Looking for even more name talk? Join us on the AM Baby Names Patreon. Join for free to keep up with Name Games. Upgrade and unlock even more great content, like this deep dive into substitutes for Lucy. Wendy, Dinah, or Neve, maybe?

I tumbled down a Reddit rabbit hole the other day. This one asked what names were just so awful that you felt absolutely gutted for the kid?

Look, I get it. We all have preferences. They’re constrained by our personal experience and worldview.

This particular thread called out Honor, which has a long history of use and a hint of posh, British-ness about it.

The same thread slagged Adorable. Is the name surprising? Sure. But Adoración is a traditional Spanish name, related to the Three Kings from the Nativity story. And Anglophone Africa is home to lots of spiritual and affectionate word names, like Blessing, that take Americans by surprise.

And so the problem is not the name. It’s the teasing.

Instead of mocking, let’s celebrate.

ELSEWHERE ONLINE

Influencer Catherine Paiz recently welcomed daughter Sea’vanna. This is her fourth, but her first with new husband Igor Ten. With her ex, Austin McBroom, Catherine is mom to daughters Elle and Alaia, and son Steel. I find the new arrival’s name intriguing. It fits with coastal, summery picks like Ocean and Kai, and plays off long-time favorite Savannah.

On a surprisingly similar note, King Charles’ cousin gave her new daughter an ocean-inspired name, too. Flora Vesterberg is the granddaughter of Princess Alexandra, which makes her 61st in line to the throne. Flora and husband Timothy Vesterberg, a Swedish financier, recently welcomed daughter Isabel Marina. Her middle name is a nod to Flora’s maternal great-grandmother, Princess Marina of Greece. But it’s also a reference to the couple’s love of the sea.

How much do I love that babies in Peru are being named after Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland? The country has a long-standing tradition of choosing bold names borrowed from public figures, so this isn’t surprising – but it’s kind of amazing all the same!

UPDATING & THINKING ABOUT

Houston blends swagger with surprising traditional roots. It simply means Hugh’s town – which feels both immediately obvious and completely unexpected at the same time.

Mia is a tiny, compact powerhouse of name. Infinitely flexible, timeless but modern.

Wade feels sort of like a throwback, but it also sounds like a Waylon-Cade compromise. It’s been kinda-sorta on my radar ever since Disney-Pixar’s Elemental.

That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!

The post Names in the News 7.19.26 appeared first on Appellation Mountain.

The sun is blazing outside. Time to pour a glass of something cold and enjoy the best way to beat the summer heat: the annual New Names Showdown.

Confused? Let me explain.

Every year, usually in May, the US Social Security Administration reveals the 1000 most popular names for boys and girls born during the prior calendar year.

Most years, the Top Ten doesn’t change much.

Instead, the most interesting part is often waiting higher up on the list. Every year, a few dozen names debut in the US Top 1000, or return after an absence. And these names? They give us lots to think about.

Sometimes they do reflect broader cultural trends. (Hello, Carlo and Halo.) Other times, they represent sounds and styles that we love. (Looking at you, Kace and Kase!) Often it’s a little bit of both.

But once they make the list, names tend to get more attention. And that means they often rise in use even more.

The May 2026 update included 49 new and returning names for boys. (That’s on the high side!)

Every summer, I choose a handful of those newcomers. And you vote your way through them, bracket-style, until we’ve chosen the very best of the new names 2026.

How should you vote? Best can mean the names you can see catching on in the coming years. Or it might mean the names you like best for a future child of your own, or just names you think deserve more attention.

There are no hard-and-fast rules. Except, of course, please do vote! Because it’s your input that determines the next winner.

PAST CHAMPIONS

This year’s winner will join:

• Heath (2025)
• Hollis (2024)
• Rhodes (2023)
• Benedict (2022)
• Leif (2021)
• Callahan (2020)
• Archie (2019)
• Wells (2018)
• Shepherd (2017)
• Wilder (2016)

This year’s contenders are:

• JASAI #439
• HAZIEL #795
• COAST #875
• BOAZ #891
• MARCELLO #900
• BECK #913
• STONE #916
• MONTGOMERY #962

Your votes choose the winner of this year’s New Names Showdown!

THE MATCH-UPS

JASAI versus MONTGOMERY

HAZIEL versus STONE

COAST versus BECK

BOAZ versus MARCELLO

Voting stays open until July 21st. Please check back soon to see which names advance, and of course, to vote in the next round!

