Carlo

Why did I decide to highlight Carlo and not Carl or Carlos? Besides a really unpleasant association with a Karl, it's a very dated name, while Carlos, in the US, is very region and culture specific. And Carlo is my cousin's name. Carlo, on the other hand, is less tied to any one thing or person. This Italian, German and Spanish variant of Charles means "free man," and ranked on the top 1000 until 2009, from 1905. Yet, it's still a name you don't hear often. If not for my cousin, I would have never met a Carlo. Although this name has European charm, it would fit right in with American kids today, hundreds of which start with a hard C or end in an O. (Camden, Cleo, Milo, Indigo, Leo, Shiloh, etc.)

Carlo also has a saintly namesake - Saint Carlo Borromeo, also known as Saint Charles, who died in 1584, and whose name day is November 4th. Saint Carlo was cardinal archbishop of the Catholic Church in Milan, Italy, and is now Patron Saint of many things, including apple orchards, bishops, spiritual leaders, starch makers, and stomach problems. Four kings of Spain also bore this name in the form of Charles as we know them today. Carlo Alberto Amedeo was the King of Sardinia in Italy between 1831 and 1849. Napolean Bonaparte's father was also named Carlo.

Fans of Sophia Loren might like to know that her son was named Carlo. Other namesakes include Nobel Prize winner Carlo Rubbia, six professional painters, two Olympians, an actor, and a historian. Many may also think of the Monte Carlo hotel and casino.

In 2011 there were 190 boys named Carlo, ranking slightly below the top 1000, as compared to about 140/150 in the 90's, and just 5 in the early 1900's. There are many carl- variants, such as Carlton, Carlos, Carl, Carlson and Carlito. Carlo is less popular than Carlos, which was given to 4,158 boys in 2011, and less popular than Carl, which was given to 420 boys in 2011. Carlos ranked #91 and Carl #591.

Leocadia

 

Leocadia Zamora y Quesada by Frederico de Madrazo (1847)

Don't be so quick to pass up the intriguing and memorable Leocadia (lee-oh-KAY-dee-ah in Greek, lay-oh-KAH-dee-ah in Spanish), which includes international variant spellings Leokadia, Laocadia and Liocadia. Nicknames include Leo for a tomboy, Cay, Cady, Lea, Leda, Dia, and Adia. This Spanish variant of the Greek name meaning "clear, bright" from the word leukos and name Eleokadia has been used in all Spanish speaking countries, influenced by the martyred 5th century Saint Leocadia and the subjects of two famous paintings. "La Leocadia" is a famous painting by Goya, which is of Goya's house maid Leocadia Zorrilla (Weiss). She was supposedly his "last love" and the subject of a few of his paintings, although her daughter may have been in a couple of his paintings as well. Two other lesser-known namesakes bear the name, including Leocadia Alba, a Spanish actress born in 1866, and Leocadia Zamora, featured in the above picture, who was the daughter of the Regent to Havana and native to Port Prince. Ms. Zamora was pretty much famous for being beautiful, although she was well loved by those that knew her, including her suitors Washington Irving and Frederico Madrazo himself. Both men claimed Leocadia was the love of their life, but for unknown reasons she decided to give up court life for the life of a Carmelite nun.

 

Leocadia Zorrilla, Goya's "Last Love"

I think Theodosia, Zenobia and Leocadia would make for excellent sisters, or other Greek or Spanish names such as Eulalia, and Carnelian would be a nice brother name. Leocadia has never ranked in the U.S. White Pages claims there are currently 739 living people named Leocadia, 100% of them are older than 55, and that 1917 marked the height of its popularity. While other distinctly Spanish names are being used, such as Lluvia and Lourdes, there were no babies named Leocadia in 2011, which is quite a shame. If White Pages is correct, there haven't been any babies named Leocadia for at least 55 years. I'll go digging through the SSA list later to find out for sure.

