Classic First with Spring Middles {Name Game}

Since we are all sitting inside because of recent events I have been trying to share some more name games on instagram to keep us going. Since we are officially in spring (even if it doesn't always feel like it) I thought it would be fun to pair classical first names with spring inspired middle names. I told my followers I would be sharing some combos here and that is what I have for you today.

I am going to start with my own name combos. On instagram I only shared 3 combos but I have a whole list today! 

Girls 

Martha Bunny

Susan Magnolia

Agnes Bloom

Beatrice May

Alice Freya

Louisa Birdie 

Ruth Aviva

Frances Doe

Boys

Edmund Wells

Vincent Bud

Benjamin Leif

Walter Pascal

John Caldwell

Daniel Cedar

Henry Talon

George Sunny

My favorites from followers:

Beatrice Bloom

Lydia Sunshine

Anna Magnolia

Eleanor Lilac

Evelyn Amaryllis

Eric Dandelion

Charles rain

Freddie Pascale

Henry Finch

Everett Clover 

More Classical Names

I realized after making my last post about classical names back in January that I really liked more than just 10 classic names for boys and girls. There are so many out there that I am loving and I've decided to do another post on the names.

1. Ida

N/A

Meaning: Work, Labor

Origin: German 

Ida is similar to popular names like Ava and Ada. I can see people like it because it also ends in the  -da sound. If Ida is too short for you than you can always use Idabelle, another alternative to a popular name Isabelle. 

2. Itzel 

#424

Meaning: Rainbow Lady

Origin: Native American 

Itzel is just a name I've been in love with for days now. It was brought to my attention when I was searching the SSA Name chart. Itzel just screams little old lady, maybe from Russia or Poland. I think it could be so sweet on a little baby girl. 

3. Dorothy 

#731

Meaning: Gift of God

Origin: English

I loved The Wizard of Oz growing up and always think of Dorothy from there. I've seen vintage nicknames like Hattie and Dottie gaining popularity so why not use Dorothy with eh nickname Dottie. 

4. Marjorie

#721

Meaning: Variant of Margaret; Pearl 

Origin: Greek

If Margaret is too common for you Marjorie is a great alternative. They both have the same meaning and they both have similar nicknames. I really enjoy the nickname Marjie, Marrie, or even Jory. 

5. Alma

#680

Meaning: Nourishing 

Origin: Latin 

Alma was just recently used by Perez Hilton for his daughter as a middle name. When celebrities use names they help bring attention to names. Alma has already been on the rise and I wouldn't be surprised if its in the top 500 in 2015. 

6. Blanche 

N/A

Meaning: White, Fair 

Origin: French 

If you've ever seen the tv show, The Golden Girls, than you know that Blanche is the name of one of the main characters. Blanche is such a beautiful French name and works really nicely with a winter baby. 

7. Miriam

#305

Meaning: Variant of Mary; Sea of Bitter 

Origin: Hebrew

Miriam is 100% a classical, vintage name. It's so sweet and I wish I met more little girls named Miriam. What amens Miriam even better is the nickname Miri. I think that is one of the coolest nicknames. 

8. Loretta

N/A

Meaning: Variant of Lauretta; Laurel 

Origin: English 

Loretta has always been a favorite name of mine. I love the nickname Etta. My neighbor's mom, who I was close with, was named Loretta so I always think of her. Loretta has the same meaning as Lauren, my name, and I think that's pretty cool. 

9. Louisa 

#973

Meaning: Variant of Louis; Man of War

Origin: Latin 

Louisa was never a name I liked but I've noticed that my style has changed and now I am liking names that have an old time feel to them. Louisa is a name fit for a princess, a southern girl, and a celebrity. 

10. Harriet 

N/A

Meaning: Feminine variant of Harry; Home Ruler 

Origin: English 

Harriet is a name I associate with a few people including Harriet the Spy and Harriet Tubman. I can remember doing a project in 4th grade on Harriet Tubman. Who wouldn't want to be named after an amazing and inspirational woman?

