Loveable B names: Blake, Bijou, Booker , and more.

I've been finding myself really liking B names lately. I'll share a few with you before I head to work in a few:

Bryn/Brynn-- This is a name that goes great in a middle name spot for almost anything. It's a really simple, versatile name.

Blake/Blakely-- A unisex name that I specifically like for a girl, probably because I know more girls with this name than boys. It has that strong A sound in the middle that Americans seem to like.

Bliss-- This name is for the more brave Namer. I see this name totally fitting in with the other names with strong S sounds, like Alyssa, Carissa, Tristan, and more. But it's meaning could be a little extreme for some parents. I find it to be darling.

Blanche-- I'd never use it, just because it isn't really my style. However, I love it because of Mrs. Blanche Devereaux from the Golden Girls.

Beatrice/Beatrix/Bea-- Speaking of Golden Girls... my favorite actress on the show was Beatrice "Bea" Arthur, who played Dorothy. Again, it isn't quite my style but I'd definitely use it as a middle name. I included Beatrix because it seems to be the more popular spelling on the name sites I'm on.

Breeze-- Remember Levi Johnston? Bristol Palin's baby daddy? Well, he had a second child with his now-wife, and her name is Breeze Beretta. A little too "B" for me, but I think Breeze is really interesting.

Bijou-- A name that's a little more off the wall. Daphne Oz named her daughter Philomena Bijou (a mouthful of a name, to say the least). But bijou is French for "jewel" and I think that's super pretty.

Blue-- Yes, as in Blue Ivy. I feel like this name hasn't gone up in popularity as much as I thought ever since Queen B herself used it.

Bloom-- I love love love this for a middle name. How adorable would this be?!

Brielle/Briella-- A craazzzzyyy sweet girl name.

Bronwyn-- Starting to see this one on name sites more and more. Maybe people are catching on to this undiscovered gem of a name.





Bear-- Alicia Silverstone used the name Bear Blu for her son. It feels like a really cuddly name.

Baylor-- I like this name equally for each gender. There was a girl with this name on Survivor last night.

Blaise-- Had never seen this spelling of Blaze until today. It puts a softer spin on a really macho boy name, and I like that.

Beckett-- A name love of mine for a really long time. It's not my favorite anymore, but I still really like this.

Bennett-- I always went back and forth between Beckett and Bennett, and still do. Can't decide which one I like more.

Bram/Braham-- Graham is growing on popularity. Why not Bram?

Bosley-- Bill Horn and Scout Masterson aka "The Guncles" named their newest addition Bosley and call him "Baby Boz." I never would have picked that name, but seeing his sweet face on my Instagram definitely has given it a good association in my mind!

Brooks-- A unisex name that I like more for a boy. Has a very preppy feel to it.

Bodhi-- I've been hearing a lot of this name in the celeb world. I like it, but not enough to use it. I'd love meeting a little Bodhi.

Booker-- One of my newest Name Loves. I've always been a sucker for surnames, but this one takes the cake. Unique, but familiar. Perfection.

Bowie-- Gwen Stefani named her new baby boy Apollo Bowie Flynn, which is definitely one of the most interesting celeb baby names this year, in my opinion. Gwen has a knack for choosing unpredictable boy names. Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo = Whoaaaa.

Twin Tuesday: All about naming multiples

I think every name nerd at some point fantasizes about naming twins. Twins are literally double the fun in the naming world.

It's really interesting to study how people name their twins. I love to see the trends, and the ways that people go about naming their multiples. So here is what I've got for you today:

Let's start with popular twin names. According to the SSA, here are the Top 10 most popular twin names for 2013:

* I got this information from pregnancy.about.com. The numbers listed by the names are how many twins were named these names.*

Girl/Girl Twins:

1. Ella, Emma 44
2. Olivia, Sophia 42
3. Gabriella, Isabella 34
4. Faith, Hope 32
5. Ava, Emma 28
6. Isabella, Sophia 25
7. Madison, Morgan
8. Ava, Ella 21
9. Ava, Olivia 21
10. Mackenzie, Madison 21

