Girls Name: Greta

Short form of Margareta a cognate of Margaret. A famous bearer of the name Greta was Swedish actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990).
Margaret is derived from Latin Margarita, which was from Greek μαργαριτης (margarites) meaning "pearl", probably ultimately a borrowing from Sanskrit मञ्यरी (manyari). Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers, was martyred at Antioch in the 4th century. Later legends told of her escape from a dragon, with which she was often depicted in medieval art. The saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and her name has been widely used in the Christian world. Other saints by this name include a queen of Scotland and a princess of Hungary. It was also borne by Queen Margaret I of Denmark, who united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in the 14th century. Famous literary bearers include American writer Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949), the author of 'Gone with the Wind', and Canadian writer Margaret Atwood (1939-). - quoted from Behind The Name entry

Old-fashioned sounding names have revived in recent days but Greta hasn't been as popular as I think it could become. In recent years it has ranked #594 in the USA, #11 in Italy, #22 in Hungary and #68 in Sweden.

Not too long ago I met two little sisters named Greta and Cora. I loved their names and their sweet blond curly heads! Since then Greta has been a favorite of mine. I've loved Gretchen and Gretel and similar sounding names such as Petra for awhile so loving Greta wasn't hard!

I like the combo Greta Lucy and also Greta Lucille, Greta Frances, Greta Ruth, Greta Louise and Greta Irene. Anyway, I love the name Greta and would definitely consider using it for a daughter.


What do you think of the name Greta? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Boys Name: Jasper

Means "treasurer" in Persian. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone. - quoted from Behind The Name entry

I like that Jasper isn't that popular but it does seem more popular in recent years than it was in the past. In recent years it ranked #218 in the USA, #107 in England and Wales, and it has ranked in the 70's for Canada, Australia and the Netherlands.

My mom really likes this name, and I do like the sound of it. I like it as a middle name or as a first name but I might not use it because I don't have as much attachment to it as I do to other names. Some combos I like are: Elias Jasper, Jasper Michael, Owen Jasper, Henry Jasper and Jasper Thomas.


What do you think of the name Jasper? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Girls Name: Sophia

Means "wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which was the name of a large basilica in Constantinople. This name was common among continental European royalty during the Middle Ages, and it was popularized in Britain by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. It was the name of characters in the novels 'Tom Jones' (1749) by Henry Fielding and 'The Vicar of Wakefield' (1766) by Oliver Goldsmith. - quoted from Behind The Name entry

Sophia, Sophie, Sofia and Sofie have been super popular in recent years but I still really love it. In recent years Sophia ranked #3 in the USA and Canada, #6 in Austria, #9 in Northern Ireland and New Zealand and #10 in Scotland.

I've known a few little girls named Sophia. Jane Austen used the name Sophia for a few minor characters in her novels and in film adaptations and audiobook readings it is often pronounced so-FIE-uh which seems to be the British English pronunciation. In Jane Austen's Persuasion the character Sophia Croft is called "Sophy" by her brother.

Because it's so popular I like Sophia better as a middle name as in Eleanor Sophia, Catherine Sophia or Adelaide Sophia. But I do also like the combos Sophia Rose, Sophia Maeve and Sophia Eleanor.

What do you think of the name Sophia? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Boys Name: Jack

Derived from Jackin (earlier Jankin), a medieval diminutive of John, the Biblical English form of Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name Ιωαννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning "YAHWEH is gracious" or "God is gracious". This name owes its popularity to two New Testament characters, both highly revered saints. The first is John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic who was considered the forerunner of Jesus Christ. The second is the apostle John, who is traditionally regarded as the author of the fourth Gospel and Revelation. 
Jack is often regarded as an independent name. During the Middle Ages it was very common, and it became a slang word meaning "man". It was frequently used in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, such as 'Jack and the Beanstalk', 'Little Jack Horner', and 'Jack Sprat'. American writers Jack London (1876-1916) and Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) were two famous bearers of this name. It is also borne by American actor Jack Nicholson (1937-). - quoted from Behind The Name entry

Jack has been popular as an independent first name and in recent years it has ranked #1 in Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It has also ranked #2 in England and Wales, #2 in New Zealand, #4 in Australia and #41 in the USA.

I prefer it as a full name since John isn't a favorite of mine. I like the combos Jack Kenneth, Jack Alexander, Jack Miles and Jack Oliver.


