Rare But Real (2014)

Yay rare names! Here are some of the gems somehow only given to 5 babies last year.
(excluding any which might have appeared on previous 'Rare but Reals'--2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)

Boys:

• Alvar (AHL-vahr, Scandinavian, Spanish)
• Cosmas (KOHZ-mas, Greek, German)
• Ithiel (ITH-ee-el, EE-thee-el, [Biblical] Hebrew)--"God is with me".
• Itiel (ee-tee-EL, Hebrew, French, Spanish)--form of Ithiel
• Jolyon (JOHL-yon, [medieval] English)--form of Julian
• Joram (JOHR-am, English)--from Biblical Hebrew, "exalted by God"
• Remus (REE-mus, English, REH-mus, German, Romanian)
• Selwyn (SEL-win, English)
• Wolfram (WUL-fram, English; VOHL-frahm, German)--from Germanic "wolf" and "raven"
• Wyman (WYE-man, English)
• Zenas (ZEH-nas, [Biblical] Greek)

Girls:

• Almas (al-MAHS, Arabic)--from Persian, "diamond"
• Carola (kah-ROH-lah, German, Spanish, Scandinavian, Italian; KAH-raw-lah, Swedish)
• Cleona (klee-OH-nah, kleh-OH-nah, [ancient] Greek)--"glory"
• Dione (dee-AHN, DYE-oh-nee, English; dee-OH-nee, dee-OH-nay, Greek)--from Greek, "goddess"
• Fiorenza (fee-oh-REN-tsah, Italian)--form of Florence
• Florina (floh-REE-nah, Italian, Romanian)--form of Flora
• Graciana (grah-see-AH-nah, Spanish)--from Latin, "from grace"
• Kavita (kuh-VEE-tah, Hindi)--"poem, poetry"
• Marlise (mar-LEES, English; mahr-LEE-zeh, German)--contraction of Mary Elisabeth
• Naamah (nah-ah-mah, Hebrew, NAY-uh-mah, English)
• Nerys (NEHR-is, Welsh)--"lordly"
• Prisca (PRIS-kah, Latin)--form of Priscilla
• Viviette (viv-ee-ET, English)--form of Vivian

First Names from Place-names

I was perusing name announcements the other day, and came across Kimber. I admit, my initial reaction was along the lines of "Ugh. Another parent trying to create a 'unique' spin on an older name."
But then I started thinking, "Why not?" Kimberley is from a surname/place name meaning "Cyneburga's field", after all. Since -ley is "field", wouldn't Kimber kind of just be a modern form of Cyneburga? Plenty of Old English (and Norse) names exist today only in places or surnames, so why can't we just lop off the locational ending to reclaim lost first names?

Some would arguably work better than others (and I also think that some of the original OE names could still be usable today, too), but I still had a lot of fun finding them! ;)

(unless otherwise noted, the original name was likely male)

