NAME OF THE DAY: Ebony

To end ✊🏾Black History Month, I wanted to discuss the divisive name: 📛🖤Ebony —  and how despite how bold the name is and how controversial (being called "an ebony" because of one's skin tone 🤦🏾‍♀️ not because it's your name 😬)  it can be — it still has been a popular first name choice for Black 👶🏿 baby girls 💗 since the 1970s. ⏪

Ebony is a color 🖤 name and is described by 🌈Color Psychology🧠 as: "a dark, rich color that represents depth, elegance, and sophistication. It’s a shade that is often associated with luxury, power, and mystery. The hex code for Ebony is #555D50, and its RGB values are (85, 93, 80), symbolizing a hue that is deep and grounding."

Ebony as a word via Dictionary.com:

Ebony is also a nature name, being it is a tree 🌳: "The black ebony tree (Diospyros ebenum), native to Southeast Asia and parts of Africa, is one of the rarest and most valuable hardwood species in the world. Black ebony wood is prized for its deep, jet-black color, fine texture, and exceptional density —this wood is ideal for musical 🎹 instruments, luxury furniture, and fine carvings." 

Ebony the word is from the Egyptian word hbnj.

Nameberry🍒 points out that Ebony has "historically been particularly popular in the African-American community" and compliments Ebony as an "attractive and now underused" name. "Ebony joined the most popular girl names list in the US in the early 1970s, peaked 📈 in 1982 at #132, and dropped back below 📉 the Top 1000 in 2006. The name Ebony 📈peaked for boys 💙 at #1658 in 1982." As of current, Ebony is #960 on US ⬆Top 📊1000.  

The 📍District of Columbia and 📍New Jersey are the states where the most women named Ebony live. I knew a girl named Ebony (who was as popular as her name) in middle 🏫school [📍NYC], right around the time when 📛Ebony was regaining traction on the name charts 📈 in the 1980s. 

I like the name 📛Ebony. 👌🏾 I really love color names and 📛Ebony can be a 🖤 beautiful, powerful 💪🏿 name to have if you're an African American woman (btw, there can be / are non-Black women named Ebony 🙃 click here & click here 😮). I don't like 📛Ebony for a 💙 boy's name 😕 however (I'd recommend these cool 😎 names that are the equivalence of "black": 📛Jet, 📛Obsidian, 📛Onyx, 📛Midnight or 📛Raven even). 

Variants for 📛Ebony include: 📛Eboni 📛Ebonie and 📛Ebonee. I find all of these more playful  and cuter 🥰 than the more ✔strong, ✔sleek and ✔original 📛Ebony.

⭐FAMOUS & 📝NOTEWORTHY 📛🖤EBONYS:

📛Venus 🖤Ebony Starr Williams 🎾(tennis player)

📛🖤Ebony Williams 🏀 (former WNBA basketball player) 

📛🖤Ebony Haith 👠 (former contestant on reality show America's Next Top Model) 

📛🖤Ebony Jones-Avery 📺 (former reality star on VH1's Real Chance of Love)

📛🖤Ebony Obsidian 📺 (actress)

📛🖤Ebony Bones [born 🖤Ebony Thomas] 🎤 (singer)

📛🖤Ebony Riley 🎤 (singer) 

📌STATS ON THE NAME 📛🖤Ebony:

https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/E/EB/EBONY/index.html

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛🖤Ebony: 👍 OR 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/10

NAME OF THE DAY: Snow

With a historic nor'easter  in the 🗽New York Metropolitan tri-state area causing a snow ⛄ day, I decided to talk about the fitting name: 📛Snow 

Everyone surely knows the 🧚‍♀️fairytale character Snow White.🤍 With how popular the Brothers Grimm story 📖 is you would think there would a lot of little girls named Snow but the icy name ranks📉#3625 in 2024 on the US Top 1000 popular 📛names chart.📊 Once upon a time, Snow once peaked high on the Top 1k chart at 📈#1469 in 1894. ⏪ However, Snow ranks right above 1k at #728 on Nameberry's🍒 Top 1000 list. 📃  

Snow is from the English word, derived from Old English snāw. Snow is also a surname. 📛

The most Snows live in 📍Vermont 🥶 and 📍North Carolina. 

Nameberry🍒 describes Snow as: "brisk, fresh, pure, evocative -- and magical. A haunting middle name choice."

Behind the Name comments on the super rare, dainty name Snow are divided 🤔:

I'm a 🧚‍♀️fairy tale fan 🙋🏾‍♀️ so I love 💗 the name 📛Snow. I think it's really darling 🥰 and 🦄different.  End of story. 📕

⭐FAMOUS & 📝NOTEWORTHY 📛SNOWS:

📛Snow Lopes (adopted daughter of late singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes)

📛Jagger Snow Ross (daughter Evan Ross (son of Diana Ross) and of singer Ashlee Simpson)

📛 "Snow Tha Product" [born Claudia Meza] 🎤 (rapper)

📛 "Snow" [Darrin O'Brien] 🎤 (rapper)

📛 Snow Kong [born Kong Xueer] 🎤/🎥(singer & actress)

📛 "Snow" [born Snejana Urbin] 💃 (dancer) 

📌STATS ON THE NAME 📛Snow:

https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/S/SN/SNOW/index.html

☔📛IRN RATING OF 📛Snow: 👍 OR 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍/10

NAME OF THE DAY: Surya

Former figure ⛸ skater Surya Bonaly is back in the news again, being applauded as the first 🥇Olympic skater to land a backflip on one blade (aka the "Bonaly flip") in the 1998 Winter Olympics (whilst Ilia Malinin is being praised for performing the same backflips in the 2026 Winter Olympics) — so I will be discussing her first name: 📛Surya

Surya is surprisingly a masculine name, "occasionally used for boys in 2024" 📛Nameberry🍒 says, describing it as a "graceful Indian choice that may 🔊sound feminine to the Western ear but is in fact the name of a male god." Surya means "sun"  in Sanskrit and is the name of the Vedic Hindu god of the sun who rides a chariot across the sky.

Surya however, "peaked for girls at #4822" in 1994  — interestingly before Bonaly's rise in '98.

Bonaly was born in France, but in America, Surya is popular ("used as a boy's name 74% of the time" though) in 📍Delaware & 📍California.

I like the name 📛Surya — but when used for a 💗girl's name more because it does look and sound (I can't stop pronouncing it as: Su-rye-ah 🤷🏾‍♀️) fit for a female.

📌STATS ON THE NAME 📛Surya:

https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/S/SU/SURYA/index.html

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

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