Monday, May 27, 2013

It's In the Cards


So, I'm playing a game of Sequence with my daughter while brainstorming on what my next post will be about. When she plays a card and says "four of clovers" it hits me. Names are everywhere around you and always within reach.

Granted, they are technically called clubs, but I love how she only sees the Clover. And while "heart" may not be as an attractive a name as Hart, there are quite a few names we can get from cards and the games we play with them. Some of the following games may not be immediately recognizable, but trust me, they are card games. :) Maybe the following can be inspiration to any avid card-players out there!

Abyssinia - Also another name for historicial Ethiopia, this card game could offer up a very pretty full name alternative for the nickname Abby.

Ace - Already a usable name for parents, this was given to 494 boys in 2012.

Alkort - This is a card game from Iceland, and the name has a decidedly masculine feel about it, paying homage to the boy Courtney of old.

Aluette - It sounds French, and it is. Another option for those who like -ette names.

Bridge - The popular game (or the structure) has already inspired parents to name 6 boys this in 2012.

Calypso - Besides the card game, there are many references from which you can get to this name, including comic books, flora, space, and music. 19 girls were given the name in 2012.

Camicia -An Italian game with an Italian name that flows rather nicely, and can give lovers of the nickname Cami another option.

Cricket - Besides the animal, the English bat and ball game is the first game that comes to your mind I am sure, but it is also a card game and was given to 5 girls in 2012. It's actually pretty adorable and could also be a nickname for several names including Christian or Christina.

Diamond - This is the most popular of the suit names, given to 344 girls as well as 17 boys in 2012.

Gin - The game is probably trumped by the drink, but the name was given to 5 boys in 2012. I see it more as a girl name though, similar to Jen.

Jack - No need to go into the popularity of this name, but cards could be a small hidden inspiration behind it.

Kaiser - Here is another one to add to the Rank and Title list as it is also the German title meaning "emperor" and was given to 45 boys in 2012. This Canadian game offers a strong full name for the nickname Kai.

King - This title has already gathered quite a bit of steam over the past year, and maybe some of the 1,423 boys named this in 2012 were because of a parent's love of cards. ;)

Pepper - There are several other means of inspiration to reach this name, and Pepper was given to 132 girls and 7 boys in 2012.

Razz - There's Chazz and Jazz, why not Razz?

Rummy - Maybe the alcoholic drink would keep people from using this name, but doesn't it sound like it could work with Remi and Emmy out there?

Telesina - Yet another Italian card game with a pretty name.

Tressette - This is an elegant and attractive name for an Italian game, offering several nickname options such as Tess, Tressie, and Etta.

Whist - I can't help but be captivated by the English card game as it is mentioned a few times in Jane Austen's books; it has a fresh sound, but could it be wearable today?

What is your favorite card-inspired name?

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Friday, May 24, 2013

What's New, What's Lost?


Nothing really new for this busy Friday, but something I really enjoy checking when the new SSA popular names list comes out is what is new and what is lost in the Top 1000. So, without further ado, here are the names that have entered and exited the Top 1000 in 2012!

New Boys
Ameer
Anton
Apollo
Augustine
Austyn
Axton
Brentley
Briggs
Dariel
Denzel
Eliot
Emory
Foster
Graeme
Immanuel
Jael
Jarrett
Jionni
Juelz
Karsen
Kase
Kaysen
Kylen
Kyree
Kyrie
Leroy
Lucca
Mack
Maison
Neymar
Oakley
Sheldon
Simeon
Thiago
Titan
Truman
Yael
Yousef
Zaid

Lost Boys
Braylin
Brysen
Coen
Corban
Cortez
Cristiano
Deven
Dimitri
Elvis
Enoch
Ethen
Haiden
Irvin
Jair
Jakobe
Jaron
Jaydan
Jaydin
Jean
Jeramiah
Jerimiah
Kamren
Keon
Keyon
Kyan
Kyron
Lathan
Leighton
Maksim
Mariano
Maxx
Miller
Pierre
Quinten
Ralph
Tyrese
Yadiel
Zachery
Zackery

New Girls
Adley
Alaysia
Alisa
Annalee
Ariah
Aubriana
Aubrielle
Aya
Azalea
Azariah
Bayleigh
Cataleya
Celine
Charlize
Colette
Collins
Coraline
Dalilah
Dallas
Devyn
Elissa
Emmaline
Emmalynn
Emory
Estella
Estelle
Evalyn
Everly
Harlee
Jazzlyn
Jessa
Katalina
Katrina
Kenia
Kora
Landry
Lillyana
Litzy
Milena
Monroe
Paislee
Raylee
Scarlette
Sofie
Winter
Zahra

Lost Girls
Abbey
Adyson
Alianna
Amalia
Bentley
Caydence
Dalia
Damaris
Diya
Esperanza
Gwyneth
Isabell
Jacey
Jaden
Jadyn
Jaiden
Jaidyn
Janet
Jaylyn
Jazmyn
Julieta
Kamille
Karly
Kelsie
Kiersten
Kinsey
Leigha
Liv
Milagros
Neveah
Pamela
Payten
Princess
Rivka
Rory
Samiya
Sanaa
Shania
Shaniya
Stacy
Tegan
Tianna
Yamilet
Yazmin
Yoselin
Yuliana

What do you like seeing on the new lists? What do you miss from the lost lists?

