Mom and the Pie

We have a gal in the family named Kenzie, and recall that her parents were asked many times after the name announcement, "it's just Kenzie?" Friends and family considering it an invented name, or version of the top 100 at the time, MacKenzie. We recently posted the name Kenzie on our instagram feed. A follower commented that she had the name on her list because her dad was (Ken)neth and her mother was Mit(zie). We thought, brilliant! We also know of a sweet little girl with the middle name Jack! Adore. It got us thinking, what are the ways that you can pay tribute to someone when naming your baby? As we worked on this idea, we saw an extended family member post that her brother Jonathan had a baby girl this week and named her Johnna. Dad's Name for Daughter One of our favorite stories is of a loved one we know, Stephanie Leah who is named after her father, Stephen Lee. Female versions of male names are playful and make for such a fabulous honor name. It doesn...

  With craft beers, whisky flights and rosé all the rage these days, we (well Mom) had to wonder... are there any boozy baby names that could actually work?  The Pie was  not  in on this post (she's 13). I started thinking about the idea of liquor inspired names as I pondered the popularity of Porter. It's a boy's name on the rise, and I just kept seeing and hearing it  everywhere  and wondered, why? The connection I kept making was to Porter, a style of beer. That might just be my background in the bar biz, as the name actually originates from an English and Scottish surname, it's an occupational name meaning "gatekeeper" or "doorkeeper." In other languages Porter translates to a person who carries the load, or transfers objects for others. Porter beer was developed in London and is a dark variety from brown malt. It's name derived from the popularity it had with Porters. In fact, I found that the story of Stout and Porter comes from the fact th...

Choosing the perfect name for your bundle of joy is a momentous task that requires careful consideration. While some parents opt for traditional names passed down through generations, others seek unique and meaningful monikers that reflect the values they hold dear.  In recent years, a fascinating trend has emerged, blending virtue, gender neutrality, and socially inspired elements to create a new wave of trendy and impactful names. Let's explore the exciting world of baby names that make a powerful statement and radiate positivity. Gender-Neutral Names with Impact In today's world, gender neutrality is gaining momentum, breaking free from traditional norms and allowing children to define their own identities. Names like Legend and Rise are prime examples of this movement. They transcend traditional gender boundaries and empower children to become the heroes of their own stories. These names are both bold and inspirational, symbolizing strength, resilience, and a determinatio...

The world of baby names is constantly evolving, with parents seeking fresh and distinctive options for their little ones. One intriguing trend that has gained momentum in recent times is the use of the letter "y" in place of other vowels to create unique and modern-sounding names.  Let's explore why the "y" and examine how some names, like "Bostyn," appear more feminine but may be perceived as misspelled. We'll also discuss the impact of "y" in traditionally gender neutral names when given to baby girls. Why the "y" in #namingbaby? The letter "y" offers a versatile and trendy option for parents looking to give their child a distinct and modern name. By replacing traditional vowels, such as "i" or "e," with "y," parents create names that stand out and often have a more contemporary and appealing feel. The "y" also adds a touch of individuality, making these names unique to each ch...

Brave. Rogue. Promise.... Danger? These new wave baby names are bold, ambitious and definitely make a statement. Just when we think we've heard it all, we come across a name announcement, and notice a name we'd not thought of or seen before. A Bold New Wave of Baby Names! The trend we are noticing we'll call "statement names." Some are adjectives, like a call to action or a philosophy for baby to live by. A mantra, perhaps. Others are virtuous, parents-to-be gifting their child a moniker of positivity. Another noticing in this new wave of naming is the repeated reference to light. Call to Action Names  Rise  Dream Gravity Coast Rush Journey Riot Vigor Rogue Danger Rebellion Chosen Prophecy Brave Titan Rock Reverie Forever Nirvana Vice Virtuous Names Soul Truth Love Honor Justice Worth Zen Noble Promise Peace Patience Glory Names of Light Golden  Blaze Glow Lux Shadow Sol Beacon ...

 We thought it would be cool to share with you YOUR favorite names of 2021. We did a similar post in 2019 and it is rewarding to reflect on the changing trends and look at the new data and analytics. In this collection we will share with you the videos, pins, tweets and posts that YOU'VE enjoyed the most this year. We can't seem to agree on which social platform is our favorite. We started out with the intention of building a Youtube channel. After watching and laughing hysterically as gals shared, "names I love but..." we thought,  we could DO this .  But we didn't want to be in our videos. Now that we've been at it for a while, we realize that was likely a big mistake, and maybe someday we face reveal and start talking names....maybe. But we are okay with the fun we are having now as totally self-proclaimed "Baby Name Specialists."  We love creating simple tweets and name art to post on instagram. The occasional blog idea comes to one of us, but ev...

