Patches of Names

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?

The Irish mythological King Lír had a second wife who ordered a sorcerer to kill his children. Due to their beauty and innocence, however, they became swans instead and had to swim for 900 years. One of these poor Children of Lír had the name of Nola.  Nola is an anglicization of the Irish Nuala, itself a diminutive of Fionnuala meaning "fair shoulder." Nola was common in Medieval Ireland. Some have also claimed Nola has roots as a diminutive of Magnolia even though the flower name emerged much later in the Victorian era.  Nola has been used among English-speakers since at least the nineteenth century. In the United States, Nola ranked in the top 1000 every year from 1880 to 1964; American actress Nola Fairbanks (1924-2021) was born in the middle of its run. Nola has also been used in England from the 1870s, peaking at 187 births during the 1940s. While the name was neutral in American and English popularity, it was a top 100 name in both Australia and New Zealand in the earl

The nation of France stirs up images of bright lights, fancy pastries such as baguettes, kisses, and berets. A certain style of names bring these same things to mind. French names originate in the French language along with having French structures. For boys' names, endings such as "ste" and "eau" can make a French background. However, not all endings sound exclusively French. Names ending in "el", such as Michel, can belong to any language. Here are some boys' names that bring to mind the romantic feeling of France: Adrien Alexandre Alphonse Andre Antoine Armand Auguste Baptiste Bastien Beau Blaise Christophe  Claude Clement Damien Emile Emmanuel Fabien Fabrice Fernand Frederic Gaspard Gaston Gerard Guillaume Gustave Henri Jacques Jean Jerome Jules Julien Laurent Lucien Marceau Marcel Mathieu Maurice Maxime Michel Napoléon Nicolas Noel Noham Octave Olivier Pascal  Phillipe Pierre Quentin Regis Rémy Rene Romain Sébastien Sylvain Thibaut Tristan Val

France is among the most romantic destinations. What could be better than a city of lights, fancy pastries, and berets? A group of names capture the same romantic feeling. French names both sound French and originate in the language. Many of these are common among French-speakers as well as sharing similarities in structure and ending sounds. Common French endings include "ette" and "ille". Here are some girls' names that capture the romantic spirit of France: Adele Adeline Adrienne Aimee Amandine Amelie Anaïs Angeline Angelique Anouk Antoinette Apolline Arielle Axelle Belle Bernadette Blanche Brianne Brielle Brigitte Camille Cecile Celine Charlotte Christine Claire Clarice Colette Corinne Cosette Danielle Delphine Denise Desirée Diane Dominique Elise Elodie Eloise Estelle Eugenie Felicie Fleur Francine Frederique Gabrielle Genevieve Georgette Giselle Helene Henriette Isabelle Jacqueline Jeanette Jeanne Jolie Josephine Josette Julie Juliette Justine Léonie Lilou

Some names began as surnames. Other names began as place names. One name combines these backgrounds: Percy.  Percy comes from both the Normandy town Percy-en-Auge and the Old French surname Piercy, which is derived from root words meaning "to pierce" and "hedge." Percy even has roots as a nickname. From the twelfth century, Percy has been used as a short form of Percival.  Percy began its life as a first name a few centuries later, when people adopted it from the surname or as a variant of Peter. English writer and politician Percy Herbert (1598-1667) was one of the first bearers. English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) became another notable bearer two centuries later. The name even entered the English top 100 in the 1860s and stayed there until the 1920s. Percy was also popular in Canada and New Zealand at the time.  In the United States, Percy was a top 200 name until 1914 and remained in the top 1000 until 1989. It has yet to show signs of revival, but pop

St. Valentine inspired the holiday defining February, Valentina's Day. There was another saint from the third century with a feminization of his name: Valentina. Valentina, like its masculine counterpart, emerged from the Old Roman "valens," meaning "strong." It has been used in Italy, Spain, and Russia since the Middle Ages. Even though it entered English usage in the seventeenth century, it did not become common until recently. Valentina has been used for five American girls as early as 1897. It entered regular usage in the 1910s. However, Valentina never made the top 1000 until 1994. Valentina Tereshkova, who became the first woman to visit space in 1963, might have impacted the name's use. With the rise of Olivia and Isabella, parents also took interest in lacy multi-syllable girls' names. Valentina made the top 100 in 2017 and has ranked there since.  Valentina is also popular in Australia, Canada, and England. It is used in several international la