News from Guest Writers

Love vintage girl nickname names like Sadie, Elsie, and Annie? There are many more that are equally charming, but much more uncommon nowadays.

Longtime Nameberry forums member Leah S. shares her annual deep dive into the fastest rising and falling baby name trends. Read more about what sounds were hot (or not) in the most recent US data.

Guest author Summer Richardson shares insight into baby name trends among Black Americans today.

Enlightened choices drawn from the spiritual practice of Buddhism, from new favorites like Bodhi to rarities like Moksha and Om.

Guest writer Zara Zong tells the story of the names she was given, in China and America, and the name she chose for herself.

Most fiction authors get to name a whole world of characters — but getting it right is a fine art. Author Maria Frazer shares her top tips for choosing names that enhance your story and keep your readers on board.

Find out how the Romans really named their children — and which names from ancient Rome are making a comeback today.

How to choose your baby's godparents? Here are the ins and out of making the best choice of godparents for your child.

Overthinking baby names, obsessing over popularity, changing plans at the last minute...some things haven't changed in 40 years! Guest author Mary McKay recalls the challenges and plot twists of naming her children in the 1980s.

In case you've dismissed a name because it was super popular, this convincing argument by Appellation Mountain's Abby Sandel might change your mind.

Guest blogger Angel Thomas, aka Dantea, shares names from the Choctaw side of her heritage.

Drawing from her own background, Angel Thomas looks at the naming practices, and the names themselves, of the Cherokee culture.

Many parents worry that our favorite name is about to be the Next Big Thing. That's exactly what happened to Kathleen Donohoe and her husband, who named their son Liam shortly before it shot to the top of the charts. Find out why they have no regrets, and how Liam's name fits perfectly into the story of their family.

You've looked up the meaning of your favorite name, you love it... and then another source says it means something totally different! How do you know which one is right? Aili Winstanley Channer explains why, for many well-known names, there's room for both.

Do you love the nickname Gus, but would prefer a more unusual route to it than August or Augustus? Here's a world of options ranging from familiar Angus to rare gems like Finegas.

Italian Jewish names, from the now-endangered Judeo-Italian language, are a rich set combining various cultural influences. We take a tour of the names once popular in the Italian Jewish community.

Greek and Norse mythology names are trendy and familiar, but what do you know about names from Slavic and Baltic mythology? Guest blogger Naomi Kaye Honova shares 40+ legendary names with Pagan roots.

Naming a dog has a lot in common with naming a baby, as you'll see in this wonderful blog by professor and book author Mikita Brottman.

Names of the Master of Reinvention; from David to Bowie to Ziggy to Mars!

If you've been confused by all those pregnancy abbreviations and acronyms, here's what they all mean!

Here are five ways to test out how a name will work in real life.

Here are some far-from-scientific ways to predict the gender of your baby; old wives' tales collected by our partners over at parents.com

There are so many inspiring saint names beyond the obvious candidates. Here are a selection of favorites that are both unusual and stylish.

A new generation of German baby names has international appeal.

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