Sevilla

Seville, Spain

Sevilla is an intriguing choice, listed as the Spanish variant of Sibyl, meaning "prophetess, oracle." Very mysterious and alluring. It also happens to be the name of the ancient Spanish city of Seville, where Diego Velazquez was born, and the setting of the opera "Carmen." In myth, the Andalusian city was founded by Hercules. In this respect, the name can also mean "from Seville."

You might have to constantly explain how this name was chosen, but isn't it worth it? The nickname Villa is exotic, yet very place-name. In Spanish the pronunciation is seh-VEE-ya, but the English way is seh-VIL-uh. In 2011 there were only 7 baby girls named Sevilla.

Orlando

I had to do this name because my husband could easily be a stunt double for Orlando Bloom ( ^.^ ), the most famous namesake at the moment, who is married to Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr and named their son Flynn. Several athletes bear the name as well. Worldwide, the most easily recognizable place name is Orlando, Florida, home of Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios. Orlando is an Italian and Spanish variant of the Old German name Roland, meaning "renowned/famous land." Roland was a famous and loved literary medieval knight (read Le Chanson de Roland for more info). It is possible Orlando and/or Roland originated as a place name.

Orlando is a literary name used a lot in the 19th century, which even Virginia Woolfe used as the title of one of her novels, and Shakespeare used it for one of his characters in "As You Like It." There was also a Saint Orlando. Orly and Lando are common nicknames, but Orrie or Andy can work well. Orlando currently ranks at #482, it's lowest ranking this decade, with 543 baby boys given the name in 2011. Only a handful of O names for boys actually ranked - Oliver, Oscar, Owen, Orion and Omar were the only names ahead of Orlando.

Belina

Saint Belina, whose feast day is February 19, was a peasant girl from France who died protecting her virginity. I don't think she was a Patron Saint. Other than this, not much is known about her, but her name is beautiful enough to feature a post on. She is not to be confused with Bellona, the Roman goddess of battle. Belina and Bellina, primarily used in Spanish and Italian, mean "beautiful." The male variant, Bellino, also means "beautiful," and honors St. Bellino, whose feast day is November 26.

In 2010 there were 13 baby girls named Belina and 9 Bellina. Both Belina and Bellina have desirable nicknames, including Bel, Bell, Belle, Bella, and Lina. In 2011 there were 8 girls named Belina and 12 Bellina.

Marco

Marco Polo, anyone? It's not a bad association, to be honest. Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler, and like Christopher Columbus, Polo was interested in the Orient. In fact, his stories of traveling through Asia (and he was probably the first Westerner to do so) inspired Columbus, although Columbus made a mistake and ended up being famous for a completely new reason (America). Two great adventurers, and they'd probably make a good sibling set. In 2010 there were 1,297 baby boys named Marco, ranking at #264, and 109 spelled Marko. It is ever popular in Italy and Spain, and ever subject to double names like Gianmarco or Marco Antonio.

Marco is Latin, meaning "from the god Mars" or "dedicated to the god Mars." Mars, as you know, was the Roman god of war (and spring), but he was said to have a gentle side. All of this makes Marco a strong, historical, handsome and classic choice.

For those of you with a crush on Ian Somerhalder check out pictures of him in his role as Marco Polo.

Poinsettia

 

What a beautiful holiday plant to name your baby girl after. We all know someone with a Christmas related name, but not this rare gem. Pronounced POYN-setta, although some do say poin-SET-ee-ah or POINT-set-ah, you can create a wide range of nicknames such as Pippa, Settia, or just Tia. In 2010 and 2011 there were no babies named Poinsettia. The poinsettia was named for Joel Poinsett, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. It is said he is the one who brought attention to this plant for botanists to study. It's hard to believe this Christmas plant is actually tropical. The Aztecs used this plant to produce red dye, and today Mexicans and Guatemalans call it "Noche Buena," Christmas Eve, although in Spain it is called the Easter flower. The poinsettia's Christmas origin began in Mexico, where a young girl's gift of weeds to Jesus's altar at church blossomed into poinsettias. A century later, Franciscan friars in Mexico used this plant in their Christmas celebrations because the leaves resembled the Star of Bethlehem and the red color symbolized the blood of Christ. But just so you know, poinsettias can be toxic, so don't go eating them or feeding them to your pets.

