Beloved Baby Names: 2015

Hey everybody! Can you believe that 2015 is almost over? About midway through the year I started an Instagram account devoted solely to baby names and today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite names that I've featured and which ones were most popular. We'll start with the girls names. Check back tomorrow for boys (and go like some boys names on my Instagram account! I need a tie breaker!)

I featured a lot of names that I love but here are some of my favorites:

I chose Felicity, Eve, Calla, Selah, Kerenza, and Aurora as my favorites. All are on my overall favorites list, and many were new to the list this year.

The most liked girls name on my Instagram account this year was Winter, followed by Polly, then a four way tie between Celestia, Amaryllis, Lucy, and Helena. An observation I made about these names is they're all fairly uncommon, with the exception of Lucy. I was pleasantly surprised by all the love for Polly! It seems the names I've featured from the Narnia series have been a big hit!

My favorite boys names that I featured this year were Brave, Wilder, Azariah, Bennett, Clement, and Zephaniah. All are on my favorites list except for Wilder which is on my guilty pleasure list because it clashes with my last name.

The most popular name on my instagram account in 2015 was Aslan. Next was Uriah, then Theodore. Luke and Jack were tied and in sixth place was Gabriel. Runners up were first Ezra, then Noel, Digory, Peter, and Blaze.

Those were the most popular names from my instagram account and some of my personal favorites. Now, I have a question for you: What names would you like to see featured on belovedbabynames.com next year? Feel free to suggest individual names, themes or categories, or ask for name advice.

Be sure to connect with me on istagram!

God bless you and thanks for reading!

2015 Instagram Wrap-Up

Hey everybody! Can you believe that 2015 is almost over? About midway through the year I started an Instagram account devoted sole...

Hello everyone! I'm not usually a celebrity watcher, but I love to hear what celebrities name their kids! Some go with conventional choices but many make brave choices or even downright strange choices. 2015 was an exciting year for celebrity babies, with many long-awaiting little ones arriving. It was also an exciting year for celebrity baby names and I'm thrilled to be able to share some of the ones that stuck out to me with all of you.

Girls

Novalee Reign Baltierra

Novalee is the daughter of Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra. They've appeared in such reality TV shows as 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, and Couples Therapy. Novalee is their second daughter. They chose adoption for their first daughter who was named Carolyn "Carly" Elizabeth by her adoptive parents. The name Novalee is such a lovely choice and I especially timely as she was born on New Years Day.

Ariah Talea Housely

Ariah (pronounced like Mariah without the M) is the daughter of actress and show host Tamera Mowry-Housley and athlete and journalist Adam Housley. Tamera and Adam also have a son named Aden. Tamera shared the story of how they chose this name in an interview.

Pauline

Pauline is the daughter of Vin Diesel and Paloma Jimenez. I couldn't find a middle name and I'm not even sure what her real last name might be (Vin Diesel is a stage name). Pauline is named after Vin Diesel's co-star and good friend Paul Walker, who passed away in a car accident in 2013.

Eloise Ann Popper

Eloise Ann Popper is the daughter of musician John Popper and his wife Jordan Auleb. I love the old-fashioned but spunky feel of Eloise Ann! I also think Eloise Popper is fun to say.

Song Eleanor Sugandh

Song is the daughter of pop star Tina Sugandh and entrepreneur Tarz Ludwigsen. I'm a sucker for an unconventional word name so Song makes me swoon! Eleanor appears to be a family name for the couple and it makes such a lovely combo!

Poppy Louise Hager

Poppy is the daughter of former first-daughter Jenna Bush Hager and her husband Henry Hager. Poppy Louise is another old-fashioned but spunky name that I find very refreshing. It has special family sigificance for the couple as Jenna's grandfather George Bush Sr. has always been known as Poppy to his grandchildren. I think the reason that Poppy hasn't caught on in the United States the fact that many children call their grandfathers Poppy but the Hagers seem to have embraced the association.

Laila Bullock

Laila (pronounced like Lila, not Layla) is the daughter of Sandra Bullock. Sandra adopted Laila from foster care here in the United States earlier this year. Sandra's son Louis was adopted from New Orleans in 2010. Her name is beautiful and a perfect match for the name Louis. As someone in the process of adopting through foster care, the story of Laila's adoption is inspirational.

