Hippie Names

(source: google)

Before I get into what this post will be about, who saw the season premiere of Duck Dynasty last night?! I might have an obsession with that show. Make sure to check out Jaylyn's post about the cast's names, if you haven't already!!

This post is inspired by HelenaKoonings' hippie themed baby name game. I don't why I love hippie inspired baby names so much, but I just do. Hippie baby names are my guilty pleasure. They are out there and I probably wouldn't use most of them, but they're pretty darn cool if you ask me. There are a lot of names that I would consider "hippy-ish", but I just chose the ones that sounded 100% hippy to me. I loved looking up names for this post, so let's get started with the boys!!

Viggo
Origin: Scandinavian
Meaning: war

Ziggy
Origin: German
Meaning: "victorious peace"

Omri
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: "my sheaf"

Cedar

Origin: English
Meaning: "cedar tree"

Sonny

Origin: nickname for "son"
Meaning: "son"

Popularity (2011): #891

Indigo

Origin: color name

And the girls...

Meadow

Origin: nature name
Popularity (2011): #892

Breeze

Origin: word name

Birdie

Origin: English

Meaning: "bird"

Soleil

Origin: French

Meaning: "sun"

Journee

Origin: English, variant of Journey

Popularity (2011): #718

Duck Dynasty

Are any of you fans of the show Duck Dynasty? I am so obsessed with it. Who knew a show about rednecks making duck calls and having massive beards would be so amazeballs? I sure didn't. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. The new season starts on tonight on A&E!

Now that I have rambled on about the show, how about the names of the cast! The show is about the Robertson Family .. Phil & Kay Robertson, their sons & their grandkids.

Phil Alexander Robertson & Marsha Kay Robertson: Phil & Marsha who goes by Miss Kay are married and have 4 sons together.

Silas Merritt Robertson: He goes by Si and he is Phil's brother.

Willie Jess Robertson: He is Phil & Miss Kays 3rd son.

Korie Robertson: She is Willie's wife. Together they have 5 children.

John Luke Robertson: He goes by John Luke and he is Willie & Kories eldest son.

Sadie Robertson: She is Willie & Kories eldest daughter.

Will Robertson: He goes by Lil Will on the show. He is Willie & Kories 2nd son.

Bella Robertson: She is Willie & Kories youngest child.

Rebecca: She is Willie & Kories foster child.

Jason Silas Robertson: He goes by Jase and is the second oldest of Phil & Miss Kay's sons.

Missy Robertson: She is Jase's wife. Together they have 3 children.

Reed Robertson: He is Jase & Missy's eldest child.

Cole Robertson: He is Jase & Missy's middle child.

Mia Robertson: She is Jase & Missy's youngest child.

Jules Jeptha Robertson: He goes by Jep and he is Phil & Miss Kay's youngest son.

Jessica Robertson: She is Jep's wife and together they have 4 children.

Lily Robertson: She is Jep & Jessica's oldest child.

Merritt Robertson: She is Jep & Jessica's second child.

Priscilla Robertson: She is Jep & Jessica's third child.

River Robertson: He is Jep & Jessica's youngest child.

Phil & Miss Kay also have another son named Alan but he does not appear on the show.

What do you think of the Duck Dynasty names? Do you have any favourites? Do you dislike any of them?

Jaylyn ♥

Some of my Favorite TV Shows Names

I love some oldie shows that no longer run on TV!  So I am going to talk about 2 shows I wish still were on TV.  Gilmore Girls and 7th Heaven!  Anyone else love those shows?

7th Heaven

• Eric Camden -- I like the name but don't love it.
• Annie Camden -- Love that it isn't as common and great older name!
• Matt Camden -- Very common but good name!
• Mary Camden -- Another common but good name!
• Lucy Camden -- Love this older name!
• Simon Camden -- Not a huge fan of Simon but not horrible.
• Ruthie Camden -- Love the not so popular name!
• David Camden -- Again common but good name!
• Sam Camden -- Since I have a brother named Sam I love it!

