Hester once existed only in the pages of a Nathaniel Hawthorne novel. But know a very different kind of heroine answers to the name. In our age of Harper, could this choice rise again? Our Baby Name of the Day is inspired by Mortal Engines. Hester: Esther Few names claim a single, dominant form across […]
READ MORE >>Avery: Baby Name of the Day
Avery belongs to a famous fictional newscaster’s mother – and son. The duo is back in the spotlight after many years away. Thanks to Kelly for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day, and to C in DC for suggesting it was time for an update. Avery: Alfred Back in the Middle Ages, King Alfred […]
READ MORE >>Names like Charlotte: Ten Great Substitutes
Let’s talk names like Charlotte. Charlotte, after all, is quite the name. Regal and poised, but still accessible, Charlotte comes from Charles, via the French. It’s feminine, but not fussy. Elegant, but at home on a child, too. It shortens to Charlie or Lottie, but requires no nickname at all. England’s adorable Princess Charlotte only […]
READ MORE >>Favorite Celebrity Baby Names 2018: Boys Opening Round
It’s time for favorite celebrity baby names 2018. For the first time, I’m handing over one category to you! As each year draws to a close, I pick the most intriguing celebrity baby names. Some of them are just plain cool. Others might help set the trends for a new generation. Sometimes it’s sibling names […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: Cat or Kindergartener? Medieval or Modern?
Happy Sunday! Does your name fit your generation? I’ve met Amys and Jennifers born well before the 1970s peak, and Susans and Allisons who are much younger than you’d guess. And, of course, I’m three decades older than the average Abby – but I named myself, so there’s that. My theory is that we’re happiest […]
READ MORE >>Favorite Celebrity Baby Names 2018: Girls Opening Round
It’s time for favorite celebrity baby names 2018, and this time, I’m handing over one category to you! Every year, I come up with my picks for the most intriguing celebrity baby names. They’re the names I expect to set trends – or buck them in a way that’s just downright cool. Some of them […]
READ MORE >>Name Help: Twin Sisters for Graham
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! Kim writes: Hello there! We have a son, Graham, and are expecting twin […]
READ MORE >>Virtue Baby Names: The Ultimate List of Lists
Thanksgiving means Pilgrims, and that makes us consider virtue baby names. Some are right at home on Plymouth Rock, the kind of names the early colonists chose to set themselves apart. Others are modern innovations, the product of the 1960s counterculture, or twenty-first century families’ search for meaning. Some might feel tough to live up […]
READ MORE >>Forrest: Baby Name of the Day
Forrest blends our love of surname-names with all things green and growing. Thanks to Annabel for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. Forrest: Outside In Latin, forestem silvam refers to the “outside woods.” Forestum comes from foris – the same root as our word foreign. Medieval Latin gives us forestis, a game preserve. Other […]
READ MORE >>Naming Boys After Women: Six Ways That Work
Naming boys after women should be standard practice. After all, we’ve been naming our sons after their dads and grandfathers for generations. We name girls after the significant men in their lives, too. What else explains so many feminine forms of traditional masculine names? And, to a lesser extent, we meet women named after their […]
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