• Alcon(bury)--"Ealhmund's fort"
• Arle(sey)--"Aelfric's island"
• Balton(sborough)--"Bealdhun's mound"
• Beck(ley)--"Becca's field"
• Becon(tree)--"Beohha's tree"
• Bermond(sey)--"Beornmond's island"
• Bren(ton)--"Bryni's town"
• Camber(well)--"Cantbeorht's spring"
• Caver(sfield)--"Cafhere's field"
• Chell(ington)--"Ceoldwynn's people's town" [feminine]
• Chella(ston)--"Ceoldheard's town"
• Cogen(hoe)--"Cugga's spur of land"
• Cothel(stone)--"Cuthwulf's town"
• Dagen(ham)--"Daecca's home"
• Dare(sbury)--"Deor's fort"
• Dayle(sford)--"Daegel's ford"
• Ember(ton)--"Eanbeorht's town"
• Ender(by)--"Eindrithi's village"
• Essen(dine)--"Esa's valley"
• Ever(ingham)--"Eofor's people's home"
• Fulmod(eston)--"Fulcmod's town"
• Garmond(sway)--"Garmund's road"
• Gilmon(by)--"Gilman's village"
• Hedger(ley)--"Hycga's field"
• Idridge(hay)--"Eadric's enclosure"
• Ingold(mells)--"Ingjald's sand-hills"
• Ilket(shall)--"Ylfketill's land"
• Kelve(don)--"Cynelef's valley"
• Kemer(ton)--"Cyneburg's town" [feminine]
• Kilver(stone)--"Kilvert's town"
• Kimbol(ton)--"Cynebald's town"
• Kinwal(sey)--"Cyneweald's enclosure"
• Laven(don)--"Lafa's valley"
• Levis(ham)--"Leofgeat's home"
• Mauger(sbury)--"Maethelgar's fort"
• Melson(by)--"Maelsuithan's village"
• Ocken(don)--"Wocca's hill"
• Ossul(stone)--"Oswulf's rock"
• Pax(ton)--"Poecc's town" [coincides with the Latin word for 'peace']
• Renn(ington)--"Regna's people's town"
• Rickman(sworth)--"Ricmaer's farm"
• Rosli(ston)--"Hrothlaf's town"
• Sydmon(ton)--"Sidumann's town"
• Syson(by)--"Sigsteinn's village"
• Thedd(ingworth)--"Theoda's farm"
• Thurla(ston)--"Thorleif's town"
• Tyther(ton)--"Tydre's town"
• Wenha(ston)--"Wynhaeth's town"
• Whit(ington)--"Hwita's people's town"
• Wilbra(ham)--"Wilburh's land" [feminine]
• Witten(ham)--"Witta's pasture"
• Wolgar(ston)--"Wulfgar's town"
• Wolver(ton/cot/ley)--"Wulfhere, Wulfgar, or Wulfweard's town/cottages/field"
• Wymer(sley)--"Wigmaer's field"
• Wymond(ham)--"Wigmund's home"
• Wyrard(isbury)--"Wigred's fort"
• Yelver(ton)--"Geldfrith's town"

The Biggest Losers (2014)

Seeing which names are rising is fun and all, but everything that goes up must come down....

Biggest ranking drops (2013 Top 500)--

Boys:

1. Jacoby, -107 (#486 --> #593)
2. Issac, -83 (#469 --> #552)
3. Devon, -81 (#446 --> #527)
4. Yahir, -81 (#480 --> #561)
5. Trey, -75 (#405 --> #480)
6. Rodrigo, -75 (#413 --> #488)
7. Quentin, -65 (#406 --> #471)
8. Drake, -63 (#285 --> #348)
9. Randy, -63 (#447 --> #510)
10. Taylor, -62 (#371 --> #433)
11. Darius, -61 (#412 --> #473)
12. Chris, -61 (#453 --> #514)
13. Braylon, -60 (#318 --> #378)
14. Trent, -58 (#440 --> #498)
15. Jaxen, -58 (#492 --> #550)
16. Talon, -57 (#497 --> #554)
17. Justice, -56 (#475 --> #531)
18. Tristen, -55 (#452 --> #507)
19. Braydon, -55 (#472 --> #527)
20. Curtis, -53 (#476 --> #529)

Girls:

1. Miley, -405 (#387 --> #792)
2. Joselyn, -146 (#473 --> #619)
3. Sasha, -139 (#428 --> #567)
4. Kaelyn, -133 (#441 --> #574)
5. Addisyn, -132 (#402 --> #534)
6. Jaylah, -124 (#233 --> #357)
7. Audrina, -112 (#476 --> #588)
8. Hanna, -106 (#377 --> #483)
9. Alexia, -95 (#175 --> #270)
10. Marissa, -94 (#378 --> #472)
11. Jayden, -93 (#446 --> #539)
12. Janiyah, -87 (#477 --> #564)
13. Kaylin, -85 (#461 --> #546)
14. Kyra, -84 (#401 --> #485)
15. Katelynn, -79 (#488 --> #567)
16. Karen, -75 (#416 --> #491)
17. Danna, -74 (#469 --> #543)
18. Kendra, -72 (#187 --> #259)
19. Lexie, -72 (#490 --> #562)
20. Briana, -69 (#350 --> #419)

