Category Archives: Your Questions Answered

More About Matilda

29 Sunday Jul 2012

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I love the title I chose for my blog, and as time goes by, it seems to be growing into its name even better. Although I don’t suffer from one ounce of name regret, an unintended side effect of its title is that it when people Google anything to do with the name “Matilda”, they often seem to be guided to Waltzing More Than Matilda.

They have been sent here under false pretences, because the blog isn’t dedicated to the name Matilda, or people named Matilda, or the song Waltzing Matilda. Even though Matilda is a Featured Name, in the wider scheme of things, it doesn’t rate too many mentions at all on the blog. I feel bad that so often, the information they are looking for just isn’t here.

So this is my attempt to answer as many of the Googled questions as I can about the name Matilda. They are all genuine questions, but I have added punctuation and corrected the odd typo to make things easier (it seemed fair enough as people don’t write their Google searches for publication). I’ve added information in brackets to make questions clearer, and where there were several questions asking similar things, I have amalgamated them into a generic enquiry.

I hope you enjoy learning more about Matilda; I ended up learning a great deal myself!

Matildas in the Bible/What is the Biblical significance of the name Matilda?

There aren’t any, and there is none.

Is Matilda the name of an angel?

No. Angels are always given male Hebrew names by tradition.

Is Matilda a saints name?

Yes. Saint Matilda was the wife of King Henry I of Germany, and she was therefore Queen Matilda too. She is said to have been very beautiful and virtuous, and was famous for her devotion to prayer and works of charity. Her feast day is March 14, and she is the patron saint of parents with large families, although she only had five children herself – Hedwig, Otto, Gerberga, Henry and Bruno.

Is there a character named Matilda in Shakespeare?

No.

Is there a star or constellation named Matilda?

No.

Is there a rose named Matilda?

Yes. There’s a hybrid named Rosa “Matilda” which was registered in France in 1988. It’s a hardy perennial shrub, and its scentless blooms are white with delicate pink edges.

Is Matilda an Irish or an Australian name?

Neither – it’s the Latinised form of a Germanic name, Mahthildis.

What is the Irish form of Matilda?

Maitilde. It was never a common name in Ireland though.

Why do Australians claim Matilda (as their own)? It’s not really Australian

It’s because of our national song, Waltzing Matilda. I’m sorry if it annoys you – you sound annoyed. You’re right that it’s not Australian, it’s German originally, but a German migrant to Australia helped to inspire the song.

What was Waltzing Matilda‘s first name?

As far as I know, the song’s title was always Waltzing Matilda.

Is Waltzing Matilda a train?

Not that I know of.

Did James Cook have a kid named Matilda?

No. His children were called James, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Joseph, George and Hugh.

Were any of the convicts named Matilda?

When I searched the Australian Convict Collection at Ancestry.com.au, I got almost 2000 hits for the name “Matilda”. Some of those would be middle names, and some would be doubled-up entries, so maybe around 1000 convicts had the name Matilda.

There was also a convict ship named the Matilda; she came out in 1791 as part of the Third Fleet. However, she only carried male convicts, so there were no Matildas on the Matilda, alas.

How popular is the name Matilda in Australia?

It made #19 on the national chart for 2011.

A beautiful rocking Australian girl named Matilda?

I’m sure there’s absolutely tons of them.

Is there an Aboriginal name that’s the equivalent of Matilda?

It depends what you mean by “equivalent”. If you mean, Is there an Aboriginal girl’s name with the same meaning as Matilda?, then I don’t think so. Matilda means something like “strong in battle”, as the ancient Germanic tribes had a warrior culture. Aboriginal names tend to be inspired by nature.

However, if you mean, Is there a girl’s name of Aboriginal origin which, like Matilda, is considered to be a stereotypically Australian girl’s name?, then I would suggest that the name Talia fits that description, and Allira seems to be preparing to take its place.

Famous people named Matilda

One of the most notorious in Australia is Matilda Mary “Tilly” Devine, who was a prostitute and madam prominent in the 1920s and ’30s. The press called her “The Worst Woman in Sydney” and “The Queen of the Night”. Her colourful career continued until the late 1960s, and she died relatively well off.

Celebrity babies named Matilda

Matilda Esma Birmingham – Simon Birmingham (2011)

Matilda Thomson – Craig Thomson (2009)

Matilda Kewell – Harry Kewell and Sheree Murphy (2008)

Matilda Rose Ledger – Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams (2005)

Matilda Elizabeth Ramsay – Gordon Ramsay (2002)

In what year was Matilda a name?

Wow, that’s very specific. The name’s origins go back to the Dark Ages, but I’m not sure at which point it was Latinised as Matilda. I do know that it became an English name in 1066, as this was the name of William the Conqueror’s wife. However, her name was pronounced Maude. I think the modern-day pronunciation dates to the 18th century.

