought into the actual meaning. For me, it is more important to have a personal meaning to a name, such as my grandmother's name, than something that means beautiful or noble. With that being said, I still enjoy finding names with good meanings. One of the wonderful meanings a name can have is happy. 



Alaia (Joyful, Happy) 
Alaia is such a beautiful name that is on the rise in the United States. In 2015 is was ranked at #664 and I wouldn't be surprised if in 2016 it was int he top 500. 

Blythe (Cheerful) 
Blythe is a surname turned first name. Drew Barrymore has this as a middle name. I know there a few namers out there that like the Anne of Green Gables series so they will know right away that Blythe is a surname in the series. 

Chara (Happiness, Joy) 
Chara is a Greek name and is a star in a constellation that represents hunting dogs. It is a variant of Sarah and Charlotte. My grandmother's name was Sarah so I think Chara would make a nice way to honor her. 

Felicity (Happiness, Good Luck)
This is a virtue name that was used during the Puritan times. I am in love with he nickname Flick for Felicity. 

Gioconda (Pleasant, Joyful, Happy)
Pronounced Jo-KON-dah. Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Mona Lisa" is often referred to as La Gioconda because its subject was Lisa del Gioconda.

Joy (Joy)
I had to but joy on the list because even though it doesn't mean happy joy and happiness go hand in hand. Because the name is so short it makes a great middle name for just about any name. 

Kalea (Joy, Happiness)
Kalea is a beautiful Hawaiian name and I read that is is a variant of Claire. It sounds a lot like more popular names like Aaliyah and Callie. 

Letitia (Joy, Happiness)
I have noticed that I am always drawn to nicknames and go looking for full names for them. One of the nicknames I really love is Letty because of her vintage, frilly feel. I think Letitia os a nice full name for it. 

Makena (Happy One)
In Kikuyu Makena is an unisex name with the meaning happy one. I placed it on the girls list because the more common spelling Makenna is a used mostly on girls. 

Mehetabel (God Makes Happy)
I have to say this is probably my favorite girl name on the list. I adore this name greatly for her sound and uniqueness. You can find the name briefly in the Old Testament. 

Radana (Happy, Willing) 
Radana is a Slavic name. Although the name is very unique I think it fits with other girl names that end in ana/anna. The nickname Rade would be so cool. 



Asher (Happy, Blessed) 
In the bible, Asher was the son of Jacob and one of the ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel. There is a great explanation in the bible about his name. Genesis 30:13 says "And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher."

Gil (Joy, Happiness) 
Gil is a Hebrew name and is pronounced zheel. People will often mistake it for Gil, such as a nickname for Gilbert or Gilmore. I think you can still use the more English pronunciation for the name as well as a nickname. 

Hani (Happy)
Although this is an Arabic name I think it works nicely in the English language. I would use caution because it may be mistaken for a girls name. 

Macario (Blessed, Happy) 
Pronounced mah-KAH-ryo. A spanish name that is the name of several early saints and I think would work nicely with the nickname Mac. 

Obrad (To Make Happy) 
Obrad is a Serbian name and I hardly ever see Serbian names. I like the sound of it and when I first saw the name it made me think of Conrad. 

Radovan (Happy, Willing) 
You'll see I she the girls ahem Radana on this list so its only fitting if I put Radovan on the list for boys. I think to me it sounds so cool. The nickname Rade is great for a boy and you could even use Donny or Dovan. 

Seeley (Blessed, Happy) 
I think Seeley is so cool on a boy. It is an unisex name that I see working for girls but for me Its a boy name. The only down fall to it is the mattress brand, which isn't that big of a down fall at all. 

Wynnstan (Joy Stone) 
I am all about the W names for boys lately. I just adore them and their uniqueness. I just found this name while looking up names that mean Happy and I am going to add it to my list of favorites. It's an Anglo-Saxon name. 






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