Girls Name: Noemia

NOÊMIA is the Portuguese form of Naomi. Naomi is from the Hebrew name נָעֳמִי (Na'omiy) meaning "pleasantness". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother-in-law of Ruth. After the death of her husband, Naomi took the name Mara (see Ruth 1:20). Though long common as a Jewish name, Naomi was not typically used as an English Christian name until after the Protestant Reformation. - quoted from Behind The Name

This is not at all a popular name but I think it's a very beautiful one. The first time I heard it was on a youth pastor's wife and she pronounces it NO-em-EE-uh and she is of Portuguese heritage although she was raised in the Eastern United States. It's odd because at first it was hard to get used to not calling her Naomi, but now when I'm reading the book of Ruth it is difficult not to call Naomi Noemia. I definitely like the sound of Noemia a lot more than Naomi now.

Noemia Rose is pretty as is Noemia Ruth.

What do you think of the name Noemia? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Boys Name: Ciaran

Ciaran is a diminutive of Ciar. This was the name of two Irish saints: Saint Ciarán the Elder, the patron of the Kingdom of Munster, and Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, the founder of a monastery in the 6th century. Ciar is derived from Irish ciar meaning "black".

- quoted from Behind The Name

The Ciaran spelling ranks #61 in Ireland and it ranked as high as #28 in 2002. The Kieran spelling is much more popular recently and it rated #206 in England and Wales and #576 in the USA which is quite something.

Ciaran has been a favorite of mine for a long time. I love the Irish spelling versus the Kieran spelling, mostly because of actor Ciarán Hinds and it being closer to my father's name Colin. I'm not sure how it would go over especially since some members of my family would have a harder time spelling and pronouncing it. I'm much less fond of the Kieran spelling, the K just makes it much less appealing to me. 

Ciaran Michael is my favorite combo but I also like Ciaran Henry, Ciaran Oliver, Ciaran Thomas and Ciaran William. I would leave off the line over the second a as in Ciarán.

What do you think of the name Ciaran? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Girls Name: Lucy

Lucy is the English form of Lucia, in use since the Middle Ages. Lucia is the feminine form of Lucius. Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. It has been used in the England since the 12th century, usually in the spellings Lucy or Luce. Lucius is a Roman praenomen, or given name, which was derived from Latin lux "light".  - quoted from Behind The Name

Lucy has always been fairly commonly used and currently rated #8 in Scotland, #8 in Northern Ireland, #9 in Ireland, #19 in New Zealand, #30 in England and Wales, #33 in Canada and #62 in the USA. 

I really like the name Lucy, it has great literary connections such as Lucy Pevensie (Narnia books), Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables author), Lucy Snow (Villette by Charlotte Bronte) and Lucy Steele (Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen) among others.

Currently I only know one little girl named Lucie, and that's a nickname for Luciana (pronounced Loo-see-ann-uh). My father also has a cousin who named her daughter Luciana after an Italian grandmother so her name is pronounced loo-chan-uh and she's also called "Lucie". 

I would definitely consider using Lucy as a girls name and would probably pair it with a longer middle name such as Lucy Arabella, Lucy Adelaide, Lucy Margaret or Lucy Emilia. 

What do you think of the name Lucy? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Boys Names: Merlin

Form of the Welsh name Myrddin (meaning "sea fortress") used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century Arthurian tales. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form Merlinus over Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French merde "excrement".

Geoffrey based parts of Merlin's character on Myrddin Wyllt, a semi-legendary madman and prophet who lived in the Caledonian Forest. Other parts of his life were based on that of the historical 5th-century Romano-British military leader Ambrosius Aurelianus. In Geoffrey's version of the tales and later embellishments Merlin is a wizard and counselor for King Arthur. - quoted from Behind The Name

Merlin has never ranked very high on the popularity charts, it currently rated about #408 in France.

I've never met anyone named Merlin although I did know someone who named their Miniature Rough Collie Merlin and it fit him very well! 

I don't think I'd use Merlin for a son but I do rather like it. Merlin Arthur, Merlin James and Merlin Patrick are rather nice combos.

What do you think of the name Merlin? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Girls Name: Lena

Scandinavian, German and Polish short form of Helena the Latinate form of Helen, English form of the Greek ‘Ελενη (Helene), probably from Greek ‘ελενη (helene) "torch" or "corposant", or possibly related to σεληνη (selene) "moon". In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War. The name was also borne by the 4th-century Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, who supposedly found the True Cross during a trip to Jerusalem. - quoted from Behind The Name

Lena hasn't ever been super popular in the USA, but in the late 1800's it rated as high as #41, and it is much more popular in other countries. It ranked #1 in Poland, #8 in Austria, #13 in France, #13 in Switzerland and #18 in Belgium. 

I've only heard of one modern Lena, one time when I was a craft store a mom was calling her little girl "Lee-nuh!" and it was quite cute, not sure if it was just a nickname or a full name. 

On my dad's family tree he has a great-grandmother named Lena Viola and she named her daughter Beatrice Elena - lovely names! 

Lena is at the top of my favorites list, right below Amy. I go back and forth trying to decide whether to use it as a full first name or just a nickname for Eleanor. I also can't decide whether to pronounce it LEE-nuh or LAY-nuh. My favorite combos are Lena Sally, Lena Mary, Lena Mercy, Lena Ruth and Lena Viola. I also like Eleanor Sally "Lena", Eleanor Mary "Lena" and Eleanor Joyce "Lena".

