sun. Probably from Aeliana, the feminine form of the Roman name Aelianus, which was derived from the Roman family name Aelius) and means: my God has answered.It's Raining Names
A blog all about... names! I've been a "collector" of & obsessed with other people's first names (esp. unique, unusual & uncommon) forever. Read this space for fascinating, fervent, fun (for fellow name nerds): news, facts, commentary & anecdotes on names - the good, bad, ugly & pretty. This is IRN (est. in 2010s via Freewebs) REDUX!
Monday, May 11, 2026
The Top 10 Baby Names of 2025
sun. Probably from Aeliana, the feminine form of the Roman name Aelianus, which was derived from the Roman family name Aelius) and means: my God has answered.Sunday, May 10, 2026
Why is Sunday used more for daughters over sons?
That is the question... ๐ค The seventh day of the week ๐
Sunday as a first ๐name should be considered more a ๐boy's name solely because of the
'Sun' at the start of the name (as being considered a play on 'son') — but it's instead surprisingly seen as a ๐girl's name first.
Behind The Name sees ๐Sunday as both masculine and feminine: "from the name of the day of the week, which ultimately derives from Old English sunnandรฆg, which was composed of the elements sunne
"sun" and dรฆg "day.""
๐Nameberry๐ describes Sunday as a girl's name (but also recognizes it as a boy's name, which peaked at #3472 in 1916) meaning, "'day of the
sun.' The name itself derives from Hellenistic astrology, in which each day of the week was attributed the name of what were then known as the seven planets - Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon. In modern English, only 2 days retain their "planet" name besides Sunday, Monday (Moon day) and Saturday (Saturn Day)."
๐NB๐ believes: "Sunday is among the most usable of the day names with its sunny first syllable, its sweet sound, and its potential to be both a sassy or a spiritual choice. The name initially made headlines in 2008 when Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban chose it for their daughter, Sunday Rose. A subtly spiritual name, Sunday is the day of rest and worship in Christianity, placing the name alongside other modern Christian choices, like Shepherd, Cruz, and Dove, that aren't directly Biblical, but more quietly give a nod to faith. Sunday could make a meaningful and happy feeling choice. In the popular "Mondays Child" rhyme, Sunday's child is said to be "bonny and blithe and good and gay", while Sunday is also associated with a day off work (for some), Sunday Roasts, Period dramas and older-skewing TV shows, Easter, larger newspapers, baseball, and the sweet dessert Sundae."
Sunny Sunday (#1072 in US Top 1000) is unusually ahead of
gloomy Wednesday (#2425 in US Top 1000) in popularity.
Sunday is most common in ๐
Nigeria and other parts of
Africa, Behind The Name reports.
In The United States ๐Texas and ๐Hawaii are where the most Sundays reside.
I really like the name ๐Sunday as a first name but mainly when it's used as a ๐son's name (I find it so cute๐ฅฐ). ๐คท๐พ♀️ I do like ๐Sunday for a ๐daughter's name but only when it has another girly name after ✔ a la ๐Sunday Rose๐น — or if has the sweet spelling of ๐Sundae๐จ then — it becomes a very pretty, feminine name. But ๐Sunday alone? I see it best as a masculine, boy's name for a ๐son. ๐๐พ
⭐FAMOUS & ๐NOTEWORTHY ๐SUNDAYS:
๐Kez Sunday Udoka (๐son of ๐ฅactress Nia Long and ๐basketball coach Ime Udoka)
๐Baron Sunday 
(character in tv show Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of
Superman)
๐Sunday ๐ฎ (character in video game Honkai: ⭐Star Rail)
๐Sunday ๐ (character in the book The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton)
๐Lelda Sunday Reed Baillieu
(art patron & collector)
๐Sunday Riley
(skincare founder of the Sunday Riley brand)
๐Sunday Molly Myers (๐daughter of ๐ฅactor Mike Myers)
๐Sunday Sky (๐daughter of ๐ model Ferne McCann)
๐Sunday Juno Fox (๐daughter of ๐ฅactress Janet Montgomery & ๐writer Joe Fox)
๐Sunday LaBrant (๐daughter of ๐บinfluencer family the LaBrants)
๐Sunday Kalogeras ๐คณ๐ป (influencer)
๐Jin "Sunday" Bo-ra ๐ค (singer)
๐Sunday Settman ๐ฅ (character in the film What Happened to Monday)
๐Sunday ๐ง♀️๐บ (character in tv show Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
๐STATS ON THE NAME ๐Sunday:
https://www.mynamestats.com/
☔๐IRN RATING OF ๐Sunday: ๐ OR ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐/10
Saturday, May 9, 2026
NAME OF THE DAY: Atlas
Today's ๐Name Of The Day๐
is the name: ๐Atlas
— only because it was mentioned in the ⬅previous post๐ on ๐๐Nautas: "Nautus might combine the appeal of ancient sounding names — such as Augustus, Titus, and Maximus — with the contemporary love for sea-inspired choices — like Ocean, Cove, and Caspian — with the on-trend sounds of names like Knox, Silas, Nash, and Atlas mixed in too." And I've been waiting for the
perfect time to cover this relatively ✨new name๐ to me ๐๐พ♀️ that I like ๐ฅฐ a lot.
