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!
Today is Patriot Day and the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Nancy's Baby Names (a very underrated name blog, who years ago interviewed me for a ๐name ๐interview entitled: 'How do you like your name, Sidra?' [unfortunately it has been omitted ๐ but fortunately I have screenshots ๐ธ of it that I will post one of these days ๐๐พ] ) has an ๐คintriguing ๐piece on her website in honor of September 11, 2001 (RIP to the innocent victims whose lives were lost) — where she breaks down the names influenced by the tragedy.
Nancy explains that a "handful of conceptual names" gained ⏩traction and ๐popularity after 9/11 — those four names being: ๐๐ฝLiberty, ๐⚖️Justice, ๐๐ฆ Freedom and ๐๐Independence.
☔IRN๐'s ๐ฃ️Take: "I never thought about name trends after 9/11 so this is all very new to me. ๐คซ But I'd already heard of a couple of the names that rose after 9/11 like: Liberty(I recently found out this is a Puritan name ๐ฑ. I like it for a ๐girl more) and Justice (I went to ๐college with a stand-up ๐male classmate ๐coolly named this! And Justice has been one of my favorite female names since high ๐ซschool. I also love the ๐ฅmovie ๐ตPoetic Justice where the main character has the name. I love it equally for ๐boys and๐girls). But I've never heard of Freedom (outside of 'Free'the former ❤BET๐บ 106 & Park host, which was her stage name. Free is nice and strong ๐ช but it can have a ๐risquรฉ connotation too...I like it for ๐boys more) orIndependence(I like the nickname for it more: 'Indie'. I like it more for a ๐girl) used as first names until now. ๐ฎ So to answer Nancy's question: ๐Justiceis my favorite abstract noun name, followed by ๐Liberty, ๐Independence and lastly ๐Freedom. They're all wonderfully inspiring names to have however!"
With the untimely passing of ๐ฅ๐บactress Hayden Panettiere (RIP), I thought I would discuss her name: ๐Hayden
๐Nameberry๐ describes Hayden as: "a newly successful name for girls, which, like Brayden and Caden, used to be strictly for the boys. Young Heroes and now Nashville star Hayden Panettiere planted it in the girls' camp." ๐Hayden ranks #437 ๐ in popularity as of 2025.
Behind The Name also points out Hayden's, "popularity at the end of the 20th century was due to the sound it shared with other trendy names of the time, such as Braden and Aidan." ๐Hayden ranks #161๐in popularity as of 2025.
BTN gives the history of Hayden as: "from an English surname that was derived from place names meaning either "hay valley" or "hay hill", derived from Old English heg "hay" and denu "valley" or dun "hill"."
The most Haydens live in ๐Texas and ๐Kentucky.
I like the name ๐Hayden — for a girl ๐ฉท it should come off as masculine but it somehow comes off as cute ๐ฅฐ (as how the late Panettiere wore her first name). However, ๐Hayden for a boy ๐ฉต just reeks coolness. ๐ I like it slightly more used for boys just because it is such a manly name (and reminds me of my favorite ๐๐พ♀️ 'H' name [one of my favorite letters for any name to start with no explanation to why ๐คท๐พ♀️] for boys: ๐Hunter ๐น).
๐บReality show ๐Love ๐Island USA (season 8) has a male cast member with the ๐heartfelt name of ๐Sincere.
Sincere's introduction on ๐Love ๐Island is cute ๐๐พ:
"My name is Sincere. I'm 25 years old and I'm from Cape May, New Jersey. I love my name. I like to be cheesy. I often end my emails or letters, I be like, Sincerely, Sincere."
Ariana Madix (host): "Sincere, I love your name. Do you feel like you live up to your name?"
