In the News: Kennedy - Death of Edward Kennedy

No matter one's political affiliations or beliefs, we feel that Kennedy is a classic name whether used for a boy or girl. (Maybe it's that our grandmother was a Kennedy?)

We love the recent trend of Kennedy girls, and have also seen Kennedy used as a middle name (or first name) for boys.

Kennedy was originally a surname of Irish and Scottish origin, from the Gaelic Ceannéidigh. Ceann meaning "chief" or "leader." What a great way to carry on the name of a royal American family.

Letters we Love - V

V - The V is a beautiful letter that we feel adds strength yet classic beauty to a woman's name. Here are some examples, both within the name at at the beginning:

• Victoria
  
• Ava
• Maeve
• Olivia
• Olive
  
• Vivienne
  
• Violet
• Eva
• Eve
  
• Venna
• Veronica
  
• Virginia
• Liv (Livy)
• Vera
  

FabNames Pair of the Week - Coleman & Piper

We love the pairing of a classic / unique name like Coleman with a trendier name like Piper. What is it about little girls that makes us feel more daring with a name? Perhaps we fear that our sons won't cut it in college or the business world with an artsy name, but a girl could fare just fine? Who knows, but we love these names together.

Coleman has English and Gaelic roots and Piper seems to have slim roots as a first name, though it has been a common English last name.

In the News: Jackson

Though the media has already bombarded you enough with Michael Jackson stories this week, we feel that the last name Jackson is noteworthy not only because of the King of Pop, but also its recent popularity for boys.

Jackson is a great boys name for several reasons:

1. It can be shortened instantly to a classic: Jack
2. It is a last-name-turned-first-name (which we love)
3. Historical significance to our country: Andrew Jackson
4. Easy to spell, say
5. Unique but common at the same time
   

On the downside, it has become much more popular in the past 10 years (moved from #183 in 1998 to #32 in 2008). On the plus side, we think it is classic enough to stick around for a while.

FabNames Spotlight - Sawyer

Because of the television show Lost, perhaps we should be filing this name under "In the News"?

However, we wanted to spotlight this former surname turned contemporary modern first name for boys. Sawyer is an English occupational surname for someone who made a living from sawing wood, but more recently it has roots in modern literature (Tom Sawyer) as well as modern music (Sawyer Brown). The name has a modern, yet rugged feel.

Names of the Times - Elle / Ella

Elle and Ella are classic and feminine names in their own right, however they are also popping up in many common names, used as a suffix. These are said to have Germanic, Norman/English, French, and even Hebrew roots (The word אלה (Ella) in Hebrew means goddess).

Here are some uses:

• Gabrielle
• Gabriella
• Isabelle
• Isabella
• Noelle
• Giselle
  
• Annabelle
• Arabelle
  
• Ellen
• Ellie
• Stella
• Estelle
• Belle
• Hazel
• Mckell

FabNames Spotlight - Clark

Not only is this a traditional first name, but a traditional surname as well - causing it to fall into two of our categories:

1. Traditional Namer
2. Classic Unique

While you've heard of this name, no doubt many times, it isn't extremely common - last year it was only ranked #698; much lower than we would have thought! It has English, Scottish, and Latin roots, from the Latin clericus meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar, referring to someone who was educated. It works great as a first, middle, or last name.

We love it. Simple and classy.

Names of the Times - Female Suffix Trends

As stated below, our "Names of the Times" category reflects names that are trends of a certain generation. If you think back to your generation, you may notice common names.

Below are a few common Female trends seen over the past several years.

-"lyn" suffix:

• Brooklyn
  
• Ashlyn
• Madelyn
  
• Katelyn
• Kaelyn
• Caitlyn
• Emmilyn
• Gracelyn
• Breelyn
• Jaclyn
• Jalyn

-"ie" or "y" suffix:

• Sydney
• Lily
• Chloe
  
• Sophie
• Lucy
• Libby
  
• Sadie
• Emmie
• Riley
• Audrey
  
• Aubrey
  
• Callie
• McKenzie
• Kylie
• Avery
• Abbie
• Lexi
• Zoe
• Maddie
  

FabNames: Names of the Times - Male Suffix Trends

Our "Names of the Times" category reflects names that are trends of a certain generation. If you think back to your generation, you may notice common names (i.e. there are a set of girls' names that were common in the 1960s including: Nancy, Sandy, Kathy, Susan, Cindy, and more. Or when you think of the 1980s you might remember: Jennifer, Tiffany, Amber, Megan, Jessica, or Heather).