Atlas is a word name first meaning: a bound collection of maps
or a bound volume of charts, plates, or tables illustrating any subject.
Atlas "possibly means 'enduring' from Greek ฯฮปฮฌฯ (tlao) meaning 'to endure,'" Behind The Name says.
Atlas is known in Greek mythology as: "one of the most famous Titans, the son of Iapetus and the Oceanid Asia (or, possibly, Clymene). He was the leader of the Titan rebellion against Zeus, and he got a fitting punishment after the end of the Titanomachy: he was condemned to eternally hold up the sky. Only once, and for a very brief period, he was bereaved of this burden by Heracles. Perseus, probably using Medusa’s head, turned him into the stony Atlas Mountains."
Meaning: bearer of the heavens: "Atlas
is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas
has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo," ๐Nameberry๐ believes.
an "audacious choice" for a first name and describes it as "one of the fast-rising names on the list in recent years in the USA, jumping from oblivion in 2012 into the Top 500 in 2015, and climbing several hundred places higher since then [it ranks #101๐ in the US Top 1000]. As well as the mythological connection, Atlas
is a cool geographical word name – perfect for the child of parents who love traveling or who hail from different parts of the globe."
is obviously a boy's name originally but can be used for a girl. ๐NB๐ says, "๐Atlas
is used for an increasingly significant number of baby girls in the US. And undeniably, it's a name that imparts strength to any child."
. I first ๐๐พheard of it from the work of fiction in It Ends With Us (the 2024 ๐ฅmovie version however of the ๐book by ✍Colleen Hoover). I was caught off guard ๐คฏ by a word I hadn't heard since my ๐ซschool days learning social studies — being used as a first name. I think ๐Atlas
is a really ๐cool name. I associate an ๐Atlas
as a curious, laid back introverted type or a rambunctious, energetic explorer. I sort of like ๐Atlas
for a ๐girl... ๐ค but only if a second feminine name is hyphenated (๐Atlas-Isla) along with it or the middle name (๐Atlas Aria) is really girly and used as one name. But I like it most used for a ๐boy's name. ๐Atlas
certainly is not a first name I'd ever thought I'd ๐see become so popular. But it's happened and here's to that ๐Atlas
continues to rise๐ — it's just a great name choice ๐๐พ full of character, ๐heroic and ๐ชstrong.
:
Heche Tupper ๐ (son of late ๐ฅactress Anne Heche & ๐ฅactor James Tupper)
Norton ๐ (son of ๐ฅactor Edward Norton)
Hendrix Sanchez ๐ (son of ๐ถmusician Claudio Sanchez of band Coheed and Cambria)
Cade Williams ๐ (son of ๐บYouTubers Cory & Kristen Williams)
Blu๐ Klamer (son of ๐คsinger Jonny Blu๐)
Noa ๐(daughter of actress ๐ฅShay Mitchell)
Corrigan ๐ (character from the book It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover)
Flynn ๐ (character in book Miss Gomez and the Brethren by William Trevor)
Fuller ๐ (character in book trilogy The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee)
๐ฎ (video game character in BioShock)
๐งฉ (puzzle game ๐คrobot character in Portal 2)
:
: ๐ OR ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐/10 Tuesday, May 5, 2026
CELEBRITY BABY NAME REVEAL: Nautas
Benji Madden of the 00s ๐คrock ๐ถband Good Charlotte shared the birth of his third child, a son๐ถ with ๐ฅactress Cameron Diaz — in a ๐cool Instagram ๐ขannouncement with his name as: ๐๐Nautas! ๐
๐๐Nautas is from the Latin root word Nauta and means: "sailor, navigator, voyager, one who embarks on a journey and fears not the unknown."
๐Nameberry๐ further explains ๐Nautas is a "nautical name that blends modern and ancient. Likely derived from the Latin nauta, Nautus may be interpreted as meaning "sailor, seafarer, mariner" — though Benji Madden offered the more figurative interpretation when announcing his son's birth. A one of a kind choice, Nautus might combine the appeal of ancient sounding names — such as Augustus, Titus, and Maximus — with the contemporary love for sea-inspired choices — like Ocean, Cove, and Caspian — with the on-trend sounds of names like Knox, Silas, Nash, and Atlas mixed in too. It may also bring to mind the Nautilus, marine cephalopods, known for their large, spiral shells — also used as the name for Captain Nemo's submarine in Jules Verne's classic novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."
๐๐Nautas is such a new name, ๐NB๐ only just added the name onto their website seemingly. ๐คฏ
Initially, I thought ๐๐Nautas was a made up name when I first heard it and therefore didn't like it. ๐ But when I saw Madden's post on it my mind changed ๐ค reading the meaning. It's a pretty nice name after all ๐๐พ and I do love๐sea๐ inspired names. My only gripes: I keep thinking it's spelled how it's pronounced: N-a-u-t-u-s ๐คฆ๐พ♀️ and I somehow see nautical + naughty = ๐๐Nautas. ๐
☔๐IRN RATING OF ๐Nautas: ๐ OR ๐๐๐๐๐๐/10
Monday, May 4, 2026
BOOK CHARACTER NAME OF INTEREST: Prairie
๐Prairie is the lush๐ฟ name of a character in the children's book๐ Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman — she is a younger sister ๐ง of protagonist
California Morning๐ aka Lucy Whipple.
