FabNames

In the News: Hurricane Names (Girls)

2010-08-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

This week Hurricane Earl threatens the Eastern U.S. shore with 160mph winds. According to the Atlantic Tropical Weather Center, the naming history of hurricanes is as follows:

 Atlantic tropical cyclones were named with the old World War II phonetic alphabet during the years 1950-1952.  Women's names were first used in 1953, and the same list (with one change) was used in 1954.  However, after the major East Coast storms of that year, forecasters decided to use new names each year for awhile.  Then beginning in 1960, four semi-permanent sets were established, to be re-cycled after four years.  This list was expanded to ten sets in 1971, but before making it through the list even once, these sets were replaced by the now familiar sets of mens' and womens' names.   In the Atlantic, male names were first used in 1979, and the sets are repeated every six years.

Through researching names for this post, we also learned that hurricane names are retired when the storm is destructive and/or significant enough. Here are some names from the database that we like:

We found that most of the names we liked were female, though Dennis and George did catch our attention from the male side.

Abby
Alice
Audrey
Betsey
Betty
Caroline
Emmy
Flora
Gabrielle
Grace
Hannah
Isabel

FabNames Pair of the Week - Oliver & Graham

2010-08-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

Oliver is originally thought to be a French name and is often associated with the olive tree. It hovers just around #100 for popularity (in 2009), so it is used often but not extremely common. Graham has English, Scottish, and Celtic origins, and usually ranks around #250+ (2009).

All around, we think these two names are familiar, though not extremely common. And two little boys with these names would be pretty darn cute.

Spotlight - Place Names

2010-08-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Our recent post about India/Indie got us thinking about the wonderful naming inspiration found on a map. Here are some place-names we like. I'm sure we've missed many, but here's what stands out to us when perusing the map.

Female:

Alexandria
Aurora
Berlin
Bristol
Brooklyn
Charlotte
Geneva
Georgia
London
Milan
Savannah
Sydney

Male:

Boston
Cruz
Dallas
Diego
Finn
Jackson
Logan
Mason
Penn
Roman

Fab Names Combinations of the Week - Chef Names

2010-08-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

Do you ever think about chef & cook names when watching the FoodNetwork or flipping through cookbooks? Recently we've been thinking about the unique and classy names of some of our favorite foodie chefs. Perhaps there are others we've missed?

Female:

Claire
Ellie
Giada
Ina
Julia
Martha
Nigella

Male:

Alton
George
Jacques
(Jamie) Oliver

Names of the Times - Colors

2010-07-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

Recently we've noticed a lot of babies and tots with names derived from the color-wheel. Here are some we like, by gender:

Boys:

Grey
Jett (black)
Hunter (green)
Sterling

Girls:

Hazel
Goldie
Maude
Olive
Ruby
Sienna
Scarlett/Scarlet
Sage
Violet

In the News: India / Indie

2010-07-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in India, a prototype tablet computer was released that will sell for approximately $35, aiming to help improve education in India through technology. We love the forward-thinking mindset of this low-priced technology for students, and we also are loving this up-and-coming girls' name: India or Indie.

Within the past decade singer India Arie's popularity has increased the use of this name, and while it is still only ranked well over 4000 (#4571 to be exact) for girls, it has grown steadily since the year 2000. The name also has connections to the "indie" mindset of many hipsters who prefer to support all things independent. We love this reworking of a country into a girls' name. What do you think?

Letters we Love - B

2010-07-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

{After a long break, we are back. We will be updating often now with names we love, so keep checking FabNames for names you may like. Email us with any questions or name inspiration for upcoming babies.}

B - A strong letter for any boy’s name. Here are some B names that we love:

Bennett
Benton
Bentley
Beckham
Benson
Brendan
Brandt
Brennan
Branson
Bryson
Berkeley
Bryant
Braden

In the News: Kennedy - Death of Edward Kennedy

2009-08-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

No matter one's political affiliations or beliefs, we feel that Kennedy is a classic name whether used for a boy or girl. (Maybe it's that our grandmother was a Kennedy?)

