Jade

Jade lands like a stone set gently on a table, a single cool syllable. The word travels a strange route: from the Spanish piedra de la ijada, stone of the side, because conquistadors believed the green stone cured renal pain, then through French into English. As a name for girls it took off in the 1970s and has held quietly near the top 85 since. Jade has the directness of the color itself, neither soft nor severe, a mineral calm. It suits a child with strong opinions and a good eye, the sort of girl who grows up owning one perfect coat and knowing exactly where it came from.