By Tara Wood 　　Although I’ve done it seven times, I still find baby naming weird and challenging. 　　I don’t know about you, but my mood, thoughts, likes, and opinions all shift daily- sometimes hourly. Oftentimes I change my my mind three or four times before I finally decide on what...

　　By Abby Sandel 　　Taylor Swift’s latest video is a who’s who of Hollywood stars, up-and-coming singers, and supermodels galore. 　　(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIy9NiNbmo YouTube Bad Blood Taylor Swift) stars Taylor as a sort of James Bond/Wonder Woman/Katniss Everdeen warrior extraordinaire. After her fellow BFF-spy betrays her, she enrolls in assassin school and assembles...

　　by Kara Blakley 　　Name trend watchers are no longer limiting themselves to the waxing and waning popularity of certain letters. Vowels are certainly having their moment on monogrammed onesies, but endings (particularly -o and -ett) and sounds are catching the attention of keen observers. 　　Recently, Brooke Cussans wrote about PERfect...

　　Strong boy names are a powerful trend right now, as parents increasingly turn to names with positive meanings of strength and resilience in troubling times. 　　Strong boy names include those that literally mean strength, power or might – from popular classics like Ethan and Ezekiel, to rare and unique choices...

　　The good news for lovers of vintage boy names is that they’ve never been cooler. 　　The bad news? Well... they’ve never been cooler. 　　That means it can feel increasingly difficult to find the perfect “I wish I’d thought of that first!” vintage boy name. You know: the sweet but strong,...

　　Boy names ending in a vowel (or a vowel sound) feel lively and distinctive, in an era where consonant names for boys – particularly those ending in N and R – have long dominated the list of popular names. 　　There are now five boy names ending in a vowel sound...

　　By Brooke Cussans, aka bluejuniper, of baby name pondering 　　Every year names move up and down, on and off the US Social Security Administration (SSA) charts of popular names. A name will appear on the charts if it has been given to more than four babies of one gender in...

　　When we named Gender Neutral Baby Names as our Number 1 trend for 2016, we were mostly just guessing. Oh sure, the guess was backed up by some strong cultural trends, from marriage equality to trans recognition, as well as a raft of gender neutral celebrity baby names. 　　But when...

　　Irish baby names only continue to get more popular in the US, with Liam, an Irish short form of William, at Number 2 on the boys’ list, all forms of Aiden continuing to be widely-used, and surname-names Riley and Kennedy popular for girls. 　　Other new Irish names increasing in style and...

　　While for the most part, 2022's Top 10 names looks a whole lot similar to the year before, there was one significant change — the debut of the luminous Luna. The Spanish word for moon has been shooting up the charts after having entered the Top 1000 in 2003, and...

　　What makes a Southern name? Just a unique blend of tradition and modern style. 　　Parents in the American South are famous for passing on family names to children, for example by repeating first names, or using mom's maiden name as a first name. This means that classics like John and...

　　Christian names combine spirituality with style, conveying a faith-based message with contemporary sensibility. 　　These modern Christian names with an evangelical feel aren’t traditional biblical names, well-worn virtues, or even the old prophet names that are so popular nowadays. No, this is a fresh, 21st-century style of Christian names that shout...

　　Looking for a niche source of rare baby names? Try the comeback kids of 2022. 　　These names were once used for babies in the US, but then vanished for decades. Just when you might think they were lost forever, they've re-appeared in the official baby name data for 2022. 　　The...

　　Have you ever known the excitement of meeting a Ben who is not Just Another Benjamin but is, in fact, Benedict? Or Nicki whose “secret” full name is Danika? If so, this list is for you. 　　Rare full names with familiar nicknames can be the best of both worlds, for...

　　Baby namers desperate for truly undiscovered baby names have always begged us for our secret list of unique names that nobody but nobody else has. You know, the truly wonderful baby names with deep history and wide appeal that somehow remain completely undiscovered. 　　The only problem was we didn’t have...

　　Choosing names for hypothetical babies is always fun — why do you think I got into this business? — but when you’re actually expecting, the pressure is on. Suddenly you’re faced with the very big task of naming an actual human being, which (often) requires you to collaborate with your...

　　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...

　　We won't sugar coat it: the legal and administrative logistics of a name change — whether it's your own or your child's — can be overwhelming. To make your process easier, we've compiled a far-reaching collection of name change resources, organized by location. 　　In the United States, name changes are processed at...