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Nerdy Girl Names: Geek Chic Cool

Nerdy Girl Names: Geek Chic Cool

Nerdy girl names — like thick black-rimmed spectacles and heavy oxfords — are so out they're in.

These geek chic names for girls are the clunky, old-school vintage choices that are starting to feel fresh, funky and daring again, while still being rooted in tradition.

Nerdy, geeky, yet cool girl names in the US Top 200 include Vivian, Olive, Elsie, June, Esther, Josephine, and Iris. Names including Harriet, Matilda, Imogen, and Florence, have already caught on in a big way across the pond in England & Wales.

But most of these cool, uncommon vintage girl names are still waiting to be rediscovered and would make a great choice for parents who want a unique baby name with a rich history. These rare nerdy girl names outside of the US Top 1000 include Rosamund, Dora, and Augusta.

Browse our list of nerdy, geeky baby names for girls on this list, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Girl Names

Nerdy Boy Names 

  1. IrisHeart
    • Origin:

      Flower name; Greek
    • Meaning:

      "rainbow"
    • Description:

      Iris is one of the bouquet of turn-of-the-last-century flower names that is gradually beginning to regain its appeal: it is now at the highest point ever. Iris is also rooted in the trending mythological class of names..
  2. MargotHeart
    • Origin:

      French, diminutive of Margaret
    • Meaning:

      "pearl"
    • Description:

      Margot is suddenly a star again. After a nearly-half century absence, it hopped back on the Top 1000 list in 2013 and is on the rise. The Margot spelling is now given to three times as many baby girls as the Margo one.
  3. ImogenHeart
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      "maiden"
    • Description:

      Imogen has long been fashionable in England and is gaining favor in the US among stylish parents. Pronounced the British way — the initial i is short as in Kim, as is the final E as in Ken — Imogen is as pretty and classy as it is distinctive.
  4. ElsieHeart
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth via its Scottish variation, Elspeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Elsie is a sweet vintage nickname-name turned modern star. After a 30-year hiatus, Elsie started climbing the US popularity list 20 years ago and is still headed for the top.
  5. JosephineHeart
    • Origin:

      French feminine variation of Joseph
    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"
    • Description:

      Josephine, with its large measure of class and character and a gently offbeat quality, has been on a gentle uphill climb in the US for over 30 years, now ranking in the Top 100. With an intriguing number of vivacious nicknames, from Jo to Josie to Fifi to Posy, Josephine is a Nameberry favorite.
  6. BeatriceHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "she who brings happiness; blessed"
    • Description:

      Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the lovely Beatrice with its long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents seeking a classic name with character and lots of upbeat nicknames, like Bea and Bee.
  7. MabelHeart
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Amabel, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "lovable"
    • Description:

      Mabel is a saucy Victorian favorite rising in popularity in the US over the past decade, after a 50-year nap If you love offbeat old-fashioned names like Violet or Josephine, only sassier, Mabel is one for you to consider.
  8. MatildaHeart
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "battle-mighty"
    • Description:

      Matilda is a sweet vintage name that has been gently climbing the popularity list for the past 15 years, after a half-century slumber. The spunky children's book heroine Matilda is one factor in its rise, along with others of its class like Eloise and Caspian.
  9. AudreyHeart
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "noble strength"
    • Description:

      Audrey is one of the girls' names that have been rising due to their connection to Old Hollywood glamour—in this case the eternally chic and radiant Audrey Hepburn. Audrey has another very different appeal as one of the elite group of girl names that mean strong, brave, or powerful.
  10. AdaHeart
    • Origin:

      German or Turkish
    • Meaning:

      "noble, nobility, or island"
    • Description:

      Ada is one of the classic baby names for girls that is suddenly super stylish again. A favorite at the end of the nineteenth century, Ada is an alternative to the over-popular Ava. Ada is also part of the trend toward simple, old-fashioned names beginning with a vowel, like Ivy and Ella.
  11. FlorenceHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "flourishing, prosperous"
    • Description:

      Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion.
  12. JaneHeart
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      No, we don't consider Jane too plain. In fact, for a venerable and short one-syllable name, we think it packs a surprising amount of punch, as compared to the related Jean and Joan.
  13. EttaHeart
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish, short form of any name ending with -etta: Henrietta, Loretta etc.
    • Description:

      Etta is one of the surprise hit girl names of recent years, thanks to the surprise hit revival of Etta James' song At Last. Etta has now taken her place as a successor to Emma and Ella.
  14. EdithHeart
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "prosperous in war"
    • Description:

      Edith was a hugely popular name a hundred years ago that's being revived among stylish parents in Stockholm and London. It's currently beginning to gain traction in the US among those with a taste for old-fashioned names with a soft but strong image.
  15. MargaretHeart
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pearl"
    • Description:

      Margaret is derived from the French Marguerite, which in turn came from Margarita, the Latin form of the Greek Margarites. Margarites was based on the Old Persian word margārīta, meaning "pearl."
  16. OliveHeart
    • Origin:

      English, from Latin, nature name
    • Meaning:

      "olive tree"
    • Description:

      Though greatly overshadowed by the trendy Olivia, Olive has a quiet, subtle appeal of its own -- and is now enjoying a remarkable comeback. Olive is one of only four girl names starting with O on the US Top 1000. Cool couple Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen chose it for their daughter, reviving the name to stylishness, and now Drew Barrymore has a little Olive too, as has country singer Jake Owen.
  17. EmmelineHeart
    • Origin:

      Old French form of archaic German Amal
    • Meaning:

      "work"
    • Description:

      Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the megapopularity of those two names. A recommended Nameberry fave, Emmeline hopped onto the US Top 1000 in 2014 for the first time ever. While it is genuinely an old name, it was rarely used a century ago; only 17 baby girls were named Emmeline in 1915, the same number as were named Ernie!
  18. LaviniaHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin, from ancient place name Lavinium
    • Description:

      Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the mother of the Roman people.
  19. EstherHeart
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "star"
    • Description:

      Esther was derived from the Old Persian word stāra, meaning "star." In the Old Testament, Esther, originally named Hadassah, was the captured Jewish wife of the King of Persia who risked her life to save her exiled people from annihilation. This story is celebrated by Jews on the holiday of Purim, so that it has traditionally been given to girls around that time.
  20. OdetteHeart
    • Origin:

      French, from German
    • Meaning:

      "wealthy"
    • Description:

      Odette is the good swan in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake, a role for which Natalie Portman won an Oscar ---and it would make a particularly soigne, sophisticated yet upbeat choice, unlike some of the more dated other 'ette'-ending names.