Patches of Names

The ancient times conjure images of gods with arrows and horse chariots. There is a set of names that make people imagine the same things. Classical, or ancient, boys' names have been used during and strong resonate with ancient times. It is not enough for a name to hail from ancient mythology; mythological names often have ancient roots, but not all were common ancient names.  Here are some classical boys' names with ancient usage: Aeneas Albus Alexander Amadeus Andreas Antonius Archimedes Augustus Aurelius Caesar Caius Cassius Cato Cicero Claudius Constantine Cornelius Cyrus Darius Decimus Demetrius Erasmus Euclid Fabian Flavius Gaius Hadrian Hector Ignatius Isidore Julius Junius Leonidas Lucius Lysander Marcellus Marius Maximilian Maximus Octavius Ovid Peregrine Pericles Philo Quintus Remus Septimus Severus Silvanus Theophilus Theseus Tiberius Titus Tycho Ulysses Valerian Virgil Vitus Xerxes Zeno What names would you add to the list?

Once upon a time, Juliet had a lover. His name, Romeo, actually has roots dating back long before Shakespeare wrote his famous play. Romeo is the Italian form of the Latin Romaeus , which possibly means "from Rome." It could also mean "pilgrim to Rome," which is shocking because Romeo was definitely not a holy pilgrim. Shakespeare took his name from the Italian stories of Luigi Da Porto and Matteo Bandello featuring lovers Giulietta and Romeo. It is unknown if Da Porto's Romeo was any better than Shakespeare's, but it's also not likely. Romeo was never a popular American name, but it ranked in the top 1000 several times, especially between 1890 and 1949. It reentered in 1996, the same year Baz Luhrmann's edgy take Romeo + Juliet hit theaters. Romeo has been rising at a moderate to slow pace, though, and remains outside the top 300.  Because Shakespeare's Romeo takes his own life, he does not provide little boys with a good role model. That can tu

Most names are subject to trends. Some of the most popular names have risen because they fit in. Here are some common trends that have been emerging (1-4 names) among today's top 100 girls' names along with some rising (or stable) contenders: COUNTRY BELL-TONES: Current names: Paisley (#53) Kinsley (#61) Raelynn (#100) Contenders: Hadley (#111) Oakley (#157) Blakely (#167) Collins (#247) Shiloh (#344) I-ENDING NAMES: Current names: Naomi (#46) Leilani (#59) Contenders: Remi (#118) Kehlani (#152) Alani (#173) Zuri (#194) Kailani (#223) Milani (#234) Kaylani (#253) Malani (#395) Lorelei (#442) Lorelai (#480) GODDESS NAMES: Current names: Luna (#10) Aurora (#31) Athena (#78) Iris (#84) Contenders: Freya (#129) Phoebe (#214) Lilith (#270) Daphne (#278) Maia (#420) TREE/BUSH/GRASS NAMES: Current names: Hazel (#27) Ivy (#42) Willow (#38) Contenders: Juniper (#114) Sage (#144) Olive (#158) Aspen (#196) Meadow (#406) Which of these trends do you think will grow? Which names do you thin

The ancient world had many interesting things. Think decorative temples, white robes, and chariot races. Several names that capture the same image as these things. Classical names have been popular in and/or resonante with the ancient world. Many girls' names from the era end in "ia" (i.e. Aemilia) even though it is not a requirement. What is a requirement, though, is that it not just be a mythical figure. Mytholigcal names are not always Classical names. Here are some girls' names from the ancient world: Aelia Aeliana Aemilia Alba Antonina Apollonia Aquila Atilia Augusta Augustina Aurea Aurelia Benedicta Camilla Candida Cassia Cecilia Celia Charis Claudia Cleopatra Constantina Crescentia Decima Dominica Drusilla Eugenia Euphemia Flavia Florentia Florentina Gratia Gratiana Helena Honoria Horatia Hortensia Isaura Julia Juliana Junia Laelia Leocadia Livia Liviana Lucia Luciana Lucilla Lysandra Mariana Marina Martina Maxima Octavia Prisca Renata Sabina Septima Severina S

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote a lot of plays with tragic endings. Hamlet , in which a girl drowns herself, is no exception. The good news, though, is that her name did not begin with this fictional tragedy.  Ophelia derives from the Greek Opheleia , meaning "help." There was also Roman Catholic martyr St. Ofelia from the third century. Plus, Jacopo Sannazaro used the name in his fifteenth-century travel poem Arcadia . If it weren't for Hamlet , Ophelia would've been a "good girl" name. However, positive associations did not end after Hamlet . In Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin , Ophelia is a Northerner who opposes slavery and tutors a young enslaved girl. Since few people read Uncle Tom's Cabin today, though, many will not be familiar with the positive role model. Stowe's Ophelia, along with John Everett Millais' 1852 painting, has increased the name's usage nonetheless. Ophelia ranked within the American top 1000 th