Overall I think all the names go well and it's a great set!! :)  Which is your favorite?

Gilmore Girls

•  Lorelai Gilmore -- Love the unique name!
• Rory Gilmore -- Such a cute nick name! 
• Luke Danes -- Great name!
• Dean Forester -- Don't hate or love it
• Jess Mariano -- Not a fan of it on a boy
• Sookie St. James -- Unique but not my favorite
• Emily Gilmore -- Love the name!
• Richard Gilmore -- Common but good name
• Lane Kim -- Not a fan
• Paris Geller -- Not a fan

What Gilmore Girl name do you love the most?  My favorite is Luke and Emily!! :)

Happy Tuesday!  Comment on your favorites :)

My Top 20 Favorite Italian Names

Hey everyone!
As most of you know, I am 50% Italian. My dream vacation would be to go to Italy. I love Italian food and, really, everything about Italy, including the names!
Before I wrote this post, I did a little research about Italian names and how parents pick the names. I came across something very interesting. According to italian.about.com, there is a strong custom in Italy that determines the name of a child.

• The first baby boy is named after his paternal grandfather (father's dad)
• The second baby boy is named after his maternal grandfather (mother's dad)
• The first baby girl is named after her paternal grandmother (father's mom)
• The second baby girl is named after her maternal grandmother (mom's mom)
• The next children can be named after an aunt/uncle, parent or saint

How cool is that?!

Now, let's take a look at my favorite Italian names!

They are in order 1-10 for each gender, from my favorite of the 10 to my least favorite of the 10.

Pronunciation, meaning & my thoughts are listed below each. Of course, all origins are Italian.

Girls are first, boys to follow.

*Disclaimer: I got all of the information listed below from nameberry & babynames.allparenting.com. If any of it is wrong, I am sorry. Pronunciations are from heracleums.org/tools/pronunciation/it. Some names have an Italian and "in the US" pronunciation listed. The "in the US" ones are how I pronounce them and how people I know pronounce them.*

Girls:

1. Lia (of course)

Pronunciation: Lee-uh

Meaning: weary

My thoughts: Do I even have to say them? I have loved Lia for about 3 years now. It is my #1 girls name and I couldn't imagine naming my first daughter anything else.

2. Maddalena

Pronunciation: mahd-uh-LAY-nuh

Meaning: Woman from Magdala

My thoughts: I absolutely love this name. It sounds so feminine and is a great alternative to the popular names Madison and Madeleine / Madeline / Madelyn etc.

3. Isabella

Pronunciation (in Italy): ee-suh-BELL-uh; (in the US) izz-uh-bell-uh

Meaning: pledged to God

My thoughts: STUNNING. It is super popular basically everywhere, and it is clear why. Isabella is a beautiful name with a great meaning.

4. Giovanna

Pronunciation (in Italy): Joh-VAH-nuh; (in the US) jee-uh-VAH-nuh

Meaning: gift from God

My thoughts: This name is so beautiful. There are many nicknames for it, including Gia, Vanna & Gianna.

5. Aria

Pronunciation: Ah-ree-uh

Meaning: lioness

My thoughts: This name is rising in popularity very quickly. It is a name I love one day and don't like the next. It reminds me of Lucy Hale, who plays Aria on the ABC Family show Pretty Little Liars. Lucy is stunning, so it is a very good association.

6. Lucia / Luciana

Pronunciation: Loo-CHEE-uh / Loo-CHAH-nuh

Meaning: light

My thoughts: I put both of these in the same ranking because they are so similar and I could never decide which I like more. They are both so pretty and I love them a lot. I probably wouldn't ever use them, though, because of the many different pronunciations they have. I only listed one for each above, the Italian ones, but Lucia could also be: (loo-see-uh), (loo-shuh), (loo-shee-uh), (loo-chuh) etc. and Luciana has even more.

