-Oh Ending Names Part II, The Girls.

I did the first part of this "Ending in Oh" boys name post a long long time and stupidly forgot to do the Part II girls names! So here they are. I just LOVE Willow. I know one little Willow, another classmate of my 6 year old cousin. She is such a beautiful little girl and she adores Edward.

Shiloh - Yup the name of Little Miss Jolie-Pitt. And since her birth hasn't it rose to popularity. She never ranked until 2007 when she appeared at 804. In 2008 she charted in at 650. I love the name Shiloh. She is so soft and gentle.

Willow - I know I always say this but Willow happens to be in my top 5 if we have a girl. Star babies with the name Willow include Sarah Palin's girl in addition to Jada Pinkett and Will Smith's girl.

Harlow - Nicole Richie's little girl wears this name to honour Jean Harlow. Jean Harlow was a platinum blond bombshell, a screen sensation of the 1930s. Patricia Arquette's daughter wears this name as well.

Cleo/Clio - Cleo is the short form of Cleopatra. The Egyptian Queen. And Clio is the variant spelling. I much prefer the variant spelling of Clio. Both are derived from the Greek kleos meiang glory or fame.

Calypso - This one gets the big thumbs up from me. Pronounced ka-LIP-so, it is of Greek origin, and its meaning is she who hides. Mythology places her as a nymph who held Odysseus for seven years. It is also a West Indian style of singing. She has always been on my lists.

Callisto - This name may be a bit unheard of by itself but it lends to the more common nickname of Cally. Variant of Calista. Meaning of Calisto is fairest or most beautiful.

Indigo - I know we mention this name all the time. I know of 5real Indigo's actually. One is a male advertising consultant, one is the daughter of a teacher who used to teach me in high school, I have seen 2 brand new Indigo's in the paper over the last couple of months, a boy and a girl and the other is this little cutie from his mommy blog on wordpress.

Juno - This name has the most beautiful meaning ever. It means Queen of Heaven. That meaning speaks for itself. This understated name is perfect for the parent who wants something unusual but not silly or frilly.

Lilo - Ever seen the cute little cartoon Lilo and Stitch? Lilo is the main character and the girl in the picture up the top. She has a lovely name. This name meets the current trends of -oh ending names and the obsession with L names such as Lilly, Lila, Liliana, Lyra, and Lola. It means Generous one in Hawaiian.

Margot/Margaux - The short form of Margaret which means Pearl. I'm not sure about this one. It feels a bit like a highschool nickname given to Margaret by the like of Johno, Jacko, Macko or Cammo.

Yoko - This one has a pretty memorable namesake. Yoko Ono. The famous wife of passed Beatle mister John Lennon.

Meadow - This one caught my eye when I was looking through the baby name statistics for 2008. I wouldn't have expected this one to rank at all, let alone at 859. I does have such a beautiful sound and meaning.

Coco - The first name of Miss Number 5, Coco Chanel as well as Courteney Cox and David Arquette's daughter. You know what would be worthy of a giggle. If someone had a set of boy girl twins and named them Coco and Milo!

Isabeau - With the popularity of Isabella and variants if your looking for an alternative this might be the go. Whilst Belle is usually the feminine and Beau the masculine this is an exception.

Cielo - Meaning Sky in Spanish. For some reason this name gives of musical vibes to me. I

guess I could see this one fitting in with Sienna and Sierra. Or perhaps Siella might be an appropriate variant.

Rosario - This is pronounced roe-ZAR-ee-oh. In the Roman Catholic faith this name has traditionally been given to those born of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the first Sunday in October as it has the meaning of rosary in Latin.

Baby Name Question

Hi, I am expecting my first baby, hopefully, on October 2nd and I kind of need help with a name. I have already been thinking about names and have come up with a few with the help of my mom, but I am a little worried that they are too out there. I want my child to have a unique name, but also a name that I love.

The names I have thought of so far are:
Thaine Weslin (Th aye n pronounced like blaine but with a "th" sound and Weslin is pronounced Wes lynn) Thaine is my grandmas name, Thelma Lorraine, combined. Weslin is my grandpas first name, Wesley, and my great uncles middle name, Franklin, combined.

