Friendly Happ-"BY" Names

There are a few names ending in BY that I quite like, so I thought I'd make a list of them. I found there's actually quite a few more names ending in BY than I realised! And I also found that they seem to fall mainly into one of two different categories.

There are those that I consider to be "Quirky Vintage". Think Bartleby, Gatsby, Maeby, Quimby, Willoughby and the likes. They tend to feel like (and often are) literary gems, and have a classic charm that is quite appealing.

The names I had in mind though tend to be more of the "Friendly and Perky" variety. Also very charming and appealing, they sound like they belong to people who are open and approachable. People you could easily become good friends with.

Maybe it's because a number of them are nicknames, and hence designed to be more familiar and friendly from the get go.

Personally though I think it's the "bee" sound itself. It brings to mind a little bumblebee, happily buzzing around flowers on a warm sunny day. You can't help but smile with that image in your mind (unless you're allergic to bees. In which case you might be filled with anxious dread instead). Some people even prefer to change the BY to a BEE or BIE spelling instead to enhance this happy friendly feeling, and add a hint of youthfulness to the name.

I don't think it's necessary though - the names below are all likable enough already.

Abby - Name your daughter Abby and chances are she'll forever be asked if it's short for Abigail. Abigail may be a very popular name in most Western countries, but Abby is a lovable name in it's own right. She's a top 500 name in the U.S and appears on many of our favourite on screen characters. My personal pick - the effervescent Abby Cadabby, the magical fairy Muppet of "Sesame Street" fame.

Alby - Archie is gaining steam in Australia, and Alfie is receiving lots of love in the U.K. Could these be leading the way for Alby? Quite possibly, as Albert is also on the rise. Alby also makes an appearance in "The Maze Runner" as the leader of the Gladers, showing that this name may sound light but has plenty of substance.

Ashby - With hints of Ashley and Aubrey, Ashby is definitely my pick for the next big "Ash" name. But probably not for another 20 years or so, making it a solid ahead-of-the trend pick. With nickname options of Ash for boys and Bea for girls, what's not to love about Ashby.

Bobby Brady

Bobby - Ahhh Bobby. Am I the only one who immediately thinks "The Brady Bunch" when I hear this? Bobby may have started as a nickname for Robert, but this name is quite the powerhouse and has been in the U.S. top 1000 for about 100 years now. He feels like a great Americana choice for a boy, but would be a refreshing (and rare!) choice for a girl.

Coby - It's a sound we're not unfamiliar with, thanks to basketballer Kobe Bryant and "How I Met Your Mother" actress Cobie Smulders (which in her case is short for Jacoba!). Yet this spelling is not very popular at all, perhaps lacking the energetic vibe of Kobe.

Colby - It may be a type of cheese, but it's not a cheesy name. Ever since season two of "Survivor" I've been a fan of Colby. I suspect I'm not the only one. On a boy it has cowboy swagger. On a girl it's cute and tomboyish (and rare!).

Darby - I had a Great Uncle Darby (Darb) so to me this name is straight from the era that we are borrowing so heavily from at the moment. In the U.S it was used fairly evenly for boys and girls until a Julia Roberts played Darby Shaw in the 1994 movie "The Pelican Brief". It's a great gender neutral pick, and currently largely undiscovered as it is no where near cracking the top 1000.

Debby - Before the popularity of Jennifer and her nicknames Jenny and Jen in the 70's, there was Deborah and her nicknames Debby/Debbie and Deb in the 50's. Deborah has never left the top 1000 in the U.S, but Debby was not the most well-liked of her nicknames and currently feels very unfashionable.

Digby - I really 'dig' this name! And another pun - I think it's very 'dig'nified ☺ This is actually true though. Digby is just the right combination of stylish and Old English sounding, yet down-to-earth and approachable. It's super rare currently but definitely deserves more love.

Gabby - As a child I had a book about a little creature named Gabby because they talked too much
and needed to learn how to listen. If you don't mind the association with being overly talkative, this cute little nickname for Gabrielle/Gabriella would be very sweet for a girl.