Maxima Chan Zuckerberg

Maxima "Max" is the daughter of facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan Zuckerberg. When I first heard that the baby girls name was Max, I was somewhat disappointed until I heard that Max was short for Maxima. Max on a girl is pretty cute, but only as a nickname for a legitiamate feminine name (in my humble opinion).

Jagger Snow Ross

Jagger Snow is the daughter of actress Ashlee Simpson Ross and actor Evan Ross. Ashlee has a son with her ex-husband Pete Wentz named Bronx Mowgli. While I think Snow is beautiful, really don't care for Jagger, especially on a girl. Though it's not my style, Jagger is certainly a notable name.

Edith Vivian Patricia Upton

Edith is the daughter of actress Cate Blanchett and her husband director Andrew Upton. The couple adopted her earlier this year. They also have three older sons named Dashiell, Roman, and Ignatius (what a sib set!). Edith Vivian Patricia is a lovely, old fashioned choice that goes so well with her brother's names.

Sailor Grace Palin

Sailor Grace Palin is the daughter of Bristol Palin and Dakota Meyer. Bristol Palin is the daughter of former vice-presidential nominee and former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin. Bristol has a son as well, Tripp. Sailor was a very popular name among celebrities this year for both girls and boys. I can see it rising among the rest of the population as well.

Elsie Otter Pechenik

Elsie is the daughter of actress Zooey Deschanel and producer Jacob Pechenik. I adore the name Elsie, though I'd prefer it as a nickname for Elizabeth. Otter is certainly unique nature choice, though I believe it suits Zooey. It's a bit strange but I think it might grow on me.

Ioni James Conran

Ioni is the daughter of model Coco Rocha and artist James Conran. I'll admit that I am not a fan at all of this James on a girl trend that celebrities seem to be favoring these days. Ioni, however is very charming and cute.

Charlotte Elizabeth Diana

I believe Charlotte Elizabeth Diana is the name that won 2015. The name of the little princess was long awaited. Charlotte was not one of my guesses for her name but I was not at all disappointed. Prince William and Kate also have a son, Prince George. I'm curious to know if Princess Charlotte has a nickname, as I love so many of the nickname possibilities that go with Charlotte. Charlotte made the top ten for the first time in the US in 2014 and I think it will continue to rise.

Boys

Rockwell Lloyd Liu

Rockwell is the son of actress Lucy Liu via surrogate. His name is equal parts old man and chic. I love it!

Isaiah Michael Fisher

Isaiah is the son of singer Carrie Underwood and her husband Mike Fisher. Isaiah Michael might seem unremarkable, even common but I have a soft spot for it. Isaiah was my number one name for a few years when I was in high school, before it had sucha dramatic rise in popularity. Michael is a pretty standard classic but it's my husband's name like it's Carrie Underwood's husband's name. I also really like the meaning of this combo ("Who is like God, the Lord who saves?") and I also like the way it flows.

Christopher Carlton Cumberbatch

Christopher is the son of actor Benedict Cumberbatch and his wife Sophie Hunter. I find it interesting that for someone with such a unique name, Benedict Cumberbatch chose such a conventional name for his son. They also appear to favor alliteration. I wonder which nickname they've chosen for Christopher (Chris, Topher, Kit) or if they're using Christopher in full.

Bradford Powell Bricken

Bradford is the son of actress Virginia Williams and her husband Bradford Bricken. Even though Bradford is named for his father, I'm completely swooning over this name! The double surname combo is very handsome. They call little Bradford "Ford".

Catcher Brian Cournayer

Catcher is the son of TV host Megan Alexander and her husband Brian Cournoyer. Catcher is a unique occupational name. It fits in well with modern trends and I'm curious to see if it will take off in the future.

Augustus Juppiter Corgan

Augustus is the son of Billy Corgan and Chloe Mendel. I think the name Augustus is spectacular. It's very grand name that I'm glad to see being use. I'm not sure about the name Juppiter, especially with this spelling.

