Miss World 2014

The Miss World winner was just crowned a few days ago. I happened to catch it on Tumblr I believe and the winner's name caught my eye. Her name was Rolene and that is what sparked this post. I went and looked at all of the contestants and found some pretty cool and fun names. And now we have a post about it. 

Rosetta Cartwright

• Bahamas
• Variant of Rosa meaning Rose
• Latin

Although I thin of the language software at first, I think this is a cool variant of the name Rose. I believe people will get over the initial Rosetta Stone thought quickly. Roe, Rosie. and Etta are all cute nicknames. 

Leandra Gracia Caicedo

• Colombia 
• Lioness 
• Greek 

Leandra is such a gorgeous, strong name. I love the meaning because lions are fierce, beautiful animals. I also like the boy name Leander a who ton and could have influence on my liking to the name. 

Gayle Sulvaran

• Curaçao 
• Variant of Abigail meaning my father is joy 
• Hebrew 

Gayle is so simple and straight forward. It's kind of old lady chic. If I was to use it, it would be as a nickname for Abigail. 

Ioánna Filíppou

• Cyprus 
• Variant of Joanna meaning God is gracious 
• Greek 

One word does this name not look beautiful to you?! I just love looking at it and even saying it (re-oh-ah-nah). It's filled with vowels too. 

Amina Ashraf

• Egypt
• Trustworthy, faithful
• Arabic 

I love my A names, especially when it is a girl name that begins and ends with an A. The name sounds so pretty with the mee sound in the middle. It ages really well too. 

Keyla Lisbeth Bermúdez Nuñez

• Guatemala 
• Variant of Kayla meaning slim and fair
• Irish 

At first glance the name looks like Kayla but I feel like people in English speaking countries will pronounce it like Key-la and not Kay-la. I think the name looks really pretty and fresh spelled Keyla. 

Edina Kulcsár

• Hungary 
• Wealthy 
• English 

I was never the biggest fan of E names but in recent months I have started to really love them. Edina is another pretty name that I really like. The E makes it a little exotic and I like names that have the -ina sound. 

Koyal Rana

• India 

I wasn't able to find information on the name Koyal except that it is definitely an Indian name. Every website had something to do with India. The way I am pronouncing it is like Royal but with a K. I think Coy would be a cute nickname. 

Dewi Liana Seriestha

• Malaysia
• Variant of David meaning beloved 
• Welsh 

Dewi is really a boy name in most countries to my knowledge. I immediately think of Dewey from Malcolm in the Middle when I hear this name and can't really take it seriously on a girl. It would be really cute and different though. 

Milica Vulklis

• Serbia 
• Favor, grace
• Slavonic 

Milica is such a pretty name. I have never heard it before but it really goes well with other names like Amelia and Lilika. Milly would be such a cute nickname!

Rolene Strauss

• South Africa 
• Free Man 
• German 

Rolene was the winner of Miss World 2014 and the reason I started this post. Her name is so unique and different. I think it's just nice to look at. Rolly would be a cute nickname. 

Maeya Nonthawen Thongleng

• Thailand 

I was unable to find information on the name Maeya. I still think it I really different and I pronounce it May-yuh. It could be a nice alternative to May. 

Andriana Khasanshin

• Ukraine 
• Variant of Andrea meaning manly, virile 
• Greek

I love Andriana! It's so pretty and long. It's different but not crazy out there. I like that it begins and ends with an A. Andi, Andri, and Annie are all cute nicknames for it. 

Romina Fernández Sellanes

• Uruguay 
• Variant of Roma, a place name (Rome) 
• Italian 

I think Romina is yet another pretty name. You can see that I think most girl names are pretty. I love Ro- names because the nickname Roe is so cute on a girl. Rome and Romy are also possibly nicknames.

I really thought it was going to be hard finding information on these names because some of this names were so different. This post was honestly one of the quickest posts I've done. One of my favorite things about this post was that I got to see names on people in different countries. 

What was everyone's favorite names? Here are the names for recap:

Rosetta

Leandra

Gayle

Ioanna

Amina

Keyla

Edina

Koyal 

Dewi

Milica

Rolene

Maeya

Andriana

Romina

My favorite has got to be Andriana with Milica in second. 

*Photos all came from http://www.missworld.com/Contestants/*

Surprising Name Loves

Sometimes I start loving names that simply surprise me. Names that have nothing to do with my usual loves or style. Many times they are names that are pretty popular and popular names are something I usually hate. The following  names are names I am loving lately and am actually surprised I love them.