Boy/Boy Twins:

1. Jacob, Joshua 69
2. Ethan, Evan 54
3. Jayden, Jordan 52
4. Daniel, David 50
5. Matthew, Michael 35
6. Landon, Logan 32
7. Elijah, Isaiah 31
8. Jacob, Joseph 30
9. Jayden, Jaylen 27
10. Isaac, Isaiah 26

Girl/Boy Twins:

1. Madison, Mason 32
2. Emma, Ethan 28
3. Taylor, Tyler 26
4. Madison, Michael 19
5. Jayda, Jayden 17
6. Madison, Matthew 17
7. Samuel, Sophia 17
8. Addison, Aiden 14
9. Olivia, Owen 13
10. Zachary, Zoe 13

Now, these may be the "Most Popular" twin names, but if you look at the numbers, you realize that there aren't actually that many twins in America with these names. But these are the names that are used the most together. Notice the similarities? This list tells me that Americans in general like to name their twins with similar names. This appears to be the trend.

But obviously, there are so many ways to go about naming twins. Let's look at what a few celebrities have chosen for their twins:

 

Jennifer Lopez-- Maximilian "Max" David and Emme Maribel
Julia Roberts-- Hazel Patricia and Phinnaeus "Finn" Walter
Jerry O'Connell-- Dolly Rebecca Rose and Charlie Tamara Tulip
Angelina Jolie-- Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon
Mariah Carey-- Moroccan Scott and Monroe (doesn't have a middle.)
Neil Patrick Harris-- Gideon Scott and Harper Grace
Chris Hemsworth-- Tristan and Sasha
Patrick Dempsey-- Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen
Sarah Jessica Parker-- Marion Loretta "Loretta" Elwell and Tabitha Hodge

(These are just a sample of celebrity twin names over the past 10 years. My favorite? I absolutely adore Dolly and Charlie for a girl twinset. Looove it.)

Modern day celebs take a different approach to naming twins than the majority of the population (as they do with names in general.) I look at this array of names and I'm kind of in awe of the naming genius here. Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon are fresh, modern, and are a nod to Angelina Jolie's French heritage. I admire some of these names for their play on sounds; Tristan and Sasha match as twin boy names, because of their soft S sounds. Dolly and Charlie match as girl twin names because of their strong "ee" ending and their nick-namey feel.

 

There are a million and one ways to go about naming multiples. I don't know if I could do it in only 9 months! But somehow people do it, and I applaud you.

 

 

How would I name multiples? Glad you asked. :)

 

 

If I ever had chance (although it doesn't run in mine nor Bradley's family so it's unlikely), I would try to use mine and Bradley's initials for both twins. Our intials are JB and KB, so I'd try to make my twin names match those. Buuut if I had twin girls, it'd be a different story. There is really only one K girl name that I like enough to actually use for my daughter (and that Bradley would actually let me use), and it's not my absolute favorite.

 

But if I didn't have to go through Bradley first, Jubilee Bryn and Kanaan Beatrice would be crazy cute biblical girl names. A name nerd can dream...

#selfiesunday: A letter to my middle school self.

Middle school was kind of like getting stuck by barbed needles in every social decision that you make. I speak for myself, but I have never once talked to anyone who actually liked their middle school years. Puberty, braces, acne, cell-phones that you don't have any use for, noticing the opposite sex, and actually learning about sex itself. It was an embarrassing three years of my life.

I look back with a sense of dread on the middle school years, but I also look back on my middle school self and I want to cry for her. I was such a lost little person. So, I want to write the letter to my middle school self to tell thirteen year old me all of the things I wish that eighteen year old me could have said back then.

 

 

 

Dear Middle School Kaitlyn,

 

 

I see you, giving those awkward, one-armed hugs by your locker to the guy you've been dating for three weeks. I really hate to tell you this... But he's not the one. None of these guys that you date for a few weeks are. But we'll get to them later.

I know the depths of your heart. I know that you have no confidence, and you feel like you have to take attention from anywhere you can get it, by any means necessary. But if you want to know the truth... every single girl around you feels the same. You are one of many lost little girls walking the halls.

