Ivory

Ivory is a precious material and therefore a precious name. We especially love that its root meaning comes from ancient Egyptians meaning “elephant”. One needs only to read old issues of National Geographic to learn that elephants are among the most remarkable of all animals in existence. African Elephants are the earth’s largest land mammals (weighing more than 12,000 lbs.), they have the longest pregnancies (22 months), and they are defined by their huge ears (which serve to keep them cool by emitting heat) and long trunks (which contain over 100,000 different muscles and serve a multitude of purposes). They are social animals and highly intelligent. The elephant is one of the very few animals possessing a sense of self-awareness (as evidenced by their ability to recognize themselves in mirrors). They are strongly attached to their families generally led by a matriarch, followed by younger females and their young. The males roam either alone or in small groups of other males. They preserve their “clan” and are deeply and emotionally attached to one another as expressed through a highly complex system of communication. In other words, elephants are awesome. Ergo, Ivory is awesome. The name has been used sporadically on both males and females since the late 19th century (perhaps considered a “rare gem” name like Pearl and Ruby). Never popular, Ivory has not achieved Top 1000 status in America for boys since 1979 and for girls since 1983. Needless to say, we love this name! Just make sure to protect the Elephant!