The baby name Alma combines multiple possible meanings with plenty of vintage charm. Thanks to Anne for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. YOUNG WOMAN In Hebrew, Alma refers to a young woman – specifically a maiden, old enough to marry, but she doesn’t have kids of her own yet. It’s typically spelled Almah. Why […]
READ MORE >>Girl Names Starting with W: Willa, Winsome, Winry
We’re looking at girl names starting with W. As initials go, it hovers near the bottom of the popularity list. Only Y, X, Q, and U are less often chosen for our daughters’ names. And yet, girl names starting with W abound. Think of surname names that would wear every bit as well as Avery […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: 3.26.23
It’s officially spring, and that’s the start of busy season. First there’s the annual release of name popularity data, slated for May 12th this year. (Mark your calendars!) Then there’s July and August, typically peak season for births in the US. But for now, it’s still calm, so I took a minute to completely revamp […]
READ MORE >>March Madness Baby Names 2023: Boys SemiFinals
March Madness Baby Names 2023 started with sixteen names for boys, ranging from time-tested favorites to new up-and-comers to names that (nearly) no one is using. Your votes have narrowed that field to eight names, and now to just four. Those names will advance to the semifinals contest. The competition just keeps heating up, too! […]
READ MORE >>March Madness Baby Names 2023: Girls SemiFinals
March Madness Baby Names 2023 continues with the SemiFinals! And this? This is where the contests get HARD. Let’s look back at last week’s QuarterFinal match-ups. No upsets and – in the end – no close calls. Just lots of decisive wins from some lovely names. (Though the names they took out of the competition […]
READ MORE >>Name Help: Another Elizabeth?
Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! Liz writes: My husband and I have a son named George Daniel, after […]
READ MORE >>Nickname Cash: Cassian, Cassius, Kashton
The nickname Cash can be short for many a longer name, many of them rare and surprising – but made more wearable by the easy short form. CASH as a BABY NAME Of course, Cash is king. It’s long been a surname, as in Johnny Cash. There are several possible origins. It’s a surname for […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Kai: Cross-Cultural Star
The baby name Kai might belong to a medieval knight or a modern surfer. Thanks to Clio for choosing our Baby Name of the Day. THE ROUND TABLE Back in the earliest tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, we find Sir Kay, foster brother to the king. Sometimes he’s brave […]
READ MORE >>Boy Names Starting with G: Grayson and Gates
Boy names starting with G include traditional George and Biblical Gabriel. They’re familiar, handsome choices for our sons. But the letter also suggests a big number of surname options, from current favorites to rising possibilities. Rare and overlooked G boy names abound, too. As of 2021, G represents the fourteenth most popular first initial for […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: 3.19.23
A few years ago, I was talking to a parent about a name for her new baby. Her older child had been named, as she put it, “after a bird.” (It wasn’t in the Top 1000 then, and still isn’t … though it’s not as rare as it was then.) The thing was, she said, […]
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