By Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran

We try not to play favorites around here, but the truth is that, just like anybody, we have them.  And the reasons we love the names we do are as idiosyncratic, irrational, and deeply felt as those of the average citizen.  In honor of Nameberry’s new look, we thought it might be time to reveal a few of our personal favorite names and why we adore them.  (Floral photo collage by Frances Pelzman)

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By Linda Rosenkrantz

Before you fire up the barbie or pack up the picnic basket, why not take a minute to think about what Memorial Day memorializes.

The holiday—originally called Decoration Day—was first commemorated on May 30, 1868, not long after the Civil War had ended, and was given that name because it was when flowers were placed on the graves of the Union and Confederate soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In the course of this brutal war  that tore the country apart, over a thousand soldiers reached the rank of general, several of whom went on to reach high offices in government, including six presidents– Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, Benjamin Harris, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield and Chester A. Arthur.

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Nature names can mean a lot of different things, as our all-inclusive nature baby names list demonstrates.

There are flower names, long used for girls but newly in style now.  These include familiar choices like Rose and Lily along with fashionable exotic blooms such as Dahlia and Magnolia.

Then on the botanical side, there are newer tree names, spice names, and fruit names, from Oak to Sage to Banana.

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By Pamela Redmond Satran

Have you heard of Warby Parker?  They’re the cool vintage=inspired online eyeglass company that launched a huge trend.  And now they’re joined by a host of other geek chic eyewear purveyors, including one for kids called Very French Gangsters, where we found our adorable glasses-wearing model.

But the real point here, as it always is on Nameberry, is names.

I was perusing the wares on Warby Parker the other day when I was distracted by the names of the frames.  Some embody a lot of geek but not much chic: Fillmore, Digby, and Duckworth. And then there are those like Sloan and Sawyer, Reynold and Larkin, which are chic without the geek.

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This week for her Nameberry 9 newsiest names, Appellation Mountain‘s Abby Sandel highlights some names that so unusual, they really off the grid!

Jacob and Sophia might still be on top of the US rankings, but any name nerd knows this for sure: names change.

Sometimes the changes are subtle.  In the late 1800s, Sallie was more popular than Sally.  In the 1950s, Kerry, Jimmie, and Lester were ordinary names for little boys, and their sisters were called Toni, Yolanda, and Marlene.

It’s easy to focus on the big stories – the headline-grabbing rise of Messiah and King, for example – but I like this quote from last week’s Oxford Dictionaries blog:

… it makes sense that we constantly adapt and expand our vocabulary to account for new concepts, events, inventions, etc. For example, we may invent new words, give existing words new meanings, or borrow words from other languages.

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