James is such a classic and pretty popular name. Within the last few months I have met two James's that are college students and I would say they have helped me love the name but it should really be the opposite. I do not like the nicknames Jim or Jimmy so I would either call him James or even Jam or Jem. Jamie is a nice nickname too. Because I have an older cousin named James I don't think it would be usable. Although he only goes by Jimmy and I have never heard him called James. If I wasn't going to call my baby Jimmy than it could work.

Pip is such a cool nickname for a little boy. It's actually kind of vintage because it's usually used as a nickname for Phillip. I always find nicknames that I love but never full names to go with them. I don't like Phillip so I'm still on the look out for full names.

The very first time I heard the name Nigella I hated it. It was too masculine sounding to me. After doing a name post on Ella names I am now in love with it. It sounds so pretty and even more unique. This name isn't exactly a surprise to me because I like unique names and I also love girl names that end in an A. The surprising part is how I went from hating the name to loving it.

I recently did a post on my name instagram about this name because to was a request from a follower. When I first saw the name I didn't like it at all. Since doing the post I have really started to love the name. Saying it out loud seemed to help a lot. When it comes to names I really like sharp sounds and letters like v, z, x, and k. I also like that it's short and ends with an A. Really it reminds me of the name Ava a lot because they both end in the -av sound and are two syllables.

Ella Names Beyond Gabriella and Isabella

Ella names seem to be all the rage right now. They are such pretty names with a grand ending to them. I love ella names just like the next person but I'm not a fan of popular names. That is why I complied a list of names that end in the gorgeous Ella sound but are loss popular.

Nigella 

The feminine form of Nigel, Nigella means champion in Irish. One famous Nigella and probably the only Nigella you will hear of is Nigella Lawson, a famous chef and judge on The Taste. Fun Fact about her is her father's name was Nigel. Maybe that is why she is named Nigella?

Anastella

I have heard a fellow Name Sister, Meagan, talk about Anastella and how pretty it is. Just keep repeating Anastella over and over and try to tell me it doesn't sound like a gorgeous princess or fairy. This name is a combination of Ana meaning grace and Stella meaning star.

Carmella

Carmella is the gorgeous Spanish variant of Carmel meaning garden. If you want to go with a nature name but don't want it to be too obvious Carmella is the way to go. Nicknames like Carmi, Cami, Mella, and Melly all work great for Carmella.

Israella 

Israella can be considered a place name to an extent. Its extremely similar to Israel with a little spin. I looked and looked but couldn't find the meaning of Israella. There doesn't seem to a lot on the name, making it a prefect unique name.

Raffaella 

Raffaella has a few different spellings. There is the Raphaella, Raphaela, and Rafaella. I do prefer the two F's and L's though. As the feminine form of Raphael you can use Raffella to honor them. The meaning of Raffella is God Heals in Hebrew. Rafi is a great nickname I have to say.

Marcella

Marcella is kind of a old lady name but at the same time really cute. I know this is a stretch but I think Marni would be a cute nickname for Marcella. They both have the same beginning sound. Marcella means dedicated to Mars in Latin. So with that meaning would you consider it a space name? I think so because it has the hidden meaning.

Aubriella

If you like the name Aubrey but it's too popular Aubriella is perfect for you. It's also great if you want a popular name with a unique spin to it. I had trouble finding the meaning and origin of Aubriella. It's another pretty yet unique name out there.

Donatella 

Donatella is a stunning, strong name. It reminds me of the Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles a little but I don't even care. As an Italian variant of Donato, Donatella means given by God.  I'm sure someone has a Dona in their lives they would like to honor and Donatella is the way to go.

Esabella (Ee-suh-bella)

Esabella is a variant of the name Isabella. I know in the Spanish language people sometimes pronounce Isabella like Esabella. There aren't many E names out there so this one is a nice, unique one.

Joella 

Joella is so pretty! It's very similar to Noelle and Joelle. If you want to honor a Joseph you can use Joella. Joey is a cute tomboy nickname too. Surprising to me Joella is a variant of Joel and Joel means Yahweh is God.

I hope you found some new names you like. Are there any Ella names that I missed that you love? Tell me below!

Top 20 Boy Names

I just posted about my top 20 girl names the other day so now I am going to do my top 20 big names. It took me much longer to write this list because I have such problems loving boy names like I love girl names. Boy names are never my thing.

1. Atlas Conrad

I have loved the name Atlas for such a long time now. I think it is such a cool name. The origin middle name had been Connor but I changed it to Conrad because Conrad is so much cooler. 

2. Theodore Landon "Theo"

This combo was my number one name for a really long time but I don't love it as much as I did. Both names are names I just like. 

3. Pierre Charleston 

Pierre is a name I heard at the daycare I worked at over the summer and fell in love. It sounds very fancy. Charleston is after my dad, Charles. 

