Thursday, June 30, 2011

Meanwhile, On the Other Side of the Pond....

Although there's often a lot of baby-name overlap in English-speaking countries, there's often quite a bit of differences, too. Here're some baby names popular in Europe, that are comparatively uncommon (but still usable, IMO) in the US:

UK
  • Boys
    • Harry
    • Alfie
    • Archie
    • Lewis
    • Callum
    • Harvey
    • Jamie
    • Freddie
    • Rory
    • Fraser
    • Jay
  • Girls
    • Holly
    • Freya
    • Poppy
    • Phoebe
    • Millie
    • Imogen
    • Maisie
    • Eilidh (AY-lee)
    • Niamh (NEEV)
    • Skye
    • Orla
    • Iona

 Netherlands (2009)
  • Boys
    • Sem
    • Ruben
    • Lars
    • Bram
    • Roan
    • Hugo
    • Boaz
  • Girls
    • Lotte (LOT-teh)
    • Sanne (SAHN-neh)
    • Noa
    • Isa
    • Anouk
    • Esmee
    • Senna
    • Bo
    • Marit
    • Milou

 Spain (2009)
  • Boys
    • Alvaro
    • Iker (ee-KEHR)
  • Girls
    • Marta
    • Alba
    • Nerea
    • Marina
    • Ariadne
    • Celia
    • Nuria
    • Noelia
    • Naiara/Nayara
    • Mireia

Sweden
  • Boys
    • Theo
    • Emil
    • Nils
    • Milo
    • Valter
    • Otto
    • Arvid
  • Girls
    • Linnea
    • Ebba
    • Nova
    • Saga
    • Astrid
    • Tuva
    • Thea
    • Lovisa
    • Siri
    • Evelina

France
  • Boys
    • Mathis
    • Clement
    • Enzo
  • Girls
    • Maëlys
    • Lilou
    • Anaïs
    • Louna

    Tuesday, June 28, 2011

    Random Fact of the Day:

    Old English had a separate letter for the 'th' sound, called thorn. It looked like a modern capital 'Y'.
    So on an 'old-timey' sign, like "Ye Old Shoppe", the word 'ye' is pronounced just like our modern word 'the'. :)

    Monday, June 27, 2011

    Actually, It's Traditionally Spelled with a K.

    K is a fairly uncommon letter in the English language. Because it's uncommon, it draws the eye and is becoming more and more popular in names. So, if you like the letter 'K', but cringe at the thought of trend-ifying a traditional 'C' name, here's some names that are "supposed to be" spelled with a 'K'.

    Boys:
    • Kai (KYE, Scandinavian, German, Hawaiian, English) --short for a few longer names in several European languages; a full name in Hawaiian: "sea"
    • Kaito (kah-ee-to, Japanese)
    • Kaleo (kah-lay-oh, Hawaiian)
    • Kallias (kah-LEE-ahs, [ancient] Greek)--"beauty"
    • Kalyan (KAL-yan, Hindi)
    • Karsten (KAHR-sten, German)--Low German form of Christian
    • Kaspar (KAHS-par, German)--form of Jasper
    • Kavi (kah-vee, Hindi)--"wise man"
    • Kayin (kah-yin, [Biblical] Hebrew)--usually transliterated as Cain in English
    • Kekoa (keh-KOH-ah, Hawaiian)--"brave one"
    • Kerman (kehr-man, Basque)--form of Germaine: "friend"
    • Kleon (KLEH-on, Greek)--"glory"
    • Arkady (ahr-KAH-dee, Russian)
    • Elek (EL-ek, Hungarian)
    • Mirek (MEE-rek, Polish)
    • Noak (NOH-ahk, Swedish)
    • Reko (REH-koh, Finnish)--form of Gregory
    • Rurik (RUR-ick, Russian)

