NAME OF THE DAY: Ilia

With male figure ⛸ skater "Quad God"aka Ilia Malinin causing a stir at the 2026 ❄ Winter Olympics🏅 — I will be talking about his first name: 📛Ilia 

Ilia is the Georgian form of 📛Elijah (from the Hebrew name אֱלִיָּהוּ (ʾEliyyahu) meaning: "my God is Yahweh"). It is also an alternate transcription of Russian Илья or Belarusian Ілья (see 📛Ilya) or Bulgarian Илия (see 📛Iliya). 

📛Nameberry🍒 describes Ilia as the "international variation of the popular Elijah" and notes it is "currently a unisex option in the US." It is also put upon their 🏅Olympic 👶Baby 📛Names 📃list.

The most Ilias live in 📍Alaska 🥶 yet 📍Florida supposedly has over 200 babies with the name. My Name Stats points out, "The SSA data also shows that Ilia is used as a girl's name 90% of the time."

I'm torn on whether I like or dislike the name 📛Ilia... 🤔 The name Ilia is a completely, refreshing new 😃 name to me so it gets points ✔ for that. When I first saw it, I actually got the pronunciation 🔊Ilia (pro. Ill-lia) correct! 👏🏾 But then finding out it's a variation of Elijah, I say it too: Ill-ly-a. 🙋🏾‍♀️

The thing about Ilia that irks me is, it's tricky 😵‍💫 looking. The 'I' and 'l' look "wrong" 🤨 next to each other... I'd also prefer 📛Ilia more so used for a 💗girl's name because it sounds like a girl's name and looks like one... 🤷🏾‍♀️

Nevertheless, 📛Ilia is an interesting (looking 🧐) name. I'm sure it will have a short-lived growth spurt rising 📈 on the 📛name charts 📊 with skater Ilia Malinin making waves and bringing the name into popular culture. 

♀️Female Version of 📛ILIA:

📛ILIANA

💭I like the feminine version better because it sounds prettier and more girly with 'Ana' added. 👌🏾 

📌STATS ON THE NAME 📛Ilia:

https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/I/IL/ILIA/index.html

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛Ilia: 👍/👎  OR 💙💙💙💙💙/10

What name have the most U.S. Presidents had?

Today is Presidents Day and curiosity had me 💭wondering:

Which 📛name has been most 📈 popular amongst the Presidents?

🥁...

There are six Presidents named 📛James:

📛James Madison, 📛James Monroe, 📛James Polk

📛James Buchanan, 📛James Garfield, 📛James Carter

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛James 👍  OR 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙/10

The runner up most popular name is...

There are four Presidents named 📛John

📛John Adams, 📛John Tyler, 📛John Coolidge, 📛John Kennedy

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛John 👍  OR 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙/10

John however, is tied at the fourth most popular President's name with...

📛William Harrison, 📛William McKinley, 📛William Taft, 📛William Clinton

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛William 👍  OR 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙/10

And the last, first name that is most popular with the Presidents is...

🥁...

📛George Washington, 📛George Bush, 📛George Bush Jr. 

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛George: 👍  OR 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙/10

〰

☔📛

MIDDLE MYSTERY: Who gave Moon to Meghan Trainor's daughter Mikey?

 🤔📛❓: "Riley and Barry [brothers] have been so excited, they even got to choose her middle name. We are over the moon in love with this precious girl," Trainor said an Instagram post.

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛Moon: 👍 OR 🌝🌝🌝🌝🌝🌝/10  

  

NAME OF THE DAY: Venus

Happy 💌Valentine's Day Today is the holiday of 💞love so I will be discussing the name of a goddess who represents love: 📛💘Venus 

💘Venus in Roman mythology (in Greek mythology she is known as 💘Aphrodite) is the goddess of love, beauty and desire. 💘Venus 🔈we.nusmeans "love, sexual desire" in Latin—  and the second planet from the sun  is named after her.

📛Nameberry🍒 deems 💘Venus an "intimidating no-no" name until 🎾tennis player 💘Venus Williams popularized it, putting "an athletic, modern spin" on the lovely name. 💘Venus currently ranks #956 in the US Top 1000. 