Israel David Dillard

Israel is the son of TV personality Jill (Duggar) Dillard and her husband Derrick. Israel is a very special place to the couple, making this choice especially meaningful. I love it when a name special connections for a family!

Spurgeon Elliot Seewald

Spurgeon is the son of TV personality Jessa (Duggar) Seewald and her husband Ben. Baby Spurgeon is named after the influncial 19th century Charles Spurgeon. His middle name is for Jim and Elisabeth Elliot. Elisabeth passed away this year. This name created quite a bit of buzz. People either loved it or hated it. Personally, I loved it despite its clunky feel.

Silas Randall Timberlake

Silas is the son of musician and actor Justin Timberlake and actress Jessica Biel. Silas is a handsome name that's really been catching on lately!

Phoenix Koa Wright Lovejoy

Phoenix is the son of singer Kylie Lovejoy and her husband Brendan Wright. The story of little Phoenix was incredibly touching and I think his name is very fitting. A phoenix "rises from the ashes" and Koa is a Hawaiian name that means "warrior".

Theodore Vigo Sullivan Gillies

Theodore is the son of actor Daniel Gillies and actress Rachael Leigh Cook. Theodore Vigo Sulliavan--- wow! What a combo! Each one of these names is very distinguished on its own and they're wonderful together. These two mush be name nerds!

Sailor Gene Gardner

Sailor is the son of actress Liv Tyler and David Gardner. Sailor is one of the names I noticed the most in 2015 for both boys and girls. I find Gene as a middle name a very intriguing choice. I wonder if Gene on its own will appeal more to modern parents more than Eugene. Using nicknames on their own was a popular trend in the past and is again today. While I love Sailor, Gene, and Gardner sepreately, together they add up to a little too much word name for me, though. David Gardner has another son named Grey and Liv Tyler has another son named Milo. Liv Tyler announced baby Sailor's name like this.

Reign Aston Disick

Reign is the son of Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick. Reign is another celebrity name thatI noticed quite a bit in the first and middle name spot in 2015. It's not my favorite but it's okay. Aston is an interesting choice. I'm curious to know what inspired it. The spots car Aston Martin, maybe?

Saint West

Ahhh, Saint West. Other than Princess Charlotte's name, I think Saint West was the most highly anticipated and speculated name of 2015 (which I'm sure pleases his parents). Saint is the son of TV personality Kim Kardashian and her husband music artist Kanye West. I like the name Saint a lot. I'm not sure I like it for this couple, though. They also have a daughter North, whose name made huge headlines (and a host of memes) in 2013. Neither North West or Saint West have a middle name.

Twins

Gabriella Therese Marie

Jaques Honore Rainer

Princess Charlotte of England wasn't the only royal to be born this year. Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco welcomed twins with very regal sounding names: a daughter named Gabriella Therese Marie and Jaques Honore Rainer. I prefer Gabrielle to Gabriella but Gabriella does seem more fit for a princess. Therese and Marie are both lovely regal. Jaques is incredibly handsome and snappy. I'd never heard Honore before but I think it's very fitting for a young prince. Rainer is also very handsome and a name I wish would catch on here.

Cooper Blue Arrouet

Kingsley Rainbow Arrouet

Cooper and Kingsley are the son and daughter of Dylan Lauren and her husband Paul Arrouet. Cooper and Kingsley are a well-matched pair without being too similar. They begin with the same sound (but not the same letter) and have colorful middle names. Cooper is not really my style but cute and Blue is an interesting middle name that's been popular among celebrities. I love Kingsley--- but for a boy. I love word names but in this case, I prefer Iris, which means rainbow to Rainbow itself. Overall, though the names aren't necessarily my style, Cooper Blue and Kingsley Rainbow are a cute sib set.

What celebrity baby name caught your eye this year? Did you have a baby in 2015? What did you name him or her? Let me know in the comments!

God bless you and thanks for reading!

Notable Names of 2015

Hello everyone! I'm not usually a celebrity watcher, but I love to hear what celebrities name their kids! Some go with conventio...