    Girls:
    • Kadri (KAD-ree, Estonian)--form of Katherine
    • Kahina (KAH-hee-nah, Berber)--from Arabic, "diviner"
    • Kaja (KYE-ah, Scandinavia, Polish)--feminine of Kai. Also spelled Kaia or Kaija.
    • Kaisa (KYE-sah, Finnish)--another form of Katherine
    • Kala (KAH-lah, Hindi)--"art form"
    • Kalea (kah-LEY-ah, Hawaiian)--"happiness"
    • Kalina (kah-LEE-nah, Bulgarian)
    • Kalliope (kal-ee-OH-pey OR kah-LYE-oh-pee, Greek)--"beautiful voice"
    • Kallisto (kal-LIS-toh, Greek)--"most beautiful"
    • Kalyani (kahl-YAH-nee, Hindi)--feminine of Kalyan
    • Kamaria (kah-mah-REE-ah, Swahili)--from Arabic, "moonlight"
    • Karola (kah-ROH-lah, German)
    • Kasia (KAH-shah, Polish)--yet another form of Katherine
    • Katida (kah-TEE-dah, Esperanto)--"kittenish"
    • Kavita (kah-veet-ah, Hindi)--"poem"
    • Kelda (KEL-dah, English)--"spring" (of water)
    • Kerensa (kehr-EN-sah, Cornish)--"love"
    • Kleio (KLEY-oh, Greek)--the Muse of historical poetry
    • Keturah (ket-OO-rah, [Biblical] Hebrew)--"incense"
    • Ksenia (KSEN-yah, Polish)
    • Akemi (ah-kem-ee, Japanese)--"bright and beautiful"
    • Anouk (ah-NOOK, Dutch, French)--form of Anna/Hannah
    • Mika (mee-kah, Japanese)

    Unisex:
    • Kamalani (kah-mah-LAH-nee, Hawaiian)--"heavenly child"
    • Kiran (KEER-an, Hindi)--"ray of light"

    Friday, June 24, 2011

    Bringing Brythonic Back

    Once upon a time, the British Isles had several languages, all descended from Celtic.
    If you think of a language tree like a family tree, Celtic was the grandmother (her sisters were Latin and ancient Greek); Celtic's "daughters" were Gaelic & Brythonic, who each had a few "daughters" of their own. When the Anglo-Saxons and other peoples repeatedly migrated to Britain, the Celtic languages were phased out, quite forcibly in some cases; and English, the descendant of Anglo-Saxon, became the primary language. While two Gaelic "daughter" languages--Irish & Scottish--survived to modern times fairly well, two Brythonic languages--Welsh & Breton--were quickly dying, and several languages had been lost.


    Over the past decade, there have been movements to preserve and celebrate the history of the British Isles, and part of that is preserving and reviving the pre-invasion languages. Part of that is using original names from those languages, and inventing new ones! If you claim some British blood, or just love the idea of being part of a revival, one of these names may be for you.

    Welsh:
    • Boys:
      • Addaon ("ah-THAH-on")
      • Adeon ("ah-DEY-on")--"wing"
      • Aeddon ("EYE-thon")--"fire"
      • Alawn ("AH-loun")--"melody"
      • Arthen ("AR-then")
      • Awen ("OW-en")
      • Bergam ("BER-gam")--an early Welsh poet
      • Cadell ("KAD-ehl")
      • Cadoc ("KAD-ock")
      • Cadwgan ("kad-OOG-an")--also spelled Cadogan
      • Cei ("KYE")--also spelled Cai; King Arthur's foster brother
      • Coel ("KOYL")--"trust"
      • Dai ("DYE")
      • Dylan ("DUL-an")
      • Elidir ("el-IH-dir")
      • Gareth ("GAR-eth")
      • Gethin ("GETH-in")
      • Gruffydd ("GRIF-ith")--anglicized as Griffith or Griffin
      • Heulyn ("HAY-lun")--"ray of sun"
      • Hywel ("HUE-el")--anglicized as Howell
      • Iorweth ("EEOR-weth")--"handsome lord"
      • Mabon ("MAHB-on")--Celtic god of youth
      • Madoc ("MAHD-oc")
      • Meilyr ("MY-lir")
      • Meredydd ("meh-REHD-ith")--anglicized as Meredith
      • Morien ("MOR-yen")
      • Pryderi ("prid-EY-ree")
      • Pwyll ("PU-il")--"wisdom"
      • Rhodri ("HROH-dree")
      • Sulien ("SIL-yen")
    • Girls:
      • Aderyn ("ah-DER-in")
      • Aerona ("eye-ROE-na")--"berry"
      • Aneira ("an-AY-ra")
      • Afanan ("a-VAHN-an")
      • Anwen ("AN-wen")
      • Briallen ("bree-AHL-en")
      • Bronwen ("BRON-wen")
      • Calan ("CAHL-an")--"new year's day"
      • Carys ("CAHR-iss")--"love"
      • Ceridwen ("kerr-EED-wen")--goddess of poetry
      • Eigra ("EY-gra")
      • Eilir ("EY-leer")--"butterfly"
      • Eirian ("ey-REE-an")
      • Eluned ("el-EE-ned")--anglicized as Lynette
      • Ffion ("FEE-on")--"rose"
      • Glenys ("GLEN-is")--"pure"
      • Gwenfrewi ("gwen-vree-OO-ee")
      • Gwenllian ("gwen-HLEE-an")
      • Gwenydd ("GWEN-ith")--"morning star"
      • Gwylan ("GWEE-lan")
      • Gwyneth ("GWIN-eth")--"joy"
      • Hedydd ("HEY-dith")--"skylark"
      • Lluan ("HLEE-an")
      • Lynfa ("LIN-va")
      • Manon ("MAH-non")--"queen"
      • Meinir ("MY-nir")--"tall and slender"
      • Meleri ("mel-EYR-ee")
      • Mwynen ("MWEE-nen")
      • Nerys ("NEH-ris")
      • Olwen ("OHL-wen")
      • Rhiain ("HREE-an"
      • Rhiannon ("hree-AN-on")
      • Rhunedd ("HREE-neth")
      • Seirion ("SAYR-yon")--"sparkling"
      • Seren ("SEHR-en")--"star"
      • Surwen ("SEER-wen")
      • Tegan ("TEG-an")
      • Telyn ("TEL-in")--"harp"
      • Tesni ("TESS-nee")