There must be a “first Matilda” – the first person with both the modern spelling and pronunciation of the name – but who she is, and what year she was born, I’m afraid I cannot say. I welcome input and suggestions from others more knowledgeable than myself.

Is Matilda too trendy?

No, I don’t think so. It’s trending downwards in Australia and the UK, and is still underused in the United States.

Will Matilda reach Top 100 in North America?

It’s been back on the US Top 1000 for only four years, and you are already worrying about it getting into the Top 100? Sheesh. It’s not even going up in popularity very quickly! If it does, it won’t be for years and years, so quit stressing already.

Is Matilda a boy or a girl name?/Matilda as a boy’s name/Any boys named Matilda?

It’s a girl’s name, and although you are free to use it on a boy, it’s an idea that doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve never heard of a boy named Matilda; they may all call themselves Matt to avoid terminal embarrassment.

What’s a good boy’s name to match with Matilda?

Angus, Banjo, Barnaby, Charlie, Darcy, Harry, Henry, Jack, Jasper, Lachlan, Liam, Sam, William

What girl names go good with Matilda?

Adelaide, Alice, Charlotte, Clementine, Harriet, Edith, Emmeline, Lucy, Poppy, Rose, Ruby, Sophie

An Aussie-style sibset for Matilda?

I think the quintessential Australian sibset is Jack, Matilda, Lachlan, and Ruby.

Names to go with the middle name Matilda?

Annabel Matilda, Caroline Matilda, Eloise Matilda, Jane Matilda, Phoebe Matilda, Violet Matilda

A boy’s name that rhymes with Matilda?

Bob the Builder? Seriously, I don’t think there is one.

Name of story about mean stupid couple who have nice smart kid called Matilda?

Matilda, by Roald Dahl. It was originally published in 1988, made into a film in 1996, and adapted as a musical in 2012.

What’s that song at the start of (the movie) Matilda where she makes stuff spin round?

Little Bitty Pretty One. It was written and originally recorded by Bobby Day; the movie features the 1957 version sung by Thurston Harris.

What are the cast of (the movie) Matilda all doing now?

The whole cast? For flip’s sake, that’s dozens of people! Go look it up at the Internet Movie Database or something.

Matilda is an awesome name

Too right it is!

(Image from Flickr)

More of Your Questions on Unisex Names Answered

24 Sunday Jun 2012

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It’s been more than two months since my first foray into answering questions on unisex names, and as I just started a new page for them, it seemed like a good opportunity for another lot. In the interval, the number of questions on this subject has piled up alarmingly, so it’s obviously topic de jour.

As with my first entry on this topic, I consider the origin, meaning, history, namesakes and popularity of a name to determine whether it’s male, female, or unisex.

Keep in mind that by law all names are unisex, and it is purely personal choice and social convention which dictate whether they are given to boys or girls. Unless otherwise specified, popularity of names is based on Australian data.

I: GIRLS OR BOYS?

Flynn as a girl’s name

Flynn is an Irish surname meaning “son of Flann“, so it’s a boy’s name.

Is Chase a unisex name? Are there any girls called Chase?

Technically it’s male, as the surname is an occupational one given to a huntsman, from the Old French for “hunter” (male form). However, you could argue that the name is given directly from the vocabulary word, meaning “to pursue”. I have also seen parents say that on a girl, Chase is short for Chastity. There are most certainly girls named Chase in the world.

Sutton as a girls name

There’s no reason why this surname can’t be used on either a boy or a girl, as it is taken from a common English place name meaning “south settlement”. In Australia, Sutton is a small village in country New South Wales on the Yass River. There is an American actress named Sutton Foster who has appeared in the show, Flight of the Conchords.

Peter as a girl’s name is that Aussie?

No, it’s not. In Australia, Peter is a classic name for boys which has never been off the charts, peaked at #1 in the 1950s and is currently in the 100s. It’s never charted for girls. You may be thinking of the female form, Peta, which was on the charts from the 1930s to the late 2000s. It peaked in the 1970s at #73, the only decade it was in the Top 100. It does seem to be a name from the Southern Hemisphere, as it only seems to have been popular in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Gunner as a girl’s name

Gunner is one of those rare surnames which can be taken as coming from a woman’s name, the Old Norse Gunvor, meaning “female battle warrior”. However, we usually think of it as coming from the occupational name for a soldier who manned the cannons during war. So I think this can be either a girl’s name or a boy’s name.

II: BOYS OR GIRLS?

Can Sky be a guy’s name?

Yes it can. In Greek mythology, Uranus was the god of the sky, seen as male compared to the earth goddess Gaia. So if anything, the sky seems to be masculine in Western culture. Sky can also be be short for Schuyler or Skyler.

Is Addison a boy’s name?

