Norway's Top 10 Baby Names

Taken from Statistics Norway. I have no clue how/why there are multiple spellings, but I'm assuming they group spellings for each name and then rank them, unlike the U.S. that goes by individual spelling.

Girls:
1. Emma
2. Nora/Norah
3. Sara/Sarah/Sahra
4. Sofie/Sophie
5. Linnea/Linea
6. Thea/Tea
7. Maya/Maia/Maja
8. Emilie
9. Ingrid/Ingri
10. Julie

Boys:
1. Emil
2. Lucas/Lukas
3. Mathias/Matias
4. William
5. Magnus
6. Filip/Fillip/Philip/Phillip
7. Oliver
8. Markus/Marcus
9. Noa/Noah
10. Tobias

Middle Name Fillers

Matilda Plum, anyone?

Since I've been reading a lot about "filler" middle names lately, I thought this post was right on time. "Filler" middle names are the ones we end up using for lack of a better name. They are the safe, overused, short names we stick between first and last names just because we "know" a child should have a middle name. It just sounds nice is the main reason they're chosen. They do work very well - they definitely get the job done, especially for parents who put more emphasis on the meaning of the first name and for those who choose a very long or unusual first name. The prime examples are Lynn, Rose, Marie, Jane, Anne, Grace, May and Claire. As for longer "fillers," Katherine/Catherine and Elizabeth are usually prime suspects. There are others, but I'll keep this shorter than it could be. Not every name qualifies as a "filler." Initials definitely qualify (99.999% of the time) but unusual, exotic, international, unisex names do not. I keep hoping that one day the Social Security Administration will release a separate list of middle name popularity (seeing as they've already done so for twin names). The "fillers" listed above do not count, of course, if those are family names or names you truly love. Meaning, such as saying you love roses so you chose Rose, has little to do with a middle name qualifying as a "filler." This is only in the case of "I couldn't think of anything." You might get some people that suspect they're fillers anyway, but that will be rare.

Anyway, how do the above "filler" middle names rank as first names on the charts? Would it be better to just use them up front?

Lynn - not in top 1000
Rose - #291
Marie - #599 (Mary was #112)
Jane - #368
Anne - #593 (but Anna was #38)
Grace - #16
May - not in top 1000
Claire - #50
Katherine - #61
Catherine - #161, still quite popular
Elizabeth - this "only sometimes" filler ranks at #11

I would suggest using one of these as a first name only if a) you love it more, or b) it is less popular than what you would use as the first name. For example, if you love both May and Elizabeth equally, use May up front and Elizabeth as the middle name. This way you get to use both names but a little May won't share her name with as many others as a little Elizabeth would.

There is a new generation of filler names coming about. These are still short, usually one syllable names, that are a little more creative or unusual. Plum, Lark, Winter, June, Pearl, Fay, Lane and Wren are the ones I've seen more often. Out of these, June is the only name in the top 1000 for girls, currently at #470, and Lane, for boys, ranks at #270. I'll post back in ten years and let you know how they're faring. =)

My advice is to use your chance to pick a stunning middle name that will set your child apart from the next, especially if she or he has a common first name. It would be one thing to meet someone else with your first name, possibly even first and last name, but it would be too much to meet someone with both your first and middle name. The parent would feel bummed out, but the child might immediately consider a name change.

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Once Upon a Time Baby Names

The TV show Once Upon a Time is setting two different trends right now: 1) fashion trends (the main character's jackets are constantly being talked about) and 2) baby names. Fans have been looking forward to season 2, which began yesterday. From this first episode we are introduced to Mulan, Aurora (sleeping beauty), and Sleeping Beauty's Prince Phillip.

A lot of thought went into character names for this show. Emma Swan is the main character, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming aka James aka David Nolan. Emma is played by Jennifer Morrison, Snow White aka Mary Margaret Blanchard is played by Ginnifer Goodwin, and Charming is played by Josh Dallas. Ms. Swan's story involves a son she gave up for adoption when she was young, and that son had been adopted by the Evil Queen, Regina Mills. Emma's son Henry is played by Jared S. Gilmore, and Regina is played by Lana Parrilla.

