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.

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.

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 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