7. Vivia

Pronunciation (in Italy): viv-EE-uh; (in the US) VIV-ee-uh

Meaning: life

My thoughts: This name is ADORABLE. I would definitely consider using it if it weren't so similar to my name, Alivia. The nickname Vivi (viv-ee) is so cute!

8. Mattea

Pronunciation: muh-TAY-uh

Meaning: gift of God

My thoughts: I love this name! It is only #8 because I love all of the above only a tiny bit more. 

9. Dominica

Pronunciation: doh-MIN-ee-kuh

Meaning: belonging to the lord

My thoughts: I first saw this name on a commercial for abcmouse.com. The little girl was absolutely adorable and she made me love the name!

10. Chiara

Pronunciation: kee-AHR-uh

Meaning: clear

My thoughts: So pretty, but not my absolute favorite of the bunch.

Boys:

1. Giovanni

Pronunciation (in Italy): joh-VAH-nee; (in the US) jee-oh-VAH-nee

Meaning: gift from God

My thoughts: I have loved the name Giovanni since 4th grade. My teacher's last name was Giovanni and she was the sweetest woman ever!

2. Matteo

Pronunciation: muh-TAY-oh

Meaning: gift of God

My thoughts: Matteo was my #4 name for months, so I love it. I just don't love it as much anymore for my personal top 5, but it is #2 on my Italian favorites.

3. Luciano

Pronunciation: loo-CHAH-no

Meaning: light

My thoughts: SO cute! It is on my GP list. To see why, go up to Lucia / Luciana.

4. Gianni

Pronunciation (in Italy): JAHN-ee; (in the US) jee-AH-nee

Meaning: God is gracious

My thoughts: I love this name a TON, but it now makes me think of Snooki's baby daddy, Jionni.

5. Rosario

Pronunciation: roh-SAHR-ee-oh

Meaning: rosary

My thoughts: I love this name on both a boy and a girl. I prefer it on a boy because the -o ending makes it sound more masculine.

6. Emilio

Pronunciation: uh-MEE-lee-oh 

Meaning: rival

My thoughts: SO cute. Although I don't like the very similar Amelia, I think Emilio is very handsome.

7. Santino

Pronunciation: SAHN-tee-no

Meaning: little saint

My thoughts: Although Santino was my last choice for this list, I like it better than the next 3 names. It is sweet and I can see it aging well.

8. Graziano

Pronunciation: grahtz-ee-AH-no

Meaning: pleasing, beloved, dear

My thoughts: Very handsome, but I cant picture it on a baby.

9. Romeo

Pronunciation (in Italy): roh-MAY-oh; (in the US) ROH-mee-oh

Meaning: pilgrim to Rome, Roman

My thoughts: Romeo is so sweet, but I don't know if it is usable.

10. Nicolo

Pronunciation: NEE-cohl-oh

Meaning: people of victory

My thoughts: Nicholas is my favorite boys name, and Nicolo is a great variation, but I wouldn't use it.

I hope you enjoyed this post!

What are your favorite Italian names?

Have a great week!

~Ali

How to Name Your Characters

Hi everyone! This week I decided to do something a little different. I know that a lot of the namers I talk to on formspring are also writers and readers and one of my favorite parts of writing is naming characters. To me, characters names can be almost as important as their physical descriptions or attitudes. I can’t imagine any of my favorite literary character, from Scout Finch to Draco Malfoy, being named anything else. When I stumbled on a list of character naming suggestions on babynames.com I knew I HAD to do this post. I asked some of my formspring buds what their “rules” were and then took some I’d found online. These are some of the most common character naming do’s and don’ts and what I think about them. Thank you to all who answered my formspring question; you all had some super advice. Because some of the advice was repeated, I credited advice to who said it first.