What's up namers? Today we take a look at nicknames.  A hot trend we are seeing in 2021 is that nicknames make great first names. I remember when Kenzie, The Pie's cousin was born and everyone was like, "just Kenzie?' Yes. JUST Kenzie! That was 15 years ago, and now, more than ever we are seeing those shorties as the given name. There are of course names that have soooo many possibilities, like as in Elizabeth with:  Liz Liza Eliza Beth Betta Betty Etta And we adore Eleanor going by Elle, Ella, Nora, Nori and such... but today we've got a collection of JUST the short part! On our Pinterest page , posts like this that show some short names get a lot of love: Cal Perhaps once short for Calvin or Callahan, maybe Callum or classic Caleb now Cal is a nickname taking a leap up the charts as a given name. Cal rose over 200 spots in 2020 to pop inside the Top 100, according to the SSA Change in Popularity Chart . Ace Since 2006 Ace has climbed from #841 to #199. T...

 So. Much. Data.   We have tools at our fingertips that can truly help us match our product to our audience. In our time creating content for Mom and The Pie we've learned so much (yet still feel  very  novice) about how to dive into the analytics and really notice what it is our followers want to see.   While this passion of ours was always intended to be a place to inspire, to share our own thoughts, and to be creative while spending time together... we thought it would be cool to share with you YOUR favorite names of 2020.  In this collection we will share with you the videos, pins, tweets and posts that YOU enjoyed the most last year.  We can't seem to agree on which social platform is our favorite. We started out with the intention of building a Youtube channel. After watching and laughing hysterically as gals shared, "names I love but..." we thought,  we could DO this .  But we didn't want to be in our videos. Now that we've ...

What's Up Namers? It's been a bit.... We still LOVE naming! However you found your way here, THANK YOU for clicking and showing a little love. You just might be a "namer" like us. In our first year of naming, one fun post challenge going around that we participated in was Popular, Unique & Daring Baby Names . In that spirit we've compiled a collection we'd like to call "Classic, Fresh - Smush." In this list we've paired a classic baby name with a rising, newer to us name and then tried to mix the two into a "smush" - putting parts of the two names together, creating something new(ish).  Since the 2019 data came out while this post was just a draft, we decided to use a few of the fastest rising names on both the boy's and girl's lists in the "fresh" category.  Classic ~ Fresh ~ Smush Anna ~ Navy ~ Navanna Thomas ~ Amias ~ Rhomias Benjamin  ~ Archie ~ Archin Sophia ~ Salem ~ Saphia Elijah ~ Baker ~ Bajah James ~ Jens...

Olivia, Emma, Ava, Mia, Sophia...The Girls Top 10 is full of -a enders. Clearly, that a at the end is a sweet one.  Here is a collection of girly names that end in -a but aren't so high on the trendy side. If you are looking for a name for a girl that ends in -a, but is outside of the Top 50, this list is for you. Mira Lula Vida Nina Oona Elora Willa Kaia Danna Laina Antonella Pearla Rhetta Jada Mona Ezra Nova Ophelia Rhea Kiara Xosha Isla Cora Lydia Yara Eliana Julietta Gia Sienna Ada Davina Amora Amaya Georgia Kara Azalea Nadia Vienna Ayla Cecelia Mina Vera Talia Gemma Lana Veronica Helena Zara Estrella Kendra Valentina Athena Bianca Louisa Malia Zaria Lena Noa Matilda Serena Octavia Nyla Aisha Bianca Nina Elisa Lillia What are your favorite -a enders?

Boy's names that end in the letter "s" are everywhere!  At least it seems that way. Of course with James being perhaps the most popular boy's name of all time, you'd think that -s enders would be all over the charts. Not exactly. There's Lucas of course, coming in at #8 in 2018, but then you have to go all the way to #49 and classic Thomas before you see another boy's name that ends in -s.  So why then, does it feel like we are seeing them everywhere? We are seeing these -s ending names  trend into a few categories. Nature Names An earthy vibe is something we've long seen in naming, yet don't tend to find in the Top 100. Last year we predicted that we'd see some on the rise, yet these boho names still don't top the charts. Perhaps these -s ending nature names will move on up this year. Rivers Woods Brooks Parks Moss Waters Skies Banks Fields Surnames Last names first is a favorite of ours, and many of the names we...

Analytics. Perhaps, one of the coolest parts of getting into social media is that we get so much data. We have tools at our fingertips that can truly help us match our product to our audience. In our short time creating content for Mom and The Pie we've learned so much (yet still feel very novice) about how to dive into the analytics and really notice what it is our followers want to see. While this passion of ours was always intended to be a place to inspire, to share our own thoughts, and to be creative while spending time together... we thought it would be cool to share with you YOUR favorite names of 2019. In this collection we will share with you the videos, pins, tweets and posts that YOU enjoyed the most last year. We can't seem to agree on which social platform is our favorite. We started out with the intention of building a Youtube channel. After watching and laughing hysterically as gals shared, "names I love but..." we thought, we could DO this .  But ...

Tonight were gonna name like it's ... Yep. 1999. We've lost hours in deep data dives, and to think two years ago when we first fell in love with naming, we didn't even know the website existed.  The  SSA data  is so interesting to search and sort and analyze and of course predict.  It seems like every week we see ten new instagram accounts, claiming to be just another "in love with names." We've noticed that just like us, people are simply obsessed with all things names. Why? The interest is timeless. While the drive to create content has faded a bit for us, our passion for the subject has not. Not only do we still find new names every single day, there is always a new naming trend, an audience question to ponder or a naming challenge to embark on. It had been weeks since I (Mom) had logged into Pinterest and upon doing so literally came across four names I'd never ever (ever-ever) heard. It sparked in me a renewed feeling of excitement. This "hob...

