The baby name Maya is a relative newcomer to the US, but it feels like a classic. Thanks to September for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. MANY MEANINGS The baby name Maya crosses cultures effortlessly. In Sanskrit Maya means illusion. Buddhist tradition tells us this is name of the Buddha’s mother, but the […]
READ MORE >>Name Help: Irish Boy Names … Not Patrick, Aiden, Liam
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! Heather writes: My husband comes from a big, Irish family. He has a […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Amara: Global and Graceful
Beguiling, international baby name Amara claims roots from Africa to Romania and beyond. Thanks to Laney McDonald for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. GLOBAL CITIZEN At least eight possible origins exist for the baby name Amara. Ready? Let’s run through them: In Igbo, a language spoken in Nigeria, it is literally the word […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Liam: Upbeat and Charming
The baby name Liam has held the top spot in the US for three years running. Not bad for a name nearly unknown on these shores before the 1970s. Thanks to Melissa for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. WILLIAM William conquered England in 1066 with the Normans. His name came along, and then traveled […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Kamala: Meaningful and Strong
Could the baby name Kamala become one of the hottest picks for the coming year? The historic election of Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States inspired this post. LIKE COMMA-LA Harris herself tells us to pronounce it like comma-la, “like the punctuation mark.” Maybe it’s not immediately obvious to English speakers, but […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Gianna: Traditional with a Twist
The baby name Gianna comes from the most traditional of sources. It’s a feminine form of John, via the Italian Giovanni. But there’s something spirited and bright about this import. It’s a high-energy twist on a classic. JOHN’S SISTER A staggering number of names trace their roots back to John. The Hebrew name became Ioannes […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Solenne: Tailored and Strong
The baby name Solenne sounds tailored and strong, plus it is so very rare. SOLANGE You might recognize the name Solange. It frequently appears on lists of French names for girls. And Solange Knowles, younger sister to Beyonce and an accomplished singer in her own right, makes it famous. (The Knowles family has plenty of […]
READ MORE >>Persian Baby Names: Anisa, Mina, Kian, Jahan
From an American perspective, Persian baby names range from the vaguely familiar to the completely fresh. Thanks to Nicole for suggesting a look at this language, and cross-cultural name choices that adapt well to English. PERSIAN BABY NAMES: A DEEP POOL First, let’s be clear: I’m writing as a complete outsider. I’ve never been to […]
READ MORE >>Maeve: Baby Name of the Day
Maeve belongs to a legendary warrior queen and a ruthless Westworld character. Thanks to Kayt for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. CELTIC ROOTS So many Irish girl names suffer from a case of letmespellitforyou. Niamh. Aoife. Saoirse. But Maeve? Even if it strikes someone as new, our familiarity with Mae and Eve mean […]
READ MORE >>Bernadette: Baby Name of the Day
Could Bernadette be the newest vintage revival? Thanks to Leslie for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. BRAVE AS A BEAR Bernard Sanders was born in 1941. You know him best as the senator from Vermont, and a candidate for Democratic nomination for the presidency. While his name sounds distinctive today, Bernard ranked in […]
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