The East Coast Nomenclature: Preppy Nicknames

What's a preppy name without an equally preppy nickname?

Preps across the East Coast are known for their interesting naming style of lastname-first names, but in reality, most preps only give an influential family member's name as a middle name. Most of your stereotypical preppy parents will name their child a conservative name – Thomas, William, Matthew, and David are good examples for baby boys, and on the pink side of things, Daphne, Sarah, Meredith, and Eleanor. These names are so well-used and loved, that families began to distinguish each member with a beautiful, seemingly unrelated nickname. 

Yes, John was nicknamed Jack, and Margaret was nicknamed Peggy, but preps are notorious for nicknames like Bunny, Skipper, Topsy, etc. So, without further ado, here is a list of preppy nicknames with some plausible full name suggestions for related preppy names if making the jump from Kathleen to Bunny is a bit difficult. (Also, in prepland, nothing is exclusive to males or females.)

Babe / Baby - Barbara, Beatrice, Roberta
Babs - Barbara
Bamie
Bay - Bailey, Bainbridge, Bayard, Baylor
Bif / Biff / Biffy - Balfour, Bancroft, Banfield, Bedford, Beresford, Bickford, Bradford, Buford
Bink / Binky
Birdie - Beatrice, Bridget, Roberta
Bissy - Elizabeth
Bitsy -  Bryan, Elizabeth, Tabitha
Bizzy - Elizabeth
Bonnie - Veronica
Boots / Bootsy
Briggs - Brigham, Brighton
Buck
Bud / Buddy
Buffy
Bumper
Bunny
Buzzie
Cap - Captain, Charles
Cece - Cassandra, Cecilia, Drusilla, Priscilla
Chad - Charles
Champ - Beauchamp
Chasey
Check
Chip - Charles, Christopher
Cookie - Cornelia, Cornelius
Chuck - Charles
Coco - Colleen, Concord, Constance, Consuelo, Cordelia, Corinne, Cornelia, Courtney
Cookie - Cornelia
Cork / Corky - Charles, Cornelius, Cornell
Cricket
Cuffy
Daisy
Dede
Del - Delano
Dibby
Duffy
Easy
Ellie
Espy - Stephanie
Fifi - Daphne, Felicity, Josephine, Ophelia, Seraphina, Sophia
Finn
Fitz - Fitzgeorge, Fitzhugh, Fitzjames, Fitzpatrick, Fitzsimmons, Fitzwilliam
Flopsy
Fodd - Forrest
Ford - anything that ends with '-ford'
Gay - Grace
Gib
Gig
Gigi - Eugenia, Gabrielle, Genevieve, Gertrude, Virginia
Hal - Hamilton, Henry
Ham - Hamilton
Harry - Harris, Harrison, Henry
Happy
Hays
Hilly - Hilary
Holtie
Hud - Hudson, Hugh
Izzy - Elizabeth, Isabella
Jack - John, Jonathan, Joseph
Jay - John
Jeb
Jock - John, Jonathan, Joseph
Kick
Kiki - Catherine, Kelly
Kim - Kermit, Kimberley
Kip - Catherine, Christopher, Kipling, Kipper, Kittredge
Kit - Catherine, Christian, Christine, Christopher, Kester, Kittredge
Knoxie - Knox
Lady
Liddy - Elizabeth, Lydia
Lilly - Elizabeth, Lillian
Linc - Lincoln
Liv
Liz
Lock
Lola
Lolly
Lucky
Lulu
Mac - anything that starts with '-mac'
Meg - Margaret, Megan, Morgan
Miffy
Mimi - Marion, Mary, Miriam
Mimsy - Marion, Mary, Miriam
Minnie
Missy - Melissa, Millicent
Misty
Mittie - Martha
Mitzie - Mariam, Martha, Mary
Molly - Mary, Muriel
Mopsy
Muffy - Martha, Mary, Matilda
Nan / Nanna - Anna
Ned - Edmond, Edward, Edwin, Theodore
Oatsie
Ollie
Peachy
Penn - Pendleton, Penelope, Peniloe, Penna, Penrose, Penleigh, Pennington, Peregrine, Prentice
Pinky - Pinkney, Pinxton
Pony
Pookie
Posy
Pussy
Quad - used for 'The Fourth'
Quint - used for 'The Fifth'
Rae - Rachel
Rex - Reginald, Ronald
Rip
Rocky - Veronica
Rosey - Roosevelt
Ruly - Ruliph
Rusty
Salt
Sarge
Scooter
Scout
Seb
Shep - Shepherd, Stephen
Sissy
Sistie
Skip / Skipp / Skipper
Slim
Sloppie
Sonny
Sperry - Spencer
Spooky
Sport
Tad / Tadd - Thaddeus, Theodore
Taff / Taffy - Andrew, Daphne, Taft, Tafton
Tag - Agatha, Agnes, Montague, Taggart
Tate - Elizabeth, Natalie, Tatum
Taze - Tazewell
Ted - Edward, Theodore
Tib / Tibby - Elizabeth, Tabitha
Tiff - Tiffany
Tig - Matilda
Tip / Tippy / Tipper  - Edward, Thomas, Thomasina, Tipton
Tiz
Todd - Talmadge, Thaddeus, Theodore, Todhunter
Topher - Christopher
Topper - Christopher
Topsy - Tiffany
Trip - typically used for 'The Third'
Tuck / Tucky - Nantucket, Patrick, Thackeray, Theodore, Thomas, Timothy, Tucker
Tuffy
Tug - Arthur, Augustus, Brutus, Tugman, Tugwell
Van - any name that includes "van", as in Vanderbilt or Van Rensselaer
Wash - Washington
Web - Webster
Wells - Wellesley, Wellington
Win - Winifred, Winslet, Winslow, Winston, Winthrop
Wog
Zippy - Elizabeth, Seraphina, Stephanie