We love the recent trend of Kennedy girls, and have also seen Kennedy used as a middle name (or first name) for boys.

Kennedy was originally a surname of Irish and Scottish origin, from the Gaelic Ceannéidigh. Ceann meaning "chief" or "leader." What a great way to carry on the name of a royal American family.

Letters we Love - V

2009-07-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

V - The V is a beautiful letter that we feel adds strength yet classic beauty to a woman's name. Here are some examples, both within the name at at the beginning:

Victoria
Ava
Maeve
Olivia
Olive
Vivienne
Violet
Eva
Eve
Venna
Veronica
Virginia
Liv (Livy)
Vera

FabNames Pair of the Week - Coleman & Piper

2009-07-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

We love the pairing of a classic / unique name like Coleman with a trendier name like Piper. What is it about little girls that makes us feel more daring with a name? Perhaps we fear that our sons won't cut it in college or the business world with an artsy name, but a girl could fare just fine? Who knows, but we love these names together.

Coleman has English and Gaelic roots and Piper seems to have slim roots as a first name, though it has been a common English last name.

In the News: Jackson

2009-06-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

Though the media has already bombarded you enough with Michael Jackson stories this week, we feel that the last name Jackson is noteworthy not only because of the King of Pop, but also its recent popularity for boys.

Jackson is a great boys name for several reasons:

It can be shortened instantly to a classic: Jack
It is a last-name-turned-first-name (which we love)
Historical significance to our country: Andrew Jackson
Easy to spell, say
Unique but common at the same time

On the downside, it has become much more popular in the past 10 years (moved from #183 in 1998 to #32 in 2008). On the plus side, we think it is classic enough to stick around for a while.

FabNames Spotlight - Sawyer

2009-06-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

Because of the television show Lost, perhaps we should be filing this name under "In the News"?

However, we wanted to spotlight this former surname turned contemporary modern first name for boys. Sawyer is an English occupational surname for someone who made a living from sawing wood, but more recently it has roots in modern literature (Tom Sawyer) as well as modern music (Sawyer Brown). The name has a modern, yet rugged feel.

Names of the Times - Elle / Ella

2009-05-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Elle and Ella are classic and feminine names in their own right, however they are also popping up in many common names, used as a suffix. These are said to have Germanic, Norman/English, French, and even Hebrew roots (The word אלה (Ella) in Hebrew means goddess).

Here are some uses:

Gabrielle
Gabriella
Isabelle
Isabella
Noelle
Giselle
Annabelle
Arabelle
Ellen
Ellie
Stella
Estelle
Belle
Hazel
Mckell

FabNames Spotlight - Clark

2009-04-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

Not only is this a traditional first name, but a traditional surname as well - causing it to fall into two of our categories:

Traditional Namer
Classic Unique

While you've heard of this name, no doubt many times, it isn't extremely common - last year it was only ranked #698; much lower than we would have thought! It has English, Scottish, and Latin roots, from the Latin clericus meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar, referring to someone who was educated. It works great as a first, middle, or last name.

We love it. Simple and classy.

Names of the Times - Female Suffix Trends

2009-03-18T18:40:00.001-07:00

As stated below, our "Names of the Times" category reflects names that are trends of a certain generation. If you think back to your generation, you may notice common names.

Below are a few common Female trends seen over the past several years.

-"lyn" suffix:

Brooklyn
Ashlyn
Madelyn
Katelyn
Kaelyn
Caitlyn
Emmilyn
Gracelyn
Breelyn
Jaclyn
Jalyn

-"ie" or "y" suffix:

Sydney
Lily
Chloe
Sophie
Lucy
Libby
Sadie
Emmie
Riley
Audrey
Aubrey
Callie
McKenzie
Kylie
Avery
Abbie
Lexi
Zoe
Maddie

FabNames: Names of the Times - Male Suffix Trends

2009-03-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

Our "Names of the Times" category reflects names that are trends of a certain generation. If you think back to your generation, you may notice common names (i.e. there are a set of girls' names that were common in the 1960s including: Nancy, Sandy, Kathy, Susan, Cindy, and more. Or when you think of the 1980s you might remember: Jennifer, Tiffany, Amber, Megan, Jessica, or Heather).