It means “son of Adam”, so yes it is a boy’s name. However, it is currently Top 100 for girls, and doesn’t rank for boys, so it’s much more commonly given to females. We had a celebrity baby boy named Addison this year.

Any dudes named Courtney?

A famous Australian one that springs to mind is singer Courtney Murphy, who was on Season 2 of Australian Idol. Another is the triathlete Courtney Atkinson, and Courtney Johns plays Australian rules football for Essendon.

Stolen boys name – Kelly?

I don’t think it’s possible to “steal” a name from one gender – it’s usually more about the name being rejected or neglected on behalf of its original gender.

However, let’s assume that “gender stealing” actually exists. For a name to be classified as “stolen” from the boys, it would have to be popular as a male name, and then show the name in decline for boys, accompanied by a corresponding rise in the use of the name for girls. That doesn’t seem to be case with Kelly – it has never charted as a male name in Australia, and has charted as a female name since the 1950s.

In the US, which has data going back to the 19th century, Kelly has been on the Top 1000 since 1880, and only stopped charting for boys in 2003. It began charting for girls in the 1940s, but as the name rose for girls during the 1950s, it also continued rising for boys.

Kelly for boys peaked in 1968 when it just scraped into the Top 100, which corresponds to it also hitting a peak for girls at #12. That doesn’t fit the profile of a “stolen” name – that fits the profile of a unisex name. Kelly for girls peaked again in the late 1970s, but by that time Kelly for boys was on the wane.

You could say that was because it was remaining fairly popular as a girl’s name – but that doesn’t explain all those years that both names grew in popularity together. Nor does it explain the many, many decades that Kelly spent as a male name only, free of all feminine interference, without ever gaining any level of significant popularity.

Having said that, Kelly actually is a male name, although usage is now primarily female. So whether it’s “stolen” or not depends on your perspective.

Chelsea can be for boys? Is Chelsea a boy name too? (asked multiple times in various ways)

There’s really nothing especially feminine about the place name Chelsea, which means “chalk wharf” and is the name of a football club, so by meaning and association this name seems unisex, and it has been occasionally given as a male name. In fact, the blogger at The Name Agender is a man named Chelsea, and he has written an article about growing up as a boy named Chelsea, as well as an interesting article on several men and boys named Chelsea, including a celebrity baby from last year.

III. JUST PLAIN CONFUSED

Is there more boys or girls named Taylor?

More girls – Taylor has always been much more popular as a girls name than a boys name in Australia.

Is Edith a unisex name?

No, it’s a woman’s name, and has a history of over a thousand years being given to females. In Australia it has only ever charted as a girl’s name.

Is Bailey a girls or boys name in Australia based on statistics?

Based on Australian statistics, it’s a boy’s name. It has only ever charted for boys, and never for girls.

Mackenzie boy or girl name?

It means “son of Kenneth“, so it’s a boy’s name. However, it has only ever charted as a female name, so it’s much more commonly given to girls.

I named my daughter Riley can I use a unisex name again?

Well of course, nobody is going to stop you. You can name your children exactly as you please, and there is no “One Unisex Name Per Family” law. But if you are asking for an opinion, this is mine:

If your next child is a girl, I would advise choosing another unisex name to match her sister’s, like Cameron or Alex. I’ve noticed girls often tend to get a bit jealous if one sister has a girly name and the other one has a boyish name – or at least it is made an excuse for sisterly jealousies.

However, if your next child is a boy, I would advise choosing a name that is unambiguously male, like Jake or Brendan. This is purely my own preference, but I think a boy should have a name that is more masculine than his sister/s.

Just for practical reasons, if you tell someone, “I have a daughter and a son; their names are Riley and Avery”, the person would be confused as to which one was the girl and which the boy, and it’s considered rude to ask.

Well, those are my opinions: what are yours? Do you prefer Edith for a boy and Peter for a girl? Has Kelly been stolen? How many dudes named Courtney do you know? And what would you name the siblings of a girl called Riley?

(Picture shows Katherine Hepburn in the 1935 movie, Sylvia Scarlett, in which Hepburn must disguise herself as a boy, despite the difficulties involved when it comes to public toilets).

The Top Ten Boys Names of 2028

27 Sunday May 2012

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This follows on from The Top Ten Girls Names of 2028, so if you want to know the methods used, and what this is all about, and whether it’s really the Top 10 of 2028, then go read that first. If you’ve read it, you’ll know I ran into a few frustrations doing the girls names, and if anything, the boys names ended up being even more of a headache.

Angie, the discerning blogger behind Upswing Baby Names, was kind enough to leave me a long and thoughtful comment, which in part wondered whether posting predictions itself could change the future.

For example, a parent worried about a name they like gaining popularity may avoid it, even if the name is currently under-used. Therefore, names tipped to become popular are less likely to actually become popular. (Hmm, if this is true, pick a name that is touted as being popular in the future, because that will scare everyone else off!)

