In my professional duties, I have opportunity to run across long lists of names of local individuals and their families. Now, you all know my predilection for documenting the, um, “creative” names (or the standard names (mis)spelled “creatively”) in this corner of the world, and brother, this list was a doozy. It also gave genders, which renders some otherwise unremarkable names as real head-scratchers.
- Abbygail (female)
- Adasyn (female)
- Addalyn (female)
- Addeline (female)
- Addisen (female)
- Aerial (female)
- Alee (female)
- Alivia (female)
- Amzie (female)
- Anessa (female)
- Arynne (female)
- Ashlan (female)
- Baron (male)
- Baylee (female)
- Berkley (female)
- Blaiklee (female)
- Bodee (male)
- Brakston (male)
- Braylee (female)
- Breah (female)
- Brilynn (female)
- Brinn (female)
- Brooks (male)
- Brylee (female)
- Bryleigh (female)
- Calder (male)
- Cambree (female)
- Campbell (female)
- Camryn (female)
- Candon (male)
- Carder (male)
- Celestia (female)
- Charlsee (female)
- CheRanda (female)
- Coral (female)
- Corban (male)
- Daija (female)
- Dannae (female)
- Dayne (male)
- Delanee (female)
- Devri (female)
- Dustee (female)
- Easton (male – twice)
- Ellisyn (female)
- Emaiya (female)
- Emeral (female)
- Emerlyn (female)
- Emmily (female)
- Emmit (male)
- Eniyah (female)
- Grahm (male)
- Haileigh (female)
- Iailey (female)
- Idalys (female)
- Jaden (male)
- Jadyn (female – twice)
- Jaeleen (female)
- Jagger (male)
- Jaiten (male)
- Jannet (female)
- Jara (female)
- Jaxon (male – twice)
- Jaxson (male – twice)
- Jaxton (male)
- Jayde (female)
- Jaydee (female)
- Jayden (female)
- Jayrich (male)
- Jayse (male)
- Jenifer (female)
- Jensen (female)
- Jentry (female)
- Jett (male – twice)
- Jordilynn (female)
- Jordyn (female)
- Josanna (female)
- Justyn (male)
- K’nai (male)
- Kabree (female – twice)
- Kaden (male)
- Kaeley (female)
- Kaesen (male)
- Kaisley (female)
- Kalise (female)
- Kamron (male)
- Kandis (female)
- Karter (male)
- Kasen (male)
- Kashton (male)
- Kason (male)
- Kaycee (female)
- Kayden (male)
- Kaylee (female – twice)
- Kaylor (female)
- Kayt (female)
- Keagan (female)
- Kelsee (female)
- Kendall (female)
- Kenli (female)
- Keslen (male)
- Kiley (male)
- Kingston (male)
- Kinley (female)
- Klint (male)
- Koralee (female)
- Kristena (female)
- Kymberli (female)
- Kynlee (female)
- Kyreese (male)
- Kyrian (female)
- Lathen (male)
- Laynee (female)
- Lezly (female)
- Lillyanna (female)
- Linsie (female)
- Lissetta (female)
- Lundyn (female)
- Lyllyrose (female)
- Mackenzie (male!)
- Macyee (female)
- Madaliene (female)
- Madisan (female)
- Makai (male)
- Maxon (male)
- Mayely (female)
- Mayla (female)
- Maysa (female)
- Maze (male)
- McGregor (male)
- McKadie (female)
- McKaylie (female)
- McKinlee (female)
- Mclaine (female)
- Mersaydi (female)
- Mikkel (female)
- Myca (female)
- Naiya (female)
- Natausha (female)
- Nickole (female)
- Paisley (female)
- Parx (male)
- Paxon (male)
- Paycen (male)
- Payton (female – twice)
- Peyton (female)
- Peyton (male)
- Presley (female)
- Presli (female)
- Preslie (female – twice)
- Quinn (female – twice)
- Raegan (female)
- Raigen (female)
- Reace (male)
- Rhylan (male)
- Rory (female)
- Samee (female)
- SanDee (female)
- ShayLynn (female)
- Shelbee (male)
- Stephlynae (female)
- Stetson (male)
- Taelor (female)
- Tailer (female)
- Taryn (female)
- Tavian (male)
- Taylar (female)
- Tayler (female)
- Taysen (male)
- TeGan (male)
- Telena (female)
- Trevin (male)
- Trilby (female)
- Tystann (female)
- Zerik (male)
These could easily be character names for fantasy and sci-fi stories.
*Bad* fantasy and sci-fi stories.
Aerial – that must be some sort of dystopian future novel – maybe post-apocalyptic communists: apparently in Stalin’s Russia there was fashion for new, more Soviet names (since almost all names are by origin Christian in Russia too) with boys called Traktor and girls Elektrotelegrafiya, for example.
I guess that naming your daughter “Antenna” would fit right in.
Especially for twins.
The letter “y” often seems to be the crucial ingredient that makes a name “special.” Take any name and substitute a “y” for the usual vowel and whala!
Which is why I’m changing my name to Nyth’n Shwmyte.
For reasons not worth repeating, I once threatened to change my name to:
Dgeaughkn R-V
You know what – that looks pretty catchy. I wonder if I still have that paperwork.
Favorite name story, that I may have already shared here.
Many years ago I was working on a directory for the elementary school my daughters attended.
Came across the name Cheyenne. Terrible name for a little girl. A name for a girl destined to entertain on center stage and in champagne rooms.
But hardly worth mentioning, right. Well – her folks didn’t spell her name in the conventional manner. No – they had to show off another bit of creativity (as if her daughter weren’t already damned). They spelled it
There are so many Cheyennes hereabouts — and every variation thereof — that I almost don’t notice them.