Aurora is a lovely little Greek name that's been flying up he charts lately. In 2014 it was #116 but it wouldn't surprise me to see it in the top 100 in 2015. In fact I think it's inevitable. Aurora means "dawn", making it perfect for a baby girl born at daybreak or maybe a baby born around the new year. Dawn was a popular first name in the past and I believe that it still remains popular in the middle name spot. Aurora would be a great way to honor a Dawn (or a Dawna, or a Don or a Donna). The aurora borealis is a fantastic natural phenomenon that's also known as the Northern Lights. It was named after Aurora, the Greek goddess of the dawn. Of course, Aurora is also the name of the Disney princess better known as Sleeping Beauty. The original version of the tale of Sleeping Beauty is rather terrifying but I wouldn't let that deter you from the name. Aurora has a few different nickname options like Rory, Ora, or Ari. Many people like Rory but I think my favorite is Ari.

Combos:

Aurora Penelope, Aurora June, Aurora Faith, Aurora Maven, Aurora Halle, Aurora Natalie, Aurora Cate

Zoe Aurora, Quinn Aurora, Felicity Aurora, Callie Aurora, Penelope Aurora, Delaney Aurora, Elizabeth Aurora

Aurora is on my own personal list with the combo Aurora Mercy. I like this combo Aurora Mercy. I love it because it reminds me of one of my favorite verses:

Lamentations 3:22-25.

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.

What names are you crushing on lately? Let me know in the comments!

God bless and thanks for reading!

Aurora Aurora name meaning

Name Crush Monday: Aurora

Aurora is a lovely little Greek name that's been flying up he charts lately. In 2014 it was #116 but it wouldn't surprise me to see...

Hello and Merry Christmas! This week's names of the week might be expected but they are very special none the less! I hope you enjoy them!

Noelle

French

"Christmas"

Ranked #251 in 2014

Noelle is a charming French name meaning "Christmas". For being a very seasonal name, Noelle is still pretty popular. I wonder if there are so many Noelles born around Christmastime to account for it being at #251 or if many people choose this name year round. I don't know that I would choose it except fr at Christmastime but it would be my first pick for a Christmas name. Noelle is perfectly lovely on it own but you also have the nickname option of Elle or Ellie. Natalie and Noelia are other beautiful names for girls that mean Christmas.

Noel

French

"Christmas"

Ranked #356 in 2014

Noel is the French word for Christmas. In fact, a Christmas greeting is "joyeux noel". In English, this name can be pronounced like knoll, rhyming with Joel. I prefer it to be pronounced like Noelle. Especially with the French pronunciation, Noel is a very soft-sounding name and soft-sounding boys names such as Noah, Silas, and Asher are very on-trend these days. Noel is popular in its own right. I was surprised to find in as high on the charts as it was. All in all, Noel is a very handsome name and an excellent choice for a Christmas baby!

What would you name a Christmas baby? Let me know in the comments!

God bless and thanks for reading! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Our family is growing through adoption right now and I'd like to invite you to check out the latest update and see our 2015 Christmas card on Beloved Blog!

baby baby names

Names of the Week: Noel and Noelle

Hello and Merry Christmas! This week's names of the week might be expected but they are very special none the less! I hope you enjoy th...

Hello everyone! We're getting very close to Christmas day! But before Christmas day comes Christmas Eve and the lesser-known Christmas Adam (a joke, because in the Bible Adam was created before Eve). So, today on Christmas Adam (the day before Christmas Eve), I thought I'd do a quick feature on the names Adam and Eve!

Adam

Hebrew

"man"

Ranked #79 in 2014

Adam is a handsome biblical classic and the name of the first human being according to the book of Genesis. I was a bit surprised to see that Adam is still in the top 100. It sounds like an 80's name to me, which is when it peaked. I picture Adams alongside Erics, Nicks, and Kyles. Though it does feel slightly dated to me, because of its biblical heritage and long-standing usage, it will stand the test of time better than other, less historical names. I think Adam makes a charming, more timeless alternative to Aidan. Fun fact about the name Adam: Adam Nicholas was going to be my name if I had been a boy. I'd consider using Adam, possibly in the middle name spot. I don't think I could resist using it in some way for a boy born on December 23rd!