The braces don't make you ugly, and your forehead isn't too big; they make fun of you because they feel just as bad about themselves as you do. You aren't too tall either... when the adults tell you that the boys will outgrow you, they actually do! Even the ones that look like they never will. And it doesn't even matter anyway. I promise.

The friends you have now will one day become acquaintances, so don't worry so much when someone else calls your "BFF" their "BFF." It doesn't matter, at all. And you know how you're super jealous of Jenni for being the object of your eighth grade boyfriend's affections for like, two weeks? Well, she'll become your very best friend, just a few months later in high school. As a matter of fact, all of the people that you are best friends with in high school are people that you never even talked to in middle school. It's crazy, I know, but trust me, they're great people, and they'll make you laugh a lot.

But back to the boys... don't sell yourself short. The man that you will marry is so far above any of these guys, not because they are bad people, but because he is so wonderful. I wish you would focus less on guys, and more on math. If you pay attention more in Algebra, it would make it way easier on high school me in advance math classes.

 

It's unfair of you to expect these boys to love you like you want them to. They are mentally not capable of it, and neither are you. As a matter of fact, your own future husband can't even do that, although he does a great job. Only Christ can satisfy that longing for acceptance and love. You'll fight this for awhile, and you'll lose.

 

Eat pancakes for lunch with Mamaw. Help her clean the house. Teach her how to type properly, and look up that shoe website she always wanted you to. Sit on the porch with her and talk about as much as you can. Hug her, and kiss her, and let your brain capture how that feels, and lock it away, because one day you'll need that memory.

I just want you to know that I've seen those nights that you've laid sobbing in bed because you truly believed you weren't good enough. I tear up now thinking about you. I wish I could protect you from all of the hurt that you'll feel, even though a lot of it is unintentionally self-inflicted with the conflict that you don't realize you start.  

 

You are so smart, and kind. You're just... grasping. For identity and for acceptance. You aren't alone. You're surrounded by so many people that want you to succeed. And you will! You'll graduate high school with honors, and you'll go to college, and meet the man of your dreams when you're 16... and he's a ginger!

 

I guess what I'm trying to say, is be the best you that you can, for my sake. I'm counting on you, just like the 25 year old me is counting on the 18 year old me to do well in life.

 

 

love,

You. (in roughly 5 years)

Name Loves this week: Candler, Callaway, Claire and more.

I really enjoy doing these Name Loves posts, and cataloging my ever-evolving style in names. So here you go, these are my name crushes this week:
 

 

Girls:

 

Isabeau-- Such a sweet alternative to Isabel/Isabella. And as masculine as the nickname is... I've been really crushing heard on Beau as a nickname for a girl... Can't help it!

 

Calloway/Callaway-- Callie/Cally is the obvious nickname here. Calla would be cute too. I just love the way this name rolls off the tongue.

 

France-- I follow someone on Instagram with a daughter named France. I quite like it, and it feels fresh. Wait... did I put this in my F name post? I hope so!

 

Navy-- I love this color name for a little girl. It's so spunky, and I'd like to see it paired with something feminine, like Navy Juliette, or Navy Seraphina. 

 

Amabel-- I've always loved Annabel, but recently I've started falling for it's wonderful alternative.

 

Alouette-- One of my favorite combos used to be Mia Alouette. Alouette means "lark" in French. How beautiful? Possible nicknames could be Ally, Lulu, or Etta.

 

Claire-- I've obviously loved this name since I was little, (my dog's name is Lacy Claire) and I don't think I'll ever stop. Claire is quite the popular name, but it's no wonder. It's got a beautifully simplistic sound.

 

Maple-- I feel the same way about Maple as I do Fable. It might be a little off the wall, but it's got such a sweet sound. Don't think I'd ever have the guts to use it though.

 

Boys:

 

Hurley-- This one has been on my brain since I featured it with the -ley/-el boy name post. A little boy with this name is set up for life to be cool, I think.

 

Noam-- An alternative to the mega-popular Noah, who is the number one most popular boy name in American in 2013. From my understanding, this name is quite popular in Israel.