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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

From Feminine to Unisex


As I go through the Top 100 girl names from the late 1800s and early 1900s, I notice quite a few are the feminine form of male names. A big difference from the current trend of unisex names. Most of those feminine form names have disappeared from the top in favor of names that either are unisex or were originally male names. Take a look:

Top 100 from 1880-1930 
Twist on Male Names                                           Male/Unisex Names Given to Girls
Caroline                                                                   Billie
Charlotte                                                                 Carol
Georgia                                                                   Marion
Geraldine                                                                 Ollie
Jacqueline                                                                Willie
Josephine
Leona
Louise
Maxine
Norma
Patricia
Pauline
Roberta

Top 100 from 2012 
Twist on Male Names                                           Male/Unisex Names Given to Girls
Brianna                                                                    Ashley
Caroline                                                                   Aubrey
Charlotte                                                                 Avery
Makayla                                                                   Bailey
                                                                              Brooklyn
                                                                              Harper
                                                                              Kennedy
                                                                              Mackenzie
                                                                              Morgan
                                                                              Peyton
                                                                              Reagan
                                                                              Riley
                                                                              Skylar
                                                                              Sydney
                                                                              Taylor

We all know of the trend toward unisex names. I just thought it was interesting to see the "masculine" preference change from a form of a masculine name to the actual masculine (or unisex) name.

How do you feel about the change in preference? Are there any feminine form names you wish would return to the Top 100?
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Monday, May 20, 2013

Mix and Match


As I went through the Top 1000 for the Playground Analysis, I got lost in all the different combinations of the same syllables. Kaylee, Kaylyn, Ashlyn, Ashlee, etc. Further down in the field, you will find even more less common names but with the same or similar sounds: Brynlynn, Shayden, Kayton and Jayten. Whether these are names in their own right or ones the parents constructed of sounds they liked, I'm not sure. But I find it interesting how certain sounds are selected to be put together and how interchangeable they can be.

So, for some name fun... how many combinations can you make with the following sounds? What are your favorite combinations?

Ann             +               -by/-bee/-bey/-bie
Anna                            -cy/-sey
Ash                              -don/-den/-dyn
Ava                              -ett/-ette
Bay                              -la
Bran                             -lan/-land
Bray                             -lee/-lie/-ley/-leigh
Bry                               -lon/-len
Bryn                             -lyn/-lynn/-line/-lin
Dar                               -son/-sen/-cyn
Day                               -ton/-ten/-tyn
Emma
Eva
Ever
Hay                            
Jay                              
Kay
Kel
Lay
Lyn
May
Oak
Pay
Quin
Ray  
Ry            
Shay
Shel
Tay
Ty                    
Zay


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Friday, May 17, 2013

Diverted by a Name: Melusine

Image via Wikipedia

As I read through Philippa Gregory's historical fiction books about the Plantagenets, a name pops up here and there that I cannot ignore. It is the name of a European legend, a woman who is half human and half fish or serpent, like a mermaid. There are several different stores about her, but I am mostly diverted by the beauty of her name: Melusine.

Melusine, or Melusina, is not a name to be taken lightly. In the most common folk story, the fairy Pressyne and Elynas, the King of Albany have three girls, Melusine, Melior and Palatyne. Pressyne made Elynas promise not to walk in on her while she was bathing the girls, but when he broke that promise, Pressyne took the girls away from him. When Melusine later found out about her father's betrayal, she locked him away, which made her mother very angry. Melusine was then cursed to turn into a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. She married Raymond of Poitou, and told her husband never to come to her on a Saturday. He promised, but eventually his curiosity got the better of him and he broke that promise. During an argument he called her a serpent at court, and in her anger, Melusine turned into a huge serpent or dragon and left him forever. This being a fable, there are several other stories that can be found here along with more information on the story and name here.

In any case, such a grand and somewhat tragic story may keep people from using the name for their baby girl. In fact, it has no recorded use in the United States, and has not charted in any country that I know of. There are a few though, including Melusine von der Schulenburg, born in 1667 and German mistress of Great Britain's King George I. Melusine was actually her middle name; her first name was Ehrengard. Melusine and King George had three daughters together, and one of them was named Petronilla Melusina. More recently, there is a young French actress named Mélusine Mayance, who was born in 1999. In fiction, there is a Belgian comic book character Mélusine, who has relatives with other great names: Adrazelle, Mélisande, Pirouline, and Malicella.

Just like a lot of -ine names, Melusine can be pronounced several ways: mel-yoo-seen, mel-yoo-sin or mel-yoo-sien. I tend to favor the first syllable. If it sounds familiar to you, maybe it's because Melusine may or may not be a variant or of similar root to Millicent.

As for nicknames, Mel, Ellie, Millie and Lucy would make great ones for this legendary moniker.

What do you think of Melusine? Could it be used favorably today?

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