Friday, April 26, 2013

Spring Baby Names (Part 1)

Even though the first day of spring was over a month ago, I couldn't help but do a post about springtime baby names! Spring is a wonderful time to have a baby, and if you need some inspiration, look no further than the season! Since I have so many names picked out, I am going to do this in two parts. This post is going to be the girls' names. Let's get started!

 I'll first talk about Spring, probably the most obvious of the bunch. I'm thinking this name might soon start to take off, considering the popularity of its other season sisters like Summer and Autumn, and Winter seems to be becoming quite trendy now. You'd have to be brave to use it, but I think it would make a lovely (and fitting) choice.

 Maia is the name of the Roman goddess of spring and flowers. I absolutely love this name! I think this name is definitely usable, having the same feel as Mia (number 9 on the popularity charts) , with a bit of a more exotic flair. Maia is Greek and means mother, and can also be spelled Maya, which is more common.

 Cerelia is a Latin name meaning relating to springtime. It is a pretty uncommon choice, but I think she would fit right in with all the Amelias, Cecelias, and Aurelias out there. The nickname Lia also makes it much more familiar sounding.

 Anthea is also a good choice for spring babies. A Greek name, it means flowery, which is (usually) what springtime is. If you like it, but it feels a little too out there for you, consider using the nicknames Annie or Thea ( I love both!).

 And to go along with this flower theme, any flower name woulld be sufficient to be a spring name. Here are some of my favorites!

Calla- I talked about this name in my last post. Another similar name for you is Calantha, which is Greek and means lovely flower. Both are great choices.
 Azalea- A more out there choice. The trendy Z and the Lea ending make it destined for use though.
 Zinnia- You might need some guts to go with this name, but it has a very spunky, cute feel.
 Lilac- A great Lily/Lila/Leila alternative. It has the same soft feel, but a bit more distinctive.
 Rose- A bit more popular than the other flower names I've mentioned. If you want something a bit different, try something with the same meaning like Rosa, Rosalie/lia Rosaline, or Rosella.
 Daisy- Would be a cute choice. This could also be a nickname for Margaret.
 Violet- Has been receiving alot of attention ever since Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck chose this for their baby girl. If its getting to popular for you, consider Violette or Violetta.

 Some more springtime plants or green names are:

Meadow- I've been hearing this name a lot lately, maybe its the new Savannah?
 Chloe- A top ten name, meaning young green shoot. A more distinctive, yet still springtime choice could be Clover.
 Briar- Another nature name, a briar is a thorny patch. The name that Aurora used when she was in hiding in Disney's "Sleeping Beauty"
 Fern- Sounds so sweet and fresh to me! Also a literary name from "Charlotte's Web"

 A few more names I'd like to mention are bird names. Its not spring without hearing the birds chirping, right?

 Lark- I love this name! Its so fresh and new. It could also be a great middle name choice. The French Alouette could also be a nice choice, if the children's song ringing in your head doesn't bother you.
 Wren- I've been hearing this name a lot lately as well. Would make a sweet and stylish choice.
 Sparrow- You might have to be a little bit more brave to use this one, but I would love to hear this name more often!

Okay, so that's all of the girls names! Hopefully I'll have the boys names up soon!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

First post!

 Hello, and welcome to my blog! Baby names have always just been super interesting to me. So this blog is dedicated to names I hear, like, and love! So if you have any questions
of need advice for naming your baby, I'd love to help in the comments!
 So I thought I'd start my blog off by listing my own favorite names! Of course, these change quite often, but this is as of right now. Hope you enjoy.

  I'll start with the girl names.
 1. Juliet- Juliet is my absolute favorite girls name! I don't see this one changing anytime soon (if ever). Juliet is the English form of the French Juliette, and means youthful. It is probably most associated with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, one of the most popular and tragic love storys of all time, but my favorite association is Juliet from Psych, which is one of my favorite shows. The name aso has many musical references, from Taylor Swift's Love Story to We The King's Check Yes Juliet. I love this name so much and hope to use it one day if I have a little girl!

 2. Francesca- This is a new love of mine, but its oh so pretty, don't you think? Francesca is the Italian variation of Frances and means from France or free man. I think this name is so fresh and could picture a beautiful little girl wearing this name! Love!

 3. Lucia- Lucia is a beautiful Italian name, and is a wonderful alternative if Lucy is getting too popular for you. It can be pronounced Loo-see-ah, Loo-chee-ah or Loo-sha, my favorite being the Loo-chee-ah pronunciation. A feminine variation of Lucius, Lucia means light, and Lucy can be a nickname if you like!

 4. Calla- This name is so pretty, and has a lovely meaning too! It is Greek and means beautiful. This is a great name if you love Lily, but it is too popular. It has the image of Lilies but is a totally unique name! Callie would be a super cute nickname, too!

 5. Emma- Doesn't everyone just love the name Emma? Well it woud make sense, considering it is the third most popular name in the U.S.! Wow! Even though it is so popular, I just can't help but love it! Emma us German and means universal, and has alot of "Pop culture references". From the Jane Austen novel to Rachel and Ross's baby on Friends to real life celebrities Emma Stone and Emma Watson.

 Boys names
 1. Henry- This name seems to be rising in popularity rather quickly ( :( ). Henry is number 57 on the popularity charts right now, and I can see it rising even higher! Its making a come-back with all of these "Vintage names". Henry is German and means estate ruler, and comes with super cute nicknames Harry and Hank!
 
 2. Dean- I think Dean is such a strong and handsome name! It is my granfathers middle name, so it would be a great way to honor him if I ever have a son. This name is English and means church official, and is a great name choice if you're looking for something short and sweet, yet strong.

 3. Joseph- This name is definitely a timeless choice, having been around since Bible times! At number 22 on the popularity charts, Joseph is Hebrew and means Jehovah increases. The nickname Joey is really cute for a little boy and Joe or Joseph are both very friendly sounding, strong names for a grown man.

 4. Sean- Sean is a super cute Irish name, one that was popular before all of the Aidans and Conors seemed to take over the playground. A diminutive of John, Sean means God is gracious and, like a lot of my favorite boys names, is nice and short, and basically nickname-proof. I think it is a lovely choice!

 5. Charles- Its a family name for me, which makes it all the better in my opinion! Charles is French and means free man, and Charlie is just an ADORABLE nickname! Charles is a very classic name, belonging to kings of France, England, Spain, Hungary and Portugal, which makes it feel very royal as well.

So those are my top 5 names for each gender. I hope you enjoyed :)