 

Candler-- I wouldn't use this name for a certain reason, but I loveeee the way it sounds.

 

Maxim-- A fresher way to get to the nickname Max.

 

Rhys-- Oh how I love this name. Americans prefer to spell this name Reece/Reese, and I go back and forth on whether or not I like the Reece/Rhys spelling better.

 

Atticus-- This is becoming increasingly popular, and I'm starting to warm up to it. I don't think I'd ever use it, but I'll crush on it from afar.

Beckham-- Yes, as in David. It's not like I'm a huge soccer fan or anything, but I think the name just sounds nice.

Asher-- This name is definitely on the rise, at #104 on the charts in 2013, but I have only met one, just this week. It has a beautiful meaning: "happy."

That's it for this week's roundup of awesome names.  Have an awesome Friday everyone!

Baby Face Tuesday: Mr. Bryson

This week's Baby Face Tuesday is pretty special. I've known him for the past (almost) four years. And he's the first ginger to be featured on this blog besides Bradley, and that's pretty special all on it's own... ;)

 

 

 

Bryson Alexander

 

 

"Bryson is my grandfather's first name and he was my favorite by far! He was a great man with a huge heart and a love for the Lord. Alexander is Tony's dads name and Tony's brothers middle name. I wanted to be able to give both sides representation. as soon as we found out he was a boy, Bryson was his name. We really didn't have another boy option. Tony liked it and I loved it and my grandpa was tickled to death about it."

 

 

If he had been a girl: "Marris Jane. Tony picked that name. Marris is from the great Yankees baseball player, Roger Maris."

 

 

Future Sibling names: "I don't know if that name [Marris Jane] still stands if I am ever blessed with a girl. If I am blessed with another boy his name (for now) will be Landry Judson Corbin. I love the name Landry. Judson is Tony's middle name."

 

 

Thank you so much to Crystal for sharing Bryson's name story with the blog! And for the record, I think Marris and Landry go perfectly with Bryson. That wraps up another Baby Face Tuesday! Hope you guys are having a great week so far.

F names (for Nikki): Freya, Foster, Fleur and more.

I was talking to my friend Nikki the other day about names and she said she's never heard an F name that she likes, so I'm dedicating this post to her. Maybe she and all of you other readers out there will find a new name love. :) These are my favorite F names out there:

 

 

Girls:

 

Fiona

Flora

Fia/Fianna-- I adore Fia. It's feels like Sophia and Mia's spinoff, but it is it's own name.

Flannery-- Means redheaded, so naturally I like it.

Fifer-- I see this being the new Harper & Piper in a few years.

Faye-- This name isn't shown enough love.

Faith

Francesca

Felicity

Farrah

Fern-- I think this name could be the new Wren in a few years.

Fallon/Fallyn-- This is technically unisex but I much prefer it on a girl.

Fleur-- A French name that means flower.

Freya

Fable-- One of my top contenders for a future middle name.

 

 

 

Boys:

 

Finn/Finley-- The most popular F name for boys on this list, especially in England.

Finnegan

Flynn

Fletcher

Fielder-- Found this one in a book. Loooove Fielder.

Felix-- I've actually never been a fan of this one. But everyone else seems to, so I thought it should be included on this list.

Forrest

Frasier

Falco-- Never heard of this and found it on my search for F names. Interesting.

Foster-- A recent name love of mine. I think it's an adorable vintage choice for a boy.

Fitzgerald-- After the wonderful author of the Great Gatsby.

Ford/Fordham

Ferris

 

 

 

That's all I've got for today! Hope your Monday isn't too terrible. :)

 



#selfiesunday: The things that will make my future husband a good one.

I have SO many ideas for future #selfiesunday posts. So many. But today this one feels appropriate for today.

 

 

Before I begin this list, I'll give you a brief bit about mine and Bradley's history. Our love story did not start out sappy; we kind of stumbled upon one another, and we were all like: "Okay. This is good." Our communication skills also kind of sucked for the first 6 months, and that didn't help. But somehow we made our way through the awkward forest, and ended up on this beautiful paradise of a relationship.