Natalie, Natalia & Natasha

Today's name: Natale (unisex, but would probably work better on a girl)
Connected to this name is Natalie, Natalia/Natalja, Noelle and Natasha

Pronunciation: na-TAH-lay

Potential nicknames: Nat, Nattie/Natty, Nala, Tally, Tillie, Allie/Ally

Origin: A variant of the Spanish name Natal and the French word/name Noel, meaning "birthday, Christmas." This name refers to the birth of Christ. Natalie, Natasha (the Russian pet form of Natalya) and Natalia all mean "birthday" as well, although Noelle means "Christmas."

Popularity: These names are extremely popular is various forms. Here are the stats for each name I mentioned above (and more) for 2010, although I left just a few out: 9 baby girls named Natacha, 9 named Natahlia, 5 girls named Natale, 19 Natalea, 7 Nataleah, 535 Natalee, 91 Nataleigh, 33 Nataley, 164 Natali, 3,025 Natalia, 28 Nataliah, 8,715 Natalie, 11 Nataliee, 12 Natalija, 9 Natalin, 15 Natalina, 6 Nataline, 41 Nataliya, 6 Nataliyah, 10 Natallia, 22 Natallie, 20 Natally, 697 Nataly, 353 Natalya, 16 Natalyah, 16 Natalye, 15 Natalyia, 32 Natalyn, 30 Natalynn, 666 Natasha, 13 Natashia, 16 Natasia, 11 Natelie, 12 Nathalee, 21 Nathali, 277 Nathalia, 470 Nathalie, 7 Nathally, 337 Nathaly, 15 Nathalya, 8Nathalye, 7 Nathasha, 43 Natilee, 5 Natiley, 10 Natilie, 11 Natily, 12 Nattalie, 7 Nattaly, 8 Natylee, 159 Noel, 7 Noela, 19 Noeli, 161 Noelia, 7 Noelie, 7 Noell, 58 Noella, 865 Noelle, 7 Noelly, 18 Noely. It is also worth mentioning that Natalie is a top 100 name in a few countries.

In 2011 Natalie ranked at #14, Natalee #566, Natalia #108, Nataly #505, Nathalie #522, Natalya #828, Nathaly #780, and Natasha #489.

Fun fact: (1) There are a great many namesakes for Natalie, Natalia, Natasha and Noelle, so I will not go into naming any of them. However, there aren't any namesakes for Natale, except for Antonio di Natale, in which Natale is the surname.

Severa

Severus is definitely too associated with Snape, and Severine can sound a bit like “severing,” but what about Severa, as in Saint Severa, which sounds a little bit like Vera, a little like the number 7, and a little like the rising-in-popularity baby name Seven (as in Harlow Seven Beckham)?

Severa, along with Severine, Severana, Severea, and Severia, comes from the Latin masculine name Severus, meaning "severe," or "stern." Severa is a Spanish and Italian variant.

You can pronounce Severa say-VEH-rah, seh-VAYR-uh, or SEV-er-uh.

There were no baby girls named Severa in 2010 or 2011, and I highly doubt it was given in previous years. However, there were 37 baby girls named Seven in 2010 and 31 in 2011.

Before you dismiss this name, Severa and its variants come with the cute nicknames Sevvie, Vera, Verie, Sera, Era, Ever, and Seven.

Lionella & Lionel

Una and the Lion - Briton Riviere

Today's names: Lionel & Lionella

For most Lio/Leo names the "i" or "e" is interchangeable. Lionel, Leo, Leonard, Leopold, etc. Lionella, Leona, etc.