Leota Dalin (pronounced Lee Oh Tah Duh Lynn) Leota was my stepdads moms name and Dalin is my biological das name, David, and my moms name, Linda, combined.

Josephine Ryelle (pronounced Rye elle) Josephine/Josie is the female version of my stepdads name Joseph and Ryelle is my partners sisters name, crystal and my sisters name Michele combined.

I really like the name Thaine, and if its a boy, which I think it is, that will definitely be his name. Im not too sure about the other names, except Ryelle, which I love that as a middle name. I guess what I need help with is a middle name that goes with Thaine for a boy.

I am also wondering if the names that I like, and have posted are "too out there." I am interested in unique names, American Indian names, and older names such as Lorraine. Im not sure if this will help, but the baby is black/white/souix/cherokee.
I am not fond of Jaedyn, Aiden, Aaliyah, Caden, or names like that. I love the name Denae and Kailyn. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you in advance!!
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Thank you so much for your question and sorry about the late reply! It is always interesting to hear what other people are choosing to name their children and how they come up with their ideas.

You have I noticed gone for a 'twilight' decision in choosing names. Renesme chosen by Bella to cherish both her mother and mother in law. I think it will be a growing sentimental choice for deciding mothers and fathers.

I like the name Thaine (meaning landholder). I don't believe that it is to out their as names like "Blaine" "Shane' - ane/ain names- are becoming quite popular and it is actually a real name. Weslin and Leota have character also which is important in choosing a name. These names which you have combined are real possible choices with added sentiment that they are derived from family members. I don't believe these names are too out there compared with some other parents choises. I think it is good to go for multicultural names also which are unique but still plausible. Here are some ideas for names I hope that you like!

Girls:

Kaila : From Hebrew and Hawaiian origins this name means Laurel Crown. It has slight popularity pronounced KAY-lah

Maya: Spanish/Hindi/Russian Origins- It means Dreams or Illusions a beautiful meaning for a beautiful name

Raina: This name means Queen and is often used for short version of Lorraine

Heloise: This is a variant of Louise from old German origins. Heloise means famous warrior

Lenora: This is a bright name with bright meaning of sun- sky- light and compassion. It is an old name which was highly popular in 1910.

Leola: Also popular in 1910 means loyal and Lion. A strong name which with popular variants such as Lola and Leyla may come back in to popularity.

Lorralie : pronounced Lor-a-lee it is a variant of Lorelei a German name. It is a very rare first name.

Briar: Meaning brambles it is a great sounding name with plenty of potential

Boys

The name Thaine you like can also be written as Thane or Thayne

Ashwin: Is of Hindi Origin and is a calender month. It is a very rare name not ranked in the top 1000. Its cute with nicknames possible of Ash

Marsden:Of old English Origin it means swampy valley- theres no muck on this name though which is very well defined and original

Curtis: A surname or first name used in Middle ages to describe a courteous person. Its popularity curving it still has potential.

Kiran- Of Hindi and Sanskrit origin means beam of light. It has two variants Kieron and Kyran.

Keegan: Irish and Gaelic origins it translates to mean small flame. Though growing popularity this is still slight.

Clarence: The duke of Clarence- this name was created for a 14th century prince who married a girl from the Clare family.

Carnell: Meaning defender of the castle a strong name with its only ranking in the 1940s.

Eldrick: A variant of Elderidge a German name it means sage ruler and tiger.

I hope that these names are helpful- if not don't hesitate to comment back if you come up with any other types of names you like or are thinking of. Goodluck!

How to get: Finn

You may have noticed the picture. Finn is such a beautiful boys name regardless of fishy accociations. And it is becoming increasingly popular in the states and has been very popular here in Australia for the last year or two.

But what if your not a fan of nicknames as first names but you love Finn as a nickname possibility? Then you've come to the right place.

I too love the nickname possibility of Finn, but with Edward it feels a bit too informal. So I have been searching and I think I might have it down to pretty much every Finn name there is - or at least all the ones I could find. If you know of any others please leave us a comment.

Phineas - Used by Julia Roberts for her little boy. Although she opted for an alternative spelling - Phinnaeus. A pleasing meaning too. In Greek mythology it means Oracle.