📍California  is fittingly the state where the most women named 💘Venus reside. 

I love 😍 the name 📛💘Venus and I've actually known a 💘Venus (a beautiful friend 🥰 inside & out 👌🏾) since kindergarten. I'm surprised 💘Venus isn't more of a 📈 rising name 📛 — at least in recent years. Hopefully 💘Venus starts to somehow ⬆ chart again on the 📛 name 📊 charts. As classic  and stunning 💖 of a name 💘Venus is — I feel it's only a matter of time ⌛ before more new parents fall in love 🥰 with it to 📛name their 💗daughter. 

⭐FAMOUS & 📝NOTEWORTHY 📛💘VENUSES:

📛💘Venus DeMilo Thomas 🎥 (director)

📛💘Venus Terzo 🎥 (actress)

📛💘Venus 🗯 (Marvel comic book character)

📌STATS ON THE NAME 📛💘Venus:

https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/V/VE/VENUS/index.html

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛💘Venus: 👍  OR 💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘/10

 

NAME OF THE DAY: Dynasty

Reality show Love Is Blind (season 10) has a cast member with the 💥 dynamic name of 📛Dynasty❗

Dynasty the word (meaning: a sequence of hereditary rulers, ie: an Egyptian dynasty), was first recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Late Latin dynastīa, from Greek dynasteia.

📛Nameberry🍒 says on the origin of the word as a first name: "Dynasty emerged primarily in the United States during the 1980s, influenced by the immensely popular television drama series of the same name, which portrayed wealth, power, and influence. The name conveys notions of legacy, heritage, and enduring family prominence. It projects strength, ambition, and a certain dramatic flair. While not among the most common names, Dynasty appeals to parents seeking something memorable with associations of power and prestige. The name's connection to royalty and succession gives it a regal quality that sets it apart from more traditional feminine names."

📍New Jersey and 📍Maine are supposedly the states with the most women named Dynasty. Dynasty Ballard of Love Is Blind however, is from 📍Ohio.

I definitely disagree with the comment of the name hater of Dynasty as a first name below 😬:

I had never heard of anyone being named 📛Dynasty until recently hearing a Love Is Blind personality being named it  — and when I did, I was an immediate fan 🙋🏾‍♀️ of her name. I think Dynasty is a ✔classy, ✔bold and ✔decadent name. 

📌STATS ON THE NAME 📛Dynasty:

https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/D/DY/DYNASTY/index.html

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛Dynasty: 👍 OR 💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓/10 

Rewind: The Top 20 Baby Names of 2016

With the viral "2026 Is The New 2016" trend everywhere, I decided to 🧐 look back 🔙 at the most 📈 popular 👶 baby 📛 names of ⏪ 2016! 

Without further ado, here are the 🔝 top 📛 names of 2016 the SSA lists 📄:

My favorite names are:

💙BOYS: 📛Daniel 📛Jackson 📛Alexander 📛Logan 📛James

💗GIRLS: 📛Scarlett 📛Elizabeth 📛Isabella 📛Mia 📛Madison

If 📛Noah and 📛Emma somehow steal the #1 top names spotlight from 📛Liam and 📛Olivia in 2026 — that will be pretty cool for them to reign again in the names realm — ⏩ 10 years later. 🤯

NAME OF THE DAY: Garnet

📛Garnet is a 💎gemstone (for the precious stone, the birthstone of 📅January) and 🌈color name (derived from Middle English gernet meaning "dark red"). 

📛Nameberry🍒 classifies Garnet as, "one of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl." Garnet ranks #956 on the US Top 1000 📛 name 📊 chart.

A variant of Garnet includes:📛Garnette. Garnet can also be spelled with two t's: 📛Garnett and used as a boy's name. Garnet can also be a surname.📛 

Garnets live mainly in 📍Ohio and 📍West Virginia. 

