News on Name Spellings, Sounds and Initials

Looking for an offbeat boy name with lots of energy? These Z names for boys could be for you. Z is uncommon at the start of words in English, so baby names beginning with Z tend to stand out.

Girl names starting with the letter Z are rare and exotic, from Zadie to Zuzu, Zinnia to Zahara.

There are certain letters that have gotten short shrift, and for girls one of them is the letter T. Which is a shame because there are so many rarely used treasures, and here we have 13 of them, from Tamsin to Tulia, Tilly to Theodora; names that might fit your baby girl to a T.

Move over Sophia — here are 15 stunning girl names starting with S, from Sabine to Sylvie.

O is for outstanding, and here are 15 boy names starting with that letter that are just that!

Watch out, Olivia; here come Ophelia, Oona, Opal and other outstanding O names!

Tired of Noah and Nathan? Here are 15 nifty N names for boys that you don't here in every classroom.

A is by far the Number 1 initial for baby names and here is a great selection, ranging from the most popular in the US and on Nameberry, to those that are more distinctive.

Mirabel, Marisol, Marigold and Mabel; gorgeous M names that deserve more love.

L is one of the loveliest initials for girl names. Here are 15 of our favorite girl names starting with L.

A look at how K names have been overlooked, including 15 kicking K names for boys that we need more recognition.

Why have K girl names been so misunderstood? Let's take a fresh look at some underrated girl names starting with K that move beyond Kylie and Kayla.

Vowel names have been fashionable for several years now, but while A, E, and O names predominate, we've had relatively few great girl names starting with I. Here are some of our favorite underappreciated names for girls that start with the letter I:

Some glamorous girls names starting with G, from Gaia to Goldie to Greer.

Some unusual girl names beginning with F, from Fable to Flavia to Fern.

For the parent seeking an E name for their son, here are 15 excellent examples, ranging from those with some degree of popularity to a few unexplored possibilities.

They're delightful, delicious, and delectable, and yet D is one of the most neglected first initials on the girl list. Let's try to change that with some interesting, offbeat choices.

15 fresh and offbeat suggestions for unusual boy names starting with the letter D for parents looking to move beyond Daniel, Dylan, and David.

15 fresh suggestions for unusual boy names starting with the letter B.

Here are 15 handsome H names for boys, from Hart to Hollis to Hugo.

B (as in beautiful) names for girls you should be using!

The Playground Analysis groups popular names according to their sound and then ranks the groups instead of the individual spellings. By listing all variant spellings together, we can reveal the top names you're *really* most likely to hear on American playgrounds.

A cornucopia of E names for girls that go way beyond Emily and Emma.

As I start sending out my novel to literary agents, I’m frustrated by having to submit an author name. I have been through so many iterations of my name that I hardly know who I am anymore.

U-names for babies are an exclusive group, but look carefully and you'll find some undiscovered treasures.