About

Hi, I’m Tess Calloway. I write the name pages on NameWren.com and I run the site.

I have two kids, and naming each of them took us months. We had a shared note on our phones with names crossed out, put back and crossed out again. Somewhere along the way I started writing down names I heard at the playground, in old books and on the credits of films. That notebook is now this site.

What I learned the hard way is that a name list tells you very little. You need to know what the name is like to live with. How does it sound when you shout it across a park? Will every barista spell it wrong? Does it shrink into a nickname you dislike? Does it rhyme with something a seven year old will find hilarious?

What this site does

Every name page has the meaning, the origin, how to say it, common nicknames and spellings, and one honest watch-out near the top. It also shows how popular the name has been in the U.S. since 1900, using Social Security baby name data. The name finder lets you slide between vintage and modern, soft and strong, rare and common, and it ranks every name for your taste. There are also lists, a quiz and a shortlist you can share.

How I research

Meanings and origins come from name dictionaries and reference sites such as Behind the Name, Wiktionary and the Oxford and Collins name dictionaries. Each page links the sources I used. When sources disagree about where a name comes from, I say “most often traced to” or “possibly from” instead of picking a story I like. Popularity numbers come straight from the U.S. Social Security Administration. You can read more on how we rank names.

What I am not

I am not a linguist, a genealogist or a psychologist, and I do not claim any credentials. I am a parent who reads a lot of name dictionaries and has said a lot of names out loud. A name’s meaning does not shape a child’s personality, and nothing on this site can tell you which name is right for your family. That part is yours.

Get in touch

Spotted a wrong meaning, or want a name added? Write to contact@namewren.com. I read every message, and corrections get fixed.