The Well-Named Podcast

Dori and Kristen travel to Denver, CO and pay a visit to the city's oldest cemetery. Why? To collect names, of course! Along the way, they discover the origin of Denver's name and make a strong case for changing it. Get ready to meet Erastus, Aurelia, and more...plus, another name in the wild.

Dori and Kristen take a look back at the top baby names of the 1920s, and find a few that are still topping the lists 100 years later. They also investigate the curious case of the name Arkansas, and the curiouser case of a once-popular nickname for Richard. Don't miss out on an opportunity to win free peanut butter (not from us though)!

Dori and Kristen return from a little break with a guest who is one of only 13 women in the US with her first name! Also, the Social Security Administration's official baby name list for 2025 gets the once-over, and Dori hears a name 'in the wild' (well, on a cruise ship).

Dori and Kristen celebrate Middle Name Pride Day with a look at why we even have them, and how they came to be. They also dig into the origins of some classic band names and some US state names, while Kristen basks in the afterglow of her life-changing fist bump with dreamy rocker Chris Isaak!

Meet Severance, a woman with a name so unique that it's everywhere! Also, the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics inspire Dori and Kristen to take a run at sports names, and Dori's son discovers a new name in the wild. (Don't miss the special nod to "Gone with the Wind"!)

Happy New Year! Are you a January 1st baby, or do you know one? Dori and Kristen kick off Season 2 with a sampling of names given to the first babies of 2026 around the US, and last year's top names in New Zealand. Dori shares a story about a little girl who has named herself, and Kristen recounts the day she laid down the law about her own name.

It's a season to celebrate as Kristen welcomes a new grandson! As usual, there's a fun story associated with the baby's name. Another name heard 'in the wild' sparks a discussion of hippie names, and Dori discovers a list of archaic words that just might inspire a name or two.

November provides a cornucopia of names! Dori and Kristen celebrate the season of gratitude with pilgrims, grandbabies, car talk, and a pinch of Bitch Dust. Happy Thanksgiving!

How many ways are there to spell your name? Dori & Kristen navigate the ways we all abuse the alphabet, including a name with 134 variations. They also run down the top names for dogs and cats, and they can almost bring themselves to congratulate the winners of the World Series (while investigating that team's name).

Dori and Kristen return from a visit to lovely Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Kristen has feelings about poutine.) They talk about "sibsets" and other alliterative naming choices, including Kristen's own family of origin. Dori spots a name in the wild, and she finds another way to cash in on corporate names...with a twist!