Baby Naming Resources

Almost every name is rooted in some etymological meaning. That is, the root of the name means something very specific. The discipline of etymology is not always straightforward as any linguist will tell you: languages are complex and the cross-mingling of cultures and languages over many millennia has sometimes blurred these lines. This is why we felt it was important to research every single name individually and, more importantly, manually. Though we are ultimately amateur etymologists, we still applied rigorous discipline to our research. We double-checked and cross-checked the validity of our sources. We wanted to feel confident that the information we provide to our users is accurate and correct. In the instances where we were uncertain, we say so.

With many names, there are usually one or two (or perhaps more) significant influences behind its propulsion in usage. In most cases, our research would uncover some such impetus behind the name’s popularity (or even its diminished usage). In terms of each name’s popularity in America specifically, we have a whole section on that subject for each name. This also includes a visual graphic of the name’s historic usage in the United States in the past 100+ years. This is a point of interest. Naming fashions and fads change over time, so what was most popular in 1900 vs. 1950 vs. 2000 will sometimes astound you.

The earliest and most dominant force in Western naming traditions has unequivocally been influenced the Judeo-Christian belief system. To put it more simply: the Bible. Since the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible) was written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek, many names most familiar to the Western ear are rooted in these two languages. Such names became Latinized thanks to the expansion of the Roman Empire and eventually anglicized as the English language developed over time. During the Middle Ages, names of early popular saints, around whom cults and legends grew, were also used heavily in homage to their holy sacrifices (as well as a protective measure for child namesake). Most of the common names we hear which have been around since Antiquity and the Middle Ages have Biblical or saintly significance. Yet there are also contributions from the Celtic, Germanic and Slavic languages (as opposed to just Hebrew, Greek and Latin).

Some names are strongly associated with particular characters from literature or certain significant historical figures. There are also names featured prominently in song and/or children’s books. We provide our users with this information when pertinent which offers more color and imagination to certain names. We also tried to catalog certain names into fun categories. See our Unique Ideas for Baby Names section. This sometimes helps minimize the overwhelming amount of choices by showcasing certain names within certain meaningful categories.

You’ll notice each name page identifies each name with a specific set of personality traits and qualities. We basically used the quasi-science of Numerology to determine these characteristics. Every given name has a numerology output based on a specific calculation, and every output has certain personality traits associated with it. You don’t have to believe it, but it’s another interesting way to render a name’s overall colorful portrait. Plus, we believe in the general vibrations of the universe and subconscious connections, so why not add another small component of fun.