Eve

Hebrew or English

"life" or "evening"

Ranked #460 in 2014

I've featured Eve twice before, once in the nickname series as a way to get to Evie and also as a Name Crush Monday name. I think Eve is stunning and very classy. Of course, Eve is the name of the first woman, Eve has the first name story that we see in the Bible. In Genesis 3, her husband Adam gives her the name Eve becuase she will be the mother of all the living. In previous articles, I've discussed the slight stigma attached to the name Eve for bringing sin into the world and questioned why the stigma was not also applied to Adam. I don't think said stigma should turn anyone off of this gorgeous name! I'd choose to focus on the positive, the fact that she was the mother of all the living. Eve would be a perfect name for a baby girl born on Christmas Eve, a night that's particularly special to me because it's when my family has always celebrated Christmas. I prefer Eve by itself but there are several other Eve names that you could choose as well including Eva or Evelyn.

What do you think of the names Adam and Eve? What would you name a baby born so close to Christmas? Let me know in the comments!

God bless and thanks for reading! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Christmas Adam

Special Feature: Adam and Eve

Hello everyone! We're getting very close to Christmas day! But before Christmas day comes Christmas Eve and the lesser-known Christmas...

Merry Christmas! December 25th is a time that many people set aside to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ. While there are many fascinating names and name stories in the Bible, the story of what God chose to name his Son really tops them all. Isn't it wonderful to think of God choosing a name, the same way that other expecting parents do?

Name stories from the Bible is something that I've wanted to do for a long time. I always love to hear stories behind a name: what it means, why it 's special, why it was chosen. There are many, many such stories in the Bible and I'm looking forward to sharing some with you!

I'd like to mention up front that the Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek, and small parts in Aramaic and I will be sharing the original versions of these names with you but we will talking mostly about the versions that are commonly used in English.

In the Greek New Testament, the name we commonly transliterate as Jesus is written like this: Ιησους. It's a Greek version of the Hebrew name יהושע, which we commonly transliterate into English as Joshua. It appears that Jesus would have been a very common in the first century. Abarim.com has some interesting comments to make on this topic. As far as modern usage, Jesus is pretty much unheard of in English-speaking communities, though it is popular in Spanish-speaking communities. It was #111 in the US in 2014.

When the angel Gabriel tells Mary that she will give birth to the son of God, he also tells he to give the child the name Jesus (Luke 1:26-38). Joseph, who is to Mary's fiance and later the earthly father of Jesus through adoption, was also told to give the child the name Jesus by an angel in a dream (Matthew 1:20-25).

It's very clear why God chose this name for his son: the meaning, "the Lord saves". Matthew 1:21 says: "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.". I think it's so amazing to think that while many men had the name Jesus, only Jesus the Messiah was there to fulfill it. As Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."

The original Hebrew form of Immanuel is written like this: עמנו אל. In Greek it's written: Εμμανουηλ. Immanuel is the way this name is spelled in the Bible but the Emmanuel spelling is most common today. Emmanuel was #165 in 2014, while Immanuel was not in the top 1000. Jesus might seem like a strange name choice for a boy in the English-speaking world, but Emmanuel and Immanuel feel totally wearable.

Immanuel is first mentioned in Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Matthew interprets this as a prophecy about Jesus in Matthew 1:22-23. Though this prophecy was partially fulfilled in Isaiah's lifetime, it's ultimate fulfillment was nearly 700 years later in Jesus. Immanuel is also mentioned in Isaiah 8:8.

There is no recorded evidence that Jesus ever really went by the name Immanuel. Some believe that it was more a title than a name. I think that it could still be a name, just more of secondary name that wasn't used as much. Either way, the prophecy is clear: a virgin will give birth to a son who will be God with us. I find Immanuel's meaning to be incredibly powerful and profound. It's the embodiment of Jesus's birth and time on this planet. "God with us" is a very comforting statement.

Names in the Bible are usually incredibly meaningful. There's such depth and richness in them! I believe that understanding these names better allows us to understand God's word better. I love that God intentionally chose names with specific, fitting meanings for his son, names his son was meant to fulfill.

I hope you enjoyed these name stories from the Bible and maybe learned something new! What do you think of the names Jesus and Immanuel? Let me know in the comments!