Do’s

n  Make it age appropriate (http://www.babynames.com/character-names.php)

o   This might have been the most common piece of advice given. I absolutely agree. To me, there’s nothing more jarring than an adult character named something like Jayden or Neveah.

n  Consider the setting (Candy - http://www.formspring.me/gravityebbs)

o   Another common piece of advice. This one just plain makes sense. Out there and guilty pleasure names work perfectly in a fantasy setting, but less so in a realistic fiction. If a book took place in the 1800’s, modern names just don’t fit.

n  Consider the characters past/parents (Stevie - http://www.formspring.me/lepetitviolet)

o   I’d never considered this before Stevie suggested it, but it’s a VERY good piece of advice. A couple of lawyers will probably have different tastes than a waitress. A couple of sixteen year olds will name differently than a middle aged couple. Did the characters parents adore a certain writer? Or meet in a specific city?

n  consider spellings (http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/25-How2-CharacterNames.html)

o   As a rule, I think that any spellings should be, if not the original spelling, a commonly accepted variant. Difficult spellings do not change a name, or make it more unique. They do however give the reader a stumbling block that takes away from the story. That said, among accepted variants, spelling can reflect a character. Catherine with a C is a lot softer than Katherine with a K.

n  put some effort into last names

o   This is my own advice. I don’t feel the same way I do about surnames as I do about first names and as a result, my characters often suffer from surnames-that-are-also-first-names syndrome. Although books filled with Porters, Taylors and Carsons isn’t by any means a mistake, surnames can add another level to character names. A French character with the surname Cormier is much more believable than one with the surname Mason.

Don’t’s

n  Choose a name by meaning (Candy)

o   Although the babynames.com article says it’s a good idea, it’s one that I (and Candeh) would discourage. To me, unless you’re writing the next Harry Potter series (did Professor Sprout’s name bother anyone else?) and it will be so flawless I won’t care, it comes off as incredibly cheesy. Do not, under any circumstances, name a botanist Sage as suggested by babynames.com. Just don’t.

n  Use loaded names – (babynames.com)

o   When a name is iconic/infamous, using it sets up some pretty strong associations that could be impossible to overcome. A Jezebel is set up to be a sexpot and a Romeo to be love struck. This will influence the reader’s opinion. Especially because tropes and stereotypes are integral to books (especially for portraying a lot of info about a minor character quickly) loaded names will be more read into in books than in real life.

n  Use common names – (babynames.com)

o   This was another often suggested rule, but I have to say, one I don’t agree with. When Harry Potter was released in the late 90’s, Harry was in the top 20 boy names in the UK. When Twilight was released in 2005, Isabella had been in the American top 20 for three years. Both those names were (and continue to be) immensely popular, but are still strongly associated with their novel and quite memorable. At the same time, a slightly off beat name is certainly more interesting than a top 10/top 20.

n  Use something hard to pronounce – (Bea - http://www.formspring.me/ariajuliet)

o   It might just be me, but often, when I don’t know how to pronounce a name in a book I just skip over it. When I don’t skip over it, I make up my own pronunciation and then am unpleasantly surprised if I listen to a movie or book on CD. Like odd spelling, unpronounceable names just add a road block to the story without changing or aiding it.

n  Don’t use middle names (unless its 100% relevant)

o   This again, is something I struggle with. I love injecting middle names into the story for no apparent reason. In real life, I could probably count on one hand the number of non family members whose full names I know. Unless a middle name reveals something very important about a character (honoring a certain relative etc) chances are, it’s not relevant information.

Of course, these rules should be taken with a grain of salt. The most important thing is that you come up with a name you think fits your characters and story. These are just some things that usually bother me and those I polled. Hope you enjoyed this post and feel free to leave a comment with your favorite or least favorite literary names!

- Hayl

Guest Post: Best Names of the Bad Girls Club

Happy Friday!  Enjoy this guest post from Raya!  Please contact us if you would like to guest post!!

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Hi! This is Raya aka TabithaLillian from Formspring with another guest post. One of the only reality shows I have ever watched is the Bad Girls Club on Oxygen. It is about a bunch of women who live in a mansion together and often, tempers run hot. There is a lot of fighting, tears, and pranks. I am going to give a run-down of the most interesting names from all seasons of the show and what I thought of the girls who wore those monikers.