4. Ezra Job (Joe-b)

I had Ezra on my list before and just changed the middle name. I think Ezra is a pretty cool name that I once hated. Job reminds me so much of the bible and think it sounds so fresh compared to Joe. 

5. Bishop Montgomery

I love word names as you will find out with this name. I think Bishop sounds so cool because you don't hear many names with that ending sound. Montgomery is a name I love but am not brave enough to use it as a first name. 

6. Cowan Mortimer

Cowan is another name I heard and saw spelled this way at my daycare job. I was so in love with the name I had to add it to my list. You can spell it Cohen or Coen but I like this spelling better. Mortimer is another name I love but am not brave enough to use it as a first name. 

7. Basil Pennington

Again I love word names and nature names. Pennington is cool and honors where I come from a little. Plus the two names together are just a killer pair. 

8. Clement Harrison

I found Clement while searching for names and thought it was so cool. Harrison is a name that was once in my top 10 as a first ahem but I just don't love it as much now. 

9. Flynn Jedidiah

Well I love Tangled but that's not why Flynn is on my list although I did first hear Flynn on the movie. I just like the name. Jedidiah is a name I first heard on 19 Kids and Counting and fell in love. Its one of my favorite J names. 

10. Evan Leroy

So I know an Evan and always thought his name was a great name. I decide to put it on my list. I did have to decide between Evan and Eben, both names I like a whole lot. Leroy is just cool. 

11. Shepherd Jameson 

Another word name that I love and Jameson is just cool. It also reminds me of the name James, which is one of the only classical names I like. 

12. Arrow Dean

I am so in love with this name. Arrow grew on me because of the tv show Arrow and Dean is the name of my second cousin. I love it but couldn't use it because of him. 

13. Rome Francisco

After writing this combo I realized that they are both place names. I really don't care because the combo sounds so cool. Rome is a short and sweet name and Francisco is something that is long and grand. 

14. Abner Coy

I really just love these names. I like Abner because it ends in an -er but is still different. Coy is just so whimsical and cool. 

15. Hawk Edmund

Hawk is a name you really don't hear very often and is probably a guilty pleasure name for people. I paired it with Edmund because it needs a classic, vintage name to balance it out. 

16. Kaleo Ryder (k-uh-lay-o)

I heard the name on a tv show on a Hawaiian man and loved it. I do think people would mispronounce it though. Ryder is to honor my brother, Ryan. 

17. Emerys Cannon

Emerys is an E name that I love. I think it sounds so different and unique. Cannon is after my sister, Shannon, and is a name that I love the look and sound of. 

18. Chet Winston 

Chet is a name that I found why looking for names and put on my list right away. It's short and sweet. Part of me thinks of an American Indian for some reason. Winston is a cool old man name and is after the band Mumford and Sons. 

19. Carlow Grey

I believe this was mentioned in my group chat with my Name Sisters but I later found it while searching for names and it went right on my list. It sounds familiar but at the same time is different. Grey is such spunky and nature-y almost. 

20. Hagan Moses

Hagan I heard on a little baby and than slowly fell in love with it. It sounds so nice and different. Moses is such a sweet biblical name. 

xoxo,

Top 20 Girl Names

For the first time in almost 2 years I not only have a top 10 list for boys and girls but now its a top 20 list! I spent the past month making this list and revising it. I did so much searching for names that I loved enough to put on my list. I than went the extra mile and added middle names to all of the names. Many of the middle names have meaning to me and I'll tell you the meanings if so. So let's get started on the girl names!

1. Juliette Rosalie "Jette"

I am in love with the name Juliette and I love the nickname Jette even more. Rosalie is to honor St. Therese, who has so much meaning to me.

2. Maven Seraphina

I just love Maven and had a hard time picking between Maven and Mavis. I picked Maven because it just looked a little more girly. Seraphina is after my grandma Sarah.

3. Collins Brigitta

I love the name Collins and Brigitta is because I love the name Bridget but that is one of my best friend's name and it also honors her.

4. Soleil Annora

I liked the name Soleil and I liked the meaning even more. It means sun in French.. Annora honors my grandma Anastasia.

5. Keeva Hartley

Again I love Keeva. I fell in love with the name after Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof named their daughter Keeva Jane in 2012. Keeva is also an Irish name and I am Irish. Hartley is just a name I really like. I think the name Hart is so sweet.

6. Leonor Pippa

I love the names Leonor/Leonore and Eleanor/Eleanora. It was hard picking which name I liked the most but I ultimately picked Leonor because it is more unique and less popular than Eleanor. Pippa is just such a spunky name I like.

7. Audra Simone

I heard the name Audra on a few different babies recently and fell in love. I like it better than Audrey because it is so unexpected.

