A lot goes into picking a baby's name.
After all, this is going to be something your kiddo is gonna be stuck with for the rest
of their life — or at least until they can convince the courts to let 'em change it.
"Wait, you..
You changed your name to..
McLovin?"
"Yea."
"McLovin?"
After finding out that the stork's en route, suddenly questions of what to call the baby
pop up.
And that spirals into debates about whether to go with an old family favorite and risk
ticking another relative off by omission or choosing something you both just like right
now — and find it's too obscure to stand the test of time.
"Where is Blakay at?"
"No Blakay here today?
Yes sir."
"My name is Blake."
So, a lot of people tend to opt for names that are a little more common and current
to avoid these issues.
But did you know that even some of the most popular names have their own hidden meanings
to consider?
"Well Madison's not a name."
Here are some facts that you might not know about names you hear around town all the time.
Emma
Historically, Emma is derived from the German "ermen" which means "whole" or "universal."
The name came to England by way of Emma of Normandy, wife of King Ethelred II.
King Ethelred the Unready made have let the Danish to invade and destroy much of England,
but at least he gave the English speaking world one of its most popular names.
Since 980 A.D., the name has stuck around.
It gained popularity again in the 1700s, possibly because of the poem "Henry and Emma" by Matthew
Prior.
Once Jane Austen wrote Emma, the name grew even more common and beloved.
Over the last 100 years, Emma has almost always been in the top 90 names, with 2017 seeing
the name spike to the number one spot for baby girls.
"It's Emma
Oh Ahhhh.. Emma"
"See, I don't want it."
But with just a few letters swapped out, it's a whole different story …
Emily
For British literature fans, the name Emily might conjure up memories of Wuthering Heights
author Emily Bronte or the poet Emily Dickinson.
But Friends fans might think of a different, albeit more accurate, personality association.
"We all hate Emily!"
Believe it or not, Emily actually does have a slightly sinister meaning.
It's the feminine version of Aemilius or Emil which means "rival."
Therefore, any Emily is automatically your enemy.
Though the masculine form of Emily isn't very popular in America, Emily is the 14th most
popular girl's name.
Since at least 1911, the name has never fallen below number 300 on the hottest name charts.
Perhaps the constant rivalry of the name is what keeps it in fighting shape to stay at
the top.
But it's obviously very different than Emma, even though some celebs — like Emma Stone,
born Emily Stone — do use the names interchangeably.
"I just…
I just"
"I see the resemblance."
"It's uncanny."
"Uncanny."
"It really is."
Liam
An already popular Irish name, Liam didn't arrive in America until the late 1960s.
Since then, the usage has slowly increased, and the 1990s saw a burst of popularity — right
around the time Liam Neeson became a household name.
That's entirely speculation regarding the Liam boom, of course — but it had to have
been at least a slight factor, right?
So what does Liam even mean?
Most of us just think of it as being Irish-sounding and that's it.
Well, that's partially right since it's the Irish short form of William.
Derived from the German "Willahelm," it breaks down to two parts: "Wil" meaning will or desire,
and "helm" meaning helmet, or protection.
So, desire helmet?
Usually the meaning is listed as the less literal translation of "strong mind and protection."
The name William became common in England after William the Conqueror in 1066, remaining
popular ever since.
Nowadays, the U.S. prefers Liam over William.
It was the fourth most popular boy's name in 2016 and has been in the top five for the
last four years.
Maybe there's a handsome Hemsworth to thank for the recent resurgence?
Olivia
You may have thought made-up celebrity names started with the likes of Apple Martin and
Blue Ivy Carter.
Yet, it was Shakespeare who really started the trend.
The third most popular name of 2016 was Olivia, a name Shakespeare invented for the lead character
in his play Twelfth Night.
He may have based his name creation on "Oliver" which was either derived from the German "Alfher"
or the Old Norse name that became "Olaf."
Though the Germanic or Norse roots could have influenced Shakespeare, it's more likely that
he used a simpler source.
The latin word "oliva" is pretty close to "Olivia."
What does "oliva" mean?
Olive.
Yep, pretty simple!
We won't ever know if the Bard named his heroine after Norse Kings, old German, or a garnish
plunked in his martini, but Olivia would be a great choice for any Shakespeare fan.
Michael
This may be one of the most enduringly popular boy names in history, but lately, it's losing
a little steam.
Considering we've heard this name a million times and some of the biggest sports stars
in history are named Michael, people don't think much about its meaning so much as who
else has had the name.
But its origin stems all the back to the Bible, when Michael led the angels in their fight
against Lucifer.
Having defeated the fallen angel, he's now regarded as the Patron Saint of Soldiers.
It's understandable why the noble name has remained a go-to for so long.
The actual definition of Michael comes from the Hebrew word for "who is like God?"
The question mark is part of the meaning because Michael is meant to be a rhetorical question,
which means it's not meant to be answered.
Imagine saying "who is like God?"
every time you see a Michael.
Suddenly all those gold medals make sense.
Aiden
The second most popular boy's name of 2016, Aiden has spurred on quite a craze.
The name wasn't terribly popular in America till it shot up the ranks in 1995.
For what it's worth, that's a year after Aidan Quinn appeared in Legends of the Fall, so
maybe there's some relation.
Aiden is most notable for starting the long list of -ayden names.
Kayden, Hayden, Jayden, Brayden, and Zayden are all just made-up mash-ups of Aiden.
So, where does Aiden itself come from?
Well, we have to trace back through quite a few names before we get to the real meaning.
First, it's based on the Irish name Aidan, which is the English speaking version of Aodhán.
That name is just a diminutive version of Aodh or Aed, who was the Celtic god of the
sun, and whose name can also be translated to "fire."
In Gaelic myth, Aed was one of the Children of Lir, a popular folktale that Irish children
still learn today.
The English gave themselves a translation of this fiery god, a name.
Aed became Hugh.
Somehow, Hugh doesn't elicit the same sense of "fire," but Aiden and Hugh are brothers
from the same cultural mother.
Aubrey
Like Ashley, Aubrey actually started out as primarily a boys name in the Middle Ages,
but shifted over to girls in the 1970s.
The song "Aubrey" by Bread in 1972 helped make the girl version popular.
Still, the origin of the name retains its masculine roots.
It's a Norman French form of the German name Alberich, which contains the German root words
"elf" and "power."
Though it might be fun for a celebrity to call their kid "Elf Power," Aubrey's meaning
is usually recognized as "King of the Elves."
Currently, the masculine Aubrey is pretty rare, but the feminine version was the 25th
most popular name in 2016.
Maybe the deadpan wit of Parks and Recreation star Aubrey Plaza has a little something to
do with that.
What's in a name?
Though many of America's favorite names have been around for centuries, we rarely take
their root meanings into account.
A slightly unfavorable meaning shouldn't sway you from your top choice.
But if you'd rather your little prince or princess not be dubbed a "rival," or "king
of the elves," now you know the names to scratch off the list!
"What do I have to do?!"
"He has to give me a new name!"
Good luck with that...
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