Sincere is derived from the Latin word sincerus meaning "pure and clean", ๐Nameberry๐ says. "Sincere is associated with being honest, acting from the heart, and feeling deeply - qualities many parents hope their children grow up to possess. Reminiscent of Puritan and Pilgrim name choices, Sincere is a relatively modern virtue name that has been in the US Top 1000 since the 2000s. The name was given to nearly 500 boys in 2023, placing it within the Top 600, and while the name does feel bold, it also fits in besides Chosen, Loyal, and Boone," ๐NB๐ further explains. ๐Sincerecan also be used as a ๐girl's name. Sincere for baby ๐boyscurrently ranks at #631 in US Top 1000.
๐New Jersey is where the most Sinceres live (✔๐Love ๐Island'sSincere is from the state).
I love ๐ the name ๐Sincere. I ๐๐พheard Sincere first as a name in a urban crime ๐ฅfilm character during the ⏪90s. But never as a real first name until recently. I like the duality of the nameSincere ๐คท๐พ♀️ — on one hand by definition it means 'honest' ๐ but... that 'Sin' ๐ start of the name spells trouble (and that seems to be the case with ๐Love ๐Island'sSincere. He's being referred to as a "villain" in the villa due to him making a ๐ fish comment about women ๐ฎ). I see someone named Sincere as someone nice but with a naughty ๐ side. I think it's a really cool ๐ name to give and have. Plus it could be fun for the wearer of ๐Sincere to truly play up either the ๐"good" or ๐"bad" sides — within their genuinely, really great name.
a power of pleasing or attracting, as through personality or beauty;
a trinket to be worn on a bracelet, necklace, etc.;
something worn or carried on one's person for its supposed magical effect
Behind The Name identifies ๐Charm as a feminine name and for ๐girls, from the English wordcharmmeaning "the power or quality of giving delight or arousing admiration."
๐Nameberry๐ sees ๐Charm as leaning more for girls to be named the ๐lucky name. ๐NB๐ says Charm, "started to rise out of obscurity in the 2010s. Like Dream and True, Charm could be just one celebrity baby away from becoming a big trend. In fact, the Australian ▶YouTube family, The Norris Nuts๐ฅ have a daughter/sister called Charm, born in 2019, after which the number of Charms born in the US increased ๐ by 40%. Given to 88 girls in a recent year it is probably more popular than people think." ๐Charmas a ๐boy's name, "peaked for boys at #6878 ๐ in 2025," ๐NB๐ mentions.
๐California and ๐New Mexico are where the most Charms reside.
I love ๐Charm. It's too adorable. I like it for a ๐girl's name — but love it so much more so for a ๐boy's name because of ๐Prince ๐Charming๐ duh! The only ⬇downside with the name ๐Charm isthe not so cute association with the ๐งปtoilet tissue brand Charmin... ๐คฆ๐พ♀️ But besides that hiccup ๐ฌ ๐Charm is a pretty, perfect ๐๐พ name for a ✔boy or ✔girl.
⭐FAMOUS & ๐NOTEWORTHY ๐CHARMS:
๐Charm Jamie Scott (๐son of the Mayor of Baltimore (aka Charm City๐), Brandon M. Scott)
๐Charm Hunter ๐ง๐พ (little girl formerly missing❗ but found safe ๐)
With ๐rapper Drake breaking ๐ฅ the internet ๐ป with the release of his new ๐ฟalbum ๐งIceman plus two ๐ฎsurprise albums — I will be talking about the ๐ผIn My Feelings (aka "Kikido you love me?") ๐คsinger's stage name and middle name: ๐Drake
The ๐ฃpodcaster BobbiAlthoff had Drake on her show for the first time years ago, and a funny ๐ discussion was had on his name (@๐00:35 & @๐27:33):
Can you introduce yourself?
Drake
That's not your name
That is my middle name
That's not your real name
That's my government name, middle name
Why would you go with that? What's your 1st name?
My 1st name is Aubrey
Mmm hmmm. I see why you go with that
I think my mom named me after a lawyer... My mom named me Aubrey a guy's name
Aubrey's not a guy's name
Yes it is
No it's not
Yes it is
Have you ever met a male Aubrey?