8. Nicolette Pearl "Nikki" 

I love house gorgeous the name Nicolette sounds. I know a girl through some friends who's name is Nicolette but they call her Nikki. Pearl is after my sorority who's jewel is the pearl. Plus I have always loved the name Pearl.

9. Magnolia Beatrice "Maggie/Nola/Nolie" 

This is a combo that was on my old list and I still love it to this day. Magnolia is a precious flower name and Beatrice means she who brings happiness in Latin. I love good meanings on names.

10. Holland Arabella

Holland Arabells is yet another combo from my old list. Holland is just such a cool spunky name and Arabella is a name that I just love but wouldn't use as a first name.

11. Blair Vienne

Gossip Girl is one of my favorite tv shows but that is not why I have Blair on my list. I just love how spunky and preppy it sounds. I wasn't sure if I wanted to use Vienne or Vienna but Vienne just sounded so much more grand and fancy.

12. Wren Katalina

Now I didn't but the name Wren on my list because my name is Ren. I have it on my list because I like the way it sounds and because I love that it is a bird name. Katalina is to honor my mom, Kathleen.

13. Esme Matilda

Esme is such a pretty name and I have recently been loving E names, especially for girls. Matilda has always been a favorite name of mine but is too popular for me to use as a first name. Matilda is my favorite movie too.

14. Ophelia Maislee 

I have had the name Ophelia on my list before but with a different middle name. I just think Ophelia is both different but also beautiful. Maislee is a name I kind of made up I like Maisie and Paisley but wanted a combination of the two.

15. Oceana Cleo

There's nothing really interesting or important about this combo. I just like both names and think they are cool.

16. Halona Saige

Halona means happy fortune and that is one of the reasons I love it. I also like the way it sounds and how pretty it looks. Saige is a name I find pretty and not super girly.

17. Amia Laurel (uh-mee-uh) 

I met a little girl named Amia at my work and fell in love. Its so fresh sounding to the popular name Amia. Laurel is a ahem I heard on the tv show, Arrow, which is a new favorite of mine.

18. Zenobia Elosie "Obie (nickname is said like the letters o and b together) 

I have Zenobia on my list because I love the nickname Obie. We have a girl in my sorority who goes by the nickname Obe because of her last name. Eloise is the middle name because it is pretty and traditional.

19. Paloma Dove

Paloma is such a pretty, strong name. It does mean dove so the meaning of this name is dove dove. I just can't break the combo because I love it so much.

20. Aidra Juniper (aid-dr-uh) 

Aidra is the name of one of my friend's sister and I fell in love when she said told me. Juniper is a name that was once on my list as a first name but I don't love to as much so I moved it to the middle name.


I know this is such a long list but I couldn't make myself stop at just 10! Let me know what you think of these combos and if you have any suggestions on changes.

xoxo,

"Rare" N Girl Names

Nell

• Meaning: Diminutive form of Ellen or Helen; bright, shining one
• Origin: English 
• Siblings: Evie and Theo

I enjoy the name Nell greatly. To me it is the cutest little girl nickname that can grow nicely with her. Some of my favorite full names for it are Penelope, Eleanor, and Cornelia. I would prefer it spelled Nelle, which is a less common spelling of the name. You could also use the name Nella, which I love even more than Nell.

Niamh (NEEV)

• Meaning: Bright 
• Origin: Irish 
• Siblings: Aoife and Niall

Niamh is the Irish spelling of the name but you can also spell it Neve. I love this name but I'm too afraid that it would never be pronounced correctly in the United States. The meaning is very nice and cute. I always get happy when names have good meanings. If anyone is brave enough to use Niamh let me know!

Norma

• Meaning: Rule 
• Origin: Latin 
• Siblings: Doris and Ralph

Norma is one of those vintage names that I just can't see coming back into popularity. It sounds very old lady to me. Plus with todays popular names it sounds extremely similar to Nora. I almost mistakes it for Nora at first. Now putting Norma in the middle name spot would be golden!



xoxo,

Name of the Week: Pearl

Meaning
Pearl

Origin
Latin

Rank
#677

Middle Names
Pearl Alexandria
Pearl Amelia
Pearl Georgina
Pearl Frances
Pearl Viviana
Pearl Adele
Pearl Ramona
Pearl Gwendolyn
Pearl Anastasia
Pearl Olivia

First Names
Nicolette Pearl
Florence Pearl
Audrey Pearl
Emmeline Pearl
Sophia Pearl
Molly Pearl
Juniper Pearl
Maisie Pearl
Cordelia Pearl
Willa Pearl

Nicknames
Pea
Pearly

Famous People Named Pearl
Pearl Bailey (American singer and actress)
Pearl Buck (American author)
Pearl Osbourne (Jack Osbourne's Daughter)

My Thoughts
I love the name Pearl so much and I used to have it in the middle name spot. Recently I have been thinking of using it again as a middle name and have it paired with Nicolette. Pearl is such a vintage name. Its so sweet and girly.

