Not long ago, one of the top trends for baby names here in the States was to give Irish names, both for boys and girls. Irish names were a big
development in the US, particularly for boys. It's only been since the 90s that names such as Aidan and Declan have been common amongst American children. One
of the reasons might be that the name Sean became mainstream in the 1980's. Parents are now reaching even farther to find Irish names that are unique in the
United States.
But beyond Irish influence, American names come from a whole slew of cultural sources. Among these are: English, Egyptian,
Czechoslovakian, Gaelic, French, Italian, and Hebrew. America has always been a melting pot of people of different ethnic backgrounds. As such a person's name
here doesn't necessarily tie to a particular ethnicity; Indians give their children English names, Italian children are given Irish names like "Sean". And of course
popular names are strongly influenced by the popular media- by celebrities and businessmen. Dylan rose as a popular name in the 70s, almost assuredly because of
the influence of Bob Dylan the decade before. Here are a few popular or emerging baby names, their meaning or definition, and their ethnic
origin:
Baby Boy Names
CHUMA- wealthy; egyptian
CHURCHILL- lives at the church hill; english
CHVAL- flattery;
czechoslovakian
CIAN- ancient; gaelic
CIARDUBHAN- little black one; gaelic
CINGESWIELLA- lives at the king's spring;
english
Baby Girl Names
CLAIRE- clear; french
CLARA- bright; romanian
CLARESTA- brilliant;
english
CLARICE- famous; french
CLARICE- clear; italian
Green Names?
What if you want to give your boy or girl an
environmentally-sound name? Perhaps there's some inspiration you can draw from some famous historical figures for this. For baby boys, think Henry David Thoreau.
In this case, Henry David would be all that's needed to make the name recognizable. There's also Aldo Leopold, the author of the ecological classic, A Sand County
Almanac. Aldo was an American ecologistand is considered a pioneer in environmental ethics and wilderness preservation. Another name that comes to mind is
David Brower, an environmentalist activist who founded Friends of the Earth, the League of Conservation Voters, and other environmental organizations. For baby
girls, one of the most famous environmentalists of all time was Rachel Carson. An American biologist, conservationist, and nature writer, Carson is helped increase
environmental awareness around the world with her book, Silent Spring. The work spurred the banning of the pesticide DDT in the United States and helped spark
the modern environmental movement. Also Carson makes a beautiful middle name. Another idea is Jane Goodall, a famous primatologist.
Here are a
few more baby boy and baby girl names to consider (along with their meanings)
Baby Boy Names
RAHMAN- compassionate;
arabic
RAI- king; chamoru
RAI- trust; japanese
RAIBEART- Gaelic form of Robert; gaelic
RAIDON- thunder god;
japanese
RAINART- strong judgment; german
RAINER- counsel; german
Baby Girl Names
RANA- royal;
indian
RAND- to gaze; arabic
RANIT- lovely tune; hebrew
RANIYAH- gazing; arabic
RAONAID- ewe; gaelic
RAPHAELLA-
healer; hebrew
RAQUEL- innocent; hebrew