Cordelia (Season 2) - Cordelia is a Shakespearean name of “unknown” meaning and it is not in the top 1000. She was also character in the play “King Lear”. I have always had a soft spot for the name Cordelia, since a character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer is also named Cordelia. Cordelia on BGC was cool and by the end, she and the next girl I am going to mention were thick as thieves.

Tanisha (Season 2) - Tanisha is an African name than means “born on Monday” and is not in the top 1000. I don’t really like the name Tanisha, but I do love the girl. She was feisty and had a take-charge attitude I admire. She has often come back on Oxygen to host many of the BGC reunion shows.

Florina “Flo” (Season 4) - Florina is a Latin name that means “flower” and is not in the top 1000. I really like the name Florina, but I prefer the similar Flora or Floria. Flo from the BGC was a tough girl who partied hard and played harder. She is definitely more of a Flo and less of a Florina.

Wilmarie “Wilma” (Season 6) - Wilmarie is a combination of Wilma and Marie and it is not in the top 1000. I have grown to actually really like Wilmarie, but I do prefer the similar Wilhelmina. Wilma from the BGC was really cool and often won most of the fights she got into.

Judith “Judi” (Season 7) - Judith is a Hebrew name that means “of Judea” and is at #838 on the charts. I have never been a fan of Judith, but I love the nickname Judi. Judi on the BGC was always getting into fights and causing trouble, but that is part of the reason I liked her so much.

Nastasia “Stasi” (Season 7) - Nastasia is a Greek name that means “resurrection” and is not in the top 1000. I really love the name Natasia, although most people prefer Anastasia. I also really like the nickname Stasi over Stacey. Stasi from the BGC was very beautiful, but also very mean and often got into fights with the other girls. She and Judi were best friends in the house, along with another girl named Tiara.

Priscilla (Season 7) - Priscilla is a Latin name that means “ancient” and is at #487 on the popularity charts. I love, love, love the name Priscilla. In fact, it is #12 on my own list. It sounds so sweet and I love the nickname Cilla, but hate the nickname Prissy. Priscilla from the BGC was no priss either. She was short, but loud and funny. I loved her.

Gia (Season 8) - Gia is an Italian name than means “God is gracious” and is at #299 on the popularity charts. I like the name Gia and think it is cute. It is similar to a nickname I have picked out for my first daughter which is Gina. Gia from the BGC was tiny, but had a big personality. She would often get into fights (most of these girls do) and was also very beautiful.

Demitra “Mimi” (Season 8) - Demitra is a Greek name take from the God Demeter and is not in the top 1000. I don’t really like Demitra or the similar Demetria, but I do love the nickname Mimi. It reminds me of the character from Rent. Mimi from the BGC was one of my favorite girls because she was actually down-to –earth. Most girls on the BGC are not so level-headed.

Camilla (Season 8) - Camilla is a Latin name that means “altar server” and is #458 on the popularity charts. Camilla from the show actually pronounced her name KAH-MEE-LAH. I love this pronunciation but spelled Camila which is the Spanish form of Camilla. On the show, Camilla was brought in to stir up trouble and she did that by getting on everyone’s nerves.

Falen (Season 9) - Falen is a Gaelic name which means “leader” and is not in the top 1000. I love the name Falen, but prefer the spelling Fallon. It is such a cool name and I knew a Fallon growing up which made me like it even more. Falen from the BGC was really cool and had a unique style of dress that I really liked.

Well, that is it for this post. I hope you enjoyed it.

Presidential Baby Names

So, I kinda, sorta, totally forgot today was Thursday. ha ha. Fail. Oops.

With this past Monday being Presidents Day (US), I thought it would be quite suitable for me to do a post about presidential-inspired baby names. Here we go!

