When The Golden Girls hit the small screen in 1985, the names of its leading ladies—Rose, Dorothy and Blanche—were late middle aged, and Mama Sophia was old enough to have already been in and out of  the Shady Pines Nursing Home.  That was 25 years ago, a period of major change in the...

　　In honor of the Academy Award nominations announced yesterday, one of our favorite bloggers, Abby Sandel, creator of the always informative and witty appellationmountain.net, continues the tradition she started last year with boys’ red carpet names, and has again searched through the annals of Oscar history to come up with some great...

　　Romantic names for girls – loosely defined as creative and elaborate names that suggest an earlier era and a Latinate emotionality – have become more fashionable in recent years.  As we grow more comfortable with the notion of equality for girls, we may also become confident enough to give our...

　　We’re all pretty familiar with the names of  the presidents whose surnames have beeen commonly used for children–Jackson, Jefferson, Taylor, Tyler, Lincoln, Truman, Madison, Wilson, Kennedy et al– and we’re equally  familiar with the names of most of their wives as well. 　　But less well known are the ones they chose for...

　　Harlem Renaissance names related to the cultural heroines of that movement comprise this year’s celebration of Black history names.  These women—novelists, poets, playwrights, painters, sculptors and musicians– all played significant roles in the movement that flourished from the end of World War I through the mid-1930s, during which a group...

　　To commemorate this week’s International Women’s Day (we’re only a day late), we thought that this time we’d look not at creative artists or political figures, but at accomplished female scientists and mathematicians.  These range in time from the 4th century BC to the recent past, all of them women...

　　UPDATE!! Check out our final list of top baby names 2010 for girls. 　　Nameberry’s top baby names 2010 for girls are a mix of choices — Olivia, Sophia, Elizabeth, Ava, Isabella — that are also popular on the national count and more adventurous names, from Isla to Imogen to Iris,...

　　Everyone knows the name of Amelia Earhart, but how many others do we know of the equally daring female pilots—then called aviatrixes– who made their mark during the early days of flying? 　　In the wild and wooly barnstorming, daredevil days of aviation from its beginnings to World War II, there were few occupations...

　　Flower names for girls never go out of style, and for good reason!  　　Flower names have a fresh femininity which has appealed to parents throughout the ages, but they can also make a meaningful choice.  　　Choosing a seasonal flower name can be a sweet way to connect your baby girl...

　　Katherine – or is it Catherine, or should we just make it Kate? – is one of those classic girls’ names that remains every bit as vibrant and popular today as it’s been through the centuries. 　　Greek for “pure” – it’s related to the word catharis – the name’s fame...

　　It’s just a little over a week  till the new Most Popular Names list is announced, for 2009.  How do you think things are going to change?  Will Emma and/or Jacob be toppled from their top spots? What names will rise and which will fall? 　　Here, as refresher, is the Top...

　　For the arrival of May, official month of the Virgin Mary, we revisit her name and some of its many variations. 　　May, as any Catholic schoolchild can tell you, is the official month of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God.  Which might make Mary an appropriate name for a girl born this month, except after...

　　Well, the announcement of the coronation of Isabella on Friday usurped our regular Mother’s Day blog spot, but we hope you’re still feeling enough of an afterglow to enjoy revisiting this gathering of  some of the more interesting names of  moms of distinguished sons and daughters. Turns out that a surprising...