The post New Names Showdown 2026: Boys Opening Round appeared first on Appellation Mountain.

The summer season brings long sunshiny days and firefly-filled nights. Oh, and the Great Summer Baby Names Showdown. Because friendly competition feels just right during these hazy, lazy summer days.

What is a New Names Showdown?

Every year, the US Social Security Administration releases the 1000 most popular baby names for children born in the US during the prior twelve months. The release typically happens the Friday prior to Mother’s Day in May.

One of the best intriguing parts of the list? The new names that debut or return to the rankings.

Why does that matter?

Simply put, the US Top 1000 is The List. Pretty much everyone writing or talking about names draws inspiration from that particular data set.

And while the Social Security Administration generously provides a wealth of additional data, including files of every single name given to five or more girls or boys in a single year, most of the attention goes to those top names.

Any name ranking in the Top 1000 is more likely to be noticed, and thus, more likely to rise in use during future years – even after the original spark that sent the name climbing in use has dimmed.

In May of 2026, the new data set for 2025 was released. It included 43 names that weren’t ranked on the prior list.

From those 43 names, I’ve narrowed it to just eight choices.

Names that feel particularly stylish. Potentially influential. Or just downright interesting.

And now you get to vote, bracket-style, until those eight names become just one.

Before we get to the voting, though, which names have won before?

WINNING GIRL NAMES: 2016 to 2024

From our first contest in 2016 to today, here are the names that have won each year.

• Romy (2025)
• Seraphina (2024)
• Marigold (2023)
• Guinevere (2022)
• Etta (2021)
• Elodie (2020)
• Zora (2019)
• Marlowe (2018)
• Sylvie (2017)
• Arden (2016)

THE 2026 CONTENDERS

• Kyomi (#548)
• Odette (#883)
• Mariel (#893)
• Eliora (#914)
• Winifred (#923)
• Darla (#941)
• Elara (#942)
• Laken (#990)

GIRLS OPENING ROUND MATCHUPS: VOTE HERE

KYOMI versus LAKEN

ODETTE versus ELARA

MARIEL versus DARLA

ELIORA versus WINIFRED

Thank you for voting. Polls remain open through July 20th. Please check back to see which names advance – and to vote in the next round!

The post New Names Showdown 2026: Girls Opening Round appeared first on Appellation Mountain.

Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, we discuss reader’s name questions, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! To have your question considered, email appmtn (at) gmail. Looking for your own private #namehelp post? Order one here.

CAN WE PUT THESE NAMES TOGETHER?

Melanie writes:

We named our son Jeremy Miles and call him Remy. Jeremy is sort of for my grandfather, Gerald, but we really liked the sound of Remy and I thought it was important for him to have a more serious name to grow into.

If this baby was a boy, we were considering Castellon, a family name from my husband’s side, and calling him Case. It was almost Jeremy’s middle name, but I thought it might be too weird. Now I regret not using it.

But we’re having a girl, and we’re getting some pressure to use Ann/Anne/Anna in her name. Every woman on my husband’s side of the family has some sort of an Anne name (mom Anita, cousin Annette, sister Julianne “Julie” and her daughter Annabelle and so many more.)

I don’t mind it, and I did choose our son’s name, but I’m having trouble making it work with my favorite name: Claire.

Do we put the names together? I don’t want her name to become Claireanne/Clairanne. It sounds like Karen, or some kind of medication. Something like Claranna or Clairanna doesn’t seem right, either.

We discussed Anne Claire or Anna Claire, but I feel like that’s not enough name, and then we’d end up calling her Anne/Anna/Annie, and my favorite name would just be in the middle, which feels like a loss. With so many Anns already, it doesn’t feel fair that she wouldn’t have her own name.

We’d love to hear any ideas you and your readers might have!

Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.

LET’S DECIDE WHAT MATTERS MOST

Abby replies:

Congratulations!

These are the toughest situations. It sounds like everyone can get exactly what they want and we’ll all be happy. But, but, but … I think you’re correctly noticing that there’s a potential outcome that puts your preferences at the bottom of the priority list.

So let’s order our priorities:

• Your daughter’s name has to be Claire, in way that prioritizes that name, not just tucks it into a middle spot.
• A secondary consideration is incorporating Anne. It sounds like using Anne as a middle or even an unused part of a formal name – like Julianne – is on the table, right?