Pronunciation: LY-on-ell, LEE-oh-nell-uh

Potential nicknames: Lio, Lion; Lio, Liona, Nella, Ella, Ellie

Origin: English variant form of Latin name Leo, meaning "lion," but the -el ending makes it mean "little lion." Lionella is the female Italian variant.

Popularity: For boys in 2011, Leo ranked #167 (2,226 births), Leon #405 (690 births), Leonel #459 (578 births), Lionel #786 (282 births), Leonard #705 (322 births), Leonardo#149 (2,631 births), Leandro #835 (257 births), and Leonidas #888 (232 births).
Non-ranking variants of Leo included 5 Liandro, 5 Leondro, 6 Lyonel, 6 Leonte, 7 Lionardo, 7 Lion, 8 Leovardo, 8 Leonitus, 8 Leonidus, 9 Lionell, 9 Leonides, 9 Leonell, 9 Leone, 9 Leodan, 10 Leeon, 15 Lenard, 18 Leonid, 24 Lyon, 27 Leondre, 34 Leandre, 38 Leopoldo, 48 Leander, 51 Leopold,and  61 Leobardos.
For girls, Leona was #929 with 276 births, but no other female variants ranked. There were 5 girls named Liona, 6 Leonella, 8 Leonela, 32 Leonie, and 81 Leandra.
In 2010 there were 9 baby boys named Lio, 10 Lion, 225 Lionel, 6 Lionell. Lionel ranked at #904, a slight decrease in popularity in the past decade. Leo, on the other hand, ranked in at #193 in 2010. There were also 7 baby girls named Liona, 11 Leonela, 9 Leonella, but 0 spelled Lionella.

Fun fact: (1) Saint Lionello, and different Popes named Leo. (2) Actor Lionel Barrymore. (3) Lionel Richie. (4) Sir Lionel, a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend, cousin to Lancelot and son of the King of Gaul. (5) One of the sons of King Edward III of the 1300s. (6) Lionel Boyle, Earl of Orrery, member of Parliament from Ireland. (7) Lionel Cartwright. (8) Lionel model trains, founded by Joshua Lionel Cowen.

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Genoveva, Geneva & Genevieve

Today's name: Genoveva, from Geneva and Genevieve
There are also the variants Genovefa, Genevra/Ginevra, Genever, Genevia, and Geneve.

Pronunciation: jehn-oh-VEE-vah, HEN-oh-VEH-vah
Genevieve is also pronounced with the JEN sound in America, while it is either JAHN or ZHAHN in France.

Potential nicknames: Gen, Gena, Genna, Genny, Neva, Nova, Veva, Viva, Eve, Ever, Eva, Evie

Origin: The Spanish variant of either Old French Geneva or French Genevieve (perhaps originally Gaulish), although I am uncertain which it is for sure. Geneva can mean "juniper tree/berry," from either French "Genevrier" or old Dutch "genever, jeniver" or come from a Celtic meaning, while Genevieve can mean "white wave" (from Old German) or Celtic "of the race of women." This meaning is tied to Guinevere, which means "fair, smooth." There are other vague possible meanings. It seems the true origin was either lost in translation or Genoveva is a variant of both Geneva and Genevieve.

Popularity: Genoveva only ranked in the U.S. in 1885, 1894 and 1895. Geneva last ranked every year between 1880 (when the SSA first started keeping track) and 1995. Genevieve ranked at #279 last year. In 2010 there were only 5 baby girls named Genoveva, and 15 in 2011, while there were 149 named Geneva, 6 Geneve, 1,182 named Genevieve, 8 Gennavieve, and 16 Genevive. In 2011 Genevieve jumped up to #232, with 1,356 births. There were also 7 girls named Genavie, 15 Genoveva, 28 Genevie, 48 Genavieve, and 156 Geneva.

