I can’t find the original source for this quip: “Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people.” But we should talk about it. Because in this week’s #namehelp and in a recent Swistle post, questions related to family naming customs came up. My take on family names comes down to this: You are never under […]
READ MORE >>Name Help: A Brother for Jamie
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! Marissa writes: We have a three year old son named James Fletcher LastName, […]
READ MORE >>1923 Girl Names: Aurelia, Rita, Yvette
1923 girl names range from classic Anna to the unexpected Marvel. In naming, we often talk about the “100 Year Rule.” It’s more of a notion than an ironclad law. The 100 Year Rule in brief: We generally find the names of our parents’ generation quite dated. Our grandparents’ names can feel awfully, well, old. […]
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. In English, it’s shortened to just plain gem. It may have […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Ignatius: Ancient and Fiery
The baby name Ignatius sounds saintly and offbeat, and also surprisingly cool. Thanks to Sara for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. ANCIENT and FIERY The family name Egnatius dates back to the Etruscans, the civilization that flourished prior to the founding of Rome. Gellius Egnatius commanded an army in the third century BC. […]
READ MORE >>Boy Names Starting with N: Nolan, Nico, Nairobi
Boy names starting with N range from the wildly popular Biblical boy Noah to a nearly endless stream of Nick names. From surnames and place names to forgotten firsts, plenty of unusual choices sit side-by-side with Top 100 favorites. While some boy names starting with N can be heard on any playground, others are instantly […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: Construct Creative Constraints
Here’s something that I’ve noticed as I’ve worked with families over the years: the temptation is to add to our lists. Making it longer, longer … and longer still. We feel like we just haven’t found the right name yet and one more search will get us there. I’m a huge fan of discovering new […]
READ MORE >>Baby Name Tallulah: One to Watch
The baby name Tallulah marries Native American history to Irish legend and a Hollywood icon, too. Thanks to Lise for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. PRINCESS of ABUNDANCE There’s more than one spelling for the baby name Tallulah, and two completely separate origins. Let’s begin in Ireland. Spelled Talulla, it’s the name of […]
READ MORE >>Name Help: A Brother for Rosalie and Reid
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! Allison writes: My husband and I are having a terrible time coming up […]
READ MORE >>1923 Boy Names: John, Dorsey, Ike
Wondering what 1923 boy names were on top? It turns out that plenty of today’s familiar favorites were popular picks one hundred years ago, too. But mixed in with upstanding classics like James and John, we find some unexpected gems. A few of these names – both from the 1923 boy names’ Top 100 and […]
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