HONORING BOTH FAMILIES WITH CLAIRE AND ANNA

ANNACLAIRE

My first thought? Annaclaire, like Annabelle. Assuming, of course, that Annabelle’s name isn’t a barrier to choosing Annaclaire. Another potential pitfall: she might still end up being called Annie. But I think it’s a name that’s equal parts elegant and fun.

CLAIRE CASTELLON

This might be too much of a curve ball, but would using another family name from your husband’s side work? Castellon is a great middle for a daughter or a son, and you already mentioned that you wished you’d used it previously.

CLAIRE CASTELLANNE

This might be a stretch, but what if you respelled Castellon to incorporate Ann/Anne/Anna? It’s out-there, but in the middle spot, that might be perfect.

CLARIANNA, CLARIANNE

Adding a syllable turns Claranna into Clarianna, like Julianna. It’s a bit of a complicated, maybe even frilly name, but it shortens to Clair/Claire/Clairy, not Annie – so that’s a plus.

CLAIRE PLUS A LONGER ANNA NAME/DOUBLE ANNE NAME

Claire Annika, Claire Anne Avery, Claire Eliana, Claire Anne Eliza, Claire Marianne, Claire Anna Jolie, and on and on and on … do any of these appeal? I feel like it’s a way to stick with the family naming convention but put your preferences at the top of the list.

Normally I have a pretty clear frontrunner by the end of these questions, but this time I’m divided. Annaclaire is a great option, but I feel like it prioritizes the family name over your frontrunner.

It’s a bit on the wild side, but I’m really drawn to Claire Castellon or even Claire Castellanne. It preserves the family custom, but puts the emphasis on the name you most want to use every day, plus potentially revives a family name from your husband’s side that you wish you’d used previously.

Readers, over to you! Share your ideas for combining Claire and Anna to preserve a family custom and give their daughter her own identity, too.

The post Combining Claire and Anna for a New Girl Name appeared first on Appellation Mountain.

Looking for even more name talk? Join us on the AM Baby Names Patreon. Join for free to keep up with Name Games. Upgrade and unlock even more great content, like this deep dive into substitutes for Lucy. Wendy, Dinah, or Neve, maybe?

Influencer Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farm recently welcomed her ninth child with husband Daniel.

Thanks to Abigail for sending me a link to their their vlog breaking down their challenges naming baby nine.

The couple were parents to sons Henry, Charles, George, and daughters Frances, Lois, Martha, Mabel, and Flora Jo.

After ruling out some great names – Imogen, Bonnie, Ida, and more – they chose Greta for their youngest.

Naming is that rare parenting task that gets harder with experience, for so many reasons. One thing that leapt out at me: while they didn’t plan to give their older kids a vote, they absolutely had opinions about their sibling’s name. And, as Hannah phrased it, they made “compelling cases.”

Did you let your kids weigh in on a younger sibling’s name?

ELSEWHERE ONLINE

Laura’s analysis of Knox is brilliant. Two things stand out: first, a name dismissed as outlandish when first announced can quickly become a mainstream favorite. And any fresh name that catches on will inspire more choices. In the case of Knox, names like Knoxlee and Knoxton now appear in the data, and silent-K names like Knight have been boosted, too. Plus all of that was before that big Knicks win …

If you name your first baby Sunday, then welcome six more kids … obviously, their names will have to be the other six days of the week. Patterns can be tricky, but after baby Sunday arrived on Sunday, the other siblings obligingly all arrived on their own day of the week.

The UK’s top names are out! If you’re into the numbers, check out the data here. They provide some fascinating tables. The most popular names by mother’s age at birth always grabs my attention. Why? The #1 name for mothers under 25 was Delilah, with Olivia trailing at #20. Olivia comes in much higher, at #4 for mothers aged 25 to 29; #2 in the 30 to 34 age bracket; and #1 for the 35 and up set. Meanwhile, Delilah falls with every gain in maternal age, ranking a chilly #105 in the 35-plus category. One of the strongest drivers of name choice is the age of the parents – but since the US doesn’t publish that data, it’s tougher to tease out those trends.

UPDATING & THINKING ABOUT

Ulysses is more popular than Greek equivalent Odysseus, at least in the English-speaking world. Could that change with the Christopher Nolan movie out this summer? My guess is no, but I wonder it if could boost Ulysses in a round-about way?

