The high-profile letter V is found in many stylish baby names right now, but let’s not discount the potential of its neighbor, the power vowel U. Just consider the popularity of names like Lucy, Ruby, Jude, and Luca–and there are any number of other, similar names with promise: 　　• June...

　　It’s the scourge of every self-respecting berry: A name you love, a name you’ve treasured forever and maybe hoped to keep as your own special gem, hits the Top 100….the Top 10….or even, nooooooooooo!, Number 1. 　　What name does it most pain you to see leaping up the popularity list...

　　by Abby Sandel 　　Girl names starting with T have faded in recent years, with only the unisex Taylor ranking even close to the Top 100. Boy names beginning with the letter T are led by Theodore, which now ranks above the classic Thomas. 　　Why is it that certain letters have...

　　Vintage names have been cool for a while now, but old school nicknames are just starting to come into their own. 　　The Brits have led the way on the revival of the retro nickname, with their fashionable little Alfies and Evies, Freddys and Teddys — though Teddy just might be...

　　This week, Appellation Mountain‘s Abby Sandel looks at the baby names in the news and finds that many of them are living examples of our last week’s projections. 　　We know that Sophia and Ava, Jacob and Mason will probably stay in the US Top Ten for another few years.  But...

　　For her The Nameberry 9 this week, Abby Sandel of Appellation Mountain sees more adventurous names for boys, some recent revivals for girls, and one surprising gender switch. 　　Last week’s baby name news demonstrated two things: first, there’s no such thing as a name too fusty to make a comeback. Girls’...

　　The Next Olivia 　　Olivia was the supreme queen of British girl names in 2008, 2009 and 2010 in England and Wales, and was only marginally beaten by Amelia to the number 1 spot in 2011. It entered the Top 100 for the first time in the late 1980s, and has...

　　In the past few weeks, you’ve seen our predictions for the rising names in the US, and Eleanor Nickerson’s forecast of what will be 2013’s most popular in the UK; today we look to France’s upcoming stars. 　　To check out the latest trends in French baby names, we turn once again...

　　Today, Appellation Mountain‘s Abby Sandel, finds some 2013 baby name predictions embedded in this week’s Nameberry 9 newsiest names. 　　As 2012 faded into 2013, the world welcomed many a new little life.  Re-reading birth announcements, I was struck by something. 　　None of them received outlandish names, but every one of...

　　If there’s one British names trend that Berries all over the world have embraced full-heartedly, it’s the old upper class practice of giving children two middle names. 　　Rooted in royalty as a way to honor a raft of vaulted relatives, the multiple-middle-name practice was pegged by one visitor to our...

　　Guest blogger Angela  Mastrodonato, of Upswing Baby Names spots an impending baby names trend: names ending in ‘illa’ replacing the ubiquitous ‘ella’s. 　　When it comes to names, a small change can make a big impact. Ella-ending names have been loved for a while for their elaborate elegance. To find fresh alternatives,...

　　The history of baby names is littered with former stars that burned brightly for a decade or two, only to fade from view. 　　It’s hard to believe, from this vantage point, that Gladys or Edna ever made the Top 20, that names such as Harold or Larry were ever popular...

　　Dog names have become indistinguishable from baby names, with virtually all the most stylish and popular dog names coming from the human lexicon. 　　Cities like New York and Seattle as well as smaller towns such as Wellesley, Massachusetts and several dog-oriented websites publish yearly tallies of most popular dog names....