Fun fact: (1) Saint Genoveva Torres Morales of Spain, lived from 1870 to 1956. Her feast day is January 5. Saint Genevieve is the Patron Saint of Paris. (2) Genoveva Edroza-Matute was a Filipino author. (3) Lake Geneva, which touches both Switzerland and France. It was first called Geneva in the English language. There is also a Lake Geneva in Michigan and one in Wisconsin, possibly more elsewhere. (4) Geneva, Switzerland (and Illinois, and New York, with possibly more). (5) Fictional country of Genovia in "The Princess Diaries." (6) A good way to honor a special man in your life named Gene. (7) The Geneva Conventions. (8) The baby of Benicio del Toro and Kimberly Stewart is named Delilah Genoveva.

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Basil (m) & Basilia (f)

Today's name: Basil (male) and Basilia (female)

Pronunciation: Basil: BAY-zil or BAZ-ill, Basilia: bah-ZIL-ee-ah or bah-ZEEL-ya

Potential nicknames: Bay, Bas/Baz, Basie, Zilla

Origin: (1) Basil is Greek, from the name Basileios, meaning "royal, kingly." Basil first appeared during the Hellenistic period. The words basilica and basilisk derive from the same word. Basilia is the female form of Basil, meaning the same thing. Basilia was common in the Middle Ages. Basil was common in the eastern Mediterranean before it was brought to England by the Crusaders. (2) In Arabic, Basil means "brave."

The male name Basil has several variant forms, some more common than others: Breasal, Basek, Bazel, Basle, Basul, Basile, Basilic, Basilides, Basileios, Basilie, Basilio, Basilius, Bazeel, Bazeelius, Bazil, Bazyli, Vasil, Vazul, Vasile, Vasileos, Vasili, Vasilije, Vasilios, Vasilis, Vasilius, Vasilus, Vasily, Vassilij, Vassily, and Wassily.

The girl's name Basilia also has a handful of variant forms: Baseele, Baseelia, Baseelle, Bazeele, Bazeelia, Bazeelle, Basile, Basilie, Basille, Bazile, Bazille, and Bazilla.

Popularity: In 2010 there were only 46 baby boys named Basil and 11 baby girls named Basil, while there were no baby girls named Basilia. Basil was very popular between 1880 and 1910. In 2011 there were 7 baby girls named Basil even though nature names continued to rise in popularity. Again, there were no babies named Basilia in 2011, but there were 44 boys named Basil.

Fun fact: (1) Saint Basil from the fourth century was from Caesarea, also known as Basil the Great, shares his name with several early saints that were martyred in the east. There were also a handful of Byzantine rulers with the name Basil, as well as some Italian generals. There were also a few Saint Basilla's, female, from varied times. (2) Basil is the name of an herb, which when dried becomes a spice. (3) Early Sherlock Holmes star Basil Rathbone. (4) There is a book titled "Basil" by Wilke Collins. (5) Basil is the name of "The Great Mouse Detective," an animated movie.

A wonderful tale of Saint Basil, from http://www.20000-names.com
"One day, in 620, when Attila, count of Champagne, was out hunting, he came to Verzy, where stood the monastery of St. Basil.. A wild boar, chased by the dogs, ran for refuge to the saint, who was sitting in the sun outside his cell; and Basil covered the terrified beast with his cloak. The dogs came up, but were at a standstill, not knowing what to do. Presently the count came to the spot, and recognizing in this incident the finger of God, gave St. Basil a large part of the forest, a part of Bouzy, and the town of Sept-Saulx."—Mgr. Guérin, Vies des Saints, vol. xiii. p. 603. (E.C. Brewer)

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Falena

Today's names: Falena

A drawing of the widely known Luna Moth, image via http://prittimoth.blogspot.com

Pronunciation: fah-LAY-nah

Potential nicknames: Fay, Fallie, Lena, Lala

Origin: Latin, used in Spanish and Italian, meaning "moth." Falena is also a rare variant of the name Felina, which is Latin, meaning "catlike."