Griffin - From the fabled Welsh monster Griffith or Gryphon. They have the head of a hawk and the body of a lion.

Finnegan - This gem means Fair or White in Irish. Famous namesakes include James Joyce's last novel entitled Fineegan's Wake.

Finley / Finlay /Findlay- This name means Fair warrior in Scottish but could also be considered a place name as Finley happens to be a subarb in New South Wales, Australia.

Finn - Yup, just plain old Finn. I know one little Finn. He is a friend of my younger cousin and is just the most gorgeous boy you could ever hope to meet. The meaning of the name Finn is Fair and it's origin is Irish. It is also a Nordic name meaning Man from Finland.

Finbar - Believe it or not their is actually a canonised St. Fionnbharr. Finbar is just the anglicised form of this Gaelic name. The Saint was a prominent bishop who kept the Catholic Church alive in Irelan during the 7th and 8th centuries.

Phintan - An Irish name meaning From Finn Town. Cute.

Sibset Name Crush.

I was at my Mothers house yesterday. She was talking about this movie she had seen. The main character's names are just delightful! They were sisters:

Gertrude and Myfanwy!

Isn't that just precious! They could go by Gertie and Miffy when they are young and grow up to be Trude and Myf.

I understand they might not be everyone's cup of tea - perhaps Gertrude is a little clunky for some people. And the spelling of Myfanwy might put some people off. (Just so you know its Mif-A-Nee not My-Fan-Wee). But I think they are the most darling baby names ever. And yes, I do think they would be beautiful baby names, not old lady names.

Gertie and Miffy. I might just love it!

PS. Little boy in the births section of the paper today. The 2nd in about 3 months that I have seen in the paper with this first name. He is to go by Indigo Macleod Lewis. We have mentioned Indigo countless times. I wonder if parents have been reading this?

UNIsex and UNIque baby names

I LOVE your blog!! You always have such great ideas. I'm really hoping you can help me and my hubby find the perfect name for our daughter (due in Aug). We have a daughter named Evan Susanna. I absolutely love her name...and I came up with it very quickly. This baby is stumping us though. Here are some names we're throwing around (but none of them are standing out like Evan did):

Catherine "Cate"
Quinn
Finley
Mallory - horrible meaning though
Larkin
Leah
Erin - although I'm not too sure I want both girls' names starting with E.

For middle names, it will either be Catherine, Mae, or some form of Marianna / Marianne/ Maria. All family names. I can't decide if this baby girl should have another unisex name or could we give her a more traditional name. We do not like super common names. Any ideas??? Thanks in advance!

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Thanks for you email and we are so pleased to hear that you enjoy reading our posts - it's for people like you that we write them for. Congratulations on your baby, we are more than willing to help you with a name.

In this case I think it would be best to steer away from classical names, you wouldn't want to have one of your girls to feel envious of her sister's trendy name when she got the classical choice or vise versa. However, I don't think you are bound by unisex names. I have suggested some unisex and some exculsive names for girls. I like this list favourites include India, Paige and Yael.

Enjoy!

Jordan - A lovely choice for a boy or a girl. I personally prefer it on a girl. It's a Hebrew name meaning to flow down. But it's also a place name as well as the name of a river. Spelling variations include Jordyn, Jordin, Jorden and Jordon. I think Jorden is the more feminine of the lot.


Brody - This name just screams fun-loving to me. Quite a popular choice for boys at 70 and ranks below Evan at 38, but remains still unranked for girls. If current trends are any indication this one should climb up the girls ladder any time soon. You might be on the edge of a big trend here.


Peta - This fits so perfectly within the style of Evan's name. These classical masculine names turned modern feminine names are perfect for you. Seen as the feminine version of Peter this name also means Golden Eagle in Native American.


Asha - This name has the most beautiful meaning. It means Hope or Wish in Indian and also means Life in Swahili. If your looking for something unisex then this might be the go. She is unranked for girls but Asher ranks 208 for boys. Along with the popularity of Ash- girls names this is the perfect harmony between popularity and obscurity.


Scout - If 341 people we allowed to name their sons Atticus in 2008 then why not Scout? She is a darling little character in Harper Lee's to kill a mocking bird.