1. Silas

#137

Meaning: Forest, Woods

Origin: Latin 

Silas ends with the ever popular letter S. I've found a lot more names that end with S. Justin Timeberlake and Jessica Biel just used Silas for their little boy. I didn't think Silas was a classical, vintage name 

2. Calvin 

#182

Meaning: Bald 

Origin: French 

I have to say, Calvin use to be a name I disliked but now I really love it. I am actually thinking about adding it to my long favorite names list. The youtubers, Jared and Ellie, just had a son named Calvin Scott and if you haven't seen their birth video you have to! I think Cal is a pretty cool nickname too. 

3. Clyde 

#804

Meaning: Scottish River Name 

Origin: Scottish

It wasn't until the 19th century that Clyde was used as a given name. Before that it was just the name of a river. If you can get past the infamous association of Bonnie and Clyde, this is a pretty neat name. It is also a throwback to the 1930's where is was in the top 100. 

4. Harold 

#828

Meaning: Army Ruler 

Origin: Old English

Harold is actually a royal name. It was the name of 5 kings of Norway, 3 kings of Denmark, and 2 kings of England. I didn't know that until I was doing reach on the name. Hal is a possible nickname for a little Harold. Personally I think this is a great name. 

5. Walter 

#337

Meaning: Ruler of the Army 

Origin: German 

Walt is such a cool nickname. I think I would defiantly use Walter just for Walt. It reminds me and probably a ton of people of the famous Walt Disney. This name is a prefect fit for a Sir or a Lord. 

6. Gilbert 

#894 

Meaning: Bright Pledge 

Origin: German 

Gilbert has that old-man which feel to it and might scare people away. I think pairing Gilbert with the nickname Gib or Gibby makes it fresh and modern. It seems to be on the decline in the past few years. 

7. Roy

#534

Meaning: King 

Origin: French

Roy has been a favorite name of mine for years now. I know a girl who named her son Roy and I was so happy about it. It's short and sweet. Roy has been stuck in the 500 for a few years and doesn't seem to be raising very much. I think it makes a prefect middle name.  

8. Roger

#61

Meaning: Famous Spear 

Origin: German 

I was surprised that Roger was in the top 100. I always thought that it wasn't use very much. That just goes to show that the rank of a name doesn't necessarily mean it is super popular.  Like many other boy names, Roger ends in -er and I can see the appeal. 

9. Albert 

#436

Meaning: Noble, Bright 

Origin: German

The meaning of Albert is pretty great. I think the nickname Al is pretty cute for a little boy. Names ending in T for a boy are gaining popularity, like Beckett and Wyatt. This could be a great way to honor a grandfather. 

10. George 

#134

Meaning: Framer, Earthworker 

Origin: Greek

George is the name of the little Prince and until he was named I was never a fan of this name. Now it's grown on me and I can finally picture it on a little baby boy. With the birth of the new Princess the family has been in the spotlight a lot more and I am hearing George everywhere. 

My Top 10 Classical Names

In the past few weeks I have really taken a liking to classic, vintage names. The complete opposite if my usual unique, trendy style. I thought I would tell my readers my top 10 favorite classic names for both gender. These are all names that age well and can be found on many grandparents.

1. Elizabeth

#10 

Meaning: God is my Oath 

Origin: Hebrew 

I did a post on this name earlier in the week. Elizabeth is a name with a ton of nicknames. It is also the name of a saint and a queen. There are just a ton of great associations with Elizabeth. 

2. Nancy

#689 

Meaning: Grace

Origin: Hebrew 

The first thing I think about when I hear the name Nancy is Nancy Drew, the kid detective. Nancy is a really sweet name. I can see it rising in popularity because it is short and ends in the ee sound. 

3. Mary

#121

Meaning: Bitter

Origin: Hebrew

The name of the mother of Jesus, Mary is an innocent name. I love the name even more when it is paired with another name such as Mary Catharine, Mary Kate, or Mary Jane as a first name. In the south I have seen the name Mary paired with a surname such as Mary Carter, Mary Marshall, and Mary Wesley, which is just adorable! 

4. Lydia

#96 

Meaning: From Lydia

Origin: Hebrew 

Lydia makes me think of Beetlejuice right away but I don't think that is bad because I love the movie. Not only is it a name used in film it is also used in literature by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice. 