Holly – not just for Christmas or winter-time babies. Potentially a good compromise between novel nature names like Briar and more vintage picks like Hazel.

Milo once read as offbeat and unexpected, outside the mainstream. Now it’s quickly becoming a go-to choice for boys in our age of Leo.

That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!

The post Names in the News 7.12.26 appeared first on Appellation Mountain.

Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, we discuss reader’s name questions, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! To have your question considered, email appmtn (at) gmail. Looking for your own private #namehelp post? Order one here.

A HINT OF NEW ORLEANS HERITAGE

Jamie writes:

I’ve been reading your blog since 2020, and I’m hoping you can help us because we’ve reached complete decision paralysis.

We need to choose one boy name and one girl name for a future sibling to our daughter, Clementine Soleil.

Our last name is French, three syllables, and starts with a B. We’re Cajuns with roots in New Orleans, so we always felt like a French or vintage name fit best with our surname and family history. We also loved using an actual French word for Clementine’s middle name, and we’d love to continue that feeling for future children.

I absolutely love names that are recognizable but rarely used. I don’t mind if people have heard the name before, but I want them to think, “Wow, I haven’t met one of those.” My biggest goal is that my children don’t have another child with the same name in their class. I also gravitate toward names that feel sunny, whimsical, romantic, historical, and just a little magical.

The girls’ names on our list include:

• Our backup name for Clementine was Marigold. I adore it, especially with the nickname Goldie. The only thing that stopped me originally was that I couldn’t get past the possibility of people shortening it to Mary.
• Another backup was Magnolia, but I’ve ruled it out because I dislike the nickname Maggie, and Magnolia has become much more popular than I’d like.
• I also love Delphine, but something about it feels different from Clementine. Clementine feels whimsical, joyful, bright, and sunny, while Delphine feels elegant, refined, and serious. I also don’t love the nickname options, and perhaps most importantly, in New Orleans the name is strongly associated with Delphine LaLaurie, which gives me pause.
• I’ve considered Apolline as well, but I worry it’s just unfamiliar enough in English that it would constantly need explaining.
• My husband really likes Eugenia.
• One name I keep coming back to is Primrose with the nickname Posey. I absolutely love it, but my husband and most of my family think I’ve completely lost my mind for even considering it.

At the moment, my two front-runners are:

• Marigold Eloise called Goldie; Eloise is a family name, and although it’s different from Soleil, I like the flow of Goldie Eloise. I’ve also always regretted not pushing harder for Mabel—or even a double middle name like Clementine Mabel Soleil—since Mabel was my late grandmother’s name.
• Marigold Reverie, keeping with Clementine’s naming pattern.

That said, I’m very open to names I haven’t considered. I feel like I’ve searched every baby name list on the internet looking for something that captures the same magic as Clementine but isn’t becoming trendy.

Boy names have been even harder.

• We’ve considered Augustin, but realistically we’d call him August, which has become much more common than we’d like. I also don’t completely love it.
• Another contender has been Aurélien, which I think is beautiful, but I’ve noticed English speakers immediately hear “our alien,” and that has made me hesitate. I also struggle to find nicknames I love.
• We’ve also talked about Zéphirin, but I’m worried people will think it’s something we invented instead of recognizing it as a historic French name.
• One name we both genuinely like is Oleander, but I can’t decide whether the association with the poisonous plant should be enough to rule it out.

We’re hoping someone can recommend names that fit our style better than we’ve managed to find ourselves. We’d love names that feel: French, Cajun, or vintage, Romantic and historical, Whimsical, joyful, and sunny like Clementine, Rare without feeling invented, Easy enough to pronounce and spell once you’ve heard them, Unlikely to have multiple children with the same name in school

If you have ideas we haven’t considered, we’d be so grateful. We feel like we’ve hit the end of the internet!

Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.

SATISFYING A LONG WISH LIST

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your second!

Clementine Soleil is such a great combination. It’s bright and citrus colored. I hear the French influence, but it’s familiar in American English, too. I’d consider it vintage, but it is climbing in popularity – slowly.

That’s probably part of the challenge, isn’t it? Your style was comfortably ahead-of-the-curve when you named your firstborn. But the world has a way of catching up.

And so the question becomes: where do we set the dial? Since it’s a priority to choose names that are unlikely to repeat in your child’s circle of friends, avoiding anything rising too quickly might make sense. But French names are ever-appealing to anyone who’s ever dreamt of watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle at nightfall. And if we’re after a French/Cajun name that works well in American English? That is an even shorter list.