Reason It's Name of the Week 
I just recently joined a sorority and our jewel is the pearl. Since the sorority is a big part of my life now I was thinking of how I could honor it and the name Pearl came to mind. 

What If Characters

I was watching tv and a commercial for the new movie starring Daniel Radcliffe came on. What caught my ear about this commercial was the characters' names, especially the girl's name. And that inspired a name post!

Wallace
Wallace is the name of Daniel Radcliffe's character. Wallace is a name that you don't hear now a days. You would have been more likely to hear this back in the 50's or 60's and now it would be considered a grandpa name. I feel like when the name Wallace is used in movies or tv shows it is used on geeks or weird characters, almost as a way to make them more nerdy. In my opinion Wallace is ready for a comeback but it would take a very brave soul. In French Wallace means welshman.

Chantry
Chantry is played by Zoe Kazan in the movie and this is the name that really inspired the post. Until now I have never heard of the name and I had to go look it up to see what the name really was. When I first hear this name I thought it was the name Gentry because both names end in the same sound. I think Chantry is cool and different. It kind of reminds me of Chandler. The meaning of Chantry is singer in French and really that is a great meaning. I always love names with cool meaning.

I have no idea what the movie is about but I do know that I love the names that are picked. It's always nice to hear different names in movies because than I feel like more people will be exposed to them.

Until next time!

xoxo,

"Rare" M Boy Names

I'm back on the "rare" names! After months we are finally off the letter M and next post will be the letter N!

Mack

• Meaning: Son of 
• Origin: English 
• Siblings: Fay and Gus

I think Mack is a really cute name. I had the name Mack on my girl name list about a year ago and now it's on my guilty pleasure list. Mack makes a better nickname than as a full name to me. Some full name options include Macallister, Mackenzie, and Macormic but are not limited to them.

Magnus

• Meaning: Great
• Origin: Latin
• Siblings: Linnea and Ramsay

The first thing I think of when I see Magnus is Matilda. Ms. Honey's father was names Magnus. Now a days you wouldn't meet too many Magnus but it is something you might hear on a grandfather. If you wanted to make a name sound vintage, you can use Magnus as a middle name.

Mahlon (MAY-len)

• Meaning: Sickly
• Origin: Hebrew
• Siblings: Adah and Freeman

Before doing this post I had never heard of Mahlon. I used the pronunciation from the book but at first sight I would say m-uh-lone. I think this is a pretty cool name but the meaning is really bad. If meaning doesn't mean anything to you that it shouldn't be a problem but meaning matters to me so that turns me off.

Marius

• Meaning: Derived from Mars; male
• Origin: Latin
• Siblings: Verena and Rainer

Marius is definitely a rare name. I've never heard it before but I think it's kind of cool. It sounds like Lucius and really reminds me of it. I don't think I would use it.

Merle (MERL)

• Meaning: Blackbird
• Origin: French 
• Siblings: Beryl and Hoyt

Merle sounds like a short form of Merlin, I really feel like it isn't complete and like I should be saying something another sound. I'm not a huge fan.

Merlin

• Meaning: Sea Fortress 
• Origin: Welsh
• Siblings: Ardith and Newton

I think of Merlin the wizard from King Arthur's time. I think that is what most people will think of and is one of the reasons this name is so rare. I really don't see this on a little baby and can't see it making a comeback.

Moe

• Meaning: Short form of Maurice or Morris 
• Origin: English 
• Sibling: Bess and Nat

Moe is one of my favorite nicknames on both a boy and a girl. I think I like it better on a girl because it doesn't sound like an old lady name where as on a boy it sounds like an old man. My favorite full names for the nickname Moe is Moses. I love Moses and love that it's biblical. I've recently started to fall in love with biblical names more.

Montgomery

• Meaning: Gumarih's Hill
• Origin: Norman
• Siblings: Cordelia and Carlyle

I love Montgomery and have it on my middle name list. I wouldn't have the courage to use it as a first name. It's a brave name for me. One of the reasons is because its such a distinct surname.  In the popular show, Pretty Little Liars it is the last name of one of the main characters.

Morris

• Meaning: Variant of Maurice; Dark-skinned
• Origin: English 
• Siblings: Golda and Sherman

Surprisingly enough I really like this name. I don't think I like it enough to use it but enough that it catches my eye. Morris definitely has a vintage feel, something you would find in the top 100 for the 30's or 40's.

