Britain’s Office for National Statistics has announced the most popular baby names in England and Wales for 2019. The #1 names are unchanged: Oliver and Olivia continue their joint reign as a matching set. The biggest development at the top of the charts is about name endings. The top 7 […]
Hurricanes have human names, and so I write about them. Over the past 15 years I’ve written about various storms and the baby name trends that followed. But now, for the first time, I truly understand the emotional impact of sharing a name with a storm. Hurricane Laura—Hurricane Me—is on […]
Name endings can define style eras. The names Marlene and Carlene sound like babies of the 1940s, while Marleigh and Carleigh have the touch of the new millennium. But for names ending in -i, the story is more complicated. It’s a tale of three different American eras. As you can […]
Today’s name set sits at the intersection of classic, manly and over-the-top. These names push so far into old-time formality that they emerge on the other side with a sense of fun. Picture them with a handlebar mustache, a top hat, and…could that be a wink? Like the mustaches themselves, […]
As Joe Biden has vetted prospective VP candidates, the leading names have been analyzed and dissected in the media in every imaginable way. Every way but one, that is: the names themselves. Because while the nominee is expected to be ground-breaking—likely the first woman of color on a major ticket—the […]
He’s a duke, he’s a rake, he’s a Sebastian. Welcome to the world of Regency romance. At Goodreads.com you can find an entire list of Regency Romances with Heroes Named Sebastian: “For all those Regency romances with heroes named Sebastian, because god almighty aren’t there a lot??” But even that […]
It all started when I wanted to learn more about Mad Libs, the fill-in-the-word game that’s a staple of social events from sleepovers to bridal showers. On the official Mad Libs website, I stumbled on an origin story. The scene: New York City, 1953. Comedy writers Roger Price and Leonard […]
To heck with restraint. Today, we’re looking for female names that demand 100% of the spotlight—and 100% of your respect. Names that leave you impressed, maybe even a little intimidated. Maximalist, not minimalist. Womanly, not girlish. Not delicate flowers, but grandes dames. These names won’t necessarily be an easy sell […]
My hometown has three colleges, a proud literary heritage, and a really sketchy name. Amherst, Massachusetts was named in 1759 by a colonial governor in honor of Lord Jeffrey Amherst. Lord Jeffrey was a British commander during the French and Indian war whose military techniques included biological warfare and genocide. […]
Three years ago, I wrote that the Karen had become the go-to name for an “everywoman” in comedy. Six months ago, I wrote that Karen had evolved into a derogatory term for entitled white, middle-aged women who insist on talking to the manager. Three weeks ago, I wrote that the […]
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