Depending on the era, the baby name Abigail brings to mind a Biblical bride, a lady’s maid, ora sage font of wisdom. Thanks to Photoquilty and Emmy Jo for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. FATHER’S JOY Abigail has her beginnings with the Hebrew Avigayil or Abhigayil. Avi means father, and gil means rejoice. […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Zona: Forgotten Gem
The baby name Zona carries a powerful meaning and a legacy as a long-time Top 1000 choice. Thanks to Beth for suggesting a gem from her family tree as our Baby Name of the Day. GIRDLE The baby name Zona translates to girdle in Greek. If girdle makes you think mid-century women’s foundation garment, well […]
READ MORE >>Boy Names Starting with B: Benjamin, Bowie, Bronx
Ready for a bumper crop of boy names starting with B? B names rank ninth out of the 26 letters of the alphabet. That’s not exactly J or A, but it’s well ahead of choices like H, W, and Z. Despite that relative popularity, only Benjamin makes the US Top 50 … and only Benjamin […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: We Can’t Trust our Perception. Only Our Perception Matters.
Here’s a naming challenge: we can’t trust our perception. But only our perception matters. Maybe you’re an analytical type, comfortable ignoring your personal experience in favor of data. But most of us – regardless of professional experience or education – have a tough time with this in some areas of life. And names tend to […]
READ MORE >>New Names Showdown 2021: Boys SemiFinals
If it’s July, then it’s time for the New Names Showdown! Every year, the US Social Security Administration releases the 1000 most popular names. Some of them are brand new to the rankings, debuting for the first time ever. Others return after an absence. It’s usually a few dozen names for each gender. I take […]
READ MORE >>New Names Showdown 2021: Girls SemiFinals
The New Names Showdown 2021 is underway! Every year, when the new data is released, a handful of names have returned to the US Top 1000, or debuted for the very first time. I choose eight of my favorites for boys, and eight for girls. By favorites, I mean the most interesting names – some […]
READ MORE >>Name Help: He Hates My Favorite Names
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! Julie writes: My husband and I are due with our first child together […]
READ MORE >>Raya and the Last Dragon Production Babies: Yuna, Romi, Drake
Looking for the Raya and the Last Dragon production babies? This list includes all 42 babies celebrated in the closing credits of Disney’s animated movie. If you’re new to the concept, it’s pretty simple. It takes months – sometimes years – to create an animated movie of such complexity. That means that employees working on […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Rafe: Dashing Traditional
The baby name Rafe combines traditional roots with plenty of dash. Thanks to Josephine for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. RALPH If you know actor Ralph Fiennes – and since the celebrated actor has starred in everything form Shakespeare to Harry Potter, you probably do – then you might assume that Rafe is […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Cecilia: Musical and Timeless
The baby name Cecilia combines timeless appeal with a rich and storied musical pedigree. Thanks to Dan for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. CAECILIUS If meaning matters, the baby name Cecilia comes up a little short. It comes from the Roman family name Caecilius, from a Latin word meaning blind. The first Caeculus […]
READ MORE >>