What do you think of the name Jack? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Girls Name: Anna

Form of Channah (or Hannah) used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. In the Bible Hannah is the Biblical From the Hebrew name חַנָּה (Channah) meaning "favour" or "grace". Hannah is the mother of the prophet Samuel in the Old Testament. As an English name, Hannah was not regularly used until after the Protestant Reformation. The Greek and Latin version Anna, which is used in the New Testament, has traditionally been more common as a Christian name.
Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the Hannah spelling instead of Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin Mary. In the English-speaking world, this form came into general use in the 18th century, joining Ann and Anne. The name was borne by several Russian royals, including an 18th-century empress of Russia. It was also the name of the main character in Leo Tolstoy's novel 'Anna Karenina' (1877), a woman forced to choose between her son and her lover. - quoted from Behind The Name entry

Anna has always been popular and in recent years it has ranked #35 in the USA, #1 in Austria, #2 in Hungary, #3 in Czech Republic and #5 in Norway. Other forms such as Annie, Anne, Ann and Ana are still super popular. In the Disney film Frozen one of the main characters is Princess Anna, sister of Queen Elsa and in the film her name is pronounced AHN-nah.

I've always liked the name Anna and I've known a few ladies and girls with this name. I once knew a sweet little girl with bright red hair and freckles named Anna and that helped me to really fall in love with it. I like the combo Anna Grace but that would really be like naming a girl "grace, grace". I also like Anna Joy, Anna Margaret, Anna Claire, Anna Ruth, Anna Ruby and Anna Felicity. I do really like the pronunciation AHN-nah but I usually think of that sound as more associated with the Ana spelling.

What do you think of the name Anna? 

 Do you know anyone with this name? 

 What other names would you pair it with?

Boys Name: Douglas

Anglicized form of the Scottish surname Dubhghlas, meaning "dark river" from Gaelic dubh "dark" and glais "water, river". Douglas was originally a river name, which then became a Scottish clan name (belonging to a powerful line of Scottish earls). It has been used as a given name since the 16th century. - quoted from Behind The Name entry

My grandfather and uncle are named Douglas Bruce and both go by the nickname Doug (Dougie when they were boys) and among the family they are known as "Big Doug" and "Little Doug".
I might consider using Douglas as a middle name to honor my grandpa. I like the combos Ciaran Douglas or Callum Douglas.


What do you think of the name Douglas? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Jane Austen Names & Surnames

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Jane Austen is my favorite authoress and I've been working on a website about the names she uses in her novels and short stories. The photo above is one I made and it has all the first names she used. 

Jane Austen Girls Names: Alice Alicia Amelia Amy Anna Anna-Maria Anne Arabella Augusta Bella Betsy Betty Biddy Caroline Cassandra Catherine Cecilia Charlotte Chlo Clara Cloe Diana Dorothy Eleanor Elfrida Elinor Eliza Elizabeth Eloisa Emma Emily Esther Fanny Flora Frances Frederica Georgiana Hannah Harriet Henrietta Hetty Isabel Isabella Jane Janet Janetta Jemima Jezalinda Julia Kitty Laura Laurina Letitia Lizzy Louisa Lucy Margaret Maria Marianne Marina Martha Mary Matilda Maud Melissa Nancy Nanny Patty Pen Penelope Pistoletta Polly Rebecca Rosa Rose Sally Sarah Selina Sophia Sophy Sukey Susan Susanna

Jane Austen Boys Names: Archibald Arthur Augustus Basil Benjamin Charles Christopher David Dick Edgar Edmund Edward Fitzwilliam Frank Frederic Frederick George Godfrey Gregory Gustavus Harry Henry Humphrey Jack James Jebb Jem John Lewis Ned Peter Philip Rakehelly Ralph Reginald Richard Robert Rodolphus Sam Sidney Stephen Thomas Tom Walter Will William

