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Family Names and Potential Middle Names
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The names
Alan
Irish
"handsome, cheerful"
In its three most popular spellings -- Alan along with Allen and Allan -- this midcentury favorite has tended to skew older. It was a Top 100 name from 1938 to 1971, peaking at Number 40 in 1951.…
Frances
English from Latin
"from France; free man"
Frances, a soft and gentle classic last popular a hundred years ago, is trending again. The cool nickname Frankie is one reason for the revival of Frances, adding lightness and sass to a serious…
Magdalena
Greek
"from Magdala"
Magdalena is a pretty name forever associated with the fallen-yet-redeemed Mary Magdalen; often heard in the Hispanic community. But forward thinking parents are reviving Magdalena along with…
Fullwell
Heide
Heide is a feminine name with Germanic origins, meaning 'of the heathland' or 'from the uncultivated land.' It is related to the German word 'Heide' referring to a heath or uncultivated plain. The…
Helene
French variation of Helen
"bright, shining one"
Whether it's pronounced with an "een" or an "aine" or an "enn" sound at the end, Helene doesn't feel as current the more forthright Helen or the airier Helena. Helene reached a high of Number 228 in…
Inger
Inger is a Scandinavian feminine name with ancient Norse origins, derived from the name Ingrid or from the Norse god Ing (also known as Freyr), the god of fertility and peace. The name means…
Petrea
Petrea is a feminine name with Greek origins, derived from 'petra' meaning 'rock' or 'stone.' It represents a feminine form of Peter (Petros). The name carries connotations of strength, stability,…
Suzanne
French variation of Susan
"lily"
Suzanne became popular along with Susan but has just dropped out of the Top 1,000. Wait a generation (or two) in the US, though in France Suzanne is once again tres chic.
Sybilla
Greek
"seer, oracle"
Sybilla and its near-identical twin Sibylla are dainty and demure names with a powerful namesake that also happen to be extremely rare -- no baby girls were given either name in the US last year.