Angie herself, in her article Warning: Your Baby’s Name Could Become #1, notes that the number of popular names is shrinking markedly each decade, and that in effect, the popularity of names is virtually meaningless today. Yet somehow, we worry about it more than ever. Pretty crazy, huh?

Now I didn’t fret myself too much over Angie’s concerns, because I didn’t really imagine many people would read my blog entry, and didn’t think those that did would pay any attention. So I was somewhat disconcerted to see that it had been posted on a parenting forum, in part as an alert that the name a woman had chosen for her daughter, Freya, had been pegged for potential eventual #1 status by yours truly.

Fortunately, at least one of my predictions was proved right, because nobody appeared to pay much attention to me, and several flat-out said I was wrong. (These tended to be the type of people who didn’t think Olivia was popular, because they hardly knew anyone of that name, so their views on name popularity may not be particularly au courant).

The overwhelming advice given was exactly what I would have said myself: Don’t worry about whether a name will be popular in the future, that isn’t something you are able to control, and it would be foolish to avoid using a name you love for fear of what may happen later.

Sage, sane and sensible advice. Follow it!

Current Top Ten

  • William #24 in ’95 and #37 for the 1980s (gradual rise up the Top 50)
  • Lucas #87 in ’95 and #105 for the 1980s (steady rise into the Top 100)
  • Lachlan #26 in ’95 and #75 for the 1980s (steady rise up the Top 100)
  • Ethan #61 in ’95 and #323 for the 1980s (precipitious rise into the Top 100)
  • Oliver #75 in ’95 and #140 for the 1980s (steep rise into the Top 100)
  • Jack #7 in ’95 and #91 for the 1980s (steady rise up the Top 100)
  • Noah #161 for the 1990s and in rare use for the 1980s (new name that skyrockets)
  • Thomas #6 in ’95 and #27 for the 1980s (gradual rise into the Top 10)
  • Joshua #1 in ’95 and #11 for the 1980s (gradual rise to #1)
  • Cooper #125 for the 1990s, in rare use in the 1980s (new name that skyrockets)

1. ISAAC

Isaac is currently #19, and in 2001 he was #40. This is pretty close to William’s stately progress through the Top 50, and as such, I am picking him as the #1 name of the future. It did come as a bit of surprise to me, but it’s the only name that even comes near to matching William’s pattern. When I checked the Top 100 for the US and England/Wales, both of them still have Isaac around where he was for us ten years ago, but making similar progress. The popularity of Isaac may become apparent here earlier due to our smaller population size.

2. KAI

Kai is #83 right now, and he was #105 for the early 2000s. This is an extremely good match with Lucas, almost perfect in fact. Now the question is, will Kai shoot up the Top 100 the way Lucas did? I’m a bit sceptical, because I can’t help feeling that Lucas got quite a big boost from popular culture. I think someone is going to have to produce a TV show with a likeable main character named Kai. Even without such a TV show, it’s clear that Kai is doing very well for himself.

3. LOGAN

Logan is currently #34, and in 2001 he was #78. That’s not quite a good enough match to please me, but it’s the best I could get. Although the two names sound a bit alike, I don’t think Logan is going to be the next Lachlan, because Logan simply doesn’t mean as much in Australia as Lachlan does; it doesn’t have the same history and resonance. As you can see, it hasn’t climbed as high in the same space of time either. However, Logan is a common place name in Australia, and I’m still tipping it to continue rising.

4. CHASE

Chase is currently #85, and he was #407 for the early 2000s. I couldn’t find a name which mimicked Ethan very closely, and Chase was the best I could do. As you can see, he has actually climbed faster than Ethan did, and Ethan was no slouch. If Chase continues at his current rate, he will be Top Ten sooner than 2028. We’ll have to wait and see.

5. HUGO

Hugo is currently #90, and he was #143 for the early 2000s. This is a similar pattern to Oliver, but Hugo hasn’t climbed quite as high as Oliver did in the same space of time. However, you can see that he is still making good progress, and looks set to continue. He also has the fashionable OH sound we saw on the girls’ list – although can anyone really believe in a Top Ten which contains both a Harlow for girls and a Hugo for boys? It boggles the mind.

6. LUCAS

Lucas is currently #2, and ten years ago he was #82. This looks quite similar to Jack’s climb from the bottom of the Top 100 into the Top 10. Jack has of course proved himself a real stayer, and we’ll have to see whether Lucas has similar powers of endurance. I was going to say I doubted it, and then I looked back through the blog and saw I had earlier tipped Lucas to be only just outside the Top 10 in thirty years, based on comparisons with the Top Ten of 1982. So for reasons of consistency, I now feel compelled to say that yes, Lucas will still be in the Top Ten seventeen years later.