Quincy
President: John Quincy Adams
Origin: French
Meaning: "estate of the fifth son"
Quincy's Popular in 2011: #599

Harrison
President: William Henry Harrison & Benjamin Harrison
Origin: English
Meaning: "son of Harry"
Harrison's Popularity in 2011: #197

McKinley
President: William McKinley
Origin: Scottish
Meaning: "son of the fair hero"
McKinley's Popularity in 2011: #451 (f); n/a (m) 

Knox
President: James Knox Pollk
Origin: Scottish
Meaning: "round hill"
Knox's Popularity in 2011: #434

Lincoln
President: Abraham Lincoln
Origin: English
Meaning: "town by the pool''
Lincoln's Popularity in 2011: #178

Theodore
President: Theodore Roosevelt
Origin: Greek
Meaning: "gift of God"
Theodore's Popularity in 2011: #231

Truman
President: Harry S. Truman
Origin: English
Meaning: "loyal one" 
Truman's Popularity in 2011: n/a 

Monroe
President: James Monroe
Origin: Scottish
Meaning: "mouth of the Roe river"
Monroe's Popularity in 2011: n/a

Pierce
President: Franklin Pierce
Origin: English
Meaning: "son of Piers"
Pierce's Popularity in 2011: #474

2013 Celebrity Babies

It seems like everyday a different celebrity is announcing a pregnancy. There are so many celebrity babies due in 2013. I've picked a few celebrities that are expecting and I'm going to pick a name for each gender that I could see them using.

What names do you think these celebrities will use? Comment or answer on Formspring!

Prince William & Kate Middleton are expecting their first child together this year. My guesses for names are Victoria Diana Katherine & Charles Edward Louis.

Fergie & Josh Duhamel just announced yesterday that they are expecting their first child together. My name guesses are Dalis Willow & Knox David.

Mario Lopez & Courtney Mazza also just announced that they are expecting their second child together. They have a daughter named Gia Francesca. My guesses for baby number 2 are Antonia Gabriella & Luca Michael.

Holly Madison & Pasquale Rotella are expecting their first child together. A baby girl! My name guess is Rylin Sue.

Busy Phillips & Marc Silverstein are expecting their second child this year. They have a daughter named Birdie Leigh. My name guess for baby number 2 are Clementine Paige & Frankie Cade.

Jessica Simpson & Eric Johnson are expecting their second child this year. They have a beautiful daughter named Maxwell Drew. My name guesses for baby number 2 are Ashton Ann & Jack Joseph.

Phaedra Parks & Apollo Nida are expecting their second child. They have a son named Ayden Adonis. For baby number 2 I'm thinking Lyla Parks & Landon Apollo.

Kim Kardashian & Kanye West are expecting baby number one together. My guess are Mila Noel & Breccan Omari.

Jenna Dewan-Tatum & Channing Tatum are expecting their first child together. My names guesses for them are Liviana Sage & Lincoln Jude.

Amber Rose & Wiz Khalifa are expecting their first child. A boy! At any second. My name guess for the little guy are Caius Cameron.

Kristen Bell & Dax Shepard are expecting their first baby together. My guesses for names are Delilah Rose & Quinn Elias.

Lisa Ling & Paul Song are expecting their first baby together. A girl! My guess for the name is Malia Arielle.

What do you think of my name choices? What would you name the babies to these celebs?

Jaylyn ♥

Newest Arrivals in the Celebrity World

Happy Tuesday!  There has been several new additions in the celebrity world so today I am going to talk their names!!

Felix Chang

Felix Chang and Tinglan Hong welcomed Felix Chang.

Talulah Rue Price

Sara Rue and Kevin Price welcomed their first child, daughter Talulah Rue Price on February 9th.

Greyson James Carroll

Kara DioGuardi and her husband Mike McCuddy welcomed Greyson on January 31st.

Lula Rosylea

Bryan Adams and Alicia Grimaldi welcomed 2nd daughter.