Hebrew Neutral

Deep in the Bible, past Habbakuk, Isaachar, and Uriah, there are names that are equally as appealing for boys and girls, sometimes even used by both in the Bible. You guessed it! Hebrew neutral names are these names. Can you picture Nehemiah on girl? Well, good, that's because it has never once been used for a girl. I'm not talking about those names. I'm talking names that have had some usage on either side of the spectrum. So, with further ado, here are the Hebrew Neutrals:

Abijah - considered the truest unisex name in the Bible, it is given to numerous males in the bible, one of them the fourth king of Judah, as well as a few females. It was popularly used in the colonial era, where Moses, Eliphalet, and Micajah roamed the streets. Abijah has two usable nicknamse – Abe and Bige. For a girl, this might be a fun way to get to Abby. Masculine or feminine, this name is not popular but is easily accessible. Rhyming with Elijah, the name is pronounced uh-BY-yah. It means "God is my father" in Hebrew. 

Asa - I wouldn't normally put this name on this list because it has almost exclusively been a boys' name, but notice how I put "almost". Justin Bartha named his daughter Asa earlier this year. Shockingly sweet, Asa could make for a wonderful girls' name, though be warned. Many hold strong opinions whether or not this is an acceptable practice to give girls seemingly femininized boys' names. As for boys, this name is in the same field as Ezra. It is there for those experimental parents and for those who want to honor an ancestor named Asa. Keeping this name still mainstream and viable for boys is child actor Asa Butterfield who has been in numerous popular kids' TV shows and films. 

Elisha - following the trend of Noah and Joshua, Elisha is on the rise – and for good reasons. Despite the name's pronunciation problems (is it pronounced like Elijah or closer to an Alicia?), the name sounds oddly like Russian diminutive along the lines of Sasha, Masha, and Dasha. Elisha is a follower of Elijah. At it's highest, Elisha was #255 in 1883 for boys and #373 in 1980 for girls. Elisha has the popular yet quirky nickname Eli.

Hadar - popular name in Israel with almost equal usage for both boys and girls. The name means "ornament" or "glory" or "respect" in Hebrew. It is also a city near Tel Aviv. It has many variants that stem from it, including Hadaram, Hadarezer, Hadriel (which sounds similar to also unisex name Ariel), Hadur, and Heder.

Ira - with the zippy -ah/-a ending that is usually only found in Hebrew names for boys, Ira has only masculine use in the Bible, but for the past century has almost been used for girls. It means "watched one" in Hebrew. In Slavic countries, the name Ira is traditionally used as a nickname for Irina. The last time Ira was on the charts for girls was in 1947 at #971. She runs along the lines of Ada, Ava, and Ida: short but sassy. As a boys name, the name was popular in the early half the century but when on slow decline until 1992, when he fell off the charts. Famous bearers of the name include Ira Gershwin, an American lyrist and brother/partner to George Gershwin, who noted for writing some of the most popular jazz standards. Another namesake is Ira Allen, brother of Ethan Allen, leader of the Green Mountain Boys.