    Cornish (almost all "new" names, very few historical names survive)
    • Boys:
      • Arrans ("AHR-ranz")--"silver"
      • Bideven ("bih-DEV-en")--"hawk"
      • Cador ("CADH-or")
      • Cuilliok ("CUIL-yok")
      • Glewas ("GLOO-as")
      • Golvan ("GALL-van")--"sparrow"
      • Gwynek ("GWEE-nek")
      • Marrek ("MAHR-rek")--"horseman"
      • Zethar ("ZETH-ahr")--"seagull"
    • Girls:
      • Ailla (EYE-la)--"most beautiful"
      • Blejan ("BLEH-jan")--"flower"
      • Bryluen ("bree-LOO-en")--"rose"
      • Elestren ("el-LESS-tren")--"iris"
      • Elowen ("el-OH-en")--"elm"
      • Kelyn ("KELL-in")
      • Kerensa ("kehr-EN-sa")--"love"
      • Kerra ("KEHR-ra")--"dearest"
      • Newlyna ("new-LEE-na")
      • Sevi ("SEV-ee")--"strawberry"
      • Steren ("STEHR-en")--"star"

    Breton (technically, a Gallic/French Brythonic language, but it's still undergoing revival!):
    • Boys:
      • Bleiz ("BLAYS", "BLAY")--"wolf"
      • Corentin ("kor-EN-tin")--"hurricane"
      • Judoc ("ZHUD-ohk")
      • Judokael ("zhud-OH-kel")
      • Mael ("MEL")
      • Tanet ("TEY-net")--"afire"
    • Girls:
      • Elara ("ey-LAR-ah")
      • Helori ("hey-LOH-ree")
      • Levenez ("lay-VAY-nayz")--"happiness"
      • Loana ("LOW-na")
      • Maëlys (mah-EL-iss")
      • Melle ("MEY-leh")--"lightning"
    • Unisex:
      • Gwenaël ("gwen-AH-ell")

    Thursday, June 23, 2011

    Archaic is the New Vintage

    It's safe to say that vintage names are on the rise. From Isabella to Oliver, your grandparents & great-grandparents likely share their names with toddlers all across the country. Many people think it's great; others can't stop picturing little old ladies. If Stella & Leo aren't your thing, perhaps we should go further back.