Popularity: Falena has not ranked in the top 1000, and in 2010 and 2011 there were no baby girls named Falena in the U.S.

Fun fact: Moths can be just as beautiful and colorful, and sometimes more so, than butterflies. What is the difference between a moth and a butterfly, anyway? One of the easiest ways to tell the difference is that moths usually have feathery, fluffy antennae, while butterflies have thin, straight antennae. Some of them can even look like tiny, lighter, feathery bats, and some look like they have bunny ears. A second way to distinguish between the two is that moths fold their wings down behind them, and butterflies keep their wings up and out. One last difference is that moths mainly fly at night, butterflies during the day, and this is where the phrase "Like a moth drawn to flame" comes from, for they really are drawn to light. One theory of this behavior is that moths use celestial navigation, which means they use the light of a star or the moon to guide them so that they can fly straight. (2) "La Falena" is a famous opera. (3) Movie, "The Mothman Prophecies."

The Madagascan Sunset Moth, thought to be the most beautiful moth.

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Aragon

Today's name: Aragon

Pronunciation: AYR-uh-gahn, AIR-ah-gonn

Potential nicknames: Ar, Ary, Ara, Gon

Origin: Spanish and Aragonese, the medieval Kingdom of Aragon in the northeastern Iberian peninsula of Spain, it is now an autonomous community as of 1982 and its own nationality and its own provinces. Aragon has a rich history dating back to pre-Roman days. Aragon became a self-proclaimed kingdom in 1035 AD.

Popularity: In 2010 there were no babies named Aragon, nor has it ever ranked. In 2011 there were only 5 boys given this name.

Fun fact: (1) Not to be confused with the book and movie titled "Eragon." (2) Catherine of Aragon was the wife of Arthur Tudor, the Prince of Wales, but he died five months after their marriage in 1501. She then married his brother, Henry VIII, the future King of England, in 1509. Henry was not satisfied that she gave him no surviving male heirs, so he annulled their marriage, partly due to his infatuation with his mistress, Anne Boleyn. Henry went on with beheading and remarrying wives (he had 6 wives total), but Catherine, who was also the first female ambassador in European history, lived out her life peacefully. Catherine's daughter Mary went on to become Queen. (3) Petronila, Queen of Aragon.

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Crisanta & Chrysanthe

Today's name: Crisanta & Chrysanthe
Crisanta and Chrysanthe can also be spelled Chrisanta, Chrisantha, Chrissanta, Chrissantha, Chryssantha and Chrysantha.

Pronunciation: kriss-AHN-tah

Potential nicknames: Cris, Crissa, Crissy, Cristie, Santa, Thea

Origin: Crisanta is the Spanish variant of the Old Greek, meaning "golden flower," which probably referenced the chrysanthemum, which most people associate it with today. The traditional Old Greek spelling is Khrysanthe, pronounced kris-ANN-thee, from the words chrysos and anthos. It is the feminine form of Chrysanthos, which all of the variants come from.

Popularity: There were no babies named Crisanta or Chrysanthe in 2010 or 2011.

Fun fact: (1) Chrysanthos (male) was a third century Egyptian saint, who was not very well known.

Middle name ideas: Crisanta and Chrysanthe may sound too exotic for most American parents, so a more modern-sounding, simple, traditional middle name might make it perfect, although these rare names are not for everyone.

Crisanta Marie/Mary
Crisanta Lilith
Crisanta Marilyn
Crisanta Jane
Crisanta Nicole
Crisanta Eloise
Crisanta Sophie

Chrysanthe Eve
Chrysanthe Maeve
Chrysanthe Sonnet
Chrysanthe Jewel

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Arsenio

Today's name: Arsenio (male)

Potential nicknames: Ars, Arsen, Sen, Senio, Nio

Pronunciation: ar-SEN-ee-oh, ar-SEE-nee-oh

Variant forms: Arcenio, Arcinio, Arsanio, Arseenio, Arseinio, Arsemio, Arsen, Arsene, Arseni, Arsenios, Arsenius, Arseno, Arsenyo, Arsinio, Arsino, Arseny, Arseniusz, Eresenio, and Senio.

