Stories about names.
Long-form pieces on naming traditions, etymology, and what your shortlist says about you. Updated weekly — free forever.
30 Quranic Baby Names for Boys and Girls (With Verses)
30 names drawn from the Qur’an — prophets, named and referenced women, and meaningful Arabic concepts — each with its verse reference and classical meaning.
Read the full pieceArabic Names That Work in English Without Explanation
25 Arabic names that American teachers, doctors, and neighbors pronounce correctly on the first try. For families who want heritage without the daily spelling bee.
Mohammed, Muhammad, or Mohamed? How to Choose the Right Spelling
One name, a dozen English spellings. A practical guide for US parents on which to pick and why — with regional patterns, SSA data, and the practical trade-offs of each.
Aya: A Name That Means Four Different Things in Four Different Languages
Aya means "sign" in Arabic, "to fly" in Hebrew, and "colour" in Japanese — three independent traditions with the same two-syllable name. A practical guide for parents choosing across cultures.
Robert: The Thousand-Year Story of a Name That Refuses to Stay Down
Robert means "bright fame" in Old Germanic. It was America’s #1 boy name for twelve years, fell to #74 by 2018, and is climbing again. The full story of a name that travels across English, German, French, and Spanish without changing its meaning.
Martin: The Roman God, the Saint, the Reformer, and the Civil-Rights Leader
Martin means "of Mars" — but four men reshaped what the name carries: Saint Martin of Tours, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr., and the parents naming their sons Martin again in 2026.
Atlas: How a Punished Titan Became One of the Fastest-Rising Baby Names in America
Atlas means "to bear" or "to endure" — from the Titan punished to hold up the sky. The word has unfolded across mountains, atlases, anatomy, astronomy, and Ayn Rand. Why parents are now naming their sons (and daughters) Atlas.
Baby Names That Mean Miracle: Arabic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Yoruba
Five language traditions, five different ways of saying "miracle" — and the baby names each one produced. From Arabic Aya to Hebrew Nesya, Greek Theodora to Latin Mirabel, with origin notes for parents.
Baby Names That Mean Light: Sun, Moon, Star, Dawn, and the Pure Brightness Tradition
Light is the most universal naming theme in the world. From Arabic Nour to Latin Lucia, Sanskrit Surya to Japanese Hoshi — 36 names across five kinds of light, organized by what each one actually shines from.
Is It a Boy or a Girl Name? A 2026 Guide to Gender-Neutral Names That Actually Work
Riley is 90% girls. Rowan is 60% boys. Charlie is 80% girls now but was 95% boys in 1990. A practical Q&A with US SSA data on 14 unisex names — what they actually skew, why some flip, and how to pick one that fits.
More guides every week.
In the queue: Quranic names with verse citations, regional roundups (Pakistani, Turkish, Somali, Persian), and meaning-based lists.