I really like the name 📛Garnet as I'm 📅January born. 🎂 I'm a big fan of birthstone names in general however. And Garnet is one of the more unusual, less 💎jewel names 📛📃used — unfortunately — because it's a great name. I see 📛Garnet as a unisex name but it leans towards it being a boy's 💙 name more so in my eyes. I absolutely love the cute, alt spelled 📛Garnette if used for a girl. 💗

⭐FAMOUS & 📝NOTEWORTHY 📛GARNET

📛Garnet Bailey 🏒(hockey player)

📛Garnet Richardson 🥌(curler)

📌STATS ON THE NAME 📛Garnet:

https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/G/GA/GARNET/index.html

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛Garnet: 👍  OR /10

NAME OF THE DAY: January

Being it's the start of January 🎉 I will be discussing the first month of the year name: 📛📅January 

January "the term originated before the year 1000 from Middle English, ultimately deriving from the Latin noun use of Jānuārius, equivalent to Jānus. In ancient Roman culture, Jānus was a god of doorways, beginnings, and the rising and setting of the sun. His name comes from the Latin jānus, meaning 'doorway, archway, arcade.'"

Behind the Name explains that 📅January "briefly charted on the American top 1000 list for girls after it was borne by the protagonist of Jacqueline Susann's novel Once Is Not Enough (1973)." 📛Nameberry🍒 believes it was because of the character 📅January Wayne in Susann's 📘book that boosted baby girls to be named after her in the 1970s.

The second cultural influence that helped spike January as a baby name is — 📅January Jones 🎥—  who played Betty Draper on the wildly successful 2007 📺show Mad Men. The mother-to-be of Jones was inspired by 📅January Wayne's character so much, she named her baby daughter after her. Now Nameberry says, "📅January has joined 📅March, 📅April, 📅June and 📅August as a plausible month name."

📅January's rank on the US Top 1000 name chart 📈 is #749. And as of 2024, "📅January was only used on 11 girls in the US, making it a very rare choice." 

📍North Dakota 🥶 has the most Januarys along with supposedly ☀ sunny 📍California. 

📛📅January 🥇 is just like the month name 📛October to me, one of my favorite names ever. I've loved 🥰 the name 📛📅January since I was in high 🏫school in fact. It's a name I would have loved to have been named 😭 as I was born 👶🏾 (and if I had a daughter and she were born in January, 📛📅January would be my top pick 👌🏾) in January (btw today is my 🎂birthday! 🤗).

📛📅January is a beautiful name with significant history behind the name. I definitely prefer📛📅January more so for a girl 💗 but boys named 📛📅January 💙 are just as cool. 😎 I'm surprised 📛📅January is not a top month baby name by now... 🤔 I hope it will start to rise 📈 on the name charts again. 🤞🏾 Nameberry has hope it will too pointing out: "January was used by Emily Henry in her popular contemporary romance novel, Beach Read, which might inspire parents-to-be in coming years." 

⭐FAMOUS & 📝NOTEWORTHY 📛JANUARYS:

📛January LaVoy 🧼📺 (actress)

📛January Isaac 📺🎥 (actress)

📛January Gessert 👠 / 📺🌟 (model & reality star)

📛January Low 💃🏻 (dancer)

📛January So 👠 (model)

📛January Thompson 🎤 (singer)

📛January Makamba   (politician) 

📛January Suchodolski 🖌 (painter)

♂️Masculine Version of 📛JANUARY:

📛JANUS

💭I love the masculine version of January. It's a very strong 💪 name and I love the meaning 🚪 behind the name. Janus and January could also make a very cute brother/sister name combination, especially for twins. 👦👧

📌STATS ON THE NAME 📛January:

https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/J/JA/JANUARY/index.html

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛January: 👍  OR 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗/10

Baby Name Trends for 2026: Curated by Nameberry

🥳Happy New Year! 🎇 A year of ✨new names📛 awaits! 🤗

📛Nameberry🍒 released their: 👶 Baby Name Trends 2026 📛📈 It's a massive 📃list of first names the 📛name Bible 📖 site believes will be everywhere 🧐 this year.

Nameberry 🔮predicts, "Baby name trends 2026 are propelled by escapism. Amid bleak headlines and growing uncertainty, parents are actively seeking names that remind them of anything but our current environment. When the news is too heavy to bear, they turn into their favorite forms of entertainment. After losing themselves in an epic romantasy series, historical novel, anime adaptation, or reality TV show, many emerge with fresh inspiration for their baby name lists, choosing names that feel fanciful, nostalgic, or full of hope." 

