VINTAGE NAMES: 100-Year-Old Names That Sound New Again

July 23rd, 2009 at 12:33 am

I love that Vera is on this list. My name is Vera, and I have always loved it. Also, I chose my kids names from the unusual part of the top 1000 list of 1910, and I’m glad to see that they aren’t on this list. excellent list, I do love Clyde and Cecil for boys, I’m not brave enough to use them but I adore the names.

July 23rd, 2009 at 1:27 am

Hurray! A bunch of my fave names lately are on the last list! Hurrat for Herman, Earl, Bernice, and Gladys!

July 23rd, 2009 at 1:32 am

Awww, I like both Ernest and Gertrude!

July 23rd, 2009 at 1:34 am

Oh, and it’s interesting to note the number of names that contain “er” that made their way into the not-so-attractive list.

July 23rd, 2009 at 4:46 am

My grandmothers’ names were Gladys (born 1898) and Eunice (born 1893) – despite the 100 name rule, I did not expect either of those to become popular again. Maybe I will be proved wrong, then? My mother, born 1921, is Joyce (also my middle name, and a name I am not personally fond of although in the UK, it was No 1 for girls in the late 1920s!).

I am surprised Marjorie is on your list of names unlikely to be resurrected yet as I think it is a really pretty name and is one I would personally use right now. I also like the Scottish Gaelic version of Marjorie which is Marsali (pronounced MARsally).

The US “image” for lots of names is also different from the British image of a name. Helen is a case in point. This was popular at the turn of the last century (1900) in USA (think Helen Keller) while it became very popular in Britain much later than that, in the 1950s and 1960s (I have many friends called Helen), so here it is not seen as such an “old lady” name.

I think there was a big “is” ending going on in the 1910s in the UK – Phyllis, Doris, Iris, Eunice (although that is cheating with the spelling and it should anyway really be pronounced like the Greek, You-NEES-ee rather than YOU-niss.)

Sorry, rambling again, but at least I got to the site early today as I don’t work on Thursdays!
x

July 23rd, 2009 at 5:17 am

Love Clarence, Leroy, Ray, Harvey & Roy for the boys. For the girls, I’m loving Betty, Bessie, Mae and Minnie. I like Agnes, too, though don’t think I would use it in reality! The names in the first list and also Ruby, have been done to death already, here in Australia!

July 23rd, 2009 at 6:59 am

Ernest and Herbert to feature on rare occasions in the Times and Telegraph birth announcements here in the UK. Also, in 2007, Lois was just 11 places outside of the girl’s 100 in England & Wales, so we’re already steps ahead!

July 23rd, 2009 at 7:05 am

Elsabea, (interesting name? is that your real name or just an email thing?) – where are you in the UK? I have been scanning the Times and Telegraph for years too! Some people say Ailsa is the Gaelic equivalent of Elisabeth?

July 23rd, 2009 at 8:23 am

I love Agnes, Bessie, Betty, Elsie, Chester, and Theodore! I’d be delighted to meet real life babies with these names.

July 23rd, 2009 at 8:56 am

I loved seeing Dorothy as a possible comeback. I was named after my grandmother and I love my name!

July 23rd, 2009 at 9:36 am

Maybe this is just me, but I can see Marjorie coming back before Mildred…other than that, I love this list! I’m suggesting Marguerite to my hubby tonight, and Theodore, Martin, and Leona are already on out list!

July 23rd, 2009 at 9:50 am

My grandfather’s name is Lloyd Everett, and I thought a pretty modern version of Everett for a girl would be Everet, but I can’t get my fiance to agree with me! A different form of Eve, Eva, with a hint of adventure from its closeness to Everest.

July 23rd, 2009 at 10:02 am

I think it’s strange that Beulah pops up on the “never in a million years” list so frequently. I know a wee girl in the Uk with this name, which her parents chose because of its of-beat Old Testament style. The problem being, in the US, there is a tendency to make *ahem* racial or social connotations with some of the lesser used biblical names and then to cast them off into obscurity. e.g. Jemima – so popular and classy in the UK, pariah in the US, all because of a pancake syrup mascot. IMHO, Beulah will be the next Tallulah.

July 23rd, 2009 at 10:22 am

Holy smokes! Most all of the names on our short lists (girls and boys) are included on the 100 years lists above… guess that defines our naming tastes. Oddly, one of our names, Marjorie, is on your “not gonna happen” list… let’s say, I respectfully disagree!

(Lois makes me think Lois Lane and I know several that were born in the 50s – maybe that’s why it doesn’t feel as fresh?)