Elliot(t) - I have always felt that this was a little soft for a boy. For a girl however, I find it very appealing. Many male start babies behold this name, as well as Ava Elliot, Hugh Jackman's little adopted girl. I think perhaps Erin might be a little bit close to Evan whose sound is really only one letter apart. Elliot on the other hand sounds very different regardless of the beginning E sound.

Kellen - A gorgeous little boys name - on my list for any brothers Edward might have. However, on a girl it lends to the quite highly ranked Kelly (at 248) as a potential nickname. Meaning Descendant Of The Bright headed One how could you possibly go past this one?

Killian - Think Jillian with a K. Another ranked boys name that has unisex potential. It means Church or Monk's Cell. And like many popular names like Riley, Aiden, Brianna, Caitlin, Connor, Quinn, and Finley it is of Irish origin.

Yael - Pronounced exactly like the Ivy League school - Yay-el. I adore this. Probably my favourite out of these suggestions. Yael means Strength of God. A distinguished Yael's is Yael Dayan, an Israeli parliament member and author.

Paige - Before you pass of Paige as being too popular consider this. Evan is ranked 38 whilst Paige is ranked 88. This could also be seen as unisex in a way, Paige, is derived from Page Boy. This another that is fairy high ranked on my very very long list.

Presley - Meaning From The Priest's Field this on maybe a long shot with your other names but still a possibility. Is there any chance your an Elvis fan?

Harper - Recently used by David Groul for his new baby girl. This one has soared into popularity for girl since 2004 to her position at 297. This strong name has added appeal thanks to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Ayla - I love the end in -la names and by the looks of things so do the new American parents. This name fits in perfectly with the "Ay" sounds popular in names like Aidan, Kayla, Taylor, and Ava as well as the 2 syllable nature of Evan. Very pretty meaning as well. It means Oak Tree in Hebrew and Moon Glow in Turkish.

Logan - The first Logan I ever met was a little girl. She is a stunner too. This Irish name means From The Hollow. This might be a little too highly ranked though, for boys he was ranked 19 in 2008 and for girls 430. But if you find this appealing then I wouldn't let anyone else stop you from using it.

Harlow - It's that sweet little "Oh" sound at the end. It adorable. I also like the combination Harlow Catherine. Its a nice marriage between funky and modern with timeless and classical. And unless you have been living under a baby name rock recently then you must know that Nicole Richie and Joel Madden gave their little girl this darling little name.

Pearl /Perla - We have mentioned Pearl about 100 time now. It is the middle name of Laura's little princess, Aurora. Perla however, hasn't yet been mentioned. It means Pearl in Spanish. Pearl's are often used as a metaphor for treasure in the Bible. This has to be my favourite middle name of all time. I would love too see it up front too.

Campbell - That -bell ending could be seen as feminine although all the Campbell's I have met have been boys. In 2008 this ranked 762 for girls.

India - I just adore this name. If I have a girl then at this stage, she is very very likely to be an India. I fell in love with it after reading Gone with the Wind. India and Evan are a gorgeous sibsit. What do you think of India and Edward as a sibset?

What do think? Anything grabbing your attention? If nothing we have suggested jumps out at you please feel free to tell us and we can suggest some more names that might better suit. Until we hear from you good luck. Hope we have been of assistance.

07 Australia vs. America - 2 Opposite Sides of the Baby Naming Globe

I have had this posted ready to roll for a while but never got around to actually posting it so sorry for its out of date-ness. It would have been current if the 2008's American top 1000 hadn't been released yesterday. However, it still is a current as possible with the Australian top 100 records still a bit of a quite inconsistent mystery. Anyways, I'm posting it quick smart before it comes any more irrelevant.


I have noticed through my little time as a baby name blogger that the baby naming trends between my beloved Australia and the home of the vast majority of baby name sites, America, are so incredibly different. I mean how is it possible that Lachlan has never ranked over there?!?!? And that Isla is considered unusual!?! I know 5 Imogens - you Yanks would be lucky to know 2.

So I thought, maybe, just for fun, I might have a look at the 2007 top 100 Australian names and compare them with the top 1000 American names. Hopefully all the American readers can get a good look at some the trendy Australian names for their own use - they would be quite unusual over their too. As for the Australians, we can forgive them for forsaking some of these little gems.