7. BENTLEY OR GRAYSON (???)

I knew I was going to hit a horrible snag at some point, and this was the point where that occurred. I needed to find a name that, like Noah in 1995, is around #160 at the moment, but ten years ago, did not even chart. The trouble is, it’s not possible to find that on the present chart, because it’s too new to show up yet. Left struggling in the dark, all I could think of was that since Noah was a name that became popular in the United States before it did here, I would see where Noah was on the US charts in 1995. It had just scraped its way onto the very bottom of the Top 100, after climbing a very brisk 59 places. I had a look at the 2011 US chart to see if there were any names that looked similar to that, which might possibly be around #160 here, and drew a blank. The names on the US Top 100 which climbed the highest last year were Bentley and Grayson, but only 25 places – not even half what Noah managed. Are Bentley and Grayson in the mid-100s here at the moment? I have no idea. If I go down just outside the Top 100, Easton (#102) climbed 43 places, and Jace (#106) climbed 40 places, which comes closer to Noah, but I can’t really see either of them in the mid-100s. I don’t think there is an equivalent to Noah, but without any solid data to draw on, I’m left dangling. Your guess is very much as good (or bad) as mine – and that is all this is, complete guesswork.

8. ETHAN

Ethan is currently #4, and in 2001 he was #17. That isn’t a perfect match with Thomas, but it does show Ethan moving up the Top 50 into the Top 10, like Thomas. I could have chosen either Oliver or Noah, but the idea of having both Olive and Oliver in the Top 10 seemed ludicrous, and I was quite out of patience with poor Noah by this stage. I also saw that I had earlier tipped Ethan to be a real stayer, so once more felt that I had little choice but to choose him again.

9. WILLIAM

William is currently the #1 name, and in 2001 he was #10. This is virtually a perfect match with long-lasting Joshua, who was #1 in 1995, and #11 for the 1980s. Basically if trends in boys’ names continue as they have been, 30% of the Top 10 in seventeen years will consist of names that are in the present Top 10. I feel as if boys’ names are becoming less conservative and there will be greater change coming in the future, but that may just be wishful thinking on my part.

10. ARCHER

With finding an equivalent for Cooper, I was in a similar position to finding an equivalent to Noah (ie there would be no data available at this early stage). However, I felt I had more freedom to choose, because Cooper seems to be a name which is much more popular in Australia than anywhere else. Therefore, there was no need to look through overseas data, or do any number crunching – it was just a matter of thinking of a new name which has grown wildly in popularity over the past few years, yet isn’t in the Top 100 yet. I was also hoping it would be an English surname/vocabulary name like Cooper. It really didn’t take much thought to light upon Archer; after reading birth announcements for months, I can see Archer is a name taking off like wildfire, and anyone can see it will be in the Top 100 within a few years or so. Can I see it reaching the Top 10? Yes, easily. It has better nickname options than Cooper, and a more romantic meaning, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it does better than Cooper.

My Tips for Coming Trends

  • IE sounds, as in Isaac and Kai
  • OH sounds, as in Logan and Hugo
  • Hard K sounds, as in Isaac, Kai and Lucas
  • S-enders, like Chase and Lucas
  • The rise and rise of the surname name for boys
  • Stronger influence from the US than from the UK
  • The names that are popular now still hanging on and becoming standards

The Top Ten Girls Names of 2028

20 Sunday May 2012

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A couple of weeks ago as I was checking my stats, I saw that the release of all the 2011 name data had influenced someone to Google me a rather interesting question: What names will be popular in the future? Now if someone had asked me that a year ago, I would have been very much perplexed as how to answer. Even Laura Wattenberg from The Name Wizard suggests that guesswork is pretty much all we have to go on.

However, last October Kay from Nook of Names brought out her Top Ten for 2035, based on the US data. Kay’s method was simple, yet inspired – she looked at where the currently popular names were in 1985, and then found a name which is in a similar position today, in order to extrapolate them to their 2035 position. I thought I’d give her method a go, but also see check to see where each name was a decade previously to see if each name was following a similar trajectory. (I think Kay probably did this too).

I went into it very optimistically, but found it brought me a certain degree of angst, because it’s actually pretty difficult to find two names that follow the exact same path to success. However, I persevered, and found the closest possible matches available. In case you’re wondering why I hit on 2028, it’s because the New South Wales Top 100 goes back to 1995, so I went ahead 17 years from last year’s data. Of course, if you’ve just had a baby, 17 years will see it verging on adulthood – another reason it seemed like a good time period to evaluate.

Now, do I really think this is the New South Wales Top Ten for the year 2028? Well no, that’s just a sensationalist headline designed to grab your attention. Frankly I will be staggered (and slightly scared) if all these names simultaneously turn up in the Top Ten of the same year, let alone in this order! However, based on their current performance, I am tipping most of these names to increase in popularity – in some cases, to dramatically increase.

