How popular is the baby name Acacia in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Acacia.
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Canberra, the capital of Australia, was established (and named) on March 12, 1913 — almost exactly a century ago.
So the Canberra Times is asking people to suggest baby names that could commemorate Canberra’s centennial year, 2013.
Here are some names they’ve come up with so far:
Acacia, a genus of trees, most of which are native to Australia
Bluebelle, “after the Royal Bluebell, our Territory’s floral emblem”
Corymbia, a type of eucalyptus
Makaira, from the genus of the Black Marlin
Melliodora, another type of eucalyptus
One reader mentioned that his daughter was named “Aisha Caitlyn Truelsen” — initials ACT, same as the initials of the Australian Capital Territory. Her father said “she is quite chuffed about seeing ACT all over the place.”
What other Australia-specific (or, better, Canberra-specific) baby names would you suggest?
Here’s one idea: Gertrude, for Gertrude Mary Denman (1884-1954). Her name might not be stylish right now, but she was the person who officially named Canberra back in 1913.
EDIT: Waltzing More than Matilda has tracked down an article about the baby that kicked off the Canberra Times’ search for centennial names — Allegra Bluebelle, born in Canberra last year on December 28.
A reader named Lisa is expecting her second daughter a couple of weeks and needs some name assistance. Her first daughter is Copeland Rhine. Lisa’s main predicament is this:
[H]ow do I find a strong unique vintage name for this second precious girlie that will not wilt next to a strong name like Copeland Rhine?
And here are some other questions and points Lisa brought up:
“Our goal is not to have their names competing for placement but complimenting each other.”
“We do not want to be boxed in on unisex or surname first names.”
“I have been gravitating towards Sojourner Bliss or Sojourner Mercy (Sophie for short) but that is all I have and my husband is not sold on it nor on a stronger masculine name.”
“My husband really loves Evangeline yet he is not wanting to use it because it is becoming so popular. We both love the idea of Evie as a nickname.”
“I really want to honor three people in my family but all three would not wish their name on anyone: Leona, Gertrude and Lorraine. Are there any derived names that I could use?” [Other family names she mentioned are Cornelia, Josephine, Ester, Rosemary, Carmelita, Trinia (Trijntje), Johannes, Sophia, Evelientje, Alice (called Ollie), Francis, Felicia and Blanche.]
The baby’s surname will be a 2-syllable name that starts with D and also includes a z-sound. It’s somewhat similar to De Souza.
–
So the challenge is to find “strong unique vintage” names that work with Copeland, but that won’t lock Lisa’s family into surnames or unisex names. And to try to get a family connection in there as well.
I think Evangeline is a great idea, actually. It’s strong, vintage, and neither a surname nor a unisex name. And both Lisa and her husband like the nickname Evie. Seems like the only thing holding them back is the popularity.
Yes, Evangeline has become slightly popular recently. It’s been back in the top 1,000 since 2006. But let’s put that into context. Over 2,000,000 baby girls were born last year, and only 735 of them were named Evangeline. That’s a very small percentage. (But if it’s really that bothersome, there’s always Evangelina, which is still well out of the top 1,000.)
I’m not a big fan of Sojourner. It’s strong, and unique, and not a surname…but it’s not feminine, and it’s not what I’d call vintage, even if Sojourner Truth was a well-known 19th-century woman. I’d worry about teasing, especially with a noun-middle like Bliss or Mercy. And I think naming a third child (of either gender) after Copeland and Sojourner would be tricky.
Sophie seems like it would be an awkward nickname for Sojourner. It’s so different from Sojourner that it strikes me as more of a cover-name than a nickname–as if Sojourner were just too strong or strange to work as an everyday name.
Leona, Gertrude and Lorraine…the most interesting way I could think of to combine them was to look for names that feature their first letters (L, G, L) such as Nigella, Allegra and Gillian.
Here are a few other name ideas that came to mind:
Acacia Adelaide Amandine Anais Anneliese Antonia Aquila Artemis Astrid Augusta
The top 1,000 baby girl names of 2009 can be found at the Social Security Administration’s website. But what about all the other names that were doled out last year? Those names are also available via the SSA I recently discovered (thanks Kelly!).
Just a few hours ago I posted a list of boy names that didn’t make the top 1,000 last year, but were still given to 100+ babies. Here is the equivalent (and much longer) list of girl names, grouped by the number of babies that received each name:
*Nyasia could have made the top 1,000. In fact, it should have made the top 1,000. It was given to 263 babies, just like the names that ranked 996th-1,000th (Gretchen, Karli, Kloe, Lilyanna and Mireya). But it came in last alphabetically, so in the eyes of the SSA it’s name #1,001. Sad, sad…
A reader named Klaudia is expecting her fourth child, a baby girl, and she’d like some help brainstorming for a first and a middle name. Here’s what Klaudia says:
We like…unusual names. I mean, not names that sound “made-up” but real names. At least, not trendy, popular names.
Juniper was at the top of their list, but then a friend used it, so now they’re back to the drawing board.
A few more details:
The first name should have 3 syllables.
The middle name should have 2 syllables and start with an n.
The surname will be a one-syllable s-name.
The older siblings are named Kendra Darlene, Carmen Nellie and Matteo Kendell.
I think Juniper paired with an n-name would have sounded nice, so I tried to come up with a lot of name suggestions that also include the letter n:
Now middles. It’s tricky to pick a middle if the first isn’t already in place, but here are some possibilities. Names on the left have a stress on the first syllable, names on the right have a stress on the second syllable.
Nina
Nita
Nola
Norah
Norma
Nadine
Nanette
Nicole
Noelle
Noreen
What first names would you suggest for the sibling of Kendra, Carmen and Matteo? What middle names would you pair with those first names?
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