Names I Love - November 2013

  1. Jeremiah
    • Baylor
      • Collins
        • Origin:

          Surname derived from Nicholas or Colin
        • Meaning:

          "people of victory or pup"
        • Description:

          Collins is a surname name that has made the girls' Top 1000 thanks to its use for the daughter of the real-life Blind Side heroine. As of 2019, Collins climbed into the US Top 500. This derivation of the Greek Nicholas—which means "people of victory"—or the Irish and Scottish Colin—which may itself be a Nicholas derivation or an Anglicization of the word for pup—has a stylish feel made more so by that final s.
      • Conrad
        • Origin:

          German
        • Meaning:

          "brave counsel"
        • Description:

          Conrad has a somewhat intellectual masculine image, a solid name that has been consistently on the popularity lists, especially well used in the 1920s and 30s, and given a pop of rock energy by the Elvis-like character of Conrad Birdie in Bye, Bye, Birdie--("We love you Conrad, oh yes we do!").
      • Francesca
        • Origin:

          Italian variation of Frances
        • Meaning:

          "from France or free man"
        • Description:

          Francesca is a lighter and much more feminine choice than the classic Frances, and one that is increasingly popular with upscale parents.
      • Gracie
        • Origin:

          English, diminutive of Grace
        • Description:

          Cute Gracie is one of the more recently revived nickname names by parents who chose it over the more formal Grace--or variations like Graziella or Grania. Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw cut straight to the nickname when they called one of their daughters Gracie, and actors Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt named their newborn daughter Gracie James. Gracie Gold is a popular young figure skater.
      • Hilit
        • Joseph
          • Origin:

            Hebrew
          • Meaning:

            "Jehovah increases"
          • Description:

            Joseph is one of the most classic names in American nomenclature, popular with parents from many ethnic backgrounds and having dual-religious appeal.
        • Lavinia
          • Origin:

            Latin, from ancient place name Lavinium
          • Description:

            Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the mother of the Roman people.
        • Noah
          • Origin:

            Hebrew
          • Meaning:

            "rest, repose"
          • Description:

            Noah is nearly a patriarch of popular baby names at this point, going from Old Testament graybeard to Top 10 name in 2009, hitting Number 1 in 2013, and now settled into second place in the US for the past seven years.
        • Rose
          • Origin:

            Latin
          • Meaning:

            "rose, a flower"
          • Description:

            Rose is derived from the Latin rosa, which referred to the flower. There is also evidence to suggest it was a Norman variation of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis, meaning "famous type," and also Hros, "horse". In Old English it was translated as Roese and Rohese.
        • Savannah
          • Origin:

            Spanish
          • Meaning:

            "flat tropical grassland"
          • Description:

            A place name with a deep Southern accent, the once-obscure Savannah shot to fame, with others of its genre, on the heels of the best seller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was set in the mossy Georgia city of Savannah. Originally a substitute for the overused Samantha, Savannah is now becoming overused itself, long among the top girls' names starting with S.
        • Tatum
          • Origin:

            English
          • Meaning:

            "Tate's homestead"
          • Description:

            Tatum is one of the rare examples of a name that was exclusively female, as in Tatum O'Neal, but now is used for boys too, entering the male Top 1000 in 2010. Khloe Kardashian made headlines when she revealed her son is named Tatum Robert, breaking from the family theme of using unique word names for their children.
        • Taylor
          • Origin:

            English occupational name
          • Meaning:

            "tailor"
          • Description:

            Taylor is one of the prime unisex surnames used for girls and has also been a soap opera favorite. Taylor was in the Top 10 for the last several years of the twentieth century, so that now it tends to feel a little nineties – though Taylor Swift is keeping it in the spotlight and Tay is a charming nickname. Garth Brooks and Bryan Cranston have daughters named Taylor; Taylor Schilling portrays lead Piper Chapman in Orange is the New Black.
        • Theodore
          • Origin:

            Greek
          • Meaning:

            "gift of God"
          • Description:

            As unlikely as it may seem, Theodore is a hot new hit name, vaulting into the Top 10 in 2021 for the first time ever and rising three more points last year to rank at Number 7.
        • Wesley
          • Origin:

            English
          • Meaning:

            "western meadow"
          • Description:

            Reminiscent of the Old West, with rugged charm and a gentle, easy-going feel, Wesley has long been a staple on the US charts.
        • Wilhelmina
          • Origin:

            German and Dutch, feminine variation of Wilhelm
          • Meaning:

            "resolute protection"
          • Description:

            Wilhelmina might once have been condemned as a clunky relic best left in the past, but a steadily increasing number of parents are dusting it off for their 21st century babies. A reasonably popular choice in the 19th century, but out of favor by the 1950s, in the last decade, the number of babies called Wilhelmina has doubled, with 140 girls receiving the name in 2023.