The State of Pop Culture Naming (Harry Potter Edition)
November 25, 2015 § Leave a comment
We’ve talked before about how pop culture influences naming trends (try clicking here or here for more on the topic; and click here for some examples of when it sort of went the other way), but when it comes to some of the classical names used by author J.K. Rowling in her Harry Potter series, it can be tough to tell how much influence the books really had, or whether those particular names hold their places on the list because, well, they’ve just been around for ages.
In any case, the linked article gives you some popularity rankings for many of the names used for characters in the series; some are more instantly recognizable as “Potterhead-influenced” than others, to be sure! (Bonus game: Can you remember the last names of the characters whose names made the list before you click through to learn more about the names themselves?):
“Harry Potter’s Influence on Baby Names”
For witches: Amelia, Arabella, Bellatrix, Ginny, Hermione, Lavender, Lily, Luna, and Minerva
For wizards: Cedric, Cornelius, Draco, Dudley, Godric, Harry, Kingsley, Lucius, Neville, Percy, Remus, Ron, Seamus, Severus, Sirius, and Viktor
Examples of Elongated Eponyms
November 23, 2015 § Leave a comment
Some folks prefer the simple, straightforward, short-and-sweet when it comes to names, but there is something to be said for the long-and-lovely names in this article, no? (As always, be sure to click through for more info!)
“25 Baby Names That Push The Character Count”
For girls: Alessandra, Alexandria, Clementine, Elisabeth, Evangeline, Guadalupe, Gwendolyn, Jacqueline, Katherine, Magdalena, Montserrat, Temperance
For boys: Alessandro, Alexzander, Broderick, Christopher / Cristopher / Kristopher, Demetrius, Francisco, Johnathan, Maximilian / Maximiliano, Remington, Zachariah
Rab
October 7, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
A Scottish variation of “Rob“, short for “Robert“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bob, Bobbie, Bobby, Brecht, Hob, Hopcyn, Hopkin, Pertti, Rabbie, Rob, Robbe, Robbie, Robby, Robi, Robin, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rab Silsbee, the laconic apprentice and nephew to Mr. Lorne, owner of The Observer; a born fighter who becomes Johnny’s best friend and hero in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Rab Noakes (b. 1947), Scottish singer and songwriter.
– Rab Wilson (b. 1960), Scottish poet and translator.
Popular Names: East Coast vs. West Coast
October 7, 2015 § Leave a comment
The linked article explores a bit how baby-naming trends vary from coast to coast, even within the boundaries of these United States. As always, click through for more info (including some really cool heat maps of each name’s popularity, state-by-state)!
– “These Names Are Trending More With East Coast Than With West Coast Parents”
– “Baby Names That Are More West Coast Than East Coast”
Girl names, East Coast: Adrianna, Camryn, Caroline, Gabriella, Gabrielle, Jada, Jaliyah, Kayleigh, Kyleigh, Laila, London, Londyn, Miracle, Nyla, Paris, Ryleigh, Skylar
Girl names, West Coast: Audrey, Audrina, Aylin, Daisy, Daphne, Dulce, Evelyn, Hazel, Jimena, June, Kendra, Kira, Lexie, Marilyn, Mila, Mina, Penelope, Perla, Ruby
Boy names, East Coast: Amir, Bryce, Cameron, Jayceon, Messiah, Michael, Nasir, Zion
Boy names, West Coast: Adrian, Alfredo, Damian, Dane, Dominik, Edgar, Gael, Gerardo, Isaac, Ivan, Joaquin, Leonel, Lincoln, Malakai, Maximiliano, Oliver, Orion, Ramon, Rodrigo, Romeo, Ruben
- BONUS! For those prepsters on the East Coast, or the few stragglers on the West, who are looking for something new and unusual for their future graduate:
– “49 Preppy Baby Names Destined For The Ivy League”
Preppy names for girls: Ainsley, Arabella, Bronwyn, Harper, Margaux, Poppy, Tilly
Preppy names for boys: Aldrich, Blaine, Bradford, Briggs, Brooks, Connery, Corbin, Davis, Digby, Graham, Hudson, Ingram, Keaton, Lennox, Merritt, Niles, Orson, Quincy, Roland, Teague, Thatcher, Thompson, Tucker, Vance, Whitaker, Yates
Preppy names for either: Addison, Aubrey, Blair, Darcy, Ellison, Emerson, Finley, Hunter, Kingsley, Leighton, Palmer, Preston, Reed, Sloane, Sterling, Tinsley
Some Single-Syllable Sobriquets
September 7, 2015 § 1 Comment
Longer, more classical-sounding names — for example, “Christopher“, “Elizabeth“, “Alexander“, or “Penelope” — have always had a place on America’s playgrounds, but there is certainly something to be said for the short-and-simple one-syllable names in this article, no? (Be sure to click through for more information — meanings, origins, popularity rankings, etc.)
