Names can tell a powerful story, but as a US immigrant from China, the English names I was given didn’t mean anything to me. This is my journey through those names, to choosing my own English name that continues my story. 　　Chinese Names 101Born in China to Chinese parents, I...

　　Cool girl names, much like cool girls themselves, often travel in packs. Once one cool girl name gets popular, similar ones tend to follow. 　　These names often share sounds, but they can also be connected by a theme such as color names, bird names, or virtue names. 　　Certain name groups...

　　Do you prefer your girl names plain or fancy? Streamlined or frilly? In other words, are you Team Olive or Team Olivia? 　　Popular tastes today run towards girl names ending in A. Seven of the Top 10 popular names for girls end in A, starting with Olivia at number one....

　　He says “strong traditional.” She says “unique.” Where’s the middle ground for naming a son? 　　Kelly writes: 　　My husband and I can’t agree on boy names. Our daughters are Mischa and Nova. He wants a “strong traditional” boy name, but I like unique and I don’t think any traditional names...

　　By Abby Sandel 　　This musical family has named three daughters, all inspired by song. But now that they’re expecting a boy, all the names sound flat! What fits with the theme for a son? 　　Lisa writes: 　　I have 3 daughters with musical names: Cadence, Melody, and Aria. I thought for...

　　Should they name their son Thor? He’s big on the heroic heritage pick, but she fears it might be too much name for a mere mortal. 　　Mary writes: 　　I’m writing with an odd conundrum. My husband is dead set on naming our son Thor. 　　My husband’s family is Norwegian and...

　　Lovers of unique word names, put down your dictionaries! 　　We’ve found a better way to come up with truly original word names for babies: crowdsource it! We recently asked our brilliant Berry community to suggest cool new word name possibilities that no one’s thought of yet — and they didn’t...

　　Surnames used as unisex baby names offer fresh, modern-sounding options that aren’t too tied to one gender. 　　Last names as first names are always in fashion. Some lean strongly to one gender, as we can see in the USA’s list of popular names. Harper and Avery are mostly given to...

　　Gender-bending baby names cross gender boundaries. Some of them are more popular for boys, others for girls, and some are so rare they could go either way. See what you think – are these names more boy or girl to you? 　　Arlo 　　Actor Theo Rossi and his wife chose a...

　　As we finish off another year, it's time for the recap of Nameberry's newest arrivals born in 2023! 　　Birth announcements for 93 new Babyberries – 47 girls and 46 boys – were featured on our forums and Instagram over the past year. The warmest of welcomes to all of our littlest members! 　　Berry parents...

　　What makes a name classic? 　　Anyone who has done a quick search for names has likely come across a variety of lists of "classic names". While some names, such as John, Michael, and Mary, make consistent appearances on these lists, the other names are more variable. 　　So what is a...

　　Cottagecore baby names are part of a recent aesthetic trend defined by an appreciation for romanticized rural life, according to The New York Times. Hobbies such as bread baking, embroidery, and mushroom foraging are among the wholesome, nostalgic elements of the cottagecore lifestyle. 　　Cottagecore names, too, evoke this bucolic way...

　　The most popular British names A to Z might seem to be an absolute list, but not so fast. 　　Are Amelia and Alfie the most popular British A names? You would be forgiven for thinking so, but the answer depends on where you live. 　　Scots would say it’s Ava and...

　　By Arika Okrent 　　Arika Okrent is editor-at-large at [_TheWeek.com](http://theweek.com/article/index/251655/the-least-popular-american-baby-names-from-1880-to-1932) and a frequent contributor to Mental Floss. She is the author of In the Land of Invented Languages, a history of the attempt to build a better language. She holds a doctorate in linguistics and a first-level certification in Klingon. Thanks to Arika for permission to reprint this...

　　By Abby Sandel, Appellation Mountain 　　Friends of mine are expecting baby #3.  After two nicely-named daughters, the dad told me, “If it’s a boy, we’re pretty set.  But if it’s a girl?  I’ll have to start going through my favorite song titles.” 　　Happily, there’s no shortage of great names for...

　　Nameberry has been happy to host Abby Sandel's Name Sage column and to bring our visitors her wise naming advice for several years now. Here, Abby's accumulated naming wisdom (so far). Thank you, Abby, for your wonderful column. 　　The act of choosing a name is deceptively simple. Just a few...

　　Aviva writes:I’m expecting my first child. I was very close to my grandmother Elaine, who passed away, so I’d like to name my son after her.  　　For his first name, I’ve thought of Laine or Lane. Is there anything else I’m missing?  　　I’m leaning toward Laine right now but don’t...

　　Unique twin names that feel well-matched but not too matchy can feel impossible to find. Naming twins is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges (and greatest pleasures) facing a baby namer – although our ultimate guide to twin names is a great place to start! 　　Many parents naming twins take...