Name that Bump!

I heard this name for the first time when Chelsea Houska from Teen Mom named her second born, Watson Cole Deboer. Watson is another one of those names that is traditionally a last name but has gained some traction as a first name for boys' in North America. The name is historically much more common as a last name. It has been noted that Watson is the 20th most common last name in Scotland.

Ava has continuously been a popular name since the early 2000's! In spite of that, I only know one little girl named Ava. My cousin's little girl is named Ava Elisabeth. 

Even though I have never met anyone else with this name, I hear the name Ava all the time when celebrities name their little ones.  Some of these stars include Reese Witherspoon, Melissa Strickland, Martina McBride, Heather Locklear, Keanu Reeves & Eli Manning. I think that the trend in Hollywood has been part of the reason that this name has gained a spike in its popularity, rising to #3 in the US in 2016.

To me Ava is the perfect simple yet charming name, but it is also intriguing because of its foreign flair. If you are not a fan of such a short and simple name, I think that Ava is the perfect name that you could create a double barrel name with. Some of these options could include Ava-Grace, Ava-Mae, Ava-Rose, Ava-Reece or Ava-Kate.

Do you like Ava as a stand alone name or do you prefer it combined with another name?

[a-va]

Origin: Greek

I have only ever heard of one person named Lena so it is no surprise to me that this name ranked #276 in 2016. Although it has not been very common in North America-- this name is much more popular in Austria, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland and Belgium. 

I think it is a very pretty and underused name. My formed boss' name was Lena and she is very fearless, compassionate and empowering. I think that this name suits all of these characteristics and it really intrigued me to add this name to my list of favourites. After deciding to share this name on my blog as the name of the week, I looked more into this name and realized that Lena is typically used as the short form of Magdalena. Do you prefer the name Lena or Magdalena? or neither?

The name George has been used by various heads of state in England, Greece and the United States of America. This moniker is a classic name that is well known internationally. It has a history of being a very strong and masculine male name so it comes as no surprise that the name was chosen for the first born son of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

I do not usually select names that are this common or well known across the world but this name holds a special place in my family. George is the name of my late grandfather. I think that it is a very sweet name and I like that the name is growing in popularity since the birth of Prince George in 2013.

[ge(or)-ge]

Origin: Greek 

The name Rory has grown in popularity and is now used for both boys and girls. The name Rory is the most popular in Scotland, England and Wales. The name ranks in the top 100 in England and Wales but is seldom used as a girl name there. I personally like the name for both a little girl or little boy, but today I am sharing it as a boy's name. 

To me, Rory is the name of a little boy who is very smart and imaginative. I even picture him having glasses. Rory is the perfect name to be used as a nickname for more traditional names like Richard or Roger. It can also stand alone and be a given name as well. 

[t(uc)-ker]

Origin: English 

Meredith is one of those old school names that I adore, simply because of how feminine and rare it is! I think that this is a very gentle name would be a perfect moniker for your sweet baby girl.

Some of you may have heard this name on television either because of characters like Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy or Dr. Meredith Fell from Vampire Diaries. I believe that is was also a characters name on shows like Teen Wolf, The Office and Pretty Little Liars. Meredith is currently ranked number 531, however due to the increase in use of this name in popular culture I think that name may increase in popularity in the upcoming years.

Although I think that this could be used as a gender bender name, I am sharing it today as a name for your baby boy. I first heard this name on the show 16 and Pregnant on MTV. It stands out to me because it is another one of those names where it is a fresh spin on a traditional name.  This spin on traditional name Ryan keeps it unique, ranking above the top 500 names for 2016. 

[rye-lend]

Origin: Gaelic/Celtic

This name is near and dear to my heart, it is my sisters name. However, I am a little jealous that I can't use this name for my daughter one day for that reason alone.  My mom chose this name for my sister from the popular movie The Thornbirds. 

I just adore this name! I think it suits a little girl so well but also grows with you and ages appropriately. Meghan has many different options for spelling but I chose to feature it spelled this way, as this is how my sisters name is spelled.

[meh-gan]

Origin: Greek 

Previously on my blog, I have featured my favourite baby girl names that start with the letter A. I said that the letter A was my favourite letter for girl names but the letter E is a close second. These names sound very feminine and are sort of 'frilly' names in my opinion which I just adore. I am sharing eight of my favourite names from this alphabetical theme, it was hard to narrow it down... What are some of your favourites?

[e-len-na]

Origin: Greek

[el-lo-ra]

Origin: English

[e-ly-nn]

Origin: English

[es-mee]

Origin: French

[es-mer-alda]

Origin: Spanish

[e(s)-sie]

Origin: Persian

The name Porter is one of the more common names that I have on my list for name I would use for a baby boy. Porter is a name that is used in most countries across the world, growing in its popularity significantly since the early 2000's in the United States. When I think of the name Porter I think of a very sporty, spunky and friendly little man. I love it! 

There are lots of names on my list of favourite boys' names that start with the letter 'C'. Here are 8 of my favourite! 

Another name that is not overly used yet, is Mack. It remains out of the top 500 names in 2016 for a baby boy. It is commonly used as a nick name for names like Mackenzie, Maclin or Michael but it is more and more being used as a first name moniker for boys.  

However, I would note that whenever I hear this name my brain automatically goes to the character Mack from the children's movie Cars, or the rapper Macklemore, or just Mac and Cheese. This is one reason I am not 100% sold on the name JUST yet... but It definitely catches my attention every time I see it and it makes the list of names I may use one day if I have a little boy. 

[M(a)-ck]

Origin: Gaelic/Celtic 

The name Hallie (pronounced the same as Halle Berry) is one of my favourite names right now. I am torn if I like it spelt Hallie or Halle, I have even toyed with the idea of spelling Haleigh.  I'm concerned that spelling with the 'I' will encourage people to pronounce it like the name Haley/Hailey and you would always have to be correcting them. I remember hearing this name on the movie the parent trap and I thought that it was a very friendly, cute name for a little girl. 

It is a moniker for your baby girl that is still fairly underused, it did not make the top 500 names for 2016. 

Would you use the name, Hallie? If so, how would you spell it?

[r(u)-dy]

Origin: Germanic  

& 

[rad-lee]

Origin: English

Italy not only has the best food and wine, it also has great names! This week I am sharing a few of my favourite names that have Italian origins. You may be looking for an Italian name to reflect your heritage, or maybe you just like the sound of some of these strong and authentic names. Let me know some of your favourite Italian boy's names below. 

[an-tonio]

Oh Noah! I adore this name so much, I really fell in love with it in the movie The Notebook. A lot of my favourite names have been inspired from TV shows and Movies apparently? LOL 

Noah is another one of those names that I love but I just don't think that I would ever use it. As much as I love it, my sister loves it even more and she may want to use this name one day. I'll leave Noah for a potential future nephew! 

A lot of you will likely remember the Movie Matilda (1996), I grew up loving this movie and this is part of the reason that I am torn if I would ever use this name. I think every time I hear the name my mind goes right to the character from that movie. I still think that it is still a very cute name that is not overused yet, it just made the top 500 names for 2016. 

Matilda is a moniker that has many great nicknames: Tilley, Tilda, Tildy or Mattie. 

This week I am sharing a list of names that I think sound like rustic and country names for your baby girl. If you are looking for a name that fits your country lifestyle. These are a few of my favourite because they still sound feminine yet fit that rustic country feel as well.

See my blog post for country themed boy names here
https://namethatbump.blogspot.ca/2017/06/country-themed-boy-names.htm