    Boys:
    • Alaric (AHL-ah-rick, Germanic)--"ruler of all"
    • Anzo (AHN-zoh, Germanic)--"giant"
    • Baldric (BALL-drick, English)
    • Barnaby (BAR-na-bee, English)
    • Berthold (BERT-hahlt, German)
    • Brennus (BREN-nus, Celtic)--precursor to names like Bran & Brendan.
    • Crispian (KRIS-pee-an, English) 
    • Drustan (DROOST-an, Celtic)--precursor to Tristan
    • Eastmund (AYST-mund, Anglo-Saxon)
    • Federigo (feh-deh-REE-goh, Italian--form of Frederick
    • Radulf (rah-DULF, Germanic)
    • Rayner (RAY-ner, English)
    • Wulfric (WUL-frick, Anglo-Saxon)
    • Wymond (WYE-mond, English)

    Girls:
    • Adelais (ad-el-AH-ees, Germanic)--a "lost" variant of the Adele/Alice/Adelaide family
    • Aldith (AHL-dith, English) 
    • Annora (ahn-NOR-a, English)--"honor"
    • Auda (AW-da, Germanic)--feminine of Otto
    • Cateline (cat-el-een, French)--variant of Katherine
    • Clemency (KLEM-en-see, English)--"mercy"
    • Christobel (KRIS-to-bell, English)
    • Dreda (DREH-da, English)--short form of Etheldreda, which probably isn't as usable.
    • Dulcibella (dul-si-BEL-la, English)--"sweet and pretty"
    • Emmeline (EM-el-een, English)
    • Gytha (GEETH-a, English)
    • Idonea (id-ON-ee-a, English)--from the Norse goddess of spring & immortality
    • Jocosa (joh-OH-sa, English)
    • Kasimira (kaz-ih-MEE-ra, German)
    • Linza (LIN-za, German)--precursor to Linda
    • Melicent (MEL-ih-cent, English)
    • Meriel (MEH-ree-el, English)--"shines like the sea"
    • Odilia (o-DEE-lee-a, German)--"wealth"
    • Parnel (par-NEL, English)
    • Peronel (pehr-o-NEL, English)
    • Tacey (TAY-see, English)

    SSA Analysis 2010

    Every year, the SSA releases a list of the 1000 most popular baby names. A full list of all baby names given to at least 5 babies is available for download, and alternate spellings are not combined (i.e. Mikayla, Michaela, Makayla, and McKayla are all counted as separate names even though they all sound the same!).
    Revised rankings with all variant spellings combined are available on several different forums, blogs, and websites, so I decided to do a different sort of analysis, since I'm more interested in pattern, similarities, and other bits of minutia.

    If you're thinking that all boys' names are starting to sound alike, you're probably right.
    33.6% of boys' names last year ended in the letter 'n'. 26.2% followed the "two-syllable, ends in 'n', stress on the first syllable" pattern. That's right--over one-fourth of boys' name are "_____en". Surprisingly (to me, anyway), only 3.8% ended in 'son' or 'sen'. And, 22%, nearly a quarter, ended in a vowel sound (a, i, o, u, y, ae, ee, ie, oe, ue, ah).

    As for the girls', they follow different trends. 65.8% ended in a vowel sound, 42% in 'a' or 'ah', and 22% in 'ee', 'y', 'ie', 'i', or 'eigh'. Narrowing it down even further, 10.5% of those 'ee's were 'lee's. And, in another surprise (again, to me), only 5.9% ended in a 'lyn' sound.
    Going past the top 1000, 39% of all girls had names ending in 'a' or 'ah'. 9% of all girls were given ___ley names, 7.1% were given ___la names, and 4.5% with ____lyn names. 5.5 % had ____anna or ___ana. In comparison, the poster child of trendy names, Jennifer, was only given to 4.09% of girls at its peak in 1974.


    'K's, 'y's, and other 'cool' letters have been big hits in naming for quite a while now. Why are they so "cool"? Probably because they're so infrequent in English that they draw our eyes and stick in our heads. However, they're starting to get fairly common in names now, so those who cringe at the sight of Kaitlyn, Kamryn, and Kayden have hope that perhaps they'll lose their appeal. The numbers:
    The 6 least common consonants (k, j, v, q, x, z) are the first letter in approximately 2.2% of English words. However, they begin 20% of American girls' names, and 22% of boys' names.
    The least common vowel, 'y', is present in only 2% of English words. It appears in 17% of American boys' names, and a whopping 32% of girls names.