A Girl Called Liam
This week’s baby name news includes the latest trends in Ireland, girls with traditional male names, and the new Big Bang baby
Banned baby names: Liam and Marseille
You’ve probably heard the saying that when a dog bites a man, it’s not news, but when a man bites a dog, that’s news. This week we may have found the baby name equivalent.
When parents call their son Liam, it’s not news. Thousands of boys called Liam are born every year, all over the world. When parents call their daughter Liam, though, it’s more noteworthy. And when those parents are French and the local authorities try to reject the name, then it’s news.
Liam is a Top 10 boys’ name in France, according to the French baby name website Meilleurs Prénoms. But for a girl it’s a non, on the grounds that she might be mistaken for a boy, and this might have a negative impact on her life. It’s not that there are no unisex French names – Dominique springs to mind – but that Liam doesn’t have precedent as a girls’ name.
You may be surprised to know that Liam is also a royal name: Prince Liam of Nassau is fourth in line to the throne of Luxembourg, just behind his sister, Amalia. Other young royals with somewhat unexpected names include Savannah, Tallulah and Vincent.
Meanwhile in the US, there’s a small but steady stream of female Liams being born – 19 of them in 2016. It doesn’t look set to be the next Ryan or Logan, far less a truly unisex name, but it might be worth watching.
Lest you think the name news from France is always doom and gloom, here’s something positive: a father has finally been allowed to use his hometown as a second middle name for his son. Welcome to the world, Onken Philip Marseille! (Also, can we take a moment to admire those other names? In an earlier interview, dad explained that Onken honors the baby’s Congolese heritage on his mother’s side, and Philip is after a grandfather.)
Girls called George and Amadeus
Baby Liam isn’t the only girl with a traditionally masculine name in the news this week. Acting couple Hilarie Burton and Jeffrey Dean Morgan have announced the birth of their daughter, George Virginia. It’s a sweet, if unexpected, pair with brother Gus (short for Augustus).
Like most classic boys’ names, George has been used at a low level for girls since the name data began, peaking at over 200 girls a year in the 1920s and 30s – and that’s not including all the Georges whose full name is Georgina or Georgia. One that springs to mind is the character in Enid Blyton’s Famous Five stories.
A girl with a decidedly rarer name is Amadeus Reign. Known as Ami for short, she’s the subject of these beautiful birth photos. Her name makes an interesting coda to big siblings Xavier, Zayden, Kaydence and Ezra. Amadeus is rare but rising in the US, while its traditionally feminine counterpart Amadea has never been used more than 10 times in a year. It could be an unusual alternative to similar-sounding names like Amelie and Adalyn.
What’s hot in Ireland
Want to name like an Irish parent? Then call your baby Jack or Emily – those were the the top names in Ireland in 2017. And also in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. (In 2016, James took the top spot for boys.)
While change is slow in some parts of the charts (on that note: as far as I know, Ireland is the only place where Kevin and Mary are in the Top 100), there are still trends happening. Fast-rising names this year include Theo and Jackson for boys, and Aoibhin and Nina for girls. If you want to explore more Irish name trends over time, this is the tool you’ve been waiting for.
The Irish charts are also a good place to look for names that are about to get big Stateside. Cillian, Cian, Aoife and Saoirse are all rising in the US – with Saoirse notably jumping into the top 1000 in 2016 – and they’re all Top 100 names in Ireland.
Here on Nameberry, Irish names newly added to the database include Ardal, Conleth, Enda and Liadan. For even more inspiration, here’s a lovely long list of Irish names.
Neil‘s notable namesakes
What, even more Irish names? Neil is one of those names, like Brian and Shane, that’s been used by English speakers for so long we tend to forget where it came from. It’s still in the top 1000, but most Neils statistically are in the parent or grandparent generation.
Which is why it’s a little surprising that the newest Big Bang Theory baby is called Neil Michael (known as Michael). After his big sister Halley it seems a conservative choice, but there’s no denying it has impressive credentials: he’s named after Neils Gaiman, Armstrong and Diamond.
If you’re looking for a fresher alternative, try Neil’s cousin Niall. Or you could try Neil for a girl – it could be the perfect sister name for your daughter, Liam.