Origin: Spanish and Greek, meaning "masculine," or "virile."

Fun fact: (1) The 4th century Saint Arsenius the Great tutored the sons of Roman emperor Theodosius. He is called one of the "Desert Fathers of Christianity" famous for saying "I have often been sorry for having spoken, but never for having held my tongue." His feast day is May 8th. (2) Actor Arsenio Hall.

Popularity: This name last charted in 1990 at the #742 spot. In 2010 there were only 15 baby boys named Arsenio, 23 named Arsen, and 7 Arseniy. In 2011 there were 17.

Female version: Arsenia


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Nina

Today's name: Nina (female)
Alternate spellings: Neena, Neenah, Nena, Nyna
International spellings: Finnish: Niina, Eastern European & Hungarian: Ninacska, French: Ninon, Spanish: Nenah, Neenah, Ninah

Potential nicknames: Nana, Ni, Nine, Nin, Ni-Ni, Ina, Ninoshka

Pronunciation: NEE-nah (and occassionally NYNE-ah)

Origin: (1) Spanish, meaning "little girl." (2) Hebrew, meaning "great grand-daughter." (3) A Russian and Polish nickname for Anne and Antonia, or names ending in -nina. (4) Swahili, meaning "mother." (5) Hindi use suggests the meaning "beautiful eyes." (6) A Babylonian goddess of the seas. (7) An Incan goddess of fire.

Fun Fact: (1) The Nina was one of Christopher Columbus's three ships. (2) Nina is very multi-ethnic - you will find that many countries use this name equally.

Popularity: There were 994 baby girls named Nina in 2010 in the U.S., ranking at #318, moving up to #304 in 2011.

Male version: Nino, meaning "God is gracious," which can be a pet form of John and names ending in -nino, typically used in Italian and Spanish.


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Sebastian & Sebastiana

Today's name: Sebastian (male)
Alternate spelling: Sebastien

Potential nicknames: Bastian, Seb, Bas, Seba, Shea, Baz, Sebas, Sebasti, Sebi, Basi, Base, Asti, Ian, Bash

Pronunciation: seh-BASS(t)-chen

Origin: (1) Greek, meaning "revered." (2) Latin derivation of Sebastianus, from the Greek word "sebastos," meaning venerable. (3) Latin variant of Sebastianus, meaning "from Sebastia" or "man from Sebaste." Sebastos was the Greek translation of the Roman Emperor title Augustus.

Popularity: There were 6,323 baby boys named Sebastian in 2010 in the U.S., ranking at #68, which is still the same ranking for 2011. There were also 6 baby girls named Sebastian as well.

Fun fact: (1) St. Sebastian is the Patron Saint of soldiers. (2) Some of you might remember Sebastian the crab, from "The Little Mermaid," whose full name was Horatio Thelonius Ignacius Crustaceous Sebastian. (3) La Sebastiana is the name of one of poet Pablo Neruda's residences in Chili. (4) There is a main belt asteroid called 1482 Sebastiana. (5) King Sebastian ruled Portugal between 1554 and 1578. (6) Composer Johann Bach's middle name. (7) Shakespeare used this name twice, for his plays Twelfth Night and The Tempest. (8) Oscar Wilde used the name Sebastian Melmoth as an alias when he was released from prison. (9) John Sebastian was a musician whose band, The Lovin' Spoonful, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000. (10) Sebastian Cabot was a Venetian explorer born in 1474.

Female version: Sebastiana, an Italian and Spanish variant, with only 8 U.S. births in 2010 and 5 in 2011. There is also Sebastienne, the French variant, which is unheard of in the U.S. Neither has ever ranked in the 1000. Other versions that have rarely been used are Sebastianella and Bastiana.

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