The baby name Bram fits with brisk, brief boy names like Jack and Cole, but also sweeping romantic heroes, like Tristan and Sebastian. Thanks to Leela for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. ABRAHAM Bram comes from Abraham, the Biblical patriarch name. In Hebrew, it means “father of many,” which is, of course, Abraham’s […]
READ MORE >>Girl Names Starting with Y: Yara, Yarrow, Yvelisse
Girl names starting with Y tend towards the obscure. After all, Y ranks 23rd out of 26 in terms of most popular first initials. Only Q, X, and U are less popular. Another factor? Lots of Y names aren’t exactly Y names at all. The letter easily stands in for I – see Ysabel and […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: Which Direction Does the Arrow Point?
Good baby naming advice is often good LIFE advice, and vice versa. Swistle recently answered a question from a parent with three E-named kids. In her reply, Swistle noted that there’s no need to continue with E names, but added “if drastically narrowing the name-choice field is helpful and reduces naming stress rather than increasing […]
READ MORE >>Candy Baby Names: Dulcie, Reese, Ruth
Candy baby names seem just right at certain holidays. Valentine’s Day and Halloween, of course. But plenty of these might inspire a child’s name during any season. Of course, some obvious choices didn’t feel name-like. Sugar seemed too sweet, even though a few dozen girls have received the name since the 1950s. And while plenty […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name William: Enduring Classic
The baby name William belongs with the most evergreen of classics. Thanks to Lina for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. ODD MAN OUT Look at the most popular names for boys over the centuries, and they have one thing in common: they’re straight from the Bible. The baby name William is not. But […]
READ MORE >>Name Help: A Brother for Alice
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! Katelyn writes: We have a daughter named Alice Olivia. Olivia was my favorite […]
READ MORE >>Mardi Gras Baby Names: Rex, Nola, Giacomo
Mardi Gras baby names celebrate the city of New Orleans’ eclectic roots and irrepressible spirit. There’s something about the Louisiana city. Credit Anne Rice or zydeco, jambalaya or dozens of movies and television series. It’s nowhere near as big as Paris or Los Angeles, but New Orleans competes with the most storied cities on Earth […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Hugo: Storied and Spirited
The baby name Hugo could follow other o-ending boy names into greater use. HUGH AND HUGO The Germanic Hugh means mind, heart, or spirit. At the end of the 900s, Hugh Capet ruled the Franks. It remained popular in the region, and the Normans brought it to England with them a century later. It became […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Gemma: Sparkling and Substantial
The baby name Gemma combines all the sparkle of Ruby or Emerald with history and substance to spare. Thanks to Nessa for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. GEMSTONE In Latin, gemma refers to a precious stone. The word is unchanged in Italian. It may have started out as an endearment before it became […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Gwendolyn: Regal and Retro
The baby name Gwendolyn started out as a legendary queen and now feels like a sparky, retro comeback pick. Thanks to Another for suggesting our Name of the Day QUEEN GWENDOLENA In 1136, Geoffrey of Monmouth published his Historia Regum Britanniae. Despite “history” featuring prominently in the title, it’s really a mix of legend – more […]
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