Patches of Names

Its green landscapes has given Ireland a famous nickname. That nickname happens to feature a feminine green gemstone name: the Emerald Isle. Emerald, the green stone, has traditionally been the birthstone of May. In ancient Egypt, people also used the stone for love and wisdom. As a baby name, it is lacking in history even though it appears in the Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources. It has been recorded as the Old French Emeraude in 1292 and the Latin Emerauda in 1564.  Emerald has been recorded for at least five girls in the United States as early as 1904. Yet, it did not really begin to rise until the 1970s. Emerald went on to make the top 1000 from 1991 to 2002 with a 700s peak in 1994. The name reentered in 2017 and again in 2019. Emerald has been slowly rising in popularity since then.  With several girls' names meaning "green", such as Olive and Sage, along with gemstone names like Jade and Opal in the top 1000, this is Emerald's time to shine. I

Catholic parents sometimes name their children differently than the general population. One of their unique naming sources are the Catholic saints. Saintly boys' names belong to Catholic saints. However, not every saints' name counts. John and Peter have been worn by at least one saint each, but they feel too ordinary for immediate association. A classic saints' name can still count, but it must immediately bring the saint to mind. Here are some saintly boys' names that honor the Catholic faith: Ambrose Anselm Augustine Barnabas Bartholomew Basil Benedict Blaise Bruno Casper Constantine Cornelius Damien Declan Dominic Edmund Emmanuel Erasmus Felix Florian Francis Gabriel Gerard Gilbert Hermes Ignatius Isidore Jerome Joachim Jude Kenelm Lazarus Leo Linus Magnus Matthias Maximilian Nicholas Pedro Peregrine Pius Quentin Raphael Raymond Rémy Sebastian Silvan Thomas Valentine Victor Vincent Vitus Xavier What names would you add?

A certain group of famous people are important to Christians. They serve as role models for living a pure and holy life. Saintly names belong to Catholic saints. However, not every name that has belonged to a saint counts as Saintly. Lucy and Mary might honor saints, but the connections don't immediately come to mind. Yet, other classics have stronger connections to their saintly namesakes, making them qualify.  Here are some Saintly names for girls: Adelaide Adelina Agatha Agnes Amandine Anastasia Apollonia Ava Avila Barbara Bernadette Brigid Camilla Carmen Cecilia Chantal Clare Eugenia Faith Faustina Felicity Flora Gemma Genevieve Guadalupe Helena Jacinta Joan Josephine Kateri Louisa Lucia Magdalene Maria Marianne Monica Perpetua Philomena Rita Rosa Rosalia Sabina Seraphina Siena Sofia Susanna Teresa Ursula Valentina Veronica Vivian Winifred Zélie Zita What names would you add?

The Greek god Apollo had two sons. One was killed in a contest while the other invented rhythm and melody. He even taught music to the god Herakles. These sons had the same name: Linus.  Not only does Linus come from Greek mythology, but it also originates from the Greek Linos , meaning "flax." The name has associated itself with a saint during antiquity as well. St. Linus succeeded St. Peter as a pope.  Not much is known about the name's usage between antiquity and the Victorian Era. In the United States, Linus first ranked in 1882. It ranked 15 more times until 1940 while never making the top 600. American chemist Linus Pauling (1901-1994) was born during that time. After the name stopped ranking, Charles Schulz (1922-2000) created his famous Peanuts character with the blanket, Linus Van Pelt.  The name has recently been popular in Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Linus also currently ranks in the German top 50.  The name has been tied to the Peanuts character with the

Names vary in many areas. They differ in length, sounds, and degree of formality. Names can be long and formal or short and casual. Compact boys' names are not just short, they're also informal and complete at once. They have no more than five (ideally four) letters. They also sound cute on children while also suiting adults. Even though none of these are nicknames, a complete name with diminutive roots still counts as compact. Here are some short and sweet boys' names that will wear well across a lifetime: Abel Amos Arlo Axel Benno Bram Cian Eli Enzo Ezra Gael Hugo Ian Ivo Joah Jude Kai Kobe Koda Kylo Leo Liam Luca Max Milo Neo Nico Noah Noel Otis Otto Owen Rex Rhys Rio Teo Toby Viggo What names would you add?

Names come in all lengths and degrees of formality. Some are long and formal names. Others are the exact opposite: short and casual.  Compact names have no more than five (ideally four) letters along with feeling mostly informal. None of these are nicknames, though, so they should suit all ages equally. A name that has diminutive roots but feels independent today is still compact. Here are some cute girls' names that will wear well across a lifetime: Ada Alva Amy Aria Ava Avis Ayla Belle Bree Cara Cleo Cora Cove Demi Dora Eden Elin Ella Elle Elsa Emma Esme Etta Eva Eve Faye Fia Gaia Gemma Halo Hebe Hera Holly Ida Ily Iona Ione Iris Isla Iva Ivy June Juno Kara Kira Leah Lena Lila Lily Liv Lola Lucy Lumi Luna Lyla Lyra Mae Mara May Mia Mila Mina Mira Nala Navy Neva Neve Nia Noa Nola Nora Nova Nyla Oona Orla Orly Peta Pia Pippa Poppy Reba Remi Rena Reva Rhea Rita Romy Ruby Rue Rumi Shea Suvi Tessa Thea True Vada Vega Viva Willa Zoe Zola Zora Zuri What names would you add to this list?