Current Top Ten

  • Chloe #22 in ’95, and #72 for the 1980s (a steady rise up the Top 100)
  • Ruby #107 for the 1990s, and #560 for the 1980s (a skyrocket from nowhere)
  • Olivia #26 in ’95, and #117 for the 1980s (a steady rise into the Top 100)
  • Isabella #34 in ’95, and #509 for the 1980s (a skyrocket from nowhere)
  • Mia #138 for the 1990s, and #320 for the 1980s (a steep rise)
  • Charlotte #87 in ’95, and #180 for the 1980s (a steady rise into the Top 100)
  • Sophie #25 in ’95, and #74 for the 1980s (a steady rise up the Top 100)
  • Sienna #402 for the 1990s, and barely in use in the 1980s (a new name, climbing exponentially)
  • Ava #466 for the 1990s, and barely in use in the 1980s (a new name, climbing exponentially)
  • Amelia #52 in ’95, and #118 for the 1980s (a steady rise into the Top 100)

FUTURE TOP TEN

1. ABIGAIL

Abigail is currently #27, and ten years ago she was #88. I thought that made her a good match with Chloe. Abigail is already a Top Ten name in the US, and although we’ve been lagging behind, by 2028 I think we’ll be well and truly caught up. I hesitated before nominating Abigail as the #1 name, but it does make sense, because of the rampant popularity of her many short forms.

2. OLIVE

Currently, Olive is probably somewhere in the 120s-130s, and a decade ago she was barely in use. That pattern doesn’t exactly match Ruby’s, but it isn’t too different either. If you’re looking for a meteoric rise to echo that of Ruby, Olive fits the bill better than any other candidate. I also like the idea of Ruby’s replacement being another vintage colour name. Even today, when Ruby is so hugely popular, there are grandparents meeting their new grand-daughter and saying, “But Ruby is an ugly old lady name!”. I predict similar reactions to all the baby Olives who will be born in the future.

3. EVA

Eva is currently #21, and a decade before she was somewhere in the 150s. Her climb has been steeper than Olivia’s, but she’s the best match I could find. That steeper climb may mean she peaks sooner than Olivia, but she’s also a classic name which has never left the charts, which I’m hoping will give her some ballast. She does almost seem like a shorter, snappier form of Olivia.

4. ISLA

Isla is currently #22, and ten years ago she was #445 for the early 2000s. This wasn’t a close enough match to please me, but no matter how I wrestled with the data, Isla was the closest equivalent, and did have a similar zoom up the charts, as well as looking like an updated Isabella. I can’t see any reason why Isla won’t continue to go higher, quite possibly to #1, and both Isabella and Isla have been chosen for royal babies. Of course, a major book and movie series with a main character called Isla wouldn’t hurt either, just for that extra buzz factor.

5. FREYA

Freya is currently around the 130s, and was #269 for the early 2000s. That’s not quite as steep a rise as Mia had, but it’s pretty darn close. Not only do Mia and Freya both have a northern European feel to them, but both are are associated with actresses as well – Mia with Mia Farrow, and Freya with Freya Stafford. I can see Freya doing very well indeed, and can easily picture her going to #1.

6. ELOISE

Eloise is currently #96, and a decade ago she was #140 for the early 2000s. I think that’s a fairly good match with Charlotte, which also went from the 100s into the lower portion of the Top 100 in ten years. Eloise seems a worthy successor to Charlotte, for both are elegant French names which manage to sound both strong and feminine. Eloise isn’t climbing as steeply as Charlotte, so we’ll have to see how far she manages to get in 17 years, but I think she will do well.

7. ZARA

In 2011, Zara was #26, and a decade ago in 2011 she was #83. This seems similar to Sophie’s steady rise from the bottom third of the Top 100 into the Top 20. Both Sophie and Zara have a French origin, with just a touch of the Middle East about them. I’m not sure whether Zara will keep climbing or if she’s peaked already and will begin a gentle decline; however, I have similar doubts about Sophie as well. If you’ve really been paying attention, you will see I could have easily swapped Abigail and Zara around, and after much deliberation, I decided Abigail seemed more likely to go to #1.

8. HAVANA

Now this is the part where my fortune-telling gets really sticky, because in 1995, Sienna was only used about 11 times per year in New South Wales. In other words, she may show up on the data now, but that’s only because of her success – in 1995 she wouldn’t have even been a blip on the radar, and in 1985, she was barely known. That means I had to come up with a name that is still little used, but feels as if it might be going somewhere. I wanted to pick a name similar to Sienna; I wanted a modern name just coming into use, and I hoped to find one that was also a place name. Quite a tall order, but eventually I decided upon Havana. Of course it’s a huge gamble picking a name so far in advance, but Havana seems like a pretty good bet. She’s similar to Heaven, Haven, Ava, Anna, Hannah, Savannah, Vanna and Ivana – in other words, she sound like a whole bunch of familiar words and names while having a very clear identity of her own. She doesn’t look out of place on this hypothetical Top Ten either, as she shares a V sound with Eva and Olive. Sienna only whizzed up the charts after Sienna Miller began her career, but in 17 years, it’s possible that a young model named Havana will be ready to take the world by storm. It could happen.