It’s also worth noting that Soleil really is the game-changer in your daughter’s name. Clementine Rose or Clementine Grace would be a lovely name. But it’s Soleil that makes her name so playful and charming.

So let’s walk through your options.

MARIGOLD MIDDLE

I’m not sure I can top Marigold. While it’s also rising in use, Marigold hovers around the same popularity mark as Clementine. Something else that hits me: Marigold’s golden hue shares the same joyful, sunshine-drenched energy of Clementine Soleil. It’s subtle, but absolutely there.

Could the middle name be the issue?

• I hear your regret about family names. Marigold Eloise is lovely, and because it honors a loved one, I doubt you’d regret it. But it doesn’t have quite the same impact as Clementine Soleil.
• Marigold Reverie does, of course – and I think that’s something you recognize.

This feels like almost a coin flip. Eloise is popular and French and vintage, too. Reverie is daring, (literally) dreamy, and surprising. I’m tempted to vote for Eloise, if only becomes it is sometimes associated with the Greek word helios – sun – giving the sisters the most subtle link between their middles.

But I’ll mention a few more French word names that I think would work as middles in the US: Cadeau, Ciel, Etoile, Fleur, Jonquille, Muse, Océane, and Vrai.

There’s also Crescent, an English-language word with ties to New Orleans.

GIRL NAMES LIKE CLEMENTINE

AIMEE

Amy’s heyday was the 1970s, and French spelling Aimee peaked at that time, too. In France, it would be Aimée, of course. And Aimée is rising in use in France today. If you still find it too familiar, it could be short for Amenaide, from Voltaire’s tragedy Tancrède. The latter has a history of use among Creole and Cajun families. If Aimee is familiar, Amenaide is wildly rare. That might be a perfect balance.

CORALIE

Cora names are having a moment in the early 21st century, but we’ve mostly overlooked coastal Coralie. I like the way the pinky-orange brightness of coral matches up to Clementine’s vibrant orange. And Clementine and Coralie are just plain fun to say together.

EULALIE

Eugenie is a great choice. I’ll also mention Eulalie. It’s super-obscure, but shortens to Lallie or Lolly or possibly even Lola. It’s undeniably French, too.

GWENDOLINE

Gwendolyn is the more common choice in American English, but Gwendoline is French and at least slightly familiar. English actress Gwendoline Christie has played significant roles in both Game of Thrones and Star Wars. (Brienne of Tarth and Captain Phasma, if you’re curious.) Gwen reads vintage and sparky, though perhaps not terribly French.

LILOU

Once an obscure French nickname for Liliane or a sort of Elisabeth-Louise smoosh, Lilou rocketed in popularity thanks to Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element. The 1997 sci fi classic gave us an otherworldly character called Leeloo, which led to the rise of Lilou in France, along with spellings like Lylou. It sounds a bit informal next to Clementine, but you might consider something like Liliane or Louise, or even Eloise called Lilou.

PRIMROSE called POSEY

I think Primrose called Posey is brilliant. Primrose is broadly familiar, thanks in part to the Hunger Games character – though her nickname was Prim. Posey would wear well in a classroom with girls answering to Poppy and Josie. If that’s still too out-there for your family, could Josephine called Posey work? Yes, Josephine is a solid Top 100 pick. But it sounds like a sister for Clementine. Posey/Posie/Posy has been used before with Josephine, just like Pepe is a familiar Spanish nickname for José.

ROMILLY

A darling among name fans, Romilly comes from an English surname borrowed from French towns, like Romilly-sur-Seine or Romilly in Loir-et-Cher. (The latter features briefly in a Humphrey Bogart movie from 1944.) But circa 2026 in the US, Romilly reads just slightly, possibly French. It’s more surprising than Rosemary, but shares the nickname Romy, as well as Milly/Millie. If you like Reverie as a middle, I feel like Romilly as a first deserves a closer look. Another bonus: it’s not even in the current US Top 1000, meaning it would offer that quality of surprise. Romy is rising in use, though, and Romilly is phoentically transparent, so I think this is an easy-to-wear rarity.

SABINE

One of those continental names that always comes to mind at moments like this, Sabine is familiar in much of Europe and surprising to an American ear. It’s a perfect sister name for Clementine if you’re turning the dial in favor of rarer choices.

