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Name-inspired news and notes for your Sunday reading.
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Word names are white hot. But what about plural word names?
I’m thinking about Kittens and Wings.
Wide-eyed Catherine Reichert became a child star in early silent films. Her stage name, Kittens Reichert, was taken from her childhood nickname. She lived in New York. When film production shifted to California, her family declined to make the move, and Kittens’ career came to an abrupt end.
Actor Wings Hauser was born Gerald. A character actor, his television and film career spanned five decades.
Neither name was ever given to even five children in a single year.
Kitten and Wing do appear in tiny numbers in the US popularity data. I suspect Wing is a Chinese surname (and maybe a recording error, because John Wing would be recorded as Wing John).
Could that change?
I found a few plural names in the current data:
- Rivers – 54 boys, 30 girls
- Mays – 11 boys, 7 girls
- Parks – 59 boys, 6 girls
But I feel like they’re all surnames, more like Brooks. Kittens and Wings are more clearly plural word names, and that feels different.
Are there other options? Stars and Blues sound like sports teams. (Then again, so does Wings.)
Can you think of any plural words with name potential? I’m stumped!
ELSEWHERE ONLINE
I barked with laughter at this. Not so long ago, it did feel like we all had the same three or four middle names, mostly Marie. Also stunning but less often discussed: how many boys shared the middle name James.
“Iris” is having a(nother) moment. The Goo Goo Dolls’ 1998 hit has never really gone away, but it’s back on the Spotify charts right now, right next to KATSEYE’s “Gabriela.” The song helped boost the name. Is it possible that the name’s popularity is now boosting the song?
So interesting to see the girls’ names in the England and Wales Top 100 that don’t make the US Top 100. Even more intriguing? Orla, Imogen, Harriet, Ottilie, Robyn, and Darcie don’t even rank in the US Top 1000.
UPDATING & THINKING ABOUT
Looking for an offbeat Irish saint’s name? Dymphna has a fascinating story to tell.
Opal: sparkles just as much as Ruby, feels less expected than Jade. When it comes to gemstone names, Opal is one of the ones to watch.
Timeless Dean has made a comeback, years ahead of schedule.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading and have a great week!
Plural noun names… wow, I’d never really thought of this question! Like you said, most of the common ones are surnames: Brooks, Banks, Hayes. I know a baby girl named Woods, and I believe her parents chose it for the nature connection, as they met doing outdoor education.
Spanish offers some wonderful plural noun names. Dolores comes to mind: Spanish for “sorrows”, in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows. On a similar theme, the girl’s name Nieves is inspired by Our Lady of the Snows. And Santos (“Saints”) is a surname occasionally given to boys as a first name.
In French, you have Toussaint, which is singular in its native language but which translates as “All Saints”.
In English, Miles is a plural noun, although the name is derived from the Latin for “soldier” (pronounced “MEE-lace”). And Jules sounds like “jewels”, although the spelling differs. Then, there’s the middle name of Justin and Hailey Bieber’s son, Jack Blues Bieber.
Apparently, Peaches ranked in the U.K. Top 1000 in 2023 but dropped just outside the list in 2024. To me, it feels like a stage name or pet name, like Whiskers, Pebbles, or Pickles.
And some records of enslaved people in South Carolina include several individuals named Hardtimes (one word). It’s hard to know whether they were thus named by their parents or enslavers.
I could see the canonical hours working as given names: Matins, Lauds, Vespers. Likewise with some mountain ranges: Apennines, Cascades. Maybe an archaic plural, like Brethren?
I’ll be continuing to mull on this one!
OH – good point about Dolores and Spanish names. Miles is a good point, and oh yes – Blues. Musical, but plural, too, right?
Does Forest count as a plural name? LOL! (I know, I know, a forest is singular… but it IS a grouping of trees.) Woods feels a lot the same.
Patches perhaps?
Checkers?
Flowers?
Peaches?
Shores?
Somehow, the plural form feels really like childhood nicknames which carry over into adulthood. For example, Sweets seems like a nickname that comes with a story. Ribs fits the same bill. Britches, too. Or Loops… these all feel like they could have the surname of Johnson or Malone or Hernandez.
OH – yes, I’ve heard Peaches! Good add. And interesting about childhood nicknames – I think you’re right …
I spent way too long brainstorming plural names after reading this. What a fun idea!
Sparks
Sweets
Groves
Rains
Evens
Reds
Streets
Wilds
Lions
Lilies
Queens
Kings
Fords
Aces
Palms
Waves
Vespers
Days
Woods
Ravens
Raiders
Gains
Stones
Lakes
Grays or Greys
Blossoms
Flints
Seasons
Crossings
Harpers
Heights
Psalms
Peaches
Lands
Hills
Valleys
Verses
Dice
Trails
Banners
Canyons
Trumpets
Fields
Meadows
Cheers
Taps
Summers
Dreams
Saints
Laurels
Shreds
Styles or Stiles
Angels
Acts
Corinthians
Echoes
Arrows
Times
Eras
Ranks
Oceans
Rings
Diamonds
Altos
Palos
Vegas
Angeles
Roads
Tropics
Posies
HA! Yes, some possibilities here for sure. I think Fields is VERY wearable.