Historic and Vintage Names
Extinct Names
Across 9 pages
of 9
The names
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…
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…
Coy
English
"shy, taciturn"
Though rarely heard now, Coy has been around for a century and was not an uncommon name a hundred years ago. There have been a couple of NFL players named Coy, Coy Bowles is in the Zac Brown band,…
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.
Hermine
Femininzation of Herman, German
"army man"
Hermine and Hermina once ranked in the US Top 1000 for girls, but the First World War put an end to the popularity of these and many other German names. Now, both names are extinct though father name…
Mayo
Irish place-name
"yew-tree plain"
When ordering a baby name, hold the mayo.
Fran
Diminutive of Frances
"from France or free man"
This short form has been pretty much replaced by Frankie, however, it could fit in with other clunky but charming names, like Peggy, Bess, and Enid.
Oral
Variation of Aurelius or Oriol, or English word name
"golden; spoken"
Possibly inspired by golden names, Oriol and Aurelius, or by the word oral, meaning "spoken", Oral is not one that would work in a modern English-speaking context. Too medical and too sexual, it did…
Earlene
Femininzation of Earl, English word name
"nobleman, warrior"
Earlene is even more out of style than Earl. These are among the names that have not been revived ala the Hundred Year Rule.
Lurline
Variation of Lorelei, German
"alluring temptress"
The lilting Lorelei has given birth to many variations, including this one, now extinct.
Val
Diminutive of Valentina, Valerie, etc, Latin
"strength, health"
Occasionally used as an independent name, but why.
Nicki
Diminutive of Nicola, Nicole, Nicolette
"people of victory"
Once the teenaged babysitter, now more likely to be the mom who hires her. The names many variations include Nickee, Nickie, Nickey, Nicky, Niki, Nikkee, Nikkey, Nikki, Nikkie, Nikky, and Niky.
Verda
Variation of Verde, Spanish
"green"
Verda was a fairly popular girls' name in the US from the 1880s through the 1920s, when it started to slip, finally dropping from sight after World War II. Today, Verde and Verda are both extinct.
Gerri
Diminutive of Geraldine, feminine variation of Gerald, English and French
"ruler with the spear"
Boyish nicknames for girls -- like Charlie and Frankie -- are in fashion, but Geraldine is out. Gerri just might split the difference.
Dorinda
Greek
"bountiful gift"
Cinderella stepsister type Victorian-valentine name.
Pam
Diminutive of Pamela, English
"all honey"
This mild-mannered short form was