Mose

• Meaning: Variant of Moses
• Origin: German
• Siblings: Cleo and Dock

I said a few names before that i love the name Moses and Mose is just like it. Again Mose is a name that I feel like I should be saying another syllable or saying someone's nickname. It looks really cool and complete though.

Murphy

• Meaning: Descendant of Murchadh
• Origin: Irish
• Siblings: Connolly and Miller

Murphy is a great surname that works good as a first or middle name. You really don't see Murphy much. I do have to say that I see it more on a dog than I do on a human. Murphy may be going on my guilty pleasure list.



xoxo,

Summer Birth Announcements

I was looking through some birth announcements for this summer (June '14-August '14) and saw some pretty interesting names. These are all from the state of Alabama (not the state I live in) and are from online.

Girls

Anna Harper

Clara Rose

Kynlee Aleeya

Saoirse Carolina

Briley Jade

Aurora Moon

June Greer

Massalena Cecelia Paityn

Maelynn Arlene

Pepper Elizabeth 

Paislen Faith

Levie Lorraine 

Adeline Eleanor Ruth

Genesis Lillian 

Teddie Leanne

Tessa Rae

Kalaya Cincere

Aimilliana Adiella 

Boys

Spencer Peace

Arthur Lee

Reynolds Crissen

Brooks Edward

Axel Cayn

Remington Jack

Griffin Tate

Leland Everett 

Hayes Garrett

Bo Daniel

Baylen Christopher 

Ransom Sawyer 

Axl Rais

Declan Zane

My favorites combos: Clara Rose, Saoirse Carolina, Aurora Moon, Teddie Leanne, Maelynn Arlene, Brooks Edward, Remington Jack, and Leland Everett

My favorite names on there own: Reynolds, Kalaya, Briley, and Tessa

My favorite guilty pleasure names: Ransom and Massalena

What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo,

Golden Girls

Most nights I watch The Middle on Hallmark. It's probably one of my favorite shows that always has me laughing. The show following The Middle is Golden Girls and since I am always too lazy to change the channel I have watched a few episodes. While watching the credits I caught the names of the 4 main actresses and thought they would make a great post.

Beatrice "Bea" Arthur

What caught my action was the nickname Bea. It's really sweet and cute. Bea has a great aging factor and the actress is farther proof of that. The full name Beatrice is such a vintage name that more people are loving. For the past 8 years it has been on the raise in popularity. From 2012 to 2013, it moved up 102 spots.

Betty White

I think the name Betty is my least favorite name of this group. Although I still think it is nice but sounds so old lady chic. Betty is a great nickname for Elizabeth but I think more people are using modern nicknames. Although Betty is a nice nickname I don't think I would like seeing it on a little girl. It would be just too old for her.

Rue McClanahan

I love the name Rue more so as a nickname than as a full name. It's so modern sounding and fun. You can use Ruth, Riley, or really any R name as a full name for Rue. An interesting fact about Rue McClanahan's name is she was born Eddi-Rue after her father and mother, Edward and Rheua-Nell.

Estelle Getty

Estelle is a pretty, princess-y name. There have been princesses named Estelle in the past. I usually don't remember the meanings of names but I know off the top of my head that Estelle means star. The meaning alone makes me think of a stary night and just dark, rich colors. I would definitely use Estelle with the nickname Este in the future.


Photo Credit: http://www.newnownext.com/elaine-stritch-nothing-worse-than-ending-up-like-bea-arthur/03/2014/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924508/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001516/
http://www.tvland.com/shows/the-golden-girls/bios/estelle-getty

xoxo,

England and Wale's Popular Names

The most popular names in England list came out a few days ago and I couldn't help take a look. I do have to say I much prefer the top 100 names in England than I do the American list. I'm going to do a little analysis of the names.

The top names in England and Wales are Oliver and Amelia. In America, Oliver was ranked at #52 and Amelia was ranked at #17. Both of these names are really fun names and I liked them a lot. Oliver has the fun nickname Ollie and Amelia has the popular nicknames Mia and Milly. I feel like Milly is a really popular and English name.

In America the top names are Noah and Sophia. Noah was ranked at #13 and Sophia was ranked at #15. Sophie is more popular in England and Wales than Sophia but than again I feel like Sophie is more English feeling. Noah and Sophia are names I can see being popular in both countries where as Oliver and Amelia I see being more popular in England and Wales. The list just prove that.

I went through the top 100 list and picked my 10 favorite boy ahems and 10 favorite girl names. The list overall surprised me.

