Patches of Names

There's classic Lucy, a cute full name that has been used consistently for centuries. Just replace the "c" with an "l", and you get nickname-name Lulie.  According to Nameberry, Lulie was possibly a short form of classic Louise, which means "renowned warrior." It could also be a short form for other "lu" names like Lucille, though.  All that is known about Lulie's usage, though, is that it was used in nineteenth century America. It was a time for nickname-names as Annie, Hattie, Bessie, and company ranked in the top 100. While it explains Lulie's usage, it was never a popular name at all. Perhaps it only ranked five times during the 1880s. By the 1940s, Lulie died out. This makes Lulie a long-lost rarity even though it was given to at least five girls as recently as 2018.  Despite this, Lulie has a vintage sound. That's probably because similar-sounding Lula was in the top 100 back in the day. It also mixes the sounds of cute and

A while ago, I came up with fresher alternatives for the top 10 girls' names of the 1980s. Today I continue this series with the names that, according to the Social Security Administration, ranked between #11 and #15 during the 1980s. Tiffany (#790)-Tiffany has a bit of history pre-dating its peak decade. It began as the medieval form of the Greek Theophania. However, Tiffany feels too strongly tied to the last generation to remain usable. It also  has the dated "ny/ney" ending of Brittany and Courtney. The 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's contributes to its dated feel, too. Here are some fresher options: Felicity (#386)-This colonial virtue name has the multi-syllable structure and some of the same sounds as Tiffany. More specifically, Felicity contains an "f" and ends in "y".  Idony (unranked)-Idony is structurally similar to Tiffany via its short "I" syllable at the beginning and "nee" sound at the end. Plus, like Tiffany, Id

Peyton, Harper, Colton, and Easton have become modern staples, rising to the top 100 in the twenty-first century. Such names often rise dramatically, thus making them sound dated in a few years. Elizabeth, Sarah, John, and Michael were in the top 100 at least most years since 1880. These names have stood the test of time and won't date. However, can a name sound modern without feeling dated? Introducing the new classics, a name style that bridges the gap between traditional and modern choices. Like the similar transparent names, they're recent adoptions with history. Unlike transparent names, though, they have endured for at least two generations and have usually already peaked.  Here are some modern choices that were coined or newly popular within the last 100 years that will stand the test of time: FEMALE NAMES: Allison Andrea Angela Bethany Brooke Cassandra Chloe Daniella Erin Esmeralda Francesca Gabriella Gabrielle Giselle Heidi Holly Jade Jamie Jasmine Kendall Lauren Maya

Rosetta Jacobs was born in early 1932. Even though she had Jewish grandparents and attended a Hebrew school, she found her name too "Jewish." Thus, she signed a contract with Universal Studios in the late 1940s, changing her name to Piper Laurie.  It is unknown why Jacobs selected Piper Laurie as her new name, especially in an era in which Laurie was a popular first name. If it weren't for that change, though, Piper probably wouldn't be a feminine given name today; it entered sparing use in 1951 and has been used consistently since then.  Even though Piper debuted in the top 1000 during the late 1990s, a few namesakes were born earlier. American author Piper Kerman, who wrote "Orange is the New Black", was born in 1969. American actress Piper Perabo, who was named for Laurie, came along in 1974. Besides, Piper possibly existed as a given name before the 1950s; Jennifer Choldenko's  Al Capone Does my Shirts , which took place in 1935, features a female

We all learned in elementary school that the end components to words are called "suffixes". These include "um", as in periodic table elements potassium and calcium. Suffixes aren't just found in words but also in names. For instance, Lucy and Mercy both end in "cy", while Frederick and Patrick both end in "rick". Names with similar suffixes can serve as alternatives to each other. Yet, I don't like the idea of siblings having names with the same suffix. I think it's too matchy. I'd say the same thing about siblings with names having the same prefix, as in Mabel and Mavis, James and Jacob. I have a sibling with a name containing the same prefix as my own name. Thus, I sometimes mishear my name as my sibling's name.  I think sibling names need to be similar in style, but, as I described above, distinctive in sound. Sibling names can be in the same category as long as they don't sound interchangeable with each other. Pearl an