Over the past few months, I would say that my top five baby names have shifted quite drastically, as usual. Throughout the process of writing a blog centered on all things onomastic, my taste in names has been particularly influenced. Instead of staying in the one narrow yet delightful aisle of vintage and woodsy monikers, I find myself venturing into more international options, and settling for a higher syllable count. Because I’ve discovered some new beauties recently, I thought that I would collect my top five baby name list for both genders and create a lovely list of all of Delphina Moon’s favorites, yours to ponder and gain some inspiration from if you like. I hope you enjoy it, as it was very difficult whittling down all of the wonderful names in the world into a brief list of 5. Now, let’s begin!
Girls
1: Beatrice- Beatrice has long been a front-runner for me, as she not only matches up flawlessly with each and every criterion on my list, but she also possesses a certain vintage sparkle that conjures up images of lush golden fields at sunset. And she pairs beautifully with many middle names, specifically those that are monosyllabic, with Beatrice/Beatrix Thorn and Beatrice Jane among some of my favorites. Betty and Bea are both adorable short forms as well, which earns her the top spot on my favorite name list. At #562, Beatrice feels witty, sweet, and perfect for a young child or adult, not to mention at a lovely popularity.
2: Imogen- Appealingly rare, with a sassy and sophisticated sound, Imogen is a real stunner. She’s Celtic and has the dramatic and beautiful meaning of “maiden,” as well as adorable short forms Idgie and Ginny. I first heard the name in one of my absolutely favorite books when I was about 11 and fell in love with the character and her elegant name. Unfortunately, the more intuitive nickname Immy sounds like the significantly more popular nickname Emmy, which I do not have a particular fondness for, but combos like Imogen Bronte really restore my love for this name.
3: Theodosia- I know that it’s a bit of a risky trend to jump on with the Thea- names leaping to all new heights and hit musical Hamilton featuring Aaron Burr’s infant daughter with the name, but I can’t deny how exquisitely striking Theodosia is. Her meaning “giving to God” is lovely, her nicknames Theo and Teddy are adorably cute, and my personal associations with the name are wonderful. However, even though she currently doesn’t stir from the depths of the rankings, something tells me she’ll be (sadly) soaring in a matter of years.
4: Antigone- Antigone is probably the most exotic name in my Top Five, a Greek name pronounced An-tig-uh-nee. Unsurprisingly, she does not rank in the top 1000 in the US or elsewhere, giving her that truly novel sound, in addition to her mythological character, who stayed loyal to her family despite the dangers. A fairly recent addition to my Top Ten, I find Antigone irresistible for not only her full form but also her nicknames, Tiggy and Annie, which are both precious on a young child. Despite the likely pronunciation issues a little Antigone may encounter, Antigone still makes it onto my top five.
5: Winifred- If you asked me a couple months ago, Winifred probably would’ve scored a spot in my top three, but her sparkle has definitely dulled for me over time. However, the endearing short forms Winnie and Freddie have kept her holding strong in my top five, although just barely. Her meaning “blessed peacemaking” is wonderfully serene, though, and her absence from the top 1000 does strengthen her appeal for me, so I’ll see if she continues to sink down the list or if my love for her is reignited.
Boys
1: Theodore- Theodore is unreasonably popular for me, but I just can’t seem to let him plummet off the list. He’s everything I want in a name, with literary connections, adorable nicknames, and a sweet meaning. And yet I’m stuck between whether or not his popularity has made him unusable. I love the slightly quirky classic vibe that Theodore emanates, but we’ll have to see if one of my other boy names will take over the #1 spot due to Theodore’s insane popularity.
2: Reuben- He’s handsome with a vintage and British feel about him that naturally attaches to my boy name style, which normally follows names in that general realm. The extra E in the name makes him look complete and sophisticated to me, but I worry that the E may cause spelling issues in the future for a Reuben living in the US, where the most popular spelling is Ruben. Both Rue and Benny/Ben are sweet nicknames, which add to the appeal for me. But sadly, although I personally think that Imogen and Reuben make a perfect sibset, Genny and Benny are just a bit too much.
3: August- This one has been a long time favorite, one of the originals on my shortlist that has managed to stick, mainly because I love the nickname Gus. The reason he isn’t higher up is mainly because his popularity of #167 is just too high for me, and also because the more intuitive nickname Auggie doesn’t sound as appealing to me as Gus does. It’s also mounting in use for the girls, which discourages me a little bit as it makes the name feel more modern unisex than vintage retro. One redeeming quality, though, is his truly incredible meaning of “magnificent.”
4: Alistair- A name chock full of class and charm, Alistair has been a member of the top five for maybe six months now, and his striking and handsome qualities have kept him there. Alas, he does not possess any obvious nicknames other than Allie, which feels too much like a short form for the beloved 90s Allison to me. A Scottish variation of Alexander, Alistair is refined and smooth, and even better, relatively rare. He ranks at #967 as of 2019, and likely will rise in upcoming data.
5: Dexter-A little geeky, sure, but I think that Dexter called Dex is a lovely choice regardless. I first encountered the name Dexter in a book, and I soon became very attached to the character’s name. He’s at the perfect sweet spot of popularity, at #464, and makes a wonderful alternative to the more popular Max/Maxwell. Not only that, Dexter is actually going down in popularity, making this an opportune time to use this adorable appellation.
That concludes my explanation and review of my current top five, although I can’t guarantee that I won’t have changed my mind within a few hours. I hope you enjoyed it!
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
Which of these names was your favorite? What’s your top five? Comment down below to let me know!
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