September has been all about the 2016 E&W name data for me. First there was my comparison of US vs UK names in 2016 for Nameberry, and since then I have been busily compiling the combined spellings chart (keep your eyes peeled for it). So September's post is all about names which have taken my fancy or caught my notice from the 2016 E&W data.
Liliwen
Already in the combined rankings, Lily and her many spelligs have bumped the name up from #7 to #3. Stretching a little further though, are all the many other Lily-esque names such as Liliana, Lillian, Lilia, Lilith, Lilla, Lilou and many more.
I was particularly pleased to see the Welsh compound name Liliwen at #3214 (7 births). Though its rare, this is actually its highest rank to date. Since 1996, it has only ranked twice previously -- in 2010 and 2014 -- both with 3 births each time.
Ysella
From Welsh to Cornish, Ysella (meaning "modest" in Cornish) ranks at #2757 (9 births) which is also its highest rank so far. It has only ranked in six previous years since 1996, and has never had more than 4 births in any given year until now.
Lowen
Like Ysella, Lowen is another Cornish name (meaning "happy") which is on the rise. Lowen hadn't ranked (i.e. more than 3 births per year) before 2004, and then was used only intermittently. In 2013 it rose to #1920 (11 births) and had shot up to #927 (32 births) by 2015. In 2016, it has risen even further to #732 with 46 births.
Novella
Making its modern debut in 2015 with 3 births, Novella has maintained its usage and was given to 4 girls in 2016, putting it at #4753. A novella is, of course, a short novel, but the Victorians were also partial to the name, for a different reason. They used the name thanks to soprano singer Clara Novello (1818-1908) . Several Victorian girls were named "Clara Novello" but also "Clara Novella." Novello and Novella were also used as first names alone for girls.
With its -ella ending, similarity to fashionable Nova, and both its literary and Victorian heritage, I can see Novella catching on.
Fox
Another word-name with history, Fox is not only a nature-name but also an established surname. With its fashionable one-syllable and -x ending, its little wonder that Fox has seen a rise in 2016, going from #740 (44 births) to #521 (75 births)
Arla
One of the highest rising names of 2015 was Arla, which went from #1966 (14 births) to #923 (39 births). Turns out that Arla was not a one-year wonder, and has continued to rise into 2016. It now ranks at #719 with 56 births.
Reeva -- a large riser in 2013 thanks to Reeva Steenkamp -- and Merida -- which debuted in 2013 thanks to Disney's Brave -- have also proved that they aren't just one-year wonders and have maintained their usage.
Esperance
In my August name musings, I talked about Temperance, and this month it is another virtue ending-in-ance name which has caught my attention. Esperance is the French word for "hope" and is very reminiscent of the Spanish Esperanza.
Esperance was a new entry in 2015 (#5730 with 3 births), and has maintained its usage with 3 births again (#5785) in 2016.
Reign
We can look directly to celebrity influence for this royalty-inspired appellation. Kourtney Kardashian named her youngest son Reign Aston in December 2014 and both Louis Tomlinson and Nick Carter gave it as a middle name to their sons in 2016.
The name is currently unisex, but slightly more common for boys at the moment:
| Boys | Girls | |
| 2013: 2014: 2015: 2016: |
no rank 3 births (#4632) 20 births (#1279) 39 births (#818) |
no rank 3 births (#5691) 9 births (#2705) 16 births (#1834) |
