Patches of Names

For a few years, I have been into seeking less-popular alternatives to the most common names. Today, I'd bring that interest to action by transforming the current top 100 girls' names. My blog is for everyone who loves names. A post listing multiple alternatives for every name would be aimed exclusively at parents, so I will only list one alternative per name. The alternative names will also be phonetically similar to the popular name; it will have a similar syllable count and pattern. Alternatives will rank below the top 250 as well.  Enjoy my transformation of the current top 100 girls' names, where you are a parent seeking less-popular alternatives or just love names. Olivia-Lavinia Emma-Greta Ava-Theda Charlotte-Frances Sophia-Louisa Amelia-Cordelia Isabella-Henrietta Mia-Noa Evelyn-Gwendolyn Harper-Briar Camila-Romina Gianna-Bianca Abigail-Maribel Luna-Rhea Ella-Zelda Elizabeth-Zenobia Sofia-Josefa Emily-Cecily Avery-Waverly Mila-Priya Scarlett-Tanith Eleanor-Hannelore

One of the greatest figures of French history was Napoleon Bonaparte. He rose to fame as military leader of France during the French Revolution. Napoleon then conquered most of Europe and became Emperor.  When hearing the name Napoleon, many would think of Bonaparte. While the name is strongly associated with the historical figure, it originated long before Bonaparte was born. Napoleon comes from the Old Italian "Napoleone". Further originations aren't quite clear. However, Napoleon is also thought to come from the Germanic "Nibelungen," meaning "sons of mist"; or from Napoli, the Italian name for Naples, Italy.  Napoleon actually ranked in the American top 1000 through the early 1970s while never making the top 100. Over thirty years after leaving the charts, the name connected to a movie.  Napoleon Dynamite , which follows a teen of the same name, came out in 2004. For some reason, the movie did nothing to bring the name back to the top 1000.  Napole

Virtue names have been popular among girls for centuries. There's timeless Grace, Hope, and Charity as well as antiques such as Patience, Mercy, and Prudence. Yet, there are also virtue names that are more out-there. Love is one such name.  Love is a word name that came from the Old English "lufu". It connects to one of the three daughters of St. Sophia of Rome, who was martyred with her sisters during the reign of Hadrian. Love also ranked in the top 1000 for girls a few times before 1900. The name has history for boys as well; it was in the boys' top 1000 multiple times before 1910. Some people don't think Love is usable as a first name because the word is used too often in everyday language. However, it's the same thing with Hope. Thus, if Hope can be a given name, why not Love? Besides, Love comes from a word with positive connotations. Alongside having history, Love is more common for girls now than ever before. Perhaps it entered the top 1000 for the fir

Every generation, certain name sounds cycle in and out of favor. One of the sounds that's currently in favor is the "o" ending. That's especially true for boys' names. Parents are now seeking out more vowel endings in boys' names and less consonant endings. Names ending in "o" are only one example. While names ending in "o" are mostly on the rise for boys, there are also names rising in use for girls. Here are some rising names for both genders containing the "o" sound at the end: Apollo Apollo is a mythological name that can lead to feminine nickname "Polly." Arlo Arlo sounds like it could be old-fashioned, containing sounds from Archie and Milo. Yet, it's most popular now. Benicio Benicio sounds like the Spanish born of classic Benedict, making it an interesting alternative to Mateo. Cairo Cairo is a place name that connects to the capital city of Egypt. Cleo Vintage Cleo is cute and spunky, making it a sister for

In the naming world, there are popular names, unique names, and everything in between. In general, unique names tend to stand out more than popular names. However, the Social Security system does not keep name spellings separate. Hence, many unique names are re-spellings or sound-alikes of more common choices.  What makes a name distinct, then? It is a name with no more than one respelling in the current top 1000. It also doesn't sound like too many other names. Even a popular name that fits these requirements is distinct. However, it must not shorten to an extremely popular nickname. Today I describe popular but distinct names within the top 100: Autumn New classic Autumn has a unique beginning and ending sound. Few names begin with "aut" or end in the "m" sound, too.  Brooks There might be several boys' names out there starting with "br". However, nothing quite sounds like Brooks. There are also no re-spellings in the top 1000. Delilah So many na