It's obvious that vintage everything is on trend. We were curious to see how names that were popular long ago are doing on the charts today. We wondered when they dropped of the list, which ones are making a comeback, and if there were variations that were keeping the same name vibe alive. We made a video of the Top 50 Names of Girls Circa 1910 . Then we did a little data dive to look at how the same names are doing now. Compared to the Top 10 names from 2018, seven of which end in -a, only Anna, #6 from 1910 ends that popular way. In fact, as you go down the vintage list, it's names like Edna, Thelma, and Martha  that finish with -a, names we don't really see inside the Top 500 today. Mildred came in at #8 back then. It hung around in the Top 100 until 1945 but continued a steady decline until dropping out of the Top 1000 after 1984. Millie hung around in the 2-300's for a while but also seemed on a slow and steady drop, dipping out of the Top 1000 even earlier, ...

Post by Mom. The Pie is a kiddo, so of course has never viewed the show.  As a namer I've seen plenty of Game of Thrones inspired baby name lists. Collections of names from the characters on the show. As a viewer who sometimes feels like I shouldn't be, I often wonder, would you really name your baby in honor of the crude, inappropriate, immoral and sometimes just flat out disgusting show?  I realize it is happening. Khaleesi continues to be a name on the rise, and both Arya and Aria have gone from a spot in the 900's to 119 and 19 respectively.  Even Winter has made leaps on the popularity charts. No doubt due to the ominous threat, "winter is coming."  I've found my GOT names in another spot~ the credits. For years, I've watched the opening of the show and as a namer, of course,  I closely eye the names of actors, directors, producers and composers looking for names that are new to me and inspiring. Here is a collection of names from Game of Thro...

  The names have been revealed! Each May the SSA publishes the top baby names of the year before. We're obsessed with analyzing the list for new trends and confirming our predictions. (Or admitting we were WAY off!) New to the naming world, at this time last year we didn't even know this data existed. What? You can search and sort and look at data going back to the early 1900's? Amazing. We've spent a ton of time sifting through the stats, so here is an analysis of our predictions. 1. Liam isn't going anywhere. Logan is.   Nailed it! In the Top 10 on both sides, the biggest dip was Logan. 2. Isla cracks the Top 100, significantly.   Cracked, Yes. Significantly.. not so much. from 103 to 82. Not bad, but it's interesting to note that Isla is doing much better in other countries...Top 10 in Scotland, Top 5 in Australia and we do think it will continue to rise in the US. 3. "W" Nature Names rise as well, think Wren, Willow, Waverly & Win...

The Social Security Administration will release data from 2018 in May, listing the names given to babies in the United States last year. This is an exciting time for namers, and to think that just over a year ago we didn't know this was a thing. We got super into naming in March of 2018, so we started a youtube channel , spent our time designing instas and pins, and joined a community of namers that we had no idea existed! We use the hashtag #namingbaby and try to keep our finger on the pulse of all things names. Just about two months into our journey, we saw a tweet about the SSA release and clicked to their website for the first time. Who knew? Some of you, I'm sure. But we were new to naming and the thrill that came with name searches, sorts and data analysis motivated us to explore naming even more. Originally it was all about a youtube channel that offered "no opinions, just names." But the more we got into it, we couldn't resist finding a place to ponde...

With craft beers, whisky flights and rosé all the rage these days, we (well Mom) had to wonder... are there any boozy baby names that could actually work?  The Pie was not in on this post (she's 13). I started thinking about the idea of liquor inspired names as I pondered the popularity of Porter. It's a boy's name on the rise, and I just kept seeing and hearing it everywhere and wondered, why? The connection I kept making was to Porter, a style of beer. That might just be my background in the bar biz, as the name actually originates from an English and Scottish surname, it's an occupational name meaning "gatekeeper" or "doorkeeper." In other languages Porter translates to a person who carries the load, or transfers objects for others. Porter beer was developed in London and is a dark variety from brown malt. It's name derived from the popularity it had with Porters. In fact, I found that the story of Stout and Porter comes from the fact th...

It was early in our naming journey when Khloe's daughter True was born, but only a few days before, we'd posted our video One Syllable Baby Girl Names , and sure enough at 3:23 you can see short & sweet little True. No, we're taking NO credit for any kind of prediction, but it felt kind of cool to have at least had the name on our radar. Nine months later and tons of time spent exploring naming, we are going to make some observations and soft predictions about the next Kardashian baby name. Kanye Omari West & Kimberly Noel Kardashian West have three children: North West Saint West Chicago West With a fourth child on the way, who we know is a little boy, we thought we'd see if we have our finger on the pulse- a feel for what the name might be. We are thinking if we put this out there now, it will be fun to look back at and see how right (or terribly wrong) we were! Jet West How fresh does that sound? With that coast to coast "wheels up...