Jane Austen Surnames: 
Abbot Adams Adby Allen Amyatt Anderson Andrews Arundel Atkinson Aylmer
Baddeley Baldwin Bar Barlow Bates Beard Beaufort Beckford Bennet Benwick Bertram Best Beverley Bickerton Bingley Bird Blake Bragge Braithwaite Brand Brandon Brereton Brigden Brown Brudnell Burgess Burnaby Burton
Campbell Capper Carey Carr Carter Carteret Cartwright Cecil Chamberlayne Chapman Churchill Clarke Clay Clayton Cleveland Clifton Cole Collins Cooper Corydon Courtland Courtenay Coxe Crawford Croft Curtis
Dalrymple Daphne Danvers Darcy Darling Dashwood Davenport Davies Davis Dawson de Bourgh DeCourcy Denham Dennison Denny Devereux Dishonour Dixon Donavan Dowkins Drew Drummond Dudley Dupuis Durrand Dutton
Edgecumbe Edwards Elliot Elliott Ellis Ellison Elton
Fairfax Falknor Ferrars Fisher Fitzgerald Fitzroy Fitzwilliam Flambeau Fletcher Ford Forster Frankland Fraser Frederic Freeman
Gardiner Gibson Gilbert Gill Goddard Goulding Gower Graham Grant Grantley Green Gregory Grey Grierson Griffiths Groom
Haggerston Halifax Hamilton Hampton Hanking Harcourt Harding Harley Harrington Harris Harrison Harville Hawkins Hayter Heely Hemmings Henshawe Hervey Heywood Hill Hillier Hodges Holford Howard Hughes Humbug Hunter Hurst Hutchinson
Ibbotson
Jackson Jefferies Jeffereys Jenkinson Jennings Johnson Jones
Kennet Kickabout King Knightley
Lambe Larkins Lascelles Lee Lesley Lindsay Little Lloyd Long Longtown Lucas Lutterell
Macbeth MacDonald Macduff Mackenzie Maclean Maddison Maddox Manwaring Marlow Marlowe Marshall Martin Matthews Maxwell M'Cartney M'donald Merryweather Metcalfe Middleton Milar Milman Mitchell M'Kay M'Kenzie M'lellan M'Leod Molland Montague Morgan Morland Morley Morris Morton M'Pherson Mullins Musgrove
Nash Newnham Nicholls Norris Norton Noyce
O'Brien Oliver Osborne Otway Owen
Palmer Parker Parry Partridge Percival Perry Philander Phillips Polydore Poole Pope Popgun Postilion Pratt Prescott Price Prince Purvis
Ravenshaw Repton Reynolds Richards Richardson Robertus Robinson Roger Rooke Rose Ross Rushworth Russell
Saddler Sanderson Saunders Scholey Scroggs Serle Sharpe Shaw Sheldon Shepherd Shirley Simpson Skinner Smallridge Smith Smythe Sneyd Spangle Sparks Speed Spicer Stanhope Stanly Staves Steele St.Ives Stokes Stone Stornaway Strephon Stringer Styles Suckling Summers Swithin
Taylor Thorpe Tilney Tomlinson Trent Tupman Turner
Vernon
Walker Wallis Walsh Watson Watts Webb Webster Wentworth Weston Whitaker Whitakers Whitby Wickham Wilcox Wilhelminus Williams Williamson Willis Willoughby Wilmot Wilson Wingfield Woodcock Wright Wykeham
Yates Younge

I've also been working on a list of place names she used but those are harder to gather.

This list is handy for me when I'm trying to decide on a name for a character in a story I'm writing especially since the stories I'm writing now are based in Regency England. I love many of these names and would used names such as Eleanor, Elinor, Jane, Henry and Edmund for a future child. I've also considered naming pets after them and can see myself one day having a cat named Tilney or Willoughby.



Which of these names are your favorites?

Would you consider naming a child or even a pet after a favorite book character?

Girls Name: Priscilla

Priscilla is a Roman name, a diminutive of Prisca which is a feminine form of Priscus, a Roman family name which meant "ancient" in Latin. This name appears in the epistles in the New Testament, referring to Priscilla the wife of Aquila.. In Acts in the New Testament Paul lived with Priscilla and her husband Aquila in Corinth for a while. It has been used as an English given name since the Protestant Reformation, being popular with the Puritans. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used it in his poem 'The Courtship of Miles Standish' (1858). - Quoted from Behind The Name entry

I've known a few people named Priscilla. One young lady I grew up with is called Priscilla (some times called "Priss" by her siblings), my good friend is Priscilla but always goes by Cilla, and an elderly patient I knew was always called Prissy.

I'm not sure I'd use Priscilla for a daughter's name but I do enjoy the combos Priscilla Ruth, Priscilla Miriam and Priscilla Rose.


What do you think of the name Priscilla? 

 Do you know anyone with this name? 

 What other names would you pair it with?

Boys Name: Silas

Probably a short form of Silvanus, an Ancient Roman name derived from Latin silva meaning "wood, forest". Silvanus was the Roman god of forests. Silas is the name of a companion of Saint Paul in the New Testament. Paul refers to him as Silvanus in his epistles, though it is possible that Silas was in fact a Greek form of the Hebrew name Saul (that means "asked for" or "prayed for"). As an English name Silas was not used until after the Protestant Reformation. It was utilized by George Eliot for the title character in her novel 'Silas Marner' (1861). - Quoted from Behind The Name entry

 Silas has never been hugely popular but has gained some popularity in recent years, ranking #137 in the USA.

I've always liked Silas, it is similar in sound to Simon, another favorite of mine. I like to pair it with other Biblical names such as Silas Gideon, Silas Benjamin, Silas Micaiah or Silas Andrew.

What do you think of the name Silas?

Do you know anyone with this name?

What other names would you pair it with?