Quinn

Quinn, m

Meaning: descendant of Conn, Irish origin.

I think Quinn is a great boy's name. To me, it sounds smart, snappy and sophisticated with a touch of quirkiness with the 'Q' at the beginning. I originally knew this as a boy's name and was SO annoyed by its use as a girl's name in the series Glee. I have a feeling that most people would now associated the name with that character, which could be a problem if you did want to use this for a boy. It seems to be a lot more acceptable to use unisex names for girls than boys. Bear in mind that it is more popular for girls in the US than boys.

However I don't think this name sounds girly or frilly. It is traditionally of Irish origin, stemming from an Irish surname. The historical routes give a great justification to keep this as a boy's name! It has never been a popular name in the UK but has hovered between the #400 and #500 mark in the popularity charts for the last 20 years. I hope that people will start using Quinn a bit more. It makes a great alternative to the popular Finn.

Other Q names for boys: Quillan, Quentin, Quinton.

Poppy

Poppy, f.

Meaning: flower name

Ahh lovely Poppy. This is a personal favourite of mine. It's bubbly, sweet, girly, sparky and full of energy. Who wouldn't like someone called Poppy?! With this name, I imagine a little English girl with curly brown hair, pale skin and rosy cheeks. I imagine her being called 'Pops' and running around in meadows (weird??).

I suppose that is where the problem comes with this name, for me anyway. I can't really see it on a grown woman. I find it difficult to imagine a woman in parliament or leading a boardroom meeting called Poppy. Maybe it's just that the only Poppy's I have met are little girls.

One aspect of the name which makes it more serious is its relationship to Remembrance Day and the World Wars. It would be a nice name to use if you wanted to remember someone, especially if they played a part in those wars or served in the armed forces. I don't think the association makes it a negative name; remembrance is honouring the dead, not being morbid.

So what do you think? I would love to use this name but I'm held back by the girliness of it. Maybe it could be balanced by a grown-up middle name which could be used in case of becoming Prime Minister. Eg - Poppy Isobel. Love <3

One Syllable Middles

I've talked before about how one syllable middle names are a favourite of mine at the moment. I'm not the only one. Many one syllable middles are traditionally popular or recently seem to be everywhere. It's no wonder really as they sound snappy and cute in the middle spot, especially if the child has a longer first name. A recent example would be the newest royal baby born to Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips, a little girl called Mia Grace. 

Below I have listed one syllable middles in two lists for each gender: traditional or popular middles and less common examples. I like both lists; it's nice to have an original name but some of the classics sound lovely. 

Girls

Traditional/popular

Rose

Grace

May/Mae

Claire

Anne

Leigh/Lee

(Becoming popular - Ray/Rae)

Less common

Belle

Brooke

Faye

Hope

Joy

June

Maeve

Paige

Star

Wren

Boys

Traditional/popular

Charles

George

Jack

James

John

Mark

Less Common

Ash

Bay

Blake

Brock

Cole

Finn

Gray/Grey

Guy

Jay

Penn

Rafe

Seth

Quinn

Vaughn

Zac

What do you think? Which are your favourites? What combo's with these names do you love?

Omri

Omri, m.

Meaning: 'my sheaf', Hebrew

If you're like me, this name will look familiar but you won't be sure where from. It certainly isn't one you're likely to hear in the school playground. It is likely that you will recognise this name if you read the 'Indian in the Cupboard' series. The little boy who discovers the cupboard which makes his toys come to life was called Omri. 

Originally this is a Biblical name, hence the Hebrew origin. Omri was a King of Israel, although not a very good one, so maybe he less said about that the better! My husband says this name reminds him of the footballer Henri (pronounced the French way!). It was instantly vetoed because of this - he supports a rival team!

I think Omri sounds original; slightly exotic but easy to pronounce. 'O' names are not popular at all. Try and name a popular 'O' name for a boy, other than Oliver, Owen and Oscar. Or Olivia for a girl. I bet you'll struggle. So if you're going for an unusual name, an 'O' name is a good choice. 

Some other 'O' names for boys:

Oren, Ossian (pro. Uh-sheen), Odin, Oakley

Nerys

Nerys, f.

Meaning: lady, welsh origin

I am assuming that quite a lot of people reading this blog will not have come across the name Nerys before. It is Welsh, which you will probably recognise if you are familiar with the Welsh name Carys as they look very similar. I like to drop names into the blog which are unusual or rarely heard of; I really like learning about new names and I hope you do too. The meaning of this name comes from welsh for Lord (Ner-) and then the feminine ending gives it the meaning of 'lady'.

I don't know of anyone with the name Nerys, even celebrities, so this name is refreshingly free of any associations for me. I think the -rys ending is energetic and intriguing and the name as a whole looks attractive and original. I imagine a girl with a sparkly, bubbly personality. 

What does this name make you think of?

Other welsh girls' names you may not have heard of, which I think are lovely:

Betrys, Briallen, Elerie, Ffion, Lowri and Seren

Milo

Milo, m.

Meaning: from Miles, Latin for 'soldier'

I think poor Milo has either been seen as a bit pretentious or as a dog's name in the past (as an aside, I think the line between pretentious and pet names is often a thin one; eg - Binky, Rex, Felix). But I think Milo has lots of potential. It has the trendy and edgy -o ending, which offers something different to the super popular -n ending for boys' names. It is recognisable but not popular, being outside the top 100 most popular names in England and Wales. The meaning of 'soldier' is interesting and perhaps makes this name a little more macho than it might appear.


If you aren't keen on Milo but like the thought of a military name, then perhaps one of these names might appeal to you instead (they either have military connections or meaning):

Herman, Armand, Garrison, Lance, March, Major, Scout.

Lark

Lark, f.

Meaning: type of bird

'L' is the perfect letter for girls. It's soft, lyrical, pretty and there are a huge number of wonderful names to choose from. L is such a good letter for girls that many names have several L's. For example, Lola, Lily, Leila, Lorelei, Lilia.

The name I have chosen is quite unusual. Lark, in case you didn't realise, is a type of bird, and so follows names such as Wren, Robin, Dove, Jay and Raven. It has a happy image, as the old-fashioned word 'lark' means 'an enjoyable or mischievous activity'.

I like the fact that if you chose this name for your little girl, you could use birds as a theme for the nursery. Or buy clothing/toys/stationary etc with bird prints to personalise them. A lark is a songbird, so if you are musical then this could be a nod to your interest in music. 

It would also make a pretty middle name. Although I haven't used them for either of my children, I am currently liking single syllable middles. This would especially compliment a 3 or 4 syllable first name. Something like Evangeline Lark. Ooh love this! Avoid this name as a middle if you have another word name for a first, eg - Scarlet Lark!!

What would you put with Lark?