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Time for names in the news 5.3.26 edition.
But first: is there a fourth F?
Last week on Facebook, we were discussing sociologist Hannah Emery’s assertion that there are only three types of middle names: Filler, Family, or Fun.
But I think we’ve identified a fourth F: Faith. Saints’ names or words that express belief, like Psalm or Praise. Some might present as a different category, but if your worldview is the driver for choosing it, then Lotus isn’t exactly Fun and Bernadette could be for the saint, not an ancestor.
And, of course, readers rightly pointed out that there’s a LOT of overlap. A name can be Family/Fun, like my daughter’s middle Wren, chosen in honor of her aunt’s childhood nickname, Bird. Or it can sound like Filler, but be a super-meaningful honor name, like James.
There’s value in that nuance. So yes, three (or even four) categories is an oversimplification, but a useful one.
Table of Contents
ELSEWHERE ONLINE
NASA invites you to find your name in Landsat. There aren’t really words to tell you how cool this is, just try it! Here’s proof:
What a woman named Mary Love would like to share about having a double name. Or maybe this is true for everyone with a slightly complicated name – even if you love it, there are challenges.
Messiah is more popular than Patrick, Maverick outranks Thomas, Icelynn and Honey are fast-rising names for girls and more unhinged – but completely accurate – facts from last year’s name popularity data, courtesy of Caroline.
UPDATING & THINKING ABOUT
Maceo is a rare variant of Matthew, a Mateo cousin that feels ready for the spotlight.
Serena has never been all that popular, but maybe it should be!
Benjamin remains the most popular of the Ben names, a surprisingly versatile choice and the sweetest name for a youngest child.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading and have a great week!