Yeah you're looking at him. I met myself
You don't even go by that because that's such a bad name
No that's not true
Why do you go byDrake?
Because it's shorter. People with two syllables are way less successful than people with one sorry...
Do you like when people call you Aubrey?
If it's genuine
๐Aubrey (meaning: ๐ง♂️elf ruler) ๐Drake (meaning: ๐ฒdragon or ๐ฆduck) Graham is hisfull name.
๐Aubreyis a girl's name also. ๐Nameberry๐ says, "Once an exclusively masculine name, Aubrey tipped towards feminine in 1974, and is now given to girls 96% of the time."
๐Drake can also be a girl's name. ๐NB๐ says, "The name Drake peaked for girls at #10056 in 1997."
๐Drake used as a boy's name, is described by ๐Nameberry๐ as a, "simple one-syllable name that has been on the popularity list since the mid-1980s, Drake is most associated today with the single-named rapper (born Aubrey). The name peaked at Number 197 in 2010 and has since been on a slow decline, but it still can be counted among the stylish contemporary boy names starting with D."
In Canada however, Drake's hometown, the name Drake was not on 2025's most popular baby names list — Drake the baby name is at #1458 in popularity as of 2022.
Drake also is a word name, meaning: a small cannon, used especially in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Behind The Name points out, "this name coincides with the unrelated English word drakemeaning male duck."
Drakeas well, is a surname from the: "English surname derived from the Old Norse bynameDrakior the Old English bynameDracaboth meaning "dragon", both via Latin from Greekฮดฯฮฌฮบฯฮฝ (drakon)meaning "dragon, serpent.""
๐California and ๐Hawaii are the US states where the most Drakes reside.
Initially, I was not ๐ ๐พ♀️ a fan of the name ๐Drake. I thought it was a made up ๐คท๐พ♀️ stage name when I first heard of Drake the rapper's name being that. I equated the name Drake usually with the lusty ๐ฅตleads of ๐ฅฑboring ⏪historical ๐romance novels.๐ I used to even often confuse Drake with the name ๐Declan (I don't like❗). Then I found out years later that Drakewas the rapper's real name—his middle however (I like it more than his first name admittedly. ๐๐พ♀️ It can get tricky, not to mix up ๐Aubrey[๐FYI I almost forgot ๐คฆ๐พ♀️: I have a 2nd male cousin named Aubrey ❗ We weren't close soI'm not sure how he spells his name.]with ๐Audrey. ๐ฌ It makes me wonder if his first name was that instead, would he have used Drey as his stage name? ๐ค because it sounds like Drake...) and I thought that was really cool. ๐ As I became a fan of his ๐ถmusic, I started to like the name Drake. Still I'm not the biggest fan of ๐Drake the name as a whole. ๐ ๐Drake may not be one of my absolute favorite names —however it's still a ✔good, ✔strong๐ช, ✔masculine name that I can appreciate. ๐๐พ But I am a big fan ๐ of ๐Drake —being the rapper Drake's name.
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 masculineandfeminine: "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 describesSunday 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."
SunnySunday (#1072 in US Top 1000) is unusually ahead of gloomy Wednesday (#2425 in US Top 1000) in popularity.
Sunday is most common in ๐Nigeria 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 ๐Sundayas 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 la๐SundayRose๐น — 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
๐ N a m e berry ๐ has given ๐ name ๐คnerds a sneak peek๐ซฃ into the names that will define ⏩2027. ๐ฅณ This is done using ๐ N B ๐ new pr...
Patriot Day and the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Nancy's Baby Names (a very underrated name blog, who years ago interviewed me for a ๐name ๐interview entitled: 'How do you like your name, Sidra?' [unfortunately it has been omitted ๐ but fortunately I have screenshots ๐ธ of it that I will post one of these days ๐๐พ] ) has an ๐คintriguing ๐piece on her website in honor of September 11, 2001 (RIP to the innocent victims whose lives were lost) — where she breaks down the names influenced by the tragedy. 
Australian 
Mayor of Baltimore (aka 