Rekker Radley Gigandet

Cam Gigandet and his fiancée Dominique Geisendorff welcomed their second child on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

My favorite is Greyson James.  So what names are YOUR favorites?!  Don't be shy..comment and let me know!  Happy Tuesday & have a great week! :)

My Top 10 "Out There" Celebrity Baby Names!

Hi everyone & happy Monday!
This week I will be talking about my top 10 celeb baby names.
Celebrities are known to give their kids some pretty crazy names, so I didn't choose "normal" names for this post (such as Ruby, Arabella, Camden, Jack, etc). I chose my top 10 names that are pretty "out there".
They are in alphabetical order by gender. 5 for girls and 5 for boys.
Full name, parents' names, siblings' names and birth date (DOB) are listed below each.
Enjoy!

Name: Honor Marie Warren

DOB: June 7, 2008

Parents: Jessica Alba & Cash Warren

Siblings: Haven Garner (age 1)

Name: Nahla Ariela Aubry

DOB: March 16, 2008

Parents: Halle Berry & Gabriel Aubry

Name: Satyana Marie Denisof

DOB: March 24, 2009

Parents: Alyson Hannigan & Alexis Denisof

Siblings: Keeva Jane (age 9 months)

Name: Sebella Rose Winter

DOB: January 4, 2012

Parents: Roselyn Sánchez & Eric Winter

Name: Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt

DOB: January 8, 2005

Parents: Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt

Siblings: Maddox Chivan (age 11), Pax Thien (9), Shiloh Nouvel (6),

Knox Leon (4) & Vivienne Marcheline (4)

Name: Baylen Robert Brees

DOB: January 15, 2009

Parents: Brittany & Drew Brees

Siblings: Bowen Christopher (age 2) & Callen Christian (6 months)

Name: Bingham Hawn Bellamy

DOB: July 9, 2011

Parents: Kate Hudson & Matthew Bellamy

Siblings: Ryder Russell (age 9)

Name: Callen Christian Brees

DOB: August 16, 2012

Parents: Brittany & Drew Brees

Siblings: Baylen Robert (age 3) & Bowen Christopher (2)

Name: Kase Townes Murray

DOB: July 11, 2011

Parents: Jewel & Ty Murray

Name: Kingston James McGregor Rossdale

DOB: May 26, 2006

Parents: Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale

Siblings: Daisy Rebecca Lowe (age 24) & Zuma Nesta Rock (4)

I hope you enjoyed this week's post!

I had a great time writing it!

Have a great week!

~Ali

My Favorite French Names

Hello everyone. I hope you had a fabulous Valentine ’s Day week and enjoyed some of the Valentine’s themed post we had on the blog this week. This week, I’m lucky enough to be on reading week and am definitely enjoying some time at home. For those who don’t know, I am a quarter French Canadian, and as a result I’ve always had a soft spot for French names. This week I decided to look at my 5 favorite French names per gender. I’ve only included rankings in countries where French is an official language. Hope you enjoy! :)

Girls

Claire

Pronunciation: Kler

Ranking: 23 (Canada) and 183 (France)

Meaning: clear, bright, famous

My Thoughts: Claire is my nana’s name and that is obviously a fabulous association. I love Claire because of how just plain usable it is. Claire fits into so many styles of naming. It’s a classic for purists, but is still incredibly popular for trendy namers. It’s short and spunky, but still very feminine. It’s got a strong relation to a different language, but it still easy for English only speakers. It’s a perfect name for someone like me whose style is all over the map.

Emeline

Pronunciation: Em-ah-leen or Em-ah-line

Ranking: 192 (France)

Meaning: work

My Thoughts: Right off the bat with this name I feel that I have to address spelling. This spelling is the original spelling of the name; Emmeline and Emmaline are both Anglicized versions. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Anglicized versions, but I’ve frequently had people try to tell me that the Emeline spelling is wrong. Personally, I prefer Emeline. I think it looks cleaner and spunkier, and the people of France agree with me. Emeline is 192 in France, but neither Emmeline or Emmaline rank.