 

I have to tell you that I didn't just agree to marry Bradley because the moment was just right. That "YES!" that I said a few weeks ago was built up to by countless discussions and observations, on both of our parts. (We are both pretty practical people, most of the time.)

 

So here are some of the reasons why my future husband will be a good one.

 

 

 

• We agree on the basics. That we want to go to church, how frequently we want to go, how to raise/discipline children, how to share our money, how far away we are willing to move, to rent or to own, all of that good, boring, necessary stuff. If you don't agree on any of the above things, you could have a tough road ahead of you, and I've learned that by watching other married couples struggle.

 

 

• He has specific, legitimate goals. I tease him about how much he plays Xbox, but the truth is that Bradley knows what he wants in life. He decided he wanted to move out and get his own apartment, and he did it within a few months. He's working toward becoming an engineer, he has taken a job that he hopes will further that career. I know that Bradley will never expect me to keep him up. His goals and the work he puts forth to achieve them tell me that he's strong, and capable. I think everyone would agree that those things are important.

 

 

• His patience is boundless. It seems like that, anyway. I know that sometimes I push all the wrong buttons, and I can get a little testy. He is never quick to anger; and he is always, without fail, willing to accept whatever part in the problem that he has ownership of. Which in turn, makes me realize that I need to do the same. This part of him pushes me to be a better person every single day.

 

 

• He listens SO well. He puts my listening skills to shame, daily. This quality is why he is SO good at buying for me for Christmas, Birthdays, and Anniversaries, and I feel like I'm scrambling to get a decent gift. He can recall back things that I don't even remember saying when I'm telling stories. When we have a serious discussion, I can see it on his face how he's trying to capture every word that escapes my mouth. I can't tell you how much that means to me, and how I appreciate it. This makes me feel validated, and important.

 

 

• He is sure of himself, in every situation. I can get very insecure, in social situations, specifically. Bradley can talk to anyone, about anything, and not get nervous. Because to the core of his being, he truly doesn't care what anyone else thinks of him. I admire that SO much. I love being with someone that I admire.

 

 

 

 

 

Those are 5 of the most important reasons, but I could go on and on with the little things. I really do love that ginger, for everything that he is, and for the standards he's set for other relationships in my life. And for the beard, of course...

 

Happy Sunday... hope everyone has a good week, and I'll be back to naming regularly soon... I promise. :)

In search of kiddos to feature for Baby Face Tuesday!

Does your child have a story behind how they got their name? I'd love to feature it.

 

 

 

I would need from you:

•   Your child's first and middle name, and the story behind how you came up with the name.

 

• -A picture is optional, but I do encourage it. Just because the purpose of this feature is to put a face to a name. But I would feature your child with or without a picture. Also, some parents have gotten creative and posted pictures of their child from behind, from far away, and have even given me older, less recent photos of their children. 

 

•   "Almost" names; Names that you almost used or considered.

 

•   What your child would have been named if it were the opposite gender.

 

• Sibling names/Potential future sibling names

If you aren't an avid reader of the blog, go over -----> to this side, in my blog archive, and look at the Baby Face Tuesday posts of the past to see some examples.

 Can't wait to feature your sweet kids! You can contact me via the blog (I have added a contact button on the side bar) or Facebook/Instagram, if you are friends with me/follow me.

 

 

Baby Face Wednesday (because I have a semi-good reason): Miss Mila and Mr. Cato

I know, I know... I'm hanging my head in shame. BUT my reason for being late this time is... I just started watching American Horror Story on Netflix, and I got hooked. Netflix has a way of doing that to you.

 

This Tuesday, I am in love with these kids' names:

 

 

Mila Arden

 

 

Little Mila on the beach

 

 

 

"We chose Mila as it is a prettier short form of the very old-fashioned Spanish name Milagros, meaning miracles. We thought we might not be able to have children so a name derived from miracles seemed very apt. Her middle name Arden means "eagle valley" or "high" - birds have personal significance for me and we also liked the literary association with Shakespeare (the forest of Arden is in As You Like It). My only regret with Mila's first name is that it has skyrocketed in popularity in the five years since we chose it. Otherwise, I still love it!"

