My Favorite Posts of 2013

Happy New Year! 2013 has been a very exciting year for NameFreak! and I expect that 2014 will be even better. Posts have not been as plentiful over the past several months due to the holidays, travels, visitors, and a project I am working on, the last of which I hope to share that with you next year. But for now, a little recap in the form of a list: my seven favorite posts from 2013...

7. Inspiration from Place Names - I love finding names from inspiration. And since I also love to travel, this was a fun post to write. What inspiration can you find from places you've been?

6. Names Over Three Generations - It's still lacking the cool graphic, but the information from this analysis is quite compelling.

5. Where Are They Now? - A Final Look at 1911's Top 100 - The last look at a series I worked on at the end of last year, this post sums it all up and makes some interesting observations about the names from 100 years ago to today.

4. G Names: Then and Now - My favorite of all the "Then and Now" posts due to the pretty visual the research creates. Do you prefer the hard G or the soft G?

3. From Feminine to Unisex - One of the things I discovered in the research I've been doing on the history of popular names is the change of preference from feminizing masculine names to actually using masculine names. It was a fascinating discovery and makes me wonder if the trend will ever reverse?

2. Little Women - A Sibling Study - It was really enjoyable to see the similarities between the fiction and the non-fiction in Louisa May Alcott's masterpiece and to contemplate her motivations in naming the characters.

1. Play Ball!: Baseball-Inspired Names - It's probably no surprise that this is my favorite post of the year, and probably of the entire blog so far. It is also one of the posts that has received the most hits. I love baseball and I love names... this post puts the two together.

Thank you for continuing this adventure with me! Wishing you a wonderful 2014!

The Year in Review: 2012

Happy New Year! For my 60th post, and the first blog of 2013, I thought it would be fun to look back at my most popular posts. Granted, I started this blog in September so there is not that much to pull from, but let's do it anyway.

1. Where Are They Now? - Three of the top 10 posts are from this series, including the top two posts, so I will combine them all for the number one spot. This series is still ongoing, and is a look at the Top 100 names from 1911 in the hopes to analyze the "100 year rule." Where do the popular names from 100 years ago rank now, and if they haven't already made a comeback, will they?

2. Names from Wreck-It Ralph - From what I have observed, the most searchable terms leading people to my blog deal with the names from this movie. Not only does Wreck-It Ralph have some truly unique and fun names for its video game characters, such as Vanellope, Taffyta, and Jubileena, but some could also be considered wearable in the real world.

3. Name Madness - Two of the top 10 spots are from the Name Madness tournament, which is a fun way to reach a "favorite" name. This tournament started off with 72 character names from books, movies, and TV shows, and finished strong with winners Claire and Henry. Try doing a similar thing with your friends if you have a bunch of names you want to choose from! I know we will do this again in 2013, maybe using names from Hollywood, celebrity baby names, or names from European countries.

4. Baby Shower Name Game: Favorites - This was a look at a fun way to reach some name prospects for the future mom at a baby shower. How can your favorites in acting, music, and books turn into possible baby names?

5. Downton Abbey - A Name Study - One of my favorite posts of the year. This British show has caused quite a stir among fans as well as name enthusiasts. With gems such as Cora, Lavinia, and Edith, you cannot go wrong in taking a look for serious name considerations.

6. Wentworth: From Rare Inspiration - Another one of my favorite posts. Actor Wentworth Miller was named after Captain Wentworth from Jane Austen's Persuasion. What other character surnames would make fabulous given names?

7. Diverted by a Name: Cosette - I have loved doing posts for the Diverted by a Name series and will continue to do them as certain names jump out at me. Cosette is a character name from Les Misérables, the book, the musical, and the newly released motion picture. It will be interesting to see if the numbers for this name jump in 2012 and 2013. Other names from this series include Galadriel, Thiago, and Hortense.

Thank you for making these posts so popular! I would also like to thank Appellation Mountain, as most of you linked to this blog from Abby's wonderful site. It was fun to look back, not only to see what you took an interest in, but to also build up anticipation for the coming year. Feel free to contact me with any interests or inquiries!

I can't wait to see what 2013 brings!