Kirby - Confession time - I've had a soft spot for the name Kirby ever since seeing the 1985 movie "St Elmo's Fire". That particular Kirby was male, but it was TV sensation "Dynasty" that put Kirby on the map for girls in the 80's. These both make Kirby feel like an 80's pick, but in an offbeat cool and retro way.

Korby - This name will be long tainted in Australia due to the Shapelle Corby drug smuggling associations. But I feel that the Korby spelling is a lot funkier, despite looking like it has been hijacked by the Kardashians. Almost no one is using this name right now, making Korby a great different-bot-not-too-different choice.

Libby - She may not be the trendiest or most popular nickname for the classic Elizabeth, but Libby has a that undeniable girl-next-door vibe. Whether that girl is sweet, quiet, outgoing, popular, mischievous or tomboyish doesn't matter - Libby feels like she could be any or all of these.

Rigby - Beatles tune "Eleanor Rigby" makes this one a great choice for lovers of their music. It only made it onto the radar in the U.S in the past decade and so far seems to belong to the boys, but I could see this going either way. One of the two main characters in the cartoon "Regular Show" is a raccoon named Rigby, and I have a feeling that this name will be very popular when viewers start having children.

Robby - For most of the 1900's Robert was a top 10 name in the U.S (and is still a top 100 name), and he spawned many nicknames. Robby is one of the more popular ones. I'm torn on Robby - on one hand he feels like a high school sweetheart, but on the other hand I recently saw "Dirty Dancing" again so he currently seems like a villain. Either way, when I think of Robby I picture a child or teenager rather than a mature adult, which is probably why Robert is far more popular as it gives the wearer the freedom of choice as they age.

Ruby - Ruby may feel like a vintage rarity, but she's actually very popular in many parts of the world. She's been a top 10 staple in Australia for a while now, top 20 in the UK and recently moved into the U.S top 100. Ruby has a winning combination of the "oo" sound that's trending right now, plus the friendly "bee", and she's a precious jewel to boot. What's not to love?

Shelby Eatenton Latcherie

Shelby - It may be a go-to name for turtles, tortoises and snails, but I can't help but love the preppy and perky Shelby. Shelby has a longer history of use as a boys name, but rocketed to popularity as a girls name in 1936 after Barbara Stanwick played a Shelby in the movie "The Woman in Red". Another onscreen Shelby - Julia Roberts (again!) in "Steel Magnolias" in 1989 - helped push Shelby to a top 100 girls name in the 1990's. Most people now consider it to be "a girls name".

Tibby - In 2005 Amber Tamblyn introduced many of us to the name Tibby in the movie adaptation of 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants'. For her character it was a nickname for Tabitha, and she managed to make a name that possibly seemed overly cutesy feel cool and spunky.

Toby - Interestingly, the longer Tobias is currently far more popular than Toby in the U.S, but here in Australia (and the U.K and New Zealand) Toby is a top 100 name. I have a real soft spot for Toby. Toby feels like your best friend, and a fun, cheeky one at that. Call me crazy but I also think it's super cute on a girl.

Zibby - Looking for a truly unusual nickname for Elizabeth? Try Zibby. She's cute, unusual and rare. Great if you have a family full of Elizabeths and want a distinctive version with loads of personality.

Cheesy Baby Names

Like Penryn, another building that I pass everyday on the way to work is named Monterey. It's such a lovely sounding word, one that would probably work well as a persons name. And why not? Back in the 80's, I was a big fan of a cartoon called 'Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers'. The show featured the existing chipmunk characters of Chip and Dale, plus their new friends Gadget Hackwrench, a young female mouse and the team's pilot, mechanic and inventor, and little housefly and sidekick, Zipper. But my favourite was the burly adventuring Australian mouse named Monterey Jack – Monty to his friends, and Cheeser to his mum.

So I find it easy to see Monterey as a name. Cheeser or Cheese not so much. And apparently most people have similar feelings. Headlines were made late 2013 when BabyCenter released results of a survey of half a million American parents that revealed that three of those parents named their child Cheese in 2013. Three is not enough children to show up on the official SSA lists, so we can't really verify if that is true or not. We can only hope that those three responded incorrectly as a joke.

