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Names Inspired by Everly

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Everly sounds old, rhyming with vintage Beverly and borrowing sounds from classic Eve and Emily. Yet, it was hardly a name until the past decade. Since entering the charts in 2012, Everly has risen dramatically to hit the top 100 in 2017 and rank within the top 50 between 2019 and 2021. Not only is Everly overly popular for some parents, but its rapid rise makes it extremely like to date to this era; this gives extra demand for Everly alternatives. Alongside being fresh for this generation despite having the sounds of classic names, Everly is feminine and tailored when most girls' surname-names lean unisex. It also has some artistic heritage via the Everly Brothers rock duo. Finally, Everly rolls off the tongue; it is fun to say.  For parents seeking alternatives (or name enthusiasts seeking more names to love), here are some names that capture Everly's style: Abilene Abilene is a place name mixing the sounds of Abigail and Irene, hence sounding old-fashioned. However, it has o
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Phoebe

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In one of his Biblical letters, St. Paul referred to a female deacon, or church officer. The same name belonged to an epithet to the Greek moon goddess Artemis. That name is Phoebe. Phoebe, meaning "bright, pure" in Greek, has seen usage among English-speakers from the sixteenth century, before Shakespeare used it in As You Like It . It became established in Britain by the late seventeenth century and was a Victorian top 100 pick there before falling in the early twentieth century. As an American name, Phoebe (spelled Phebe in records) was fairly common as early as 1800 and peaked with 125 girls between 1841-1850 according to the 1850 census. However, that number dropped to 80 in the 1880 census. Hence, Phoebe was clearly declining when it first ranked in the 200s in 1880. It left the top 1000 in the early 1960s. Phoebe ranked again in 1966-67 and 1977 before officially returning to the charts in 1989. The name has risen ever since. From the mid 2000s through the 2010s, Phoeb
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The Deal with Popular Names

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Popularity, as with durability, is a dividing issue in the realm of first names. There are plenty of articles advising against using popular names, but there are also sources that discourage abandoning a name just because it's "too popular." Too Popular? Popularity is a subjective matter regarding names; what's "too popular" for one person might not be so for others. Some parents only seek to avoid the top 10 while for others, it's the top 20, 50, or 100. There are even those who want to escape the top 500 or 1000, or perhaps use a fully unused name. What parents view as "too popular" is often influenced by their own experiences. For example, those who grew up with popular names tend to prefer more unique choices (especially if they grew up around multiple same-name people). Yet, there are also parents who didn't mind having a common name and those with unique names who want to pass down their experience.  At Patches of Names, I mark the to
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Levi

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In the Biblical Old Testament, Jacob and Leah had a son who lent his name to a tribe. That tribe, the Levites, formed the priestly Israelites. It is not surprising, then, that Levi means "joined" or "attached" in Hebrew.  In the English-speaking world, Levi has been used in Britain since the late 1500s and became more common in the 19th century. Perhaps it ranked in the English top 100 in 1860 and 1870; other Biblical names such as Amos and Enoch were also popular in Victorian England, justifying Levi's popularity.  As an American name, Levi has ranked in the top 1000 every year since 1880. It first peaked outside the top 100 in 1881 before falling out of the top 200 in the mid 1890s, during which Levi's jeans became more popular. After hitting its low point in the 700s in 1965, Levi began rising again. It returned to the top 200 in 1987 and entered the top 100 for the first time in 2009. Since 2020, Levi has been a top 20 hit.  Within the English world, Lev
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Marie

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Latin Maria has been popular in America for most of its history, as has the English Mary. Yet, the same cannot be said about the equally classic French form. Marie, which has the various meanings of Mary ("bitter," "sea," etc.), has endured in France, if not in the English world, from the Middle Ages. Many namesakes emerged throughout the name's long history, including Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), the last French queen, and Marie Curie (1867-1934), who lived in Paris even though she was born Maria in Poland. Marie has only left the French top 100 in 2021.  In the English-speaking world, Marie emerged during the nineteenth century. It was a top 100 name in the United States through 1957, ranking within the top 10 between 1894 and 1914. Maire has also been popular in England between 1904 and 1984, Australia until 1965, and New Zealand until 1982.  Marie may no longer be a common name, but it remains in the top 100 in several European nations besides France. These
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Amir

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Names are getting increasingly diverse in our modern age. Perhaps the boys' top 100 just got its first Arabic name: Amir. Amir, meaning "commander," originated as a title. As a given name, not surprisingly given its origins, it is common in the Middle East. However, its history of use among Middle Easterns is unknown.  In the United States, though, Amir was first recorded for five boys in 1954. It took six years for the name to enter consistent usage, which brought it into the top 1000 in 1976. Amir rose gradually until it broke the top 100 in 2023.  Amir is not only popular in the United States and Middle Eastern countries like Azerbaijan, but also in several European nations. It ranks in the top 100 lists in Belgium. France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. Arabic names in the boys' top 100 may be a new thing, but there aren't many names of similar origins close behind Amir. Hence, it will stand out for years to come.  SPELLINGS: Aamir, Ameer, Emir S
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Top 100 Syllable Counts

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As I continued researching first names over the past few years, I noticed patterns in syllables. Some patterns are common, while others are rare.  I counted the number of names featuring each syllable pattern among the girls' and boys' top 100. My results are recorded below: FOUR-SYLLABLE NAMES Within the girls' top 100, 13% of names have four syllables: 6% have emphasis on the third syllable Examples: Is-a- BEL -la, El-i- A -na, Val-en- TI -na, Lil-i- A -na, Gab-ri- EL -la, Ar-i- A -na 7% have emphasis on the second syllable Examples: O- LIV -i-a, A- MEL -i-a, Pe- NEL -o-pe, E- MI -li-a, Vic- TOR -i-a, Na- TA -li-a Within the boys' top 100, just 5% of names have four syllables: 4% have emphasis on the third syllable Examples: Al-ex- AN -der, San-ti- A -go, Le-on- AR -do, Je-re- MI -ah 1% has emphasis on the second syllable Example: E- ZE -ki-el THREE-SYLLABLE NAMES Within the girls' top 100, 37% of names have three syllables: 13% emphasize the middle syllable
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