Here's a little on the name meanings:
Emma - a royal name in medieval England, "entire, all, universal"
Swan - ...swans are white, carries on the fantasy surname
Mary Margaret - a double name of Biblical Virgin Mary and Saint Margaret to fit her pure character, Mary means "star of the sea" (and alternate meaning is "rebellion") and Margaret means "pearl," (as in "pearl-white")
Blanchard - surname, "white" and "brave, strong"
James - the name of a king, "he who supplants" (in reference to replacing the previous James in the show)
David - the name of a king, "beloved"
Nolan - "champion"
Regina - "queen"
Henry - another royal name, "home ruler"

Other characters:
Mr. Gold aka Rumplestiltskin
Kathryn Nolan, David's wife aka Princess Abigail
Sheriff Graham aka the huntsman
Archie Hopper aka Jiminy Cricket
August Booth aka Pinocchio
Ruby aka Red Riding Hood
Sidney Glass aka the Magic Mirror
Jefferson aka Mad Hatter
Marco aka Geppetto
Ashley Boyd aka Cinderella
Nova, a fairy
and Belle

Also, if anyone knows how to make blog buttons, I'm trying to learn how.

Facebook

I now have a Facebook page for the blog, under the title Rare and Unusual Baby Names. I would love to see everyone on Facebook and see where it leads! Thank you so much to everyone who stops by to read my posts.

Also, I had to mention the fact that Garnet surpassed Flora in popularity on this blog. I never would have guessed, but I'm glad! It's my dream to one day get a comment saying "Your blog is the only place that has so much information on >insert name here<."

Name Interview with Ingrid

What is your name? 
Ingrid.

What decade were you born in? 
Late 90's.

How did you get your name?
My parents wanted a Norwegian name, and they eventually settled on Ingrid.

How did you feel about your name growing up?
I'm still a teenager, but I like having an unusual name.

How do you feel about your name now?
The same, I guess.

If you have any kids, what are their name(s)? 
No kids. :)

What is the name of your best friend?
Katarina.  Occasionally Kit-Kat.

What are some common names for your age group?
Emily, Hannah, Caitlin, Mackenzie...

If you had to give yourself a new first name, what would it be?
Either Theadora or Hermione!

Of the kids you've met most recently, which are your favorites and least favorites?
I know a Aurora who's a toddler. I really like that name a lot.

What are your favorite names at the moment?
Theadora, Genevieve, Isadora, Lumina, Rosalia, Hermione, and Lavender.

What advice would you give expecting parents looking for the perfect name?
Remember to look everywhere--from street names to name websites to people you know.  You never know how you'll find the perfect name.

Ingrid Bergman

Ingrid is a Scandinavian girl's name meaning "Ing's beauty" or "beautiful Ing," in Old Norse. Ing (modern Inga is more popular) was the Old Norse goddess of the earth's fertility. She would ride over the land each year to get it ready for spring planting. The goddess Ing's name was apparently a trancription of Freyr, an important Old Norse god, or she was his ancestor. The name's popularity can be traced back to the "queen mother" of Denmark named Ingrid. This Queen of Denmark and Princess of Sweden's full name was Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta. Currently, there is a Princess Ingrid Alexandra in Norway, heir apparent. There was also Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld, an astronomer, and a noble woman named Ingrid Ylva, known as the White Witch. Inga would make a nice nickname, and Astrid the perfect sister.

Today, the most well known namesake is Ingrid Bergman, an actress from Sweden. Ingrid was a character used in Janet Fitch's novel White Oleander, and a children's book called Ingrid and the Wolf. A quick search indicated that it was not a character in The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson (that was Gerda), as other baby name sites have suggested.

The name Ingrid has ranked on the U.S. top 1000 every year since 1913, starting low at #934, going up to #456 in 1946, then #404 in 1966, and ending back down at #856 in 2011. There were 305 baby girls given the name Ingrid in 2011. Five different spellings of Isabelle ranked above it, as well as Ivy, Iris, Imani, Isla, Isis, Itzel, Irene, Iliana, and Ivanna. Whitepages tells me that Ingrid was most popular in 1967, where I have it as 1966. It also says Ingrid was introduced in the 20th century and that 41,189 people living in the U.S. have this name, 47% between the ages of 30 and 54. 26% are under 12, 13% over 55, and 13% between 13 and 29. There were 21 baby girls named Inga in 2011.

Kol

Kol from The Vampire Diaries

Kol is a pretty straight-forward old Viking name meaning "coal," in Old Norse, but it can also mean "dark," and "black." Cole/Kole, Colby/Kolby and Colton/Kolton are the most common variations seen today, and Kol/Col is a pretty common name prefix and suffix. It is more commonly seen as Cole or Kole due to it's transfer into Old English usage. Kolt/Colt and Kolton/Colton both meaning "coal town," although Colt can also refer to a young male horse. Now, the most common namesake is the fictional character Kol from The Vampire Diaries, part of an ancient Viking line turned vampire. There is a female variant, Kolfinna, meaning "dark and fair," which is well used in Iceland, and there were no recorded births for it (ever) in the U.S. In 2011 there were 9 baby boys named Khole, 9 Kolden, 13 Kol, 699 Kolton, ranking at #403, 349 Kole, ranking at #671, 321 Kolby, ranking at #706, 291 Kolten, ranking at #766, 111 Kolt, and 34 Kolson, as well as a handful of various other non-traditional spellings. Cole currently ranks at #94, Colt ranks at #326, Colby ranks at #314, and Colton ranks at #74.