What are the names of our times?? While we don't have all the names of our times listed here, we have posted a few common Male trends seen over the past several years.

-"son" suffix:

• Hudson
• Jameson
  
• Grayson
• Bryson
• Harrison
• Mason
• Cason
• Anderson
• Benson
• Carson
• Dawson
• Jackson
• Tyson
  

-"den" suffix:

• Aiden
• Caden
• Braden / Brayden
  
• Haden / Hayden
  
• Carden
  
• Jaden / Jayden
  

FabNames Spotlight: Anya / Anja

Anya is a name traditionally of Russian descent, used as a diminutive of Anne. It is a strong and beautiful name with an elegant meaning: gracious and merciful. It . Anya also has Sanskrit roots, making it a widely diverse and well-liked name across the world. Famous Anya's include photographers, writers, athletes, singers and a well-known musical. Anya is a wonderful name choice we love for it's beauty and meaning.

FabNames Pair of the Week: Finn & Olivia

-Finn is commonly used as a shortened form of the traditional English surname Finnegan. The name is associated with Nordic and Celtic roots, including several legendary kings of Ireland. Finn is contemporary yet classic and can be used traditionally in its long form or shortened to a nickname for a more modern feel.

-Olivia is traditionally an English name (the feminine form of Oliver). The name is commonly known for its use in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, but has more recently been used in contemporary novels, bands, and films. We love its traditional roots and feminine feel. Olivia also lends itself to lovely nicknames including Liv and Livia.

In the News: Hudson - "Miracle on the Hudson"

Airline Captain Chesley Sullenberger recently made a crash-landing in New York's Hudson River, after both his plane's engines were disabled by a flock of birds; Captain "Sully" has been hailed a hero after all 155 passengers and crew were rescued.

We felt this miracle landing was inspiration for news-worthy coverage of this hero, as well as coverage of a boy's name we love: Hudson.

Hudson is traditionally an English name, typically a surname. Famous surname Hudsons include Kate (actress), Tim (baseball player), Troy (basketball player), Thomas (British painter), and more. Using Hudson as a first name mixes up it's traditional usage as a surname, resulting in an original first name with roots. We love it's classic yet unique feel.

FabNames Spotlight: William

William is no doubt one of the strongest and most traditional names in history. It has historical ties to Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Cameroon and more. The name is strong, dignified, and meaningful. We love the name in full or also its shortened version: Will.

FabNames Pair of the Week: Miles & Suzette

-Miles is a name traditionally of Latin origin, but because of its recent popularity, it brings a more updated style to a sibling set than many other traditional boy's names. Miles has been a name for famous artists, colleges, cities, and more. We love its cool feel and versatility with last names or siblings of any gender.

-Suzette has traditional origins in France as a variation of the name Hebrew name Susan. The name is commonly associated with Crepe Suzette, a traditional French dessert with caramelized sugar, orange juice, and Grand Marinier. What a sweet connotation to bring to this sweet name!

FabNames Spotlight: Norah

Our admiration for musical artist Norah Jones, as well as our interest in old-world classical names inspired adding this to our list. Throughout history, the name Norah has been given to ballerinas, writers, artists, politicians and even famous European landmarks and cities. It is a lovely yet strong choice for a girl's name.

Regional Spotlight: France

Our first regional spotlight focuses on names of France. While France is often known for its distinctive yet feminine girl's names, they also have an array of lovely boy's names.

Below are a few options.

Girls:

• Amelie
• Gabrielle
• Vivienne
• Juliette
• Caroline
• Nicolette
• Adele
• Brigette
• Madeleine
• Cosette

Boys:

• Corben
• Jasper
• Felix
• Julian
• Beau
• Tristan
• Matthias
• Gabriel
• Christien
• Stefan