Historic and Vintage Names
Extinct Names
Across 9 pages
of 9
Kitty
English, diminutive of Katherine
"pure"
This endearing nickname name is one Katherine pet form that predates all the Kathys and Katies, having been fairly common in the eighteenth century. With the current mini-craze for animal-related…
Lashonda
Lashonda is a feminine name that gained notable popularity in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, peaking in the early 1970s. The name follows a naming pattern combining the prefix 'La-'…
Lassie
The name Lassie originates from Scottish culture, where it was traditionally used as a term for a young girl or maiden. However, its widespread recognition comes primarily from the fictional female…
Latonya
Latonya is a feminine given name that emerged in the United States during the mid-20th century. The name appears to be a modern creation combining the popular prefix 'La-' (meaning 'the' in Romance…
Leigh
Variation of Lee, English
"pasture, meadow"
Leigh as a masculine name has Anglo-Saxon origins, derived from the Old English 'leah' meaning 'clearing' or 'meadow.' While Leigh has become increasingly popular as a feminine name in recent…
Lemon
English fruit name
Sour or sweet? Enough like Lennon, Leonard, and Clement to work, or best left in the fruit basket? That's up to you to decide, but Lemon has been appearing in the US charts for boys since the 1880s.…
Little
Word name
A name that shows up on the Social Security roles of a hundred years ago. Let's hope it was a never-to-be-repeated mistake.
Littleton
Littleton is a masculine name of English origin that began as a geographical surname referring to someone from any of several places named Littleton in England. These place names typically combined…
Loney
Loney is an uncommon given name that originated as an English surname, derived from Old French 'l'aulnai,' meaning 'alder grove' or from the Old English 'lane-eg,' referring to a 'long island.' As a…
Loring
Variation of Lawrence, Latin
"from Laurentum"
Loring lives as a first name thanks to the Kansas doctor Loring Miner who first sounded the alarm on what became known as the Spanish Flu.
Lucretia
Latin, female form of Lucretius
"profit, wealth"
A pretty and plausible Latin name that's gotten a bad rap through the years via a link to Lucrezia Borgia, who, though long considered a demon poisoner, was actually a patron of learning and the…
Luster
Luster is an uncommon masculine name derived from an English word meaning 'shine,' 'gleam,' or 'radiance.' Originally more common as a surname, it emerged as a given name through the practice of…
Madge
Diminutive of Margery or Margaret
"pearl"
A super diminutive nickname name, and sometime Madonna nickname – it was how the British tabloids referred to her when she moved to London in the 1990s, which she found annoying until then husband…
Marge
Short form of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
Marge used to be as common as Maggie or Megan, ranking on its own in the girls' Top 1000 from 1900 until right after World War II, when so many Old School names fell off the list in favor of a new…
Mayo
Irish place-name
"yew-tree plain"
When ordering a baby name, hold the mayo.
Melba
Modern invented name
Australian opera singer Nellie Melba—self-named for her hometown of Melbourne—inspired this now-dated name more associated today with a peach dessert and dietetic toast.
Melvina
Celtic
"chieftain"
Melvina ranked in the Top 1000 for over 65 years in the US, coinciding to a large extent with the years its much more popular masculine counterpart Melvin ranked in the Top 100. Today, Melvin is…
Merle
French
"blackbird"
A sleek, smooth, understated name off the grid in the US but among the Top 100 girl names in Germany. In the US, it is a unisex name, while in Germany and the Netherlands, it is predominantly…
Metro
Metro is a masculine name with Greek origins, derived from the name Demetrios or Demetrius, meaning "devoted to Demeter" (the goddess of agriculture and fertility in Greek mythology). Metro can also…
Midge
Diminutive of Margaret
"pearl"
Sixties-style nickname which is also the name of a small biting insect, particularly prevalent in Scotland.