Jude - not technically a unisex name, but all the same, it has had a large amount of usage on both sides. Jude is a popular, surfer-dudish name many see has a masculine but soft Biblical choice for their son, as opposed to his variants Judah and Judas. Jude is one of those few names for boys that has never left the SSA Top 1000 since its beginning in 1880 and is currently popular in the US, England, and Scotland. As a girls' name, it is a diminutive of '50s chic Judith and new alternative to the retro diminutive Judy. As its own name, it has never reached into the top 1000

Paz - appealing Hebrew name, meaning "peace", has a Spanish vibe to it. As a girls' name, it originated as a title for Mary – Our Lady of Peace. For girls, other variants and similar-sounding names include Pazia, Paziah (meaning "the gold of Jehovah"), Pazit, and Pazya. The one male variant is Pazel, but Paz is seen as sleeker and more attractive than the longer former for boys. The Latin word for peace is Pax, as in Pax Romana. A famous namesake is Paz de la Huerta, an actress. A longer, unrelated form to Paz could be Topaz, an unused gem name used by Dodie Smith in her novel I Capture the Castle.

Shalom – along with Paz, Shalom means "peace". The city of Jerusalem stem from this root, meaning "abode of peace" or "city of peace". Salem is also a variant of Shalom, infamous here in the States for their witch-trials, but was rejuvenated with the humorous cat Salem in the 1990s sitcom "Sabrina the Teenage Witch". Shalom Aleichem is one of the famous people bearing name. He was the author of the stories that inspired the musicl Fiddler on the Roof. The name famous woman to bear the name was Shalom Harlow. The name is common greeting in Israel. Other male variants of the name include Absalom, meaning "father of peace", and Shlomo, meaning "his peace" (with the quirky nickname Mo). Female variants include seductive Salome (pronounced Sah-lowm in America, Sahl-low-mah in France) and Shulamit and its diminutive Shula, which is often used on its own is Israel. 


Honourable mentions: Emmet, which has never been used for girls and used exclusively for boys, but his cousin Emmett has had some usage for girls as a masculine variation to the classic Emma. Also, Noa (without the "h") is a girls name in her own right. Her name means "motion" in Hebrew, and she is extremely popular in Israel as well as Spain (#16) and the Netherlands (#15). Micah is also a unisex name, only given to a male in a Bible. Phonetically similar to German Meike, a variation of Mary, Micah can be an update to Michaela or Michael. It is short and sweet, equally usable for both guys and gals. Both uses have tremendous amount of usage in the past decade, rising every year. As of 2013, Micah is #107 for boys and #878 for girls. 

What names sparkle your interest? What names would you hate to see on a girl or on a boy?

Picture: Nery, Ismael. Andrógino. N.d. Coleção Luis Fernando Nazarian, São Paulo, Brazil. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 26 Aug. 2014. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ismael_Nery_-_Andrógino.jpg>.

Most Popular Biblical Names Throughout Time

In the Western world, Biblical names have become classics, withstanding all the trends and fads, past the unusual Gothic names, the long Greek and Roman appellations that end with the ever-popular -ia for girls and -ius for boys, and the beautiful floral names the Edwardian era. Names that are so synonymous with the word classic, as if they could be anything else but usual. Some are New Testament, some Old.

Listed in most popular to least, here are the most popular Biblical boys and girls name since 1890, when the US began to record names.

James - #1                                                         Mary - #1 (and Maria #51, Marie #70)
John - #2 (and Johnny #98)                          Elizabeth - #4 (and Betty #14)
Michael - #4                                                      Barbara - #6
David - #6                                                         Susan - #7
Joseph - #8                                                        Sarah - #11 (and Sara #78)
Thomas - #10                                                    Michelle - #22
Christopher - #11                                              Deborah - #26 (and Debra #46)
Daniel - #12                                                      Stephanie - #28
Matthew - #13                                                   Rebecca - #29
Paul - #16                                                          Ruth - #33
Mark - #17                                                        Anna - #34 (and Nancy #13, Ann #67)
Steven - #19 (and variant Stephen #35)       Janet - #45
Andrew - #21                                                    Samantha - #47
Joshua - #23                                                      Rachel - #49
Timothy - #27                                                   Martha - #58
Jacob - #34                                                        Joan - #59
Jonathan - #36                                                   Judith - #63 (and Judy #83)
Samuel - #44                                                     Jean - #68
Benjamin - #45                                                 Andrea - #73
Peter - #54                                                         Jacqueline - #74
Aaron - #55                                                       Hannah - #80
Adam - #58                                                       Danielle - #90
Zachary - #59                                                    Jane - #94
Nathan - #61
Jeremy - #70
Jesse - #75
Ethan - #84
Philip - #92 (and Phillip #99)


Considering our population has grown and that is should be expected that names popular name are overall higher in birth, the list reflect the popularity of the past decades. Trendy names like Sean and Brandon appeared on the list as well, but they have the longevity these names do. If you want something timeless and well-received, these names are always available. Could Jacob, Noah, and Sarah be destined to the 2000s? Quite possibly, but like Jennifer, they are still considered modern classics.