5. Frances

#693 

Meaning: French

Origin: Latin 

I use to hate Frances on a girl but it is a new love of mine. My dad's mother was named Anastasia Frances. Not only did my great grandmother use France's but so did celebrities like Amanda Peet and Jimmy Fallon. My favorite part of this name is the spunky Frankie nickname. 

6. Rosemary

#533 

Meaning: Dew of the Sea

Origin: Latin 

I'm a huge lover of Rose and every one of her variants. Rosemary is a great combination of classic name and perfect if you can't chose between the two. 

7. Marie 

#573 

Meaning: Bitter 

Origin: French 

Marie is a filler middle name but is so refreshing as a first name. You will shock lots of people. It's a great French name without being over the top. 

8. Margaret 

#181

Meaning: Pearl

Origin: Greek

I love Margaret and love all of her nicknames like Maggie, Greta, Marnie, Marey, etc. The meaning is also a huge hit for me because pearls are the jewel for my sorority. Hey you could even call her Pearl as a nickname!

9. Ruth

#329

Meaning: Compassionate Friend

Origin: Hebrew

Ruth is a biblical name and one of the more popular biblical names. I think it is such a short and sweet name with no nicknames. You could use Ruthie. I do love the meaning a ton. 

10. Diana

#270

Meaning: Divine 

Origin: Latin

I can thank a Instagram follower for this. She requested the name and I instantly fell in love with it. Diana is the name of the famous princess as well as Diana Ross. I can;t help but think of an elegant little girl when I see it. 

1. James

#13

Meaning: Supplanter

Origin: Hebrew

I love this name so much that I am talking about it again in less than a month. It has so many different associations from authors to actors to presidents. There also so many nickname options my favorites being Jam and Jem.

2. Edward

#145

Meaning: Wealthy Guardian

Origin: English

Edward is both my dad's middle name and my cousin's first name. I also have some distant uncles named Ed. I'm not a fan of the nicknames Ed and Eddie so I would probably go down the Ward route as a nickname.

3. Charles

#57

Meaning: Free Man

Origin: German

Charles is my dad's, uncle's, and cousin's name. That's a lot of people! I think it is a great name but would use a variant of it because I won't use the actual name of family members. There's a ton of nicknames like Chalie, Charlie, Chal, Chaz, and Chuck.

4. Eugene

#779

Meaning: Well Born

Origin: English

If you know then you know that I love the movie Tangled. In it Flynn Riders real name is Eugene. I have to say that the movie made me love Eugene as much as I do. It really put a handsome face to a often times geeky name.

5. Arthur

#323

Meaning: Unknown; Possibly meaning Bear

Origin: Celtic

Arthur is a name that brings back childhood memories for me. It reminds me of the tv show Arthur with the ant eater. I think the name is do for a comeback and would love to hear it more often. I especially love the nickname Artie for it. 

6. Clarence

#985

Meaning: Bright

Origin: Latin

My love for Clarence comes from a tv show. There is a show on Cartoon Network called Clarence that my little cousins watch all the time. After hearing it so many times I slowly fell in love. Now I wouldn't use it but I am debating putting it on my long list. In my research I found the nickname Clancy and love that so much.

7. Lawrence

#471

Meaning: From Laurentum

Origin: Latin

My full name is Lauren and if I wanted I could use Lawrence as a way to honor myself. I wouldn't though. Lawrence is also a surname and a surname of someone I went to school with. It has some cool nicknames like Law, Ren, and Rencey.

8. Frederick

#492

Meaning: Peaceruler

Origin: German

Frederick is on of those names that just fits perfectly on a cute little old man. It makes me think of Up the movie because the main character is Carl Fredricksen. I'm not a huge fan of Fred as a nickname so I would probably use Red or Rico. 

9. Phillip

#364

Meaning: Lover of Horses

Origin: Greek

I immediately think of Phillip Phillips the singer but it's fine because I love his music. Often times Phillip is used on geeky characters or the smart kid in the class. I can definitely picture this name on a little cowboy. 

10. Rupert

N/A

Meaning: Variant of Robert; Bright Fame

Origin: German

Rupert is a grand name perfect for a king. It might be a little too much for a baby but he will surely grow into it and live up to this regal status. You can find this name floating around the Harry Potter world.