Geneviève

Pronunciation: Zhon-vee-ev

Ranking: n/a

Meaning: tribe woman

My Thoughts: One of my favorite things about Geneviève is how much it sounds like the French word for January (Zhon-vee-ay)! One of my favorite memories from grade school French was singing the months of the year song, I always loved Janvier, Avril et Juillet the best. The first time I heard this names French pronunciation was on a girl at camp and it just seemed so much prettier than the English and made me completely fall in love with the name.

Margot

Pronunciation: Mar-go

Ranking: 52 (France) and 66 (Belgium)

Meaning: pearl

My Thoughts: I’ve always loved Margaret, but had never considered Margot (in any spelling) until reading Paper Towns by John Green. The main female character in Paper Towns is name Margo Roth Spiegelman and absolutely made me fall in love with the name. I didn’t know it was French or that it was a diminutive of Margaret until I did some searching on it earlier this year. If Margot (or the more popular variant, Margaux) seem a little “too French” for your tastes, I think the Margo spellings is perfectly lovely.

Véronique

Pronunciation: Vay-ro-neek

Ranking: n/a

Meaning: bringing victory

My Thoughts: Between the summers of grade 9 and 10, I did volunteer work as an assistant councilor at a local camp. In the second week I worked, there was a Véronique in my group. I’ve always loathed the name Veronica so was surprised to find myself absolutely adoring her name. A large part of this adoration came from her nickname: Véro. I think it’s such a fun, spunky nickname.

Boys

Étienne

Pronunciation: Ay-tyen

Ranking: 225 (France)

Meaning: crown

My Thoughts: Étienne is the French form of Stephen. Stephen is my grandpa’s name and I’ve always thought about using it, but recently my brother called it. For a while, I considered Étienne, but it just felt a little too French for a girl who’s not planning on living in a French speaking area. A great association for me is also the male main character in the book Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I think the name is very exotic and cool sounding and would be a super choice for a brave namer!

Julien

Pronunciation: Zhoo-lee-on

Ranking: 65 (France) and 66 (Belgium)

Meaning: downy bearded

My Thoughts: I adore the name Julien for others, but have a hard time seeing myself using it. I think it’s very sweet sounding, yet still cool and masculine. The French pronunciation is rarely used/needed where I live, but Julien would be a great choice for someone in a more bilingual area who wants a name common in both languages.

Olivier

Pronunciation: Oh-liv-yay

Ranking: 307 (France)

Meaning: elf warrior

My Thoughts: Olivier is the French (and, with a different pronunciation, Dutch) form of Oliver. I’ve always wanted to love Oliver, but found it to be lacking something. To me, Olivier is absolutely perfect. I love the –ay ending and I love the stronger o sound that Oliver does not have. This name is a little on the adventurous side, but it’s just so cute.

Henri

Pronunciation: On-ree

Ranking: 356 (France)

Meaning: home ruler

My Thoughts: Henri is the French form of Henry, and I must admit I do slightly prefer Henry. That being said, I think Henri is pretty darn cute too. Although in many parts of the world, it runs the risk of being seen as a Henry typo/misspelling, it’s definitely a sweet choice for someone with some French heritage. It’s easy to pronounce and spell and close enough to the English name to not be seen as “weird”.

Benoit

Pronunciation: Ben-wah

Ranking: 321 (France)

Meaning: blessed

My Thoughts: I’ve actually heard Benoit more frequently as a surname than as a first name, but the surname freak in me might love it even more. As a rule, I adore Ben- names and Benoit is not an exception. I think it would be easy to turn English only speakers onto this name as it is easy to pronounce, part of the surname trend and comes with the adorable nickname Ben.

            So, that was my post on French names. I hope you enjoyed it. Leave a comment with your favorite French names or some names from your own heritage you love and see you next Sunday!

-  Hayl