 

 

Cato Bennett

 

"My husband is very interested in Roman history and he wanted a Roman name for our son. We chose Cato as it seemed to have a more modern, upbeat sound to it compared to some of the other Roman names... Tiberius and Aurelius come to mind. They would make an odd sibset with Mila! Cato is unusual but still fits in with other names used today like Hugo and Milo. Cato also means "wise" in Latin which we thought was a positive. For us his name was perfect and he became Cato when I found out I was carrying a boy at 19 weeks pregnant - being a tad obsessive over names I never in my life thought I would be able to pick a name so soon! Bennett means blessed and he was given this name for the same reason that we picked Mila. I also love Pride and Prejudice and like that Bennett reminds me of the Bennet family."

 

 

 

 

Potential future sibling names: "For now we are set on two children but a possible future girl would most likely be Lyra and a boy would be Atlas."

 

 

 

Other tidbits their mama shared with me:

 - I like that both Mila and Cato have four letters, two syllables
- I like that Mila's middle starts with A and Cato's with B and both are two syllables
- I like the link between miracles and blessed
- I like that both middles have literary associations.

 

 

And that is the story of how Mila and Cato got their names. A big thank you to their mama for letting me feature her babes! Again, sorry for the delay guys.

The -ley & -el brothers: Kingsley, Kael, and more.

I introduced you to the -ana & -ora sisters. Now, I would like you to meet the -ley & -el brothers.

I've noticed that there are wayyyy too many people think that most names for boys that end in -ley and -el are girly, and it's simply not true. This is due to the massive trend of girls being named Isabel, Annabel, Hadley, Ansley and more. So today I wanted to show you some awesome boy names that end in -ley and -el:

 

 

 

Bradley-- My own sweet fiancé has this name that ends in -ley. This is one of those -ley names that still are used mainly for boys today. Many -ley names that were once "boy only" names have switched over to the girl side (Like Hadley and Ansley mentioned above, but also Ashley, Bailey, and more.)

Finley/Findley-- I saw this second spelling on a TV show recently. I'm kind of intrigued by it. Finley is hugely popular for little boys in England right now.

Huxley-- As in the author of "A Brave New World." And how cool would the nickname "Hux" be?

Oakley-- A sweet "country boy" name that I don't think I could pull off , but I like to see others make it work.

Riley-- Another one that has sadly gone to the girls over the past few years, although I did recently meet a little boy Riley. I like it for a boy much more than a girl, truthfully.

Kingsley-- If you like Kingston but it's a bit too high up on the charts for you, here is your compromise.

Hurley-- I adore this for a boy. I recently saw a little boy on Instagram with this name, and I'm in love with it now.

Presley-- I see quite a few girls with this name, but never any boys. Why? I think Elvis makes this super wearable for boys as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Abel-- A super soft, sweet biblical boy name. I adore the nickname Abe.

 

Axel-- One letter away from Abel, completely different feel. Axel is a super-macho name.

 

Lionel-- I didn't like this name until I watched the movie Because I

Said So with Diane Keaton. The little boy in the movie has this name, and he was so cute.

 

Ezekiel-- Covered this one during the last Baby Face post.

 

Gabriel-- Aaaand this one was covered in the second-ever Baby Face Post.

 

Cael/Kael-- This is just another way to spell Cale/Kale, sans the leafy green imagery, if that turns you off to the name.

 

Marvel-- Now this one, I'll admit, I like on a girl best. Simply because I first paired it with a hyper-feminine name when I fell for it. But I think it could work on either gender quite well.

 

Satchel-- Mia Farrow and Woody Allen used this name for their now-grown son. He goes by Ronan now, and I'm curious as to why he gave up Satchel in the first place.

 

 

 

 

My favorites from this pick are Hurley and Kael, and Satchel runs a close second. And obviously Bradley is a name that's close to my heart. ;)

 

I'll be back on later to post Baby Face Tuesday, don't forget to check back for it!