9. HARLOW

When it came to picking another Ava for the future, although I was looking for a name even rarer than Havana, I really had a much easier time of it. Ava was a name that we gained from America, so I simply went to the US Top 1000 for 1995 and saw where Ava was, then tried to find today’s equivalent. Of course, I was looking for one which was climbing like Ava, and if possible, had a similar feel to it. In 1995, Ava was #737, and ten years earlier, she wasn’t on the Top 1000, but just scraped in the year before. After much internal debate, I decided upon Harlow, which was #621 last year, and not on the Top 1000 in 2001. Although Harlow is climbing far more rapidly than Ava, she seemed the most likely candidate. Like Ava, she is a name redolant of Hollywood glamour, and she has the OH sound found in Eloise, while beginning with H like Havana. She fits on the list. At the moment, Harlow is very little used in Australia, and newspaper articles even discuss the strange unpopularity of Harlow. Like Ava, she may well fly under the radar, until one day we all wake up and suddenly realise Harlow is in the Top 100 and climbing. (Cue parental handwringing).

10. ROSE

Rose is currently #65, and she was #119 for the early 2000s. Not only does this look quite similar to Amelia’s pattern, but both these names are classic, pretty and wholesome. Rose is by no means shooting up the charts, but she is ascending in a calm and ladylike fashion, just like Amelia. Rose doesn’t have all the nickname options that Amelia does, so I’m not sure whether she will be Top 10 by 2028, but I am tipping her to continue rising.

My Tips for Coming Trends

  • OH sounds, as found in Eloise, Harlow and Rose
  • V sounds, as found in Olive, Eva and Havana
  • Short brisk names ending in -A, such as Eva, Isla, Freya and Zara (the new Mias)
  • Stronger influence from the UK than from the US, but with the US influence being far more spectacular in nature (much like today)
  • A nice balance between “old-fashioned names” like Olive and Rose, and modern inventions like Havana and Harlow (just like today).
  • Most popular girl’s names will be definitely feminine, but Harlow may show the potential for unisex names and surname names to break into the Top Ten for girls.

Boys Top Ten for 2028 will be next week!

Googly Gender-Bending: Your Questions on Unisex Names Answered

15 Sunday Apr 2012

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You may be expecting a blog review this week, and I hope you are not too disappointed that one isn’t appearing. The truth is, I feel quite burned out in regard to the reviews, and also think that several name blogs are currently in a state of flux. I hope that if I wait a few months, it will give new blogs a chance to catch up, and abandoned ones a chance to resume.

In the meantime, here I am starting yet another Category – this one, Your Questions Answered. I’ve noticed many interesting questions typed into Google, and although they got sent to my blog, alas, they received no answer here. So this is my chance to make good on their requests.

I thought I’d begin with a few of the many enquiries in regard to unisex names, since it is such a popular topic. I think it is worth mentioning that so far, nobody has Googled, “what is a male name I can steal for my daughter so there are no names left for parents of boys to use” or “how can I give my son a feminine name in order to scar him psychologically”, which is how some people seem to imagine the mental workings of the bestowers of unisex names.

The fact that so many people are so frequently searching suggests that far from using a unisex name in a frivolous way, a lot of thought is going into it. In turn, I’ve tried to put a lot of thought into answering them, steering a steady course between a laissez faire “anything goes” attitude, and a shrill denouncement of anyone daring to suggest that any name at all can be unisex.

In doing so, I’ve considered the origin, meaning, history, namesakes, and popularity of a name, both current and past. I’ve tended to go with the theory that surnames are unisex, unless they have a specifically gendered meaning, or are derived from specifically gendered personal names.

One thing I should make clear is that unlike some other countries, Australia has no naming laws in regard to gender. According to legislation, all names are unisex, and you are quite free to name your daughter Matthew or your son Chloe if you wish.

I’m presuming that when people ask if a name is male, female, or unisex, they are asking the community for their opinions on the subject. Of course, my opinions are just that – opinions. Feel free to leave your own opinions!

Note: Popularity of names based on Australian data.

I: BOYS TO GIRLS?

Henry as a girl’s name

At first glance, the idea of Henry as a girl’s name seems utterly potty. Henry is not only Top 100 for boys, but also a classic boy’s name which has charted for males for over a century, and been accepted as such for more than a thousand years. However, I do remember a Famous Five book where there was a female character named Henry – short for Henrietta.