Prairie as an English word means: "a tract of grassland; meadow. An extensive, level or slightly undulating, mostly treeless tract of land in the Mississippi valley, characterized by a highly fertile soil and originally covered with coarse grasses, and merging into drier plateaus in the west."
๐Nameberry๐ explains further, Prairie is derived from the Old French word praierie, which ultimately came from the Latin pratum, meaning "meadow." ๐NB๐ describes Prairie as an, "unspecific place name with a wonderfully wide-open, spacious, western feel."
๐
California and ๐South Dakota are the most Prairies (๐ถbaby girls and women๐ฉ) are found.
I had never heard of ๐Prairie used as a first name ๐ฎ until recently — it's so fresh and definitely different — of course I love it. ๐ฅฐ Plus it's a really pretty name — I like how it sounds used as a name. ๐Prairie is so rare, it arrived on name charts๐ in ⏪1977 and as of 2024 it is #4434 on the US Top 1000. This ๐earthy, green name could have potential to rise ๐ in popularity... and I'm rooting for it to. ๐ค๐พ
⭐FAMOUS & ๐NOTEWORTHY ๐PRAIRIE:
๐Prairie Dawn ๐๐บ (muppet character on tv show Sesame Street)
๐Prairie Moon ๐ ๐ (daughter of ๐ฅ actress Teresa Palmer)
๐Prairie Flower ๐ป๐ฅ (character in the film The Vanishing Tribe)
๐Prairie Johnson ๐บ (character on the tv show The OA)
๐Prairie Wheeler ๐ (character in the book Vineland)
๐STATS ON THE NAME ๐Prairie:
https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/P/PR/PRAIRIE/index.html
☔๐IRN RATING OF ๐Prairie: ๐ OR ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐/10
Sunday, May 3, 2026
NAME OF THE DAY: Golden
The ๐winner of the 152nd Kentucky Derby was ๐ขannounced as: ๐Golden Tempo. The polished name grabbed my attention. ๐ But I quickly remembered that name is familiar because there is a well-known human named: Golden — Golden Brooks — the actress known for her feisty role as Maya Wilkes on the ⏪00s ๐บtv show Girlfriends ๐ฉ๐ฝ๐ฉ๐ฝ๐ฉ๐พ๐ฉ๐ฟ. So today I will talking about the brazen color name: ๐Golden.
Sunny California (where Golden Brooks was born) fittingly and ๐Utah are where the most Goldens live.I like the name ๐Golden – it's ๐bright and bold. ๐ฅ I remember when I first heard of Golden Brooks decades ago, I thought her name was a stage name. ๐คฆ๐พ♀️ I like ๐Golden more so for a ๐girl's name than a boy but a ๐boy named ๐Golden is still gold. ๐๐พ
⭐FAMOUS & ๐NOTEWORTHY ๐GOLDENS:
๐Golden Raye (๐daughter of ⚽soccer team owner Brittany Mahomes)
๐Fawnie Golden (๐daughter of ๐คณ๐ฝinfluencer Nara Smith)
๐Golden ๐ (๐horse character in the book Silver Brumby by Elyne Mitchell)
๐STATS ON THE NAME ๐Golden:
https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/G/GO/GOLDEN/index.html
☔๐IRN RATING OF ๐Golden: ๐ OR ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐/10
Friday, May 1, 2026
NAME OF THE DAY: May
The other May๐ธ, ๐Mae (a la West๐ฅ) is also dubbed, "one of the prettiest and most popular middle name options for girls," by ๐NB๐. "Mae belongs to spring mornings and handwritten letters. One syllable that somehow contains multitudes. It’s the kind of name that feels like a secret handshake between parents who appreciate understated elegance. Not flashy, just perfect," MSN's Lifestyle Parenting blog believes — calling the alternative to the original May๐ธ one of '15 short girl names becoming the most popular choices.'
๐
California and ๐๐บHawaii are the places where the most Mays๐ธreside.
I like the name ๐May๐ธ because it's a ๐ month name and an old fashioned name — but I admit, I like it more for a middle name. ๐คท๐พ♀️ It just somehow goes so ๐๐พ well with almost any first name. But I'd use the even more ⭐retro ๐Mae more so for a middle name over using May๐ธ. I truly was unaware how ๐popular the name ๐May๐ธ (& ๐Mae) really are until I started researching for this piece on the month name — at least as a middle name. That proves it is not going anywhere anytime soon. As it shouldn't. ๐May๐ธ is super simple name yes but it's a really nice, sweet name for a ๐girl — and a wonderful middle ๐ name choice as well — that just seems to fit ✔ well with seemingly most first names.
The Top 10 Baby Names of 2025
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