Surprised by any on this list? How about Jane? Did you expect little miss Jane to be so far down the list? Comment below about your opinions and these names, or if you're name is on this name.

All About Margaret

Etymology

There is an amount of certainity pertaining to the etymology of the name. Derived from the Latin Margarita, from the Greek margaritas, ultimately of uncertain origins. Although may be derived from the Sanskrit word मञ्जरी (mañjari), most believe the name is derived from Persian language marvârid (مروارید), meaning "pearl" or "daughter of the light". It's related to the Marg from Marq/Marka, "chicken". 

In French, marguerite is the word for "Daisy", making Daisy a viable nickname for Margaret.

History

Saint Margaret is the patron saint of expectant mothers. She was a martyr of 4th century Antioch. Legend says that escaped from a dragon, often depicted in Medieval art. She was a popular saint in the Middle Ages. There are a number of other saints named Margaret as well, including a queen of Scotland and a princess of Hungary. Since then, Margaret is widely considered a Christian name.

Margaret is also a royal name. Royals include:

• Margaret of Anjou [French: Marguerite d'Anjou], married to Henry VI of England, was a principal figure of the dynastic wars, the War of the Roses. She is a constant inspiration for literature and fiction, including Shakespeare's 1st Tetrology of history plays, the 1820 opera Margherita d'Anjou, and supposedly Cersei Lannister in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.
• Queen Margaret of Denmark, the queen who united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in the 14th century. The next female regent of Denmark is Margrethe II, the current queen who has ruled since 1972.
• Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, she was born Princess Margaret Rose of York in 1930 to parents the Duke of York (later George VI) and the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, sibling to Queen Elizabeth II. Margaret is a controversial member of the British Royal family due to her divorce, which earned her public negativity. Due to her heavy smoking, Princess Margaret had a lung operation in 1985, pneumonia in 1993, and a few strokes between 1998 to 2001. On 9 Feb. 2002, Princess Margaret passed away. To her family and friends, she was known as "Margot", a popular French diminutive of the name.

There have been several Margarets in literature. In addition to Margaret in Shakespeare's Henry VI, there is also a character named Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing and in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Margaret is also a Alexandre Dumas, fils, name in the novel La Dame aux camélias, story of love between a courtesan suffering from consumption and a bourgeoisie. 

Nicknames & Variants

Margaret hosts a wonderous number of nicknames. Everything for TV's Mad Men Peggy, girl-next-door Maggie, kitschy Madge, and continental Greta. Other nicknames include: Daisy, Maisie, Mamie, Marge, Meg, Meta, Pegan, and Rita. Margaret is also one of the most versatile names with many international variants. Celtic beauties include Mairéad, Margaid, Maighread, Mared, Marged, Margery, Megan, Mererid, and Pegeen. Their are also beautiful appelation given to us by the Slavs which include Gituska, Goska, Margaréta, and Marharyta. An inexhaustable list, any Margaret can make it her own.

Popularity

The name was first used in the 11th century and went into continued used during the Middle Ages. However, the name lost popularity from the 16th century to the 18th century. After this period, Margaret regained her status and became common again. In 1903, it was the fourth most popular name in the US, behind classics Mary, Helen, and Anna. In England and Wales, Maisie and Daisy are ahead of Margaret, placing at #22 and #30 respectively, as of 2012. Even Megan has some favor in the UK, now currently at #41. 

Not quite Elizabeth, but not quite Susannah, Margaret is a timeless classic that can be equally as quirk and invoking as any kr8tive name. She hosts numerous nicknames to truly make Margaret your own. What are your thoughts about Margaret? Are there any Margarets out there that dare to comment or advise us on the beautiful Margaret?

Picture: Mucha, Alfons. La Dame Aux Camélias. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., 29 Jan. 2013. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.

Name of the Day: Hadassah

Millais, John E. Esther. 1865. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 13 Aug. 2014.
<http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esthermillais.jpg>.

Esther and her less popular sister Hester have been a classic in America, never staying out of the Top 500 but hasn't been in the Top 100 since the 1930s. Her Hebrew cousin Hadassah has yet to be discovered. Ranked at #761 as of 2012, Hadassah is gained a slow popularity, once considered ultra-religious. Hadassah has been popular with the Orthodox Jewish community, but is she ready to take on the rest of America?

