A heroic baby boy name that feels as if he’s jumped right out of a fairytale story of brave knights, damsels in distress, and powerful queens, we’re talking about the name Caspian today. Welcome to the name profile of this week. We’ll take a look at Caspian’s origin, meaning, potential downfalls and perks, and predict his trajectory for the years to come. If you have a soft spot for Caspian or an interest in names and name etymology in general, buckle up for this deep dive into a deeply historical choice. Well, with that said, I think we’re good to look into the positive aspects of the boy name Caspian!
Pros
Caspian is a very exotic and interesting name. He has a distinct sound and style, and the name is one that draws a lot of eyes. He has a majesty about him that pulls parents towards his sounds and vibe. But he walks a fine line between insane baby naming and mainstream baby naming. Although your sister and friends may be instantly enthralled by the uniqueness of your choice, you won’t necessarily get the strange stares from the great aunts that you may get from Asberry or Theopholis (unless you have a very very non-judgmental great aunt.) Anyway, Caspian has enough rarity to draw interest, but not enough rarity to guarantee snarky comments and constant rejection from your partner at #791. On top of that, Caspian has the additional benefit of good ol’ nostalgia. I’m still a sucker for Heidi--came up with Adelheid (Add-ul-hyd) Clementine (Clem-en-teen) this week and have been loving it-mostly due to the novel I adored in 4th grade. But seriously, add this to your summer reading list. Kingfisher classics, unabridged, Joanna Spyri. You won’t regret it! Anyway, as I was saying, Caspian carries a healthy dose of fairytale flair, a name just oozing princess castles and diligent princes racing to save the kingdom from some fate that seems abhorrent to a six year old but is actually not that terrifying and therefore cements in our not-six-year-old heads as sweet stories. Because he’s got such a mythical feel, Caspian just jolts us with those sentimental feels, a heavy contributor to his appeal for me.
Not only does he have a dreamy, folktale-esque quality, he also has wonderful functionality. Caspian has a lovely string of nicknames which can be interchanged as your little one grows if he wishes. Cass might be a bit more on the feminine side traditionally, but nevertheless a cool and evident short form. Kip gives you a sweet pet name for your little one for his younger or older years, although it may not be the most professional short form. Ian is a much more mature choice for a teen son or older, but all of these are pretty much functional in all stages of life. Finally, Caspian has those trending soft sounds, his sound strong and masculine yet gentler and more tame, similarly to the likes of Leo and Silas who are both on trend today. With trendy sounds, excellent popularity, and the perfect nostalgic rush as well as adorable nicknames, Caspian seems to be the best boy name out there! What could possibly be wrong? I guarantee you I can think of something.
Cons
One of the reasons that the name Caspian is well known is due to the series The Chronicles of Narnia, which can be an additional nostalgic factor. However, the series has come under fire for potential racism and sexism, and given that the books were written 70 years ago, there are definitely evident traces of these that can be proven, as it is with any book in that time period. I’ve personally never read the books, but I know that the main commentary surrounding the series at the moment is on the topic of these racism and sexism allegations, putting a bit of a sour taste into the associations of Caspian. While this character in particular isn’t one who sparks any controversy, the name is strongly affiliated with the series, as it was the first time Caspian was ever used as a name for a person. That’s right. Although Caspian seems as if he would have some sprawling history, Caspian was first used for the given name of a person in 1953, which is incredibly recent. Caspian began his humble origins as the name of the largest sea in the world, the Caspian Sea. This sea’s name came from the ancient people who had once lived on it’s shores: the Cas tribe. The Cas people became the inspiration for a city called Qazvin, which then morphed into Caspian for the name of the sea. So while this is a bit better than creating a name out of thin air, Caspian isn’t necessarily dripping with beautiful meaning or a long history of use. As I said previously, Caspian was first used as a given name 68 years ago, significantly less than even a single century, and it certainly doesn’t help that he’s only been in the top 1000 for three years worth of data now.
Combos
Caspian Valentine (Beautiful book character name!)
Caspian Oliver
Caspian Beckett
Caspian Raphael
Zane Caspian
Alexander Caspian
Predictions For Caspian:
Caspian has been steadily rising over the past three years, and I feel as if the pattern should continue. Maybe something in the 680s… perhaps! I used to like Caspian quite a bit as a story character name, but I definitely value a good origin story, so I don’t think I could see him as anything more than that. You are absolutely entitled to your own opinion, though. In fact, I would love to hear your opinions in the comments below if you’d like! Thank you so much for checking in, dear readers, and have a lovely rest of your day.
Sincerely,
-Delphina Moon
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