Articles: Baby Name Advice & More

Most of the posts at Appellation Mountain are in-depth profiles of specific names. But there’s also plenty of advice about how to name a real, live human being. Find it here!

Advice & Guidance

• The Perils of Unusual Names: Ten Things to Consider When Choosing Hester or Habakkuk
• In Defense of Atlas and Apple: Ten Reasons Unusual Names Aren’t a Problem
• Jacob versus Trystan: Ten Things to Remember About Rankings
• In Defense of Emma and Ethan: Ten Good Reasons to Use a Common Name
• How Close is Too Close? Ten Factors to Consider
• In Defense of Isobel and Aiden: Ten Reasons to Embrace Variant Spellings
• The Secret Meaning of Names
• The Myth of the Normal Name
• In Defense of Riley Anne and Evan Marie: Ten Reasons Boys’ Names on Girls Are Not a Sign of End Times
• The Nine Types of Unusual Baby Names
• In Defense of Nicknames: Ten Reasons to Embrace Nickname-Rich Names
• In Defense of Jake and Kate: Nine Reasons to Skip the Formal Name
• Seven Reasons to Go Big with Middle Names
• The Problem of Native American Baby Names
• Crazy Baby Names: 12 Warning Signs 
• 8 Reasons to Forgo Family Names
• 9 Creative Ways to Honor Your Loved Ones with Your Child’s Name
• 6 Great Reasons to Use Family Names
• Eight Things I’ve Learned About Baby Names as a Parent
• Name Help: Why I Never Say “Save the Name for a Son”

Getting to … a specific nickname

• Getting to Addie
• Getting to Coco
• Getting to Ellie
• Getting to Evie
• Getting to Lulu
• Getting to Gus
• Getting to Nell
• Getting to Rory (girl)

Lists, etc.

• A to Z: Nature Names
• A to Z: Single Syllable Names for Girls
• Obscure Saints’ Names: Girls’ Edition
• Ooh La La: French Names for Girls