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Etymology

While it is speculated whether Esther is derived from the Median word astra "Myrtle" or from the Proto-Semetic root "star/evening star", the etymology of Hadassah is simple. Her name comes from the Hebrew הדס, meaning "myrtle tree."

The first recorded use of Hadassah is in the Book of Esther. In the Talmud, she is called Hadassah because "the righteous are called myrtles." Also, "Just as myrtle has sweet smell and a bitter taste, so too Esther was good and listened to the righteous Mordecai, and was adverse to the wicked Haman." The name Hadassah symbolizes righteousness. She was the daughter of a Benjaminite Abihail. Her cousin Mordecai adopted her as his daughter. As the Queen of Persia, Hadassah changed her name to Esther. (For more information on Esther's story, see Mordecai.) Esther and her story is celebrated during Purim, the Jewish day of celebration for God's deliverence for his People.

Myrtle is the sacred tree of Venus. Because of its assocation with the Roman goddess of love, it has a special connection to lovers. The myrtle tree has long since thought to inspire love. The tree is also thought to bring good luck. 

Namesakes

Currently there are no famous people named Hadassah, which could work in its favor.

Only ranking #761, Hadassah is not an overwhelmingly popular name. She's only been in the Top 1000 in the US since 2008 and unheard of in the rest of the world. 

International variants of Hadassah: Hadasu (Czech), Hadassa (Danish, Dutch, German, French, Icelandic, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish), Hadassan (Finnish), Adasa (Haitian Creole), Hadassának (Hungarian), Hadàssa (Italian), Edessae (Latin), Haraha (Maori), Hadasa (Romanian), Hadasá (Spanish), Hodel (Yiddish)

Nickname Options:

Haddie, sounds similar to Hattie, popular nickname (for Harriet or even Henrietta) and a given name in the early twentieth century but went rapidly in decline during the World War II era and after. Now Hattie is on the revival march, currently at #570. To the American ear, Hattie and Haddie are the same. Another cutified version of Harriet is Hatsy, less of a given name than Hattie but equally as usable. Hatsy is reminiscent of names like Betsy and Patsy. Haddie is also rhymes with Maddie, an ever popular nickname for Madison and Madeline, both names ranked in Top 100 in the US (and Madison is extremely popular, currently ranking #9 in America, #75 in England, #100 in Ireland). So if Maddie and Hattie are can make it, why not Haddie?

Dasha, the spunky Russian diminutive of Dariya or Darya. Sasha, a nickname for Alexander or Alexandra, is currently a favorite in the Anglophone countries, though there is much debat about whether Sasha should be feminine or masculine. In America, it is most commonly seen as a feminine nickname, so if Sasha is working for little girls, so can the energetic Dasha.

Other options include Ada, Addie, Dassa, Dassie, Hadas, Hassie, Sadie, and Sasha.

People who like Mordecai also like...

Ishmael, Gideon, Frederick, Alexei, Shoshannah, Eudora, Louisa, Elspeth


If you are looking for a way to honor your Aunt Esther or your Grandma Myrtle, or a way to honor your Judeo-Christian heritage, the quirky yet zesty Hadassah might be the name for you. What do you think? Would you name your daughter Hadassah?

Historic and Quirky Hebrew Names

Blake, William. Jacob's Ladder. 1805. British Museum,
London. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 13 Aug. 2014. 

With Biblical names like Jacob, Elijah, and Noah on the rise, sadly their Hebrew originals have been left behind. These are the names transcribed from the Hebrew language into the Latin alphabet as a Hebrew speaker would pronounce it. They differ from the English classics in spelling and sound. The list includes the Hebrew original form of a popular Biblical name in the Top 1000 in the US.




Aharon                  Schmuel                                                 Avigail
Amos                    Tuvya                                                     Channah
Avner                    Tzion                                                      Chava
Avraham               Yaakov                                                    Devorah
Binyamin              Yael                                                        Elisheva
Efraim                   Yair                                                        Miriam
Eitan                     Yechezkiel                                              Rivka
Eliyyahu               Yehonatan                                               Sarit
Gavriel                  Yehoshua                                                Shoshannah
Gid'on                    Yishai
Hevel                     Yitzhak
Mattityahu             Yochanan
Mikha'el                Yoel
Moshe                   Yonah
Noach                    Yosef
Reuven
Shimon

There are, of course, many more this lovely, quirky Hebrew names that have an English equivalent, and I encourage you to check them out. They really have quite the antiquity!