Here they are - the ones in the brackets are the Australian rankings in 2007 and the ones outside are the American rankings. I have stayed away from the American top 200 as a general rule and not included names that I felt were a bit too close together in ranking.

Have fun!

Lachlan (2) Never
Charlie (20) 339
Harry (38) 578
Mitchell (44) 304
Taj (46) Never
Toby (48)566
Angus (51) Not since 1920s at 848
Callum (57) Never
Declan (63)349
Kai (66) 254
Will (67) 558
Jamie (68) 661
Hamish (70) Never
Brock (74)259
Finn (75)387
Flynn (76) Never
Jett (81)532
Lincoln (84) 224
Darcy (88) Not since 1960s peak at 946
Ali (89) 386
Jay (90) 397
Rhys (92) 809
Archie (93) Not since 1980s at 795
Tyson (94) 269
Jai (98) Never
Nate (99) Never
Zane (100) 232


Holly (26) 339
Chelsea (33) 209
Matilda (34) Not since 1950s at 914
Imogen (37) Never
Tahlia (44) Never
Zara (50) 711
Phoebe (52) 338
Amelie (58)758
Lara (61) 941
Evie (66) 806
Monique (69) 774
Klara (72) Never (although Clara currently sits at 228)
Jorja (74) Ranked only once in 2006 at 969 but Georgia ranked 296 in 2007
Tia (82) 737
Gemma (88) Never
Tara (92) 632
Claudia (93) 404
Ebony (95) Not since 2005 at 963
Isla (98) Never
Alice (99) 346
Poppy (100) Never

Flower Power - Part I Boys

Botanical names are often chosen for both their sound and there meaning and have been chosen virtually since the dawn of naming. On boys, yes they are a little unexpected but some of the most popular names like Oliver and Bailey have botanical meaning.

PS. Don't you just love Fraser's meaning! Fancy naming a boy strawberry - Just precious! As well as the nickname Huck for Huckleberry. And Oleander makes me think of the wand maker from Harry Potter but still another fave.

Ackley - meadow of Oak Trees in Middle English.

Axel - small oak tree in German.

Bailey - berry in Old English.

Derry - oak tree in Welsh.

Fabian - bean in Latin.

Fraser - strawberry in French.

Jared/Jarrett - rose in Greek.

Oliver - olive tree in French.

Orrin/Orris - tree in Hebrew.

Perry - pear tree in Old English.

Purnal - pear in Latin.

Alder- From the Alder Tree in Old English. Nickname - Al

Ash/Ashton/Ashley- From the Ash Tree in English.

Basil- Nickname - Baz

Briar- Shrub or small tree in English. Nickname - Brye.

Linden -From the Linden Tree in English. Nicknames - Lin, Denny

Oleander- An ever green tree in Greek. Nicknames - Olly, Lee, Ander, Andy

Saffron- The Yellow Crocus from Russia and Europe. Nickname - Ron

Sage- Herb or Prophet in English . Wise man.

Thorne/Hawthorn/Thornton- From the thorn bush in English. Nickname - Thor.

Cedar - From the Cedar Tree in American.

Jonquil - Reed in Latin. Nicknames - Jon, Johnny.

Aspen - Quaking Tree in American. Nickname - Penn

Rowan - Rowan Tree in English. Nickname - Row.

Burnet - Of the Basil Plant in Indian.

Thyme - Thyme Herb in English. Nickname - Tye

Valerian - To be Strong in Italian. Like the Herb. Nicknames - Val, Ian

Forrest - Of the Woods in English.

Reid/Reed - Like the Reed in English.

Rush - Dweller of the Rushes

Huckleberry - Sweet Berry in American. Nickname - Huck

Ogden - From the Oak Valley in Old English. Nickname - Denny

Sylvester/Silvio - From the Forrest in Latin.

Vernon - Alder Tree in English.

Selby - From the Willow Farm in English.

Tamar - Palm Tree in Hebrew.

Glen - From the Wooded Valley in Scottish.

Moss - Variant of Moses which means Saviour but is also the Plant.

Heath - untended land where flowering shrubs grow in Middle English.

Dalber - taken from a tropical tree called Dalbergia Oliverii

Birch - Birch Tree in English