Boys
Jack
England and Wales: #2
America: #40
Jack is such a classic old man name. It is a popular nickname for Jackson a more American name possibly because of President Jackson.

Oscar
England and Wales: #7
America: #178
Oscar is such a sweet vintage name! I love it and would love it to gain more polarity in America. I do think of Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street.

Archie
England and Wales: #16
America: N/A
Archie is another vintage, old man name. It makes a nice nickname and not surprisingly ins't even ranked in the US.

Harrison
England and Wales: #36
America: #161
Harrison is a name that has been gaining popular slowly in America and hasn't move much in England. I think it is a nice name and you can get the vintage, classic nickname Harry.

Sebastian
England and Wales: 38
America: 45
Sebastian is a grand name that I love. It does remind me of the crab from Little Mermaid but that could just be because I'm on a Disney kick lately. Bash is a cute nickname too.

Toby
England and Wales: #45
America: #550
Toby may make some people think of a dog because its a pretty popular dog name but I think it's cute on a little boy. I like it as a nickname for Tobias.

Jenson
England and Wales: #58
America: N/A
Jenson is a cool name. I like it a lot and love that it's not popular in the US. I think more people have heard of it because of the actor Jenson Ackles.

Dexter
England and Wales: #63
America: #380
The first ting I think of when I hear Dexter is the tv show. I still really like the name and I think the x gives it an edge.

Kai
England and Wales: #64
America: #199
I love Kai and it just reminds me of Hawaii and the beach and all things summery. I have been loving it even more lately and am thinking of adding it to my list.

Jude
England and Wales: #72
America: #162
Jude is a sweet name that reminds me of the Beatles even though I'm not a huge fan of them. I like Jude as a nickname for Judah.


Girls
Isla
England and Wales: #5
America: #167
Isla is a short and sweet name. That just screams a little girl with pigtails and Mary Janes. It is definitely more English than it is American.

Poppy
England and Wales: #7
America: N/A
I love Poppy as a nickname and even as a full name. I think its sweet and edgy and even a little modern. The first thing I think of is Poppy Lifton from Gossip Girl.

Evie
England and Wales: #14
America: #559
Evie makes the cutest nickname ever! It has some pretty great first name options like Evelyn and Everly.

Freya
England and Wales: #20
America: #908
This is the first year that Freya was in the top 1000 names for the US but in England and Wales it has been in the top 100 for a few years. I think Freya is a fun, mythological name.

Daisy
England and Wales: #23
America: 198
Daisy is so sweet and girly. It has a nice airy feel to it and is a beautiful flower name.

Millie
England and Wales: #25
America: #598
I love Millie as a nickname. Millie has a vintage feeling and a little bit of a modern feeling depending on what full name you use with it if you use one at all. For me, Millie is like the ultimate English name.

Florence
England and Wales: #29
America: N/A
I'm a nursing student so the first thing I think of when I see Florence is the Florence Nightingale, the first nurse. Call me crazy but I would love to use Florence or another form of it as a middle name because of her.

Maisie
England and Wales: #41
America: N/A
Maisie is a fun, quirky name. It surprises me how popular it is in England and Wales and how unpopular it is in America. I feel like it is more of an American name.

Elsie
England and Wales: #47
America: #395
I love Elsie! I know an old lady with this name and she was so sweet. I think it ages well and has a very old lady chic feel. It'd make a great nickname for Elizabeth/Elisabeth.

Esme
England and Wales: #58
America: #929
Esme is such a princess-y name. I know a lot of people think of Twilight but I feel like Twilight is losing popularity and people won't think of that when they hear Elsie.


I had fun looking at this list and seeing how nice England names are. Look for more post on the blog in the near future!

xoxo,

Name of the Week: Rush

Meaning

Baskey Weaver

Origin

English

Rank

N/A

Middle Names

Rush Alexander

Rush Avery 

Rush Jameson 

Rush Pierre 

Rush Maxwell

Rush Ezra 

Rush Silas 

Rush Elsworth 

Rush Leander

Rush Augustus 

First Names

Mason Rush

Gabriel Rush

Nolan Rush

Sumner Rush

Finnegan Rush

Samuel Rush 

Lucas Rush

Thayer Rush

Dempsey Rush

Owen Rush

Nicknames

Roo 

Famous People Named Rush

Rush Limbaugh (Radio host)

My Thoughts

I think Rush is a really cool name! In my opinion it would make a great nickname and an even better middle name. Now just imagine hearing a birth announcement and seeing the middle name Rush. I would probably squeal in excitement! 

Reason Its Name of the Week

It's a cool name that caught my eye when looking for a boy name for this week. 

xoxo,

Daycare Names

This summer I worked at a daycare that cares for children ages newborn to 11 years old. While I was there I heard some interesting names that caught my ears. I find would love to always work with kids because than you get to hear all the fun names ;).