What do you think of the name Lena? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Boys Name: Edmund

From the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and mund "protection". This was the name of two Anglo-Saxon kings of England. It was also borne by two saints, including a 9th-century king of East Anglia who, according to tradition, was shot to death with arrows after refusing to divide his Christian kingdom with an invading pagan Danish leader. This Old English name remained in use after the Norman conquest (even being used by king Henry III for one of his sons), though it became less common after the 15th century.

Famous bearers of the name include the English poet Edmund Spenser (1552-1599), the German-Czech philosopher Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) and New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the first person to climb Mount Everest. - quoted from Behind The Name

In the late 1800's the name Edmund was rated in the top 100 in the USA, France and England and Wales but since then it hasn't been popular at all. I've only known one or two Edmunds, older men, both called Ed. 

Quite awhile ago I wrote a post all about the reasons why Edmund is my favorite boys name. Since then Edmund is still a favorite but Emmett has started to rival it. My favorite Edmund combo is still Edmund Laurence, but I also like Edmund Henry and Edmund Oliver.

What do you think of the name Edmund? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Girls Name: Mary

Usual English form of Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names Μαριαμ (Mariam) and Μαρια (Maria) - the spellings are interchangeable - which were from Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love".

This is the name of several New Testament characters, most importantly Mary the virgin mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene. Due to the Virgin Mary this name has been very popular in the Christian world, though at certain times in some cultures it has been considered too holy for everyday use. In England it has been used since the 12th century, and it has been among the most common feminine names since the 16th century. The Latinized form Maria is also used in English as well as in several other languages.

This name has been borne by two queens of England, as well as a Queen of Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots. Another notable bearer was Mary Shelley (1797-1851), the author of 'Frankenstein'. A famous fictional character by this name is Mary Poppins from the children's books by P. L. Travers. - quoted from Behind The Name

Mary has been hugely popular in past years by today it only ranks #120 in USA, #225 in England and Wales and #77 in Ireland. Most of the Marys I have known have been in their 90s or 80s, then there's some peppered through at my parent's age and I know one girl age 21 with the name. 

My father's grandmother was Mary Frances and I've always loved the name. I really like Mary as a middle name in combos like Julia Mary, Eleanor Mary or Catherine Mary. I also like it as a first name in combos like Mary Frances, Mary Amelia or Mary Joyce. I'd definitely use it to honor my great-grandmother.

What do you think of the name Mary?  

Do you know anyone with this name?   

What other names would you pair it with?

Boys Name: Arthur

The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements artos "bear" combined with viros "man" or rigos "king". Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius. Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (some possibly as early as the 7th century) but his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth.

The name came into general use in England in the Middle Ages due to the prevalence of Arthurian romances, and it enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 19th century. Famous bearers include German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), mystery author and Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), and science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008).

- quoted from Behind The Name

In recent years Arthur ranked #3 in Belgium, #12 in France, #41 in England and Wales, #41 in Denmark, #72 in Switzerland, #98 in New Zealand, and #306 in the USA. It was much more popular in the 1800's often ranking at #20 or higher. 

My love of this name mostly started with watching the BBC show Merlin where the cast are all younger folks and King Arthur is played by actor Bradley James. 

I'm not sure I would use the name Arthur for a son but I do like it a lot, especially combos Arthur William, Arthur Henry, Arthur Humphrey, Arthur James and Arthur Philip. 

What do you think of the name Arthur? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Girls Name: Bethany

From the name of a biblical town, possibly derived from Hebrew בֵּית־תְּאֵנָה (beit-te'enah) meaning "house of figs". In the New Testament the town of Bethany was the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. It has been in use as a rare given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, used primarily by Catholics in honour of Mary of Bethany. In America it became moderately common after the 1950s. - quoted from Behind The Name

In the 1980's it ranked in the late #80s and early #90s in the USA. More recently it has become less popular, ranking #393 in the USA, #89 in England and Wales, #99 in Northern Ireland and #88 in Scotland. 

I've known several Bethanys over the years, most of them are my age or slightly older. One of my good friends is named Bethany and she often gets called Beth which I love! A co-worker recently had a daughter and named her Bethany, her hair is red and that's the first red-haired Bethany that I've known. 

Bethany isn't at the top of my favorites list but it is sweet and I might consider using it for a daughter if my husband liked it, but I'd use the nickname Beth. I actually like Beth as a nickname for Bethany better than as a nickname for Elizabeth. I like the combos Bethany Rose, Bethany Ruth, Bethany Claire, Bethany Leah or Bethany Christine.

What do you think of the name Bethany? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?

Boys Name: Colin

There's two thoughts on the origin of the name Colin. 

Colin (1) - Anglicized form of Cailean or Coilean, both name meaning "whelp, young dog" or "child" in Gaelic. This name is also used as a Scottish form of Columba which means "dove".

Colin (2) - A Medieval English diminutive of Col, a short form of Nicholas a Greek name that means "victory of the people".

- quoted from Behind the Name

The name Colin has become increasingly more popular over the last few years. It ranked #140 in the USA, #65 in Sweden and #60 in Switzerland. It has always been common in England, Scotland and Ireland. 

I have a real love for this name because my father is named Colin. My grandmother (his mother) chose his name because growing up her favorite book was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgdon Burnett and she loved all things Scottish so all three of her kids were given Scottish names (Colin, Bonnie Jean and Kenneth). It's a name that my parents weren't over fond of but they did name my brother Colin Andrew (he goes by Andy). It's a name I'd love to use one day provided that my brother doesn't use it first (he has first dibs anyway). I like the combos Colin Laurence, Colin Stone, Colin Michael or Colin David. 

What do you think of the name Colin? 

Do you know anyone with this name? 

What other names would you pair it with?