The thing about...Mia

Ranked number ten in 2009 Mia, as a full name is generally considered to be of Latin,  Scandinavian and Israeli descent. With it being a shortening of Maria in Scandinavia and Michal in Israel. However some state it to be of Italian origin.
Therefore, it meaning is often left to interpretation, and varies greatly between different books and websites. If you look at it's Scandinavian origin then it means 'Sea of Bitterness', perhaps not the most lovely of meanings, however Maria means 'wished for child' and in Italian it simply means 'my', two much more pleasant meanings.

Today, as well as a full name Mia is also used as a nickname for many longer names, with Amelia being the most popular - think Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo, of the 'Princess Diaries' books and movie - who chose to go by Mia. 


Possible alternate spellings - Not many for Mia, however Mere is a very unusual alternative and is pronounced the same way, with Mere being (in British English) a lake that is broad in relation to it's depth.


The Verdict - A delightful, simple name which like Kate, may always sound like a nickname to some. 


What are your thoughts? Do you know any girls, old or young with this name?

The thing with...top 10 names.

Here is the list for the top boys and girls names in the USA, as named by SSA in 2009.

Boys:-
1. Jacob
2. Ethan
3. Michael
4. Alexander
5. William
6. Joshua
7. Daniel
8. Jayden
9. Noah
10. Anthony

Girls:-
1. Isabella
2. Emma
3. Olivia
4. Sophia
5. Ava
6. Emily
7. Madison
8. Abigail
9. Chloe
10. Mia

Some names, are no surprise, others have rose in popularity significantly over the last few years. Over the next few days, I will examine each name in detail, and find out why, these names made it to the top ten.

Introduction

'It's All In The Name'

I have always been fascinated by names, the way they sound, their history, their origin - and why parents decide to name their child a particular name. 

As such, this blog will, hopefully, be a way of ridding my self of the millions of scraps of paper that litter my drawers and the lists that cover my note books, that are full of names and name combinations. And maybe even a place for people to voice their opinion on names, or query their naming strife. 

Because, your name, love it or hate it, is the single most important part of who you are.