And the biggest % drops:

1. Jayden, -0.098% (0.733% --> 0.634%)
2. Jacob, -0.075% (0.899% --> 0.823%)
3. Joshua, -0.054% (0.584% --> 0.53%)
4. Christian, -0.05% (0.463% --> 0.413%)
5. Brayden, -0.047% (0.369% --> 0.322%)
6. Ryan, -0.046% (0.49% --> 0.445%)
7. Justin, -0.045% (0.241% --> 0.197%)
8. Gavin, -0.045% (0.369% --> 0.324%)
9. Tyler, -0.044% (0.329% --> 0.285%)
10. Jase, -0.043% (0.227% --> 0.183%)
11. Nathan, -0.042% (0.481% --> 0.439%)
12. Anthony, -0.042% (0.608% --> 0.566%)
13. Blake, -0.038% (0.28% --> 0.242%)
14. Mason, -0.037% (0.879% --> 0.842%)
15. Ethan, -0.037% (0.806% --> 0.769%)
16. Bentley, -0.035% (0.267% --> 0.233%)
17. Andrew, -0.033% (0.578% --> 0.545%)
18. Christopher, -0.032% (0.538% --> 0.506%)
19. Zachary, -0.031% (0.284% --> 0.253%)
20. Landon, -0.031% (0.434% --> 0.403%)

1. Sophia, -0.15% (1.104% --> 0.954%)
2. Samantha, -0.045% (0.338% --> 0.293%)
3. Nicole, -0.045% (0.174% --> 0.13%)
4. Addison, -0.044% (0.402% --> 0.359%)
5. Hannah, -0.042% (0.378% --> 0.336%)
6. Isabella, -0.042% (0.916% --> 0.874%)
7. Makayla, -0.039% (0.171% --> 0.132%)
8. Emily, -0.035% (0.683% --> 0.648%)
9. Kaylee, -0.033% (0.266% --> 0.233%)
10. Alexia, -0.032% (0.095% --> 0.063%)
11. Alexis, -0.032% (0.248% --> 0.216%)
12. Nevaeh, -0.031% (0.247% --> 0.216%)
13. Molly, -0.027% (0.16% --> 0.133%)
14. Abigail, -0.027% (0.645% --> 0.618%)
15. Natalie, -0.025% (0.389% --> 0.364%)
16. Kendra, -0.025% (0.09% --> 0.065%)
17. Hailey, -0.025% (0.262% --> 0.237%)
18. Jaylah, -0.024% (0.071% --> 0.047%)
19. Aubrey, -0.024% (0.415% --> 0.391%)
20. Miley, -0.023% (0.042% --> 0.018%)

Aaaaand the biggest drops in relative frequency--how much more common these names were in 2013:

1. Amare (1.6x)
2. Bently (1.5x)
3. Damion (1.5x)
4. Benicio (1.4x)
5. Isiah (1.4x)
6. Antony (1.4x)
7. Trevon (1.4x)
8. Sylas (1.4x)
9. Yitzchok (1.3x)
10. Arian (1.3x)
11. Jesiah (1.3x)
12. Mikah (1.3x)
13. Jordi (1.3x)
14. Zachery (1.3x)
15. Channing (1.3x)
16. Dwayne (1.3x)
17. Jael (1.3x)
18. Gionni (1.3x)
19. Xavi (1.3x)
20. Drake (1.3x)

1. Miley (2.3x)
2. Jaylah (1.5x)
3. Alexia (1.5x)
4. Britney (1.5x)
5. Yaretzy (1.5x)
6. Karly (1.4x)
7. Abbey (1.4x)
8. Joselyn (1.4x)
9. Sherlyn (1.4x)
10. Kaya (1.4x)
11. Kendra (1.4x)
12. Emilie (1.4x)
13. Yara (1.4x)
14. Yamilet (1.4x)
15. Courtney (1.4x)
16. Nicole (1.3x)
17. Estrella (1.3x)
18. Hayleigh (1.3x)
19. Amya (1.3x)
20. Addisyn (1.3x)