My Verdict: A boy’s name, unless short for Henrietta

Luca as a girl’s name

Luca can be the Italian form of Luke, but also the Hungarian form of Lucia. In the latter case though, it is pronounced LOO-tsa, rather than LOO-ka. Luka seems to have a reasonable history of use as both a male and female name across a range of different cultures. I’d probably lean towards using Luka for a girl instead.

My Verdict: Both a boy and a girl name, but the two names are pronounced differently

Dylan as a girl’s name

Dylan was a Welsh god, so the name’s origins are masculine. Furthermore, Dylan has charted as a boy’s name since the 1960s, but never for girls. You could use the completely unrelated Irish surname Dillon though, which an English speaker would pronounce the same way anyway.

My Verdict: A boy’s name, sometimes used on girls

can Cadel be a girl’s name

It is a variant of Cadell, which for many centuries has been used and accepted as a male name. However, the explorer Francis Cadell has a few places in South Australia named after him – you could always claim Cadell as a place name. Place names based on surnames based on gendered personal names seem to be something of a grey area.

My Verdict: A boy’s name

can Myles be a girl name

In Greek legend, Myles was most definitely a man, and this name has a long history as a male name. However it’s now being used on girls – perhaps it seems like the “correct” form of Miley?

My Verdict: A boy’s name, currently being used on girls

II: GIRLS TO BOYS?

when can Hazel be a boy name?

I guess whenever you feel like using it as such. Hazel is a nature name and a surname, so seems quite unisex, and in fact does have some history as a male name. Having said that, it’s currently rising in popularity as a girl’s name, and has never charted for boys.

My Verdict: Technically unisex, but usage is almost entirely feminine

Can I call my boy Kaia

I think you can, but nobody seems to agree. Kaia seems unisex to me, but nearly everyone insists that it’s feminine. However, the name Kaya definitely is unisex, and worldwide seems to be used by more men than women. It’s used in so many different countries that it’s practically unicultural as well. I think I’d prefer to go with Kaya, although I don’t see why Kaia can’t be a variant of Kaya.

My Verdict: Your choice!

Noa as a boys name

Although Noa is a female name in Hebrew and Japanese, it’s also a Polynesian male name meaning “freedom”. There was a famous rugby league player from Fiji named Noa Nadruku, who played for Australian teams in the 1990s.

My Verdict: Both a boy and a girl name depending on origin

can Starr be a boy’s name?

Sure it can, it’s a surname as well as a place name. In fact, the surname seems to derive from a masculine first name which may mean “ox”, so if anything it’s more male than female. There’s a comic book hero called Starr the Slayer, a barbarian king. He seems pretty blokey.

My Verdict: Unisex, leaning towards male by history and meaning

is Kelly becoming popular as a boys name

Apparently not. It’s still charting as a girl’s name, although slowly declining, and has never charted as a boy’s name. I have seen some boys named Kelly though; it’s rare as a boy’s name, but not unheard of.

My Verdict: Unisex, but usage is almost entirely feminine

III: CONFUSED ON THE ISSUE

is Stacey more common as a boy or girl name

It isn’t common for either sex – currently it’s not on the charts at all. However, when it did chart, it was only as a female name.

My Verdict: Historically, much more common as a girl’s name

can a man’s name be Ashley or it that just a girls name

It can be used for both sexes. Famous Australian men named Ashley include tennis player Ashley Cooper, and swimmer Ashley Callus. It charts as both a male and female name, although as a female name it is still Top 100, and as a male name it is now in rare use. Historically it has been male for longer, but hit a higher peak of popularity as a female name.

My Verdict: Historically more common for boys, but currently more common for girls

Is Remy a boy name or a girl name

It’s based on the Latin name Remigius, so it’s usually a boy name. However, Kay from Nook of Names pointed out that it could just as easily be based on the female form Remigia. In its country of origin, France, Remy is occasionally used as a female name.

My Verdict: Most often a boy name, but can be used as a girl name

is Jade boy or girl

It’s a unisex name. Famous Australian men named Jade include soccer player Jade North and AFL player Jade Rawlings. Famous Australian women named Jade include swimmer Jade Edmistone and singer Jade McRae. Jade has charted for both sexes, but currently it’s Top 100 for girls, and in rare use for boys.

My Verdict: A name for both boys and girls, but much more common for girls

Is Darcy considered a boy or girl name

Ooh good question. Darcy charted as a unisex name from the 1900s to the 1950s, and then in the 1950s it became a male name only. Currently it generally seems to be rising as a female name and declining as a male name.

My Verdict: Originally unisex, and may be returning to that state

(Picture is of Australian androgynous model Andrej Pejic, who successfully models both male and female clothing)

More Eastertide thanks are due to the unisexily named Lou from Mer de Noms, for reblogging Boys Names of Australian Aboriginal Origin! (If you read that carefully, it’s a poem).