What are the names of our times?? While we don't have all the names of our times listed here, we have posted a few common Male trends seen over the past several years.

-"son" suffix:

Hudson
Jameson
Grayson
Bryson
Harrison
Mason
Cason
Anderson
Benson
Carson
Dawson
Jackson
Tyson

-"den" suffix:

Aiden
Caden
Braden / Brayden
Haden / Hayden
Carden
Jaden / Jayden

FabNames Spotlight: Anya / Anja

2009-03-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Anya is a name traditionally of Russian descent, used as a diminutive of Anne. It is a strong and beautiful name with an elegant meaning: gracious and merciful. It . Anya also has Sanskrit roots, making it a widely diverse and well-liked name across the world. Famous Anya's include photographers, writers, athletes, singers and a well-known musical. Anya is a wonderful name choice we love for it's beauty and meaning.

FabNames Pair of the Week: Finn & Olivia

2009-03-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

-Finn is commonly used as a shortened form of the traditional English surname Finnegan. The name is associated with Nordic and Celtic roots, including several legendary kings of Ireland. Finn is contemporary yet classic and can be used traditionally in its long form or shortened to a nickname for a more modern feel.

-Olivia is traditionally an English name (the feminine form of Oliver). The name is commonly known for its use in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, but has more recently been used in contemporary novels, bands, and films. We love its traditional roots and feminine feel. Olivia also lends itself to lovely nicknames including Liv and Livia.

In the News: Hudson - "Miracle on the Hudson"

2009-02-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

Airline Captain Chesley Sullenberger recently made a crash-landing in New York's Hudson River, after both his plane's engines were disabled by a flock of birds; Captain "Sully" has been hailed a hero after all 155 passengers and crew were rescued.

We felt this miracle landing was inspiration for news-worthy coverage of this hero, as well as coverage of a boy's name we love: Hudson.

Hudson is traditionally an English name, typically a surname. Famous surname Hudsons include Kate (actress), Tim (baseball player), Troy (basketball player), Thomas (British painter), and more. Using Hudson as a first name mixes up it's traditional usage as a surname, resulting in an original first name with roots. We love it's classic yet unique feel.

FabNames Spotlight: William

2009-02-09T07:10:00.000-08:00

William is no doubt one of the strongest and most traditional names in history. It has historical ties to Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Cameroon and more. The name is strong, dignified, and meaningful. We love the name in full or also its shortened version: Will.

FabNames Pair of the Week: Miles & Suzette

2009-02-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

-Miles is a name traditionally of Latin origin, but because of its recent popularity, it brings a more updated style to a sibling set than many other traditional boy's names. Miles has been a name for famous artists, colleges, cities, and more. We love its cool feel and versatility with last names or siblings of any gender.

-Suzette has traditional origins in France as a variation of the name Hebrew name Susan. The name is commonly associated with Crepe Suzette, a traditional French dessert with caramelized sugar, orange juice, and Grand Marinier. What a sweet connotation to bring to this sweet name!

FabNames Spotlight: Norah

2009-02-07T20:20:00.000-08:00

Our admiration for musical artist Norah Jones, as well as our interest in old-world classical names inspired adding this to our list. Throughout history, the name Norah has been given to ballerinas, writers, artists, politicians and even famous European landmarks and cities. It is a lovely yet strong choice for a girl's name.

Regional Spotlight: France

2009-02-03T17:40:00.001-08:00

Our first regional spotlight focuses on names of France. While France is often known for its distinctive yet feminine girl's names, they also have an array of lovely boy's names.

Below are a few options.

Girls:

Amelie
Gabrielle
Vivienne
Juliette
Caroline
Nicolette
Adele
Brigette
Madeleine
Cosette

Boys:

Corben
Jasper
Felix
Julian
Beau
Tristan
Matthias
Gabriel
Christien
Stefan