Patches of Names

Nature has a lot of benefits. It can calm our minds, is pleasant to look at, and can even give us some name ideas.  Natural names derive directly from nature. Stated differently, they cannot be foreign translations or merely have natural meanings. These names derive from the sky, land, and sea along with animals, including birds. Here are some boys' names inspired by the natural world: Alder Ash August Bay Bear Birch Blaze Canyon Cedar Cloud Cove Cypress Dune Falcon Forest Fox Frost Hawk Heath Jasper Lake Leaf Moss Oak Onyx Phoenix Quill Reef Ridge River Sage Sparrow Sterling Stone Storm Summit Talon Timber Wolf Zephyr What names would you add?

When one thinks of nineteenth-century Western outlaws, Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) might come to mind. That association suggests a vintage feel for the name, but its history suggests otherwise.  Wyatt actually derived from a surname that itself came from the Old English Wigheard, meaning "brave in battle." Much of the name's use occurred after Earp's birth. It ranked in the top 1000 most years through 1932 while never making the top 400. It returned to the charts in 1939 and has risen in use since the late 1960s.  The name has been in the American and Canadian top 100 since 2004. Wyatt is also popular in France and used in England and New Zealand. There are several reasons for it: Wyatt is a brief surname-name with a traditional feel and rustic vibe. Its double "t" ending is also a factor.  Wyatt is a name for its time, but it is less likely to feel dated than other surname-names because of its gradual rise. Parents seeking a name that feels both traditional and

We can list many positive things about nature. These include the green grass and trees, the sunshine, the sparkling blue water, and even certain names. Natural names have direct ties to the natural world whether that be the air, land, and sea. Names with natural meanings do not count, neither do translations in other languages. Month, season, and animal names count, though. Here are some girls' names with ties to the natural world: Acacia Amaryllis Amber Amethyst April Aspen Aster Autumn Azalea Azure Bay Beryl Blossom Bluebell Briar Briony Calla Camellia Cassia Cedar Cinder Clementine Clover Coral Crystal Cypress Dahlia Daisy Dawn Diamond Dove Ebony Ember Emerald Fauna Fawn Fern Flora Garnet Ginger Hazel Heather Holly Honey Hyacinth Iris Ivory Ivy Jade January Jasmine Jewel June Juniper Lark Laurel Lavender Lilac Lily Linden Lotus Magnolia Mahogany Marigold Maple May Meadow Moon Myrtle October Olive Olivine Opal Orchid Pansy Pearl Peridot Petunia Plum Poppy Prairie Primrose Rainbow

We are living in the age of French girls' names ending in the "elle" sound. Brielle recently ranked in the top 100 and Noelle is still rising. Isabelle and Annabelle have also been popular lately. However, there is one old-fashioned name of that type that has yet to become popular again. Belle, as we all know, is the French word for "beautiful." It began as a short form for names ending in the "bel" sound, including Isabel, during the Middle Ages. Belle did not become a full given name until the eighteenth century, around the time when Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve published her famous fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" ("La Belle et Le Bête" in French). Belle is the name of the "beauty" in modern English adaptations, including the 1991 animated Disney film. Belle became more common during the nineteenth century. It ranked in the American top 100 through 1884 before falling from use, leaving the top 1000 in 1935. O

I recently replaced the top 100 girls' names with unique alternatives from below the top 1000. Today I do the same with boys' names. Along with being unique, the alternative must have the same syllabic pattern and count as its popular counterpart. It must also be different from the alternative I used last year and have current style.  Here are the top 100 boys' names and some unique alternatives: Liam-Eamon Noah-Boaz Oliver-Barnaby Elijah-Uriah James-Gaines William-Simeon Benjamin-Peregrine Lucas-Rufus Henry-Cedric Theodore-Archibald Jack-Gus Levi-Vito Alexander-Nicodemus Jackson-Coleman Mateo-Benito Daniel-Phineas Michael-Crispus Mason-Baron Sebastian-Ignatius Ethan-Theron Logan-Doyle Owen-Colwyn Samuel-Jemuel Jacob-Obed Asher-Herschel Aiden-Laken John-Rand Joseph-Cephus Wyatt-Alcott David-Ivor Leo-Benno Luke-Kurt Julian-Florian Hudson-Dublin Grayson-Crawford Matthew-Eustace Ezra-Jabez Gabriel-Zebulon Carter-Barton Isaac-Linus Jayden-Payson Luca-Rico Anthony-Silvanus Dylan

Last year, I replaced each of the top 100 girls' names with fresh alternatives. I will do the same this year, except with a twist. I will substitute each popular girls' name with a unique name from below the top 1000. The alternative must also have current style and not appear in last year's list. As with last years' alternatives, the names will share the same syllabic count and patterns as their popular counterparts.  Here are the current top 100 girls' names with unique alternatives: Olivia-Dulcinea Emma-Ida Charlotte-Prudence Amelia-Lavinia Ava-Neva Sophia-Minerva Isabella-Rosalina Mia-Dua Evelyn-Marion Harper-Campbell Luna-Juno Camila-Lucila Gianna-Vincenza Elizabeth-Mehitabel Eleanor-Harriet Ella-Rilla Abigail-Claudia Sofia-Rubia Avery-Ellery Scarlett-Vesper Emily-Amity Aria-Cassia Penelope-Antigone Chloe-Sappho Layla-Shyla Mila-Nilou Nora-Oona Hazel-Sybil Madison-Carrigan Ellie-Lottie Lily-Posy Nova-Maven Isla-Vaila Grace-Peace Violet-Lavender Aurora-Linnea Ri