Patches of Names

Roman mythology, three siblings as sky gods. One of them, Aurora, represented the dawn. The king and queen from the 1959 Disney movie Sleeping Beauty  also named Princess Aurora after the dawn. In turn, the name itself is Latin for "dawn". Many mythological names for girls did not enter use until the Renaissance or later. Aurora was no exception. It first entered use in the seventeenth century among Swedish, Italian, and Spanish parents. A century later, Aurora debuted in Britain. The name eventually spread to other English-speaking nations. However, it was uncommon until recently.  Aurora ranked in the American top 1000 most years since 1880. It peaked in the 300s during the 1920s. Tchaikovsky's 1890 ballet Sleeping Beauty , the first to refer to the main character as Aurora, may have influenced parents. It then hit a low point at the bottom of the charts from the 1960s to the 1980s. Aurora rose again after 1990. It has been in the top 100 since 2015 and the top 50 since

The term "formal" brings to mind many things. Mansions, banquets, bachelorette parties, suits, ties, et cetera. Formal names have similar qualities. A few weeks ago, I discussed formal girls' names. Today I make a list of heavy old-fashioned boys' names with nickname options. These are the names that some might think are too grand for young children to wear, but appeal nonetheless.  Here are some heavy boys' names with history: Abraham Albert Alfred Ambrose Archibald Arthur August Basil Benedict Bertram Cecil Chester Clarence Clement Conrad Cornelius Cyril Edgar Edmund Edward Edwin Emil Ernest Ferdinand Fergus Foster Francis Frederick Gilbert Harold Herman Hiram Horace Hugh Leopold Llewellyn Louis Luther Maximilian Montgomery Oswald Porter Prescott Randolph Rupert Salvatore Solomon Stanley Sylvester Theodore Victor Virgil Wallace Walter Willis Winston Which of these formal boys' names are your favorites? What names would you add to this list?

A few months ago, I wrote about the names that left the top 100 and where they are now in terms of ranking. Today I do the same thing for the names that entered the top 100 over the last decade. Some top 100 newcomers from the 2010s, such as Luna and Theodore, are still rising. Others, such as Piper and Jaxon, remain popular but are falling. There are also names that fell out of the top 100, such as London and Sawyer.  I list the top 100 entries of the 2010s that are still in the top 100. I will also list the current ranking next to each name. 2010 Entries: Jaxon (#55) Lucy (#47) Naomi (#54) Stella (#41) 2011 Entries: Ellie (#30) Grayson (#35) Harper (#10) Kennedy (#70) Lydia (#90) Nolan (#60) Scarlett (#20) 2012 Entries: Aria (#22) Easton (#70) Hudson  (#34) Piper (#96) Skylar (#74) Violet (#35) 2013 Entries: Lincoln (#45) Mila (#26) Nora (#27) Paisley (#52) Penelope (#23) Ruby (#62) Sadie (#78) 2014 Entries: Alice (#64) Asher (#25) Eleanor (#15) Leo (#31) 2015 Entries: Aurora

In eighteenth-century Prussia, King Frederick's supporters named their daughters after him. They replaced the "k" at the end of Frederick with an "a" to create Frederica.  Frederick means "peaceful ruler." As the feminine form, Frederica would have the same meaning. It has been worn by several princesses in the past. These include Princess Frederica Amalia of Denmark (1649-1704), Princess Frederica Caroline of Saxenburg (1735-1791), and Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia (1767-1820).  Frederica only ranked a few times before 1911. It actually disappeared in the United States a few years ago. That's the only barrier to Frederica's classic status, Frederica has always been rare, though, so the name can't feel dated. If it's usable as ever today, its continual decline must be shocking. Maybe it could be that it has too many consonants? Consonant-heavy names like Agnes and Maude have been unfashionable in past decades. Yet, Gwendolyn,