Without further ado, Nameberry's top 10 baby name trends for 2026!🎉:  

1. 🗿ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS NAMES📛

My favorite names: 💗Isidore & 💙Ramses

2. ✨SHOWGIRL NAMES📛

                                                     

                     My favorite names: 💗Holiday, 💗Reverie, 💗Caliana & 💗Marilyn 

3. 🤔SOULFUL NAMES📛

                                              

                                 My favorite names: 💙Chosen, 💗Jubilee, 💗Sunday

                                                                 💙River & 💙Vision 

4. 👌A-OK BOOMER NAMES📛

                              My favorite names: 💗Betsy, 💗Bonnie, 💙Bruce, 💗Diane

                                                              💙Rex & 💙Richie

5. 😍ROMANTASY NAMES 📛

                                    My favorite names: 💙Leontel, 💗Lilivere & 💙Lysander

6. 🔤VOWEL HIATUS NAMES📛

                                        My favorite names: 💙Gael, 💗Noa & 💗Sianni 

7. 7️⃣NUMBER NAMES 📛

                              My favorite names: 💙Amillion, 💙Cinco, 💗Eleven, 💙Five

                                                               💙Million, 💙Seven & 💗Una

                                                                         

8. 🧂STRAIGHT OUT OF UTAH NAMES 📛

My favorite names: 💙Coast, 💗Honey, 💗Scotlyn & 💙Zealand

9. 🗯ANIME NAMES 📛

                                        My favorite names: 💗Aura, 💗Mira & 💗Rumi 

10. 📕BRIT LIT NAMES 📛

                            My favorite names: 💙Bram, 💗Dolly, 💗Louisa & 💗Virginia 

📌For even more 🤯 name trends 👀check out 👶Baby Center's: The trends that'll influence baby names in 2026 📃 thorough write-up —  and 🧐compare ✔ and contrast ✖ with Nameberry's list of 2026 😎trendy names. 📛

〰

☔📛

It's Raining Names: The Best & Worst Names of 2025

It's Raining Names (☔IRN📛) presents its first — end of the year — 

🏆 The Best & Worst 👎👎 📛Names of 2025 📃list!

Without further ado...

🥁

...

🏆BEST NAMES FOR GIRLS & WOMEN:

(these are names I wrote about on ☔IRN📛)

📛Allura 

📛Birgundi 

📛Easter 

📛Harvest 

📛Pretty

📛Saga 

📛Unique

🏆BEST NAMES FOR BOYS & MEN:

(these are names I wrote about on ☔IRN📛)

📛Jaafar

📛Jubilant

📛Legend

👎👎WORST NAMES FOR GIRLS & WOMEN:

(these are names I wrote about on ☔IRN📛)

📛Alivea

📛Dexter

📛Dixie 

📛Pandora 

📛Wyatt 

👎👎WORST NAMES FOR BOYS & MEN:

(these are names I wrote about on ☔IRN📛)

📛Aquaman

📛Secure

📛Truce

The following fun names below ⬇ are some of my 😍 favorite names 📛 I came across this year but unfortunately didn't get a chance to write about. 😩 

🥁

...

💗GIRLS/WOMEN:

📛Arena

📛Arrow

📛Cymphonique

📛Fallyn

📛Harleena

📛Hollynn

📛Icelynn

📛Jackilyn

📛Jester

📛Louisiana

📛Scotland 

📛Starlette

📛Willette

💙BOYS/MEN:

📛Arizona

📛Brandin

📛Carvell

📛Fortune

📛Mystique 

📛Royal Blu

📛Samsun

📛Severin 

I'm excited 🤗 to 👀see what ✨new names📛 I will come across in 2026 🥳 — whether I stumble across them online 💻 or 👂🏾 hear them in person. 

 

Also I am very ready to see SSA's reveal of 2025's 📈Popular 👶Baby 📛Names. 🧐

Thank you reader 🙂 for checking out ☔IRN📛 in 2025. Cheers! 🥂