Girls
Ioliana (I-oll-ee-ah-na)
This little girl was a year old and just so cute! They called her Ioli (it rhymes with cannoli). I went to do research on this name but couldn't find anything! When I search Ioliana. it says it's spelled wrong and wants to spell it like Eliana but they aren't the same name. I think this is a really pretty, princess name with such an adorable nickname.

Mahriya
Although I don't particularly like this spelling of the name, I love the name it's self. One day I had to write this little girl's name down and know there was a y in it but had no clue how she spelled it. I think that is the only problem with this name. Mariah is a name that you are pleasantly surprised to see because its a sweet classic. Mariah is a Latin variant of Maria and Maria means the Lord is my teacher.

Amia (uh-me-uh)
When I first heard this name I thought the teacher's were calling her Mia but that I heard it a second time and heard it was Amia. It's such a nice alternative to the name Mia plus it has the really cute nickname Mimi. Amia means beloved in Hebrew. Last year was the first year that Amia was on the SSA's popularity list and it ranked at #998.

Coralai
You hear the names Coralee and Coraline a lot but you hardly ever hear the name Coralai. Coralai reminds me of a hawaiian girl or a tropical island somewhere. It's such a cute name with a cute nickname Cora or Cory. I like both the Coralai and the Coralei spellings. This is another name I couldn't find anything on.

Isa (EE-sa)
This little girl's full name was Isabella but they pronounced it the Spanish way. In Spanish I's are pronounced like E's. I heard the name first and had such a hard time understanding how it was spelled. I fell in love with the pronunciation. Now the little girl will probably have problems saying it the English way and not the Spanish way. But don't let that stop you from using the name!

Boys
Cowan
This name was love at first sight! I love the spelling and the pronunciation. You may also spell it Cohen, Cowen, and Coen. Cowan/Cowen has not been on the popularity list but Coen and Cohen have. Cohen was #368 in 2013. Coen hasn't been on the list since 2011 and it was ranked at #973 and before that it was only on the list in 2006 at #962. I could see people liking Cowan more because it is said and spelled the same way.

Pierre
Pierre screams French to me. I can see a little boy running around the streets of France wearing overalls and a cute little hat. It's such a strong name and not something I hear very often. This little Pierre was a Jr. (yet another shocker for me!) and at times he was called PJ or Peach. The Peach sounded like that because they just combined the P and J in his nickname. I really love Pierre.

Musa
Musa is a name that I never heard before and don't expect to hear again. I hate to say it but the first thing I thought of when I heard the name was a moose because it sounds exactly like moose but with an a at the end. I still think it is a cool, exotic name that would make a nice middle name.

Warren
Warren is such an old man name and it also reminds me of a superhero. I was pleasantly surprised to hear this name. I did have a problem where I thought they were saying Lauren but they were actually calling him. Warren is a great name that has many different pictures like a business man or a surfer.

Darrell
Darrell is even more old man sounding than Warren. It defiantly something I did not expect to hear on a little boy. Maybe he was named after his grandfather or someone else. Now that would be cool to find out!

Name of the Week: Soleil

Meaning

Sun

Origin

French

Rank

N/A

Middle Names 

Soleil Elliott

Soleil Ariel

Soleil Evangeline 

Soleil Cornelia 

Soleil Adele

Soleil Arianna

Soleil Coralie

Soleil Brielle

Soleil Alexandra

Soleil Maleah

First Names

Kate Soleil

Carys Soleil

Avia Soleil

Magnolia Soleil

Elodie Soleil

Penelope Soleil

Imogen Soleil

Myla Soleil

Vivienne Soleil

Junia Soleil

Nicknames

Sol/Soul

Sunny

Lele

Leia

Famous People Named Soleil

Soleil Moon Faye

My Thoughts

Soleil is such a pretty name. When I hear Soleil I think of a little Indian girl just enjoying life. It brings a lot of happy and great feelings to me. Besides being pretty, Soleil is very fresh and unique. I also like that Soleil is a nature name without being right in your faces nature-y. 

Reason Its Name of the Week

I have feel deeply in love with Soleil. I am contemplating adding it to my top 10 names. 

Name Instagram

I just want to inform all of my readers that I now have a name insatgram! The idea has been on my mind for a long time now and I finally acted on it. In the last few weeks I have been working on getting everything ready so I would be able to keep up with it when I get busy.

The name is Abundance of Names. Here's the link: http://instagram.com/abundanceofnames. Follow and like for name pictures everyday. If you don't have instagram I am also adding the pictures to pinterest on this board.

xoxo,