Belphoebe & Amoret

Yes, you read that right - Belphoebe, not Phoebe. Pronounced bell-FEE-bee. I must apologize in advance, because I studied English and could write a ten page paper on this name if I don't cut myself off. Edmund Spenser used Belphoebe in his allegorical poem The Faerie Queene, and he had great taste. In fact, he invented Belphoebe, as there is no other record of the name before that. The History of Christian Names (Yonge, 1884) lists the meaning as "far light," composed from Latin words, but The Spenser Encyclopedia tells us it is one part bel ("beautiful") and one part Phoebe, the so-called goddess of the moon, meaning "bright, radiant." which is more accurate when given her character and what Spenser modeled her on. Considering names used at the time, such as Christobel, the second meaning of Belphoebe is backed up. Spenser even said her name "refers to the goddess of chastity." To elaborate, Phoebe was a Titan associated with the moon and Diana/Artemis (Latin/Greek, respectfully) was goddess of the moon. In Spenser's Faerie Queene, Belphoebe is an Arthurian character very similar to the goddess Artemis, and intended to, in part, represent Queen Elizabeth I. She is strong and independent, a hermit-like hunter, and the picture of noble chastity, which was spot-on as a tribute to/version of Artemis and the Virgin Queen. Not to mention that Belphoebe and was adopted by the goddess Diana, so...

Belphoebe spends her time in the woods avoiding potential suitors and lusty men. She comes across a wounded squire of King Athur named Timias who had just avenged a damsel in distress, and Belphoebe heals him in her home (hut). When he wakes up he immediately falls in love with her. However, Belphoebe is so chaste and pure, intending to stay that way, that Timias cannot hope to win her over. It takes him a long time to win her love.

As described above, Belphoebe was directly based on the Queen and Artemis in character and the goddess Phoebe in name, but there were several names for "the moon goddess," in which many stories were told with the same basic idea. Two other moon goddess names from Greek and Roman myth are Selene (Greek) and Luna (Roman). Even Juno was sometimes identified as a moon goddess, and in most worldwide mythology, the sun and the moon are the foundation of the religion. Each moon goddess shares many aspects, but usually has one characteristic or something about her story that is just a little different than the other, and the story changes depending on who is telling it. For you smart cookies/nerds out there, the base plot of Sailor Moon was modeled on the story Endymion and Phoebe, also known as Endymion and Selene. It was told with Luna for the Romans, Selene for the Greeks. Endymion is credited with being the first man to study the moon. Selene fell in love with him as he fell asleep watching the stars, and visited him every night as he slept. She had fifty daughters by Endymion called the Menae, one of which was Pandora. I'm not quite sure how they had kids, considering Endymion was put into eternal sleep at Selene's request, since she said he looked so beautiful when he slept. In a different version of the story, the god Hypnos was jealous of Endymion's looks and cast a spell on him to sleep with his eyes open, so that creepy Hypnos could enjoy looking at his entire face.

Britomart and Amoret by Mary F. Raphael

Now, Belphoebe's twin sister Amoret has her own story, which takes less time to explain. They were twins of Chrysogone, born of immaculate conception (she was impregnated by sun beams...yeah). The goddess Diana adopted Belphoebe, and the goddess Venus adopted Amoret. Spenser uses the twins to represent "chaste love and virginity," each representing one virtue. Amoret was supposed to marry Scudamour but was kidnapped on her wedding night, then the female knight Britomart saves her. Where Belphoebe represents virginity, Amoret represents married love, or chaste love. She is also another portrayal of the Virgin Queen. She is loyal to the one she loves, eventually reunites with him, and they marry. Amoret means "little love," and likely that it is a Spenser-style variation of the Italian word amore, meaning love, with a possible French twist (the T at the end). Occasionally the name is spelled Amoretta, making it seem more Italian.

Amoret in the Garden of Adonis by John Dickson Batten

Overall, Belphoebe and Amoret are great antique finds that sounds fresh today, would fit right in, have literary value, and Belphoebe can also appease a love of both Belle and Phoebe at the same time, all while being legit. If anyone wants the link to the blog of one the only two living people I can find with the name Belphoebe, comment and I'll respond with it. In 2011 there were 14 baby girls named Amorette, no Amoret, and no Belphoebe. For the record, Whitepages said there's only one Belphoebe in the U.S. and 48 named Amoret. How's that for a rare name?




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