Sibling names is one of my favorite topics when it comes to names. Earlier this year, I listed real-life sibling names to Lucy. Today I list real-life sibling names to Scarlett.  Scarlett is a shade of red. It is also literary and rustic via Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind. Scarlett is nickname-proof, too. Thus, sibling names for Scarlett will include literary, rustic, and word names with a similar vibe. However, none of them will rhyme with Scarlett. Here are some real-life siblings for Scarlett that I found online or know in real life: REAL-LIFE SISTER NAMES: Amelia Aurora Autumn Beatrice Charlie Coraline Eden Eliza Esme Evangeline Georgia Hadley Harlow Harper Hazel India Isla Ivy Jemima Juliet Juniper Lila Lillian Lucille Magnolia Matilda Naomi Olive Penelope Phoebe Piper Presley Ruby Savannah Sienna Stella Tallulah Willow REAL-LIFE BROTHER NAMES: Archer Atticus Beau Brooks Cooper Ezra Finn Gage Hudson Jackson Jasper Jude Lincoln Oliver Phoenix Rafferty River Which of th

During the Middle Ages, a cult veneration for a saint spread from its native country, Spain, to France. That saint shared a name with several more saints of the era. That saint was St. Vincent of Saragossa.  Vincent comes from the Roman name Vincentius. Vincentius itself came from the latin "vincere", meaning "conquer". Thus, it made sense that a cult dedicated to a St. Vincent conquered France. Vincent was first in use among early Roman Christians. It was then worn by several saints between the fourth and seventh centuries besides St. Vincent of Saragossa (d. 304). According to Eleanor "Elea" Nickerson on British Baby Names, Vincent entered use among English-speakers around 1200. However, Vincent remained uncommon for decades. The French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) was one of the name's bearers from the name's uncommon period. It was not until the nineteenth century that Vincent began to rise in England. There, it ranked in the top 10

Vintage girls' names, such as Ada and Olive, are clearly coming back into style. Then there are the slightly more old-fashioned group of names, the antique names.  Antique girls' names feel old-fashioned and peaked in English-speaking nations before 1880. Hence, these names date from the medieval to the colonial eras. In addition, as with vintage names, famous people and/or characters from their peak eras can make names antique. Here are some old-fashioned names for daring namers: Amice Annis Blythe Clemence Cornelia Deliverance Drusilla Electa Eugenia Eugenie Felice Fidelity Henrietta Hester Hettie Honesty Honor Jemima Kittie Lavinia Lucretia Mercy Parnell Patience Pleasance Prudence Remembrance Rhoda Sophronia Theodosia Verity Winnet Zillah What are your favorite antique girls' names? What names would you add to this list? 

We live in a serious world. Expectations have increased at workplaces. Hence, there are reasons why parents might want to use formal names. Formal names are at least slightly heavy in sound. They also have nickname-options. Thus, while some might find these names too heavy for small children, the nicknames can make up for it. Plus, all formal names have at least a century of usage. This means that Ellington and Waverly, however formal they may sound, do not qualify for this list.  Here are some heavy ladylike names with history: Agatha Agnes Araminta Ardith Astrid Augusta Beatrice Bernadette Beryl Blanche Clementina Cordelia Cornelia Dinah Dorothea Edith Eleanor Emmeline Enid Eudora Eugenia Eugenie Euphemia Florence Frances Frederica Genoveva Georgina Ginevra Griselda Gwendolyn Harriet Heloise Henrietta Honoria Imelda Imogene Ingrid Irene Lenora Lenore Leona Louise Magdalene Marguerite Martha Matilda Mavis Millicent Minerva Ottilie Ottoline Patience Philippa Philomena Prudence Rosalind

One of the many occupations of the Middle Ages was barrel making. Occupants were known at coopers at the time. Today, though, Cooper feels more like a name than a job title. As Cooper has been historically used for barrel makers, the name came from the Middle English "couper", meaning "maker of barrels." Thus, the name's early history and meaning match. As with most job titles Cooper began as a surname.  Cooper ranked a few times in the United States before 1890. It returned to the charts by 1984. Afterwards, Cooper rose in use. It reached the top 100 in 2007 and is now at its peak in the low 60s.  Cooper is part of our age of occupational surname-names along with Carter and Mason. Its surname style along with its modern usage make Cooper contemporary rather than traditional. Actor Gary Cooper (1901-1961), who starred in the Western TV series High Noon , gives this name a rustic vibe as well. In addition, Cooper is in moderate to popular usage throughout the Eng