July 23rd, 2009 at 11:01 am

I was thinking the same thing about Marjorie. I had one this year in class (she’s 13).

July 23rd, 2009 at 11:17 am

I don’t understand the general distaste for the names Thelma and Ethel on nameberry…. I know they’re outdated, but are they really that bad? My view is of course skewed, as I see all of this from the outside (I live in Norway, always have), but I think both Ethel and Thelma are really cute, and have a delicate and soft sound like so many of the popular names these days… Have I missed out on something important to take into account when deciding to use them or not? Please, if someone could take the time to clarify, I would greatly appreciate it!

I also like Herman, Earnest, Claude, Ida, Bernard, Alma, Maxine, Myrtle, Everett, Agnes, Theodore, Clara, Edith, Evelyn, Lena, Mabel, Ruby, Vera, Viola, and the unique charm of Edna, which is one of my GP’s… ^^

July 23rd, 2009 at 12:47 pm

I think Marjorie and Mildred need to switch places.

July 23rd, 2009 at 2:06 pm

I knew I was not alone about Marjorie!

July 23rd, 2009 at 2:32 pm

The reluctance to use Jemima in the United States is not just “all because of a pancake syrup mascot,” PunkPrincess. “Aunt Jemima” is associated with the minstrel tradition of the antebellum South, and considered to be an insulting stereotype of a servile black woman. It’s fine in the UK because it doesn’t have that heavy context. If someone wants to use Jemima here, maybe they can revive it and it will become a good thing but prospective parents should know what they’re getting into with certain names, and this is one of them.

July 23rd, 2009 at 2:43 pm

Oh my, I love quite a few of these names, although some are all ready TOO popular for me to actually use them.
ANNA — sweet and classy, more spunky than Anne.
GRACE — too popular but lovely.
JULIA — my best friend’s top baby name and she is hearing it everywhere on babies!
LUCY — I’m hearing this everywhere but I still love it.
STELLA — ditto.
ALICE — definitely coming back! I would use a slightly more exotic version myself
BEATRICE — ditto.
CLARA — love it.
FLORENCE — under appreciated for sure. A natural extension after the popularity of Flora.
HAZEL — I can’t get this off my list!
LILLIAN — I’ve loved this for years but the popularity of Lily seems to have ruined it a bit.
MARGUERITE — I think the unfortunate nn Marge has put this name in an unfairly negative position for a lot of people. But Marguerite is too gorgeous a name to stay away forever.
VIOLA — great alternative to Violet, so charming.
ELSIE — my top name is a more exotic version of this name, although I’m not a huge fan of this nickname.
GENEVIEVE — I’m hearing this one tossed around quite a lot lately.
IDA — My great-grandmother’s name!
IRENE — another beautiful classic with a lovely meaning.
MARIAN — Another family name for me that I adore.

Boys
ANDREW — Always a classic. I’m surprised it’s not already popular.
BENJAMIN — A family name on the boy’s side! Ben is such a great nn.
CHARLES and CHARLIE — our top boy’s name (and my great grandfather’s name). I never though I’d use a top 100 name although so far it hasn’t reached that level in CA, fingers crossed!
HENRY — there’s just something so sweet about this name.
LEO — Maybe the next Max?
WILLIAM — really coming back!
EDWARD — ditto.
LOUIS — a newer addition to our lists: I like the nn Louie but I’m not a fan of Lou.
CECIL — a GP! Hubby hates it!
EDWIN — less popular than Edward but similar charm.
EVERETT — something distinguished about this name I like.
MILTON — ditto.
THEODORE — I’m already hearing this one considered a lot.

July 23rd, 2009 at 3:35 pm

I like Marjorie too. It’s much beloved among LDS people; it’s the name of (late) President Hinckley’s (late) wife and I predict that if there’s a resurgence, it will spike in Utah and across the Western intermountain Book-Of-Mormon Belt.

I LOVE Mae/May/Mai and at the top of my short list is Coramai. Sweet, sweet names.

Evelyn is getting huge as a name. Three of my husband’s cousins and one of my friends all have an Evelyn, all in the past 3 years.

July 23rd, 2009 at 5:28 pm

i love ALICE & EDWARD of course they’r making a come back because of TWILIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!

July 23rd, 2009 at 6:32 pm

Okay, okay, uncle on Marjorie! I’m promoting her…..

July 23rd, 2009 at 9:24 pm

I could see Gladys making a comeback in 20 years or so. I’ll go out on a limb and say Edna and Myrtle are never coming back in style.

July 23rd, 2009 at 9:56 pm

Based on the baby name message board that I read, I think Everett is already coming back into style.