BOY NAMES LIKE CLEMENTINE

ANDRE

Strictly speaking, the French form of Andrew is spelled André. Diacritical marks are a bit of a gamble in American English. Some states use them, but they aren’t officially recognized in others. In general, US passports won’t include them. I’m not sure this is quite what you have in mind. After all, Andre has been reasonably popular for years in the US. I mean … Dr. Dre, Andre Agassi, Andre 3000 … and we haven’t even left the 1990s yet. But it feels accessible and classically French, and it’s falling in use for boys now. In fact, by 2025 standards it ranks in the nicely-underused 300s. Charles and Robert and Martin sacrifice their French identity unless you lean into the pronunciation. Andre retains it, and that’s something worth considering.

DORIAN

This name probably makes most of us think Dorian Gray, either Oscar Wilde’s novel or the comic book character based on him. If you remember Showtime’s Penny Dreadful, actor Reeve Carney played a version of the character. But that might be just enough to keep Dorian on the right side of familiar. It’s easily spelled and pronounced, and it has a long history of use in France, while also hovering in the 500s in the US Top 1000.

FELIX

When it comes to boy names like Clementine, Felix immediately makes the list. It’s slightly offbeat but still traditional. It’s popular in France. And while the French spelling would be Félix, I don’t think dropping the accent is as obvious as with André. But vintage Felix has recently entered the US Top 200. It’s likely you’ll hear this name repeat – if not often, then at least sometimes.

HUGO

Even in our age of Arlo and Milo, Hugo has never quite caught on in the US. It ranks in the Top 400, but it’s only recently risen to that mark. It’s a lovable name with a lot of history behind it, and a great meaning: mind or heart. It ranks in the French Top 50, and in the late 1990s/early 2000s, Hugo routinely charted in their Top Ten. This means Hugo is immediately French to anyone in the know, but perfectly accessible to English speakers.

LEANDER

Oleander is immediately toxic, at least if you’re a gardener. Or possibly anyone who can do a quick Google search. But how about Leander? Léandre would be French, but Leander is originally a name from Greek legend. It means “lion of a man.” It’s tied to the story of doomed lovers Leander and Hero. If that gives you pause, it’s worth noting that Romeo ranks in the US Top 500. Leander does not appear in the US popularity charts, but Alexander and Evander do, so I suspect this one would wear well. It could even shorten to Leo.

LEONEL

Speaking of Leo, would you consider Leonel? Or even Leopold? Leonel ranks in the US Top 400, but it’s not really trending. It’s a great under-the-radar longer Leo name. Another reason I love a Leo name for Clementine’s brother? It’s the summery, lion symbolism of it all. Subtle, but appealing.

LUCIAN, LUCIEN

I almost suggested Julien, but of course, Julian is quite common in the US, and you’d spend your days repeating “Julien with an E. Let me spell it for you.” There’s some risk of that with Lucien, too, but even Lucian only appears in the US Top 500, while Lucien is back in the high 800s. I think both spellings offer a great blend of traditional and surprising, with a nicely vintage energy.

RAPHAEL

The bad news: Raphael is trending. Spelled Raphaël, it ranks in the current Top Ten in France. It’s only around the 400-mark in the US, but Rafael is closer to #200. Still, it’s a solid classic that reads bold and vintage and just French enough.

Overall, I’m not sure I can improve on Marigold Eloise, but if I had to try? I’d suggest Romilly Ciel or Coralie Muse. A caution on Muse: in French, it sounds more like moos, like what a cow says, to my American ear. But I’m thinking of the New Orleans streets named for the goddesses of all creative arts and memory, the Muses.

For boys, I think the challenge is slightly different. Boys’ names to be slightly less creative. That’s changing, but it means our baseline understanding of masculine names is different – more limited. So even a handsome name like Aurélien is tougher to wear.

I wonder if you’d like to turn the dial down a bit, choosing something like Hugo or Raphael. I think they’re perfect brother names for Clementine, but a little more accessible in American culture. I might use something like Hugo Aurélien or Raphael Zéphirin. I love the golden connection with Aurelien and Soleil, but Raphael shortened to Rafe is such a good choice, too.

Readers over to you! Can you suggest names like Clementine Soleil for their new daughter or son?

The post Vintage Names Like Clementine: Fresh, French, and Vibrant appeared first on Appellation Mountain.