For girls: Brooke, Claire, Faith, Grace, Hope, Jade, Jane, June, Kate, Paige, Rose, Ruth
For boys: Blake, Bryce, Charles, Chase, Cole, George, Jace, Jack, James, Joel, John, Juan, Luke, Max, Miles
For either: Bryn / Brynn, Quinn, Reese
Everything Old is New Again, Vol. III
August 30, 2015 § Leave a comment
Once again, we delve into the world of classic baby names rarin’ to come roaring back! (Here are the first and second installments; it’s interesting to see where these sorts of articles overlap and where they diverge, no?)
As always, click through for more info:
Names included are:
For girls: Alba, Alma, Anastasia, Annie, Beatrice, Clara, Cora, Dorothy, Felicity, Florence, Frances, Gemma, Hattie, Hazel, Helen, Hilda, Ingrid, June, Leona, Lola, Lucy, Mabel, Mae, Margaret, Margot, Marjorie, Maude, Mercy, Millie, Olive, Pearl, Penny, Rosemary, Rosie, Ruby, Ruth / Ruthie, Sadie, Selma, Thelma, Veda, Vera, and Winifred.
For boys: Albert, Amos, Arthur, August, Augustine, Calvin, Cassius, Charlie, Clarence, Clyde, Enoch, Ephraim, Everett, Felix, Finn, Florin, Francis, Frank, Franklin, Frederick, George, Gilbert, Hank, Harry, Harvey, Henry, Jasper, Julian, Lionel, Oliver, Otto, Owen, Ralph, Reuben, Roland, Samson, Silas, Thaddeus, Theo / Theodore, Truman, Uriah, and Walter.
The State of Pop-Culture Naming, 2015
August 30, 2015 § 1 Comment
People have no doubt been naming their children after pop-culture trends since there’s been anything to consider culture — from saints to royalty to favorite characters. Modern-day pop-culture names reflect some of our most-loved films and television shows (or, for purists, the books they may have been based on). Let’s take a look at some of them, shall we?
- “16 Pop Culture Inspired Baby Names You’ll Probably Be Hearing Everywhere in 2015“
- “Game of Thrones and Downton Inspire British Baby Names“
- “Should We Be Worried That a Lot of People Are Naming Their Babies After Darth Vader?“
Some of the pop-culture names and sources mentioned are:
For girls: Amelia (possibly inspired at least in part by Doctor Who); Arya, Daenerys, Khaleesi, Maisie (after one of the actresses) and Sansa (from the A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones series); Cora, Edith, Rose, and Violet (from Downton Abbey); Elsa (from Frozen); Hazel (from the popular YA book The Fault in Our Stars); Katniss (from The Hunger Games series); Luna (from the Harry Potter series); Natasha (from The Avengers movies); Piper (from Orange is the New Black).
For boys: Anakin (from the Star Wars franchise); Archer (from the animated series Archer); Benedict (after the star of Sherlock); Emmet (from The Lego Movie); George (the royal family still influencing popular trends!); Gus (from the popular YA book The Fault in Our Stars); Jesse (from Breaking Bad); Kristoff and Olaf (from Frozen); Loki (from The Avengers movies); Theon and Tyrion (from the A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones series).
Red
August 27, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From the English word, meaning, well, “red”; usually used as a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
That’s, um, pretty much it.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Red (Ross) Milton, “the red-haired editor of the county newspaper”, who takes Jethro under his wing, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
Ross
August 27, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From a Scottish and English place name, meaning “headland” or “promontory”; or from the Norman French word for “red”; or from a Germanic word meaning “horse”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Roos, Roose, Ros, Rosce, Rose, Rosse, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ross Milton (called “Red“), “the red-haired editor of the county newspaper”, who takes Jethro under his wing, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
WRITERS:
– Ross Clark (b. 1953), Australian poet.
– Ross Copperman (b. 1982), American singer and songwriter.
– Ross Fitzgerald (b. 1944), Australian academic, historian, and novelist.
– Ross Hassig (b. 1945), American anthropologist and author.
– Ross King (b. 1962), Canadian novelist and writer.
– Ross Leckie (b. 1947), Scottish novelist.
– Ross Lockridge, Jr. (1914-1948), American novelist.
– Ross Macdonald (1915-1983), pen name of Canadian-American crime author Kenneth Millar.
– Ross Parmenter (1912-1999), Canadian author, critic, and editor.
– Ross Rocklynne (1913-1988), pen name of American science fiction author Ross Louis Rocklin.
– Ross Russell (1909-2000), American author and producer.
– Ross Thomas (1926-1995), American crime author who also published under the pen name “Oliver Bleeck”.
– Ross Yockey (1943-2008), American author, journalist, producer, and writer.
Rob
August 23, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Robert“, “Robin“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bob, Bobbie, Bobby, Brecht, Hob, Hopcyn, Hopkin, Pertti, Rab, Rabbie, Robbe, Robbie, Robby, Robi, Robin, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rob Nelson, pretty young Mary Creighton’s beau on that fateful night in 1859, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 