Although Cheese as a given name leaves a child open to ridicule, there are plenty of other ways to subtly honour your love of (or obsessive cravings for) cheese with your choice of name for your child. And it's been a while since I did a “just-for-the-fun-of-it” list, so here goes!

Abertam		Caravene		Lairobell		Rubens
Airedale		Carlow		Leafield		Rushan
Alverca		Colby		Leyden		Sakura
Ambert		Crescenza		Malvern		Samso
Ambrosiana		Croghan		Margotin		Sardo
Ameribella		Crowley		Maribo		Siraz
Anari		Crozier		Minas		Sirene
Aura		Derby		Montasio		Stilton
Azeitao		Dunlop		Mycella		Tala
Balaton		Emlett		Myzithra		Teifi
Banon		Esrom		Niolo		Telemea
Beaufort		Filetta		Nis		Toma
Berkswell		Finn		Orda		Tometta
Bosworth		Friesla		Orla		Tommes
Braudostur		Gowrie		Parenica		Ulloa
Brick		Graviera		Parrano		Vacherin
Brie		Kenafa		Penbryn		Wellington
Brin		Kernhem		Piora		Wensleydale
Bryndza		Kiri		Rodoric		Winnimere
Capretta		Kishta		Roncal		Zamorano
Capriola		Korall		Roquefort		Zimbro

Thanks to Cheese.Com and Wikipedia for the great ideas ☺

What do you think – would you consider using any of these? Or is the idea just too “cheesy” for you?

Questionable Girls' Word Names

Original Photo Courtesy of
Mali Workman Photography

I came across a BuzzFeed post today that I thought would be a fun one to share. It's a list titled '127 Questionable Words That Would Actually Be Nice Names For Girls'.

It's a sentiment that can cause many creative namers to stumble. It feels like I've often seen people on forums say that they've fallen in love with AnnaLee, or Annaleigh, or maybe even Auralee (OK, that was my own one-time musing), only to despair that they could never use it when they realise how it sounds when said out loud.

But not all people feel the same - or maybe they just don't realise the association. So here are the names from the BuzzFeed list that have all charted at least once in the U.S. for girls (plus a few thoughts for fun).


5. Anally - demonstrating the importance of Googling something before you use it as a name.
17. Envy (charted for both) - not one of the more flattering or inspirational "virtue" words.
20. Vanity - ditto for this one.
24. Deny (but for boys only) - maybe these were meant to be little Denny's?
36. Acura - I had to Google this one - it would probably be just fine in countries outside the U.S. Even if it does sound as if you are searching for a medical miracle.
37. Shandy (both) - well, if Brandy and Candy are OK.....
44. Anime - for real fans.
48. Every - longer than Ever, less frilly than Everly, and a twist on Emery.
52. Flavia - this probably shouldn't have made the list as it actually IS an Ancient Roman name.
55. Surely - is this a question? At least it's more assertive than #86 on this list.
56. Mania - this is just crazy.
64. Quora - because your daughter is the answer to your questions.
65. Marijuana - were you high?
66. Coma (both) - some very suggestive jokes spring to mind, mainly about slipping into one.
74. Any - did you mean Amy?
76. Epiphany - this is actually quite pretty.
79. Australia (both) - as an Australian, this is flattering. But a little strange.
81. Veranda - a cross between Veronica and Miranda leaves you with a porch.
86. Kinda - can't help but think her sister is named Maeby.
87. Haiti - personally I prefer Heidi, but then it wouldn't be a place name.
91. Millennia - one guess as to which years this name charted.
93. Chutney - and Relish. Yum, but no thanks.
109. Shady (both) - Eminem fans? Or maybe a sister to Veranda. Or a misspelled Shandy.
112. Margarine - no, it's not a pretty twist on Marjorie. And too many possible jokes about spreading.
113. Aetna - a little sickly sounding.
116. Daily (both) - you're having a child, not a newspaper.
123. Vanilla - so sweet! So very sugary sweet.
125. Dairy - I don't want to know what her middle name is, but it better not be cow.