July 23rd, 2009 at 11:28 pm

Mae is my middle name and my great grandmothers name, I hope to pass it on, it’s so pretty I hope it doesn’t get too popular. We almost named our second son Theodore, and it was at the top of our list for months, then I decided to go with our second favorite because my father pronounced it The O Door. Also, it has odor in it and what little boy wants to have smelly in his name?

July 24th, 2009 at 5:37 am

Hazel is fab too, and seems to come from a different era in the USA? Here, it was really popular in the 1940s and 1950s, but I think it was more popular earlier than that in the States? More turn of the century? Rather like Helen and Barbara?

July 24th, 2009 at 8:00 pm

There was a little Gladys on Ohdeedoh a few weeks ago and I love it. It’s so cheery! I rather like Beulah too but it’s always popping up on ‘worst name’ lists on various websites so I suppose I’m in the minority on this one.

I do love trawling the old top 100s for names. From the Scottish top 100 from 1900 I could see a revival of:

Annie
Jane
Isabella
Maggie
Martha
Alice
Grace
Georgina
Eliza
Flora

… among many others. Most of these are probably already revived!

Scottish top 100 1900: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/name6.pdf

July 26th, 2009 at 1:59 pm

I think of a certain movie scene when I hear the name Beulah. Think classroom & droning voice repeating Beuller….Beuller…..etc. Maybe others have a similar association?

Ben, Charlie, Henry, Ted and Jack are all fairly popular here (US) already.

I happen to like Lloyd as it’s a family name, but wonder if it’ll ever reach popularity again. Was orig my dad’s great uncle….how many years back is that – mid 1800’s?

July 26th, 2009 at 2:09 pm

I think of a certain movie scene when I hear the name Beulah. Think classroom & droning voice repeating Beuller….Beuller…..etc. Maybe others have a similar association?

Ben, Charlie, Henry, Ted and Jack are all fairly popular here (US) already.

As for Esther, Ethel and such, maybe they are not as popular in the US because they are associated with “I Love Lucy” reruns. A bit like Ward still makes me think of “Leave it to Beaver” (I’m in my 30’s)

I happen to like Lloyd as it’s a family name, but wonder if it’ll ever reach popularity again. Was orig my dad’s great uncle….how many years back is that – mid 1800’s?

July 27th, 2009 at 8:21 pm

Most of my favorites are on the “almost in style” list, but I like plenty from the last two lists as well.

Lois is one I’d love to see revived. It’s biblical and it has the cool retro “-s” ending that may come back at some point. Plus, I think it has the potential to sound rather sexy, perhaps because of association with Lois Lane and perhaps because of similarity to names like Lola. There’s something provocative about the “Lo” sound at the beginning of names.

And, PunkPrincess, I’m excited to hear you know a little Beulah! I think it’s gorgeous. Unfortunately, I live in the US, so I’m definitely in the minority on this one. I’d love to see it make a comeback in the UK, though, and hopefully migrate over here. It has a gorgeous biblical meaning — God used it as a name for the nation of Israel to picture how he was going to redeem them and reunite them to him. (It literally means “she who is to be married,” where marriage is a metaphor for a relationship with God.)

August 3rd, 2009 at 7:08 pm

My dad’s name was Floyd Warren and I really wanted to incorporate it with my son. Floyd was a bit too much for me but I paired Warren with Everett as a first name. I love it. I think it is my fav of all my kids. I hope it doesn’t get trendy though. I like it that I hardly ever hear it with other kids. I almost wish I had saved Warren as a first name though because we are pregnant again and I am at a lost if it is another boy.

September 21st, 2009 at 11:57 pm

I, for one, truly hope you’re wrong. I named my son Warren two years ago. I love that everyone has heard it and knows how to pronounce it but there aren’t a ton of little Warrens running around. I’ll be very disappointed if suddenly it becomes popular.

October 15th, 2009 at 10:33 pm

My mother’s name is Edith as was my grandmother’s. Personally my mother would have liked another name but her father named her after her mother who died after giving birth. I like the name myself, but don’t see myself using it to name a child of mine. Also I saw Edwin on your list and that’s my grandfather’s name, which I would use as a either a first or middle name I memory of him.

October 23rd, 2009 at 6:46 pm

Guys, I find it really funny (and exciting – maybe it won’t ever get trendy?) that everyone completely ignores the name Doris – it’s cute, timely, and has great movie star associations. It’s number one on my list for a 2nd girl. My first daughter is Tallulah. (My grandmother is named Doris – she’s 97.)

November 5th, 2009 at 11:48 am

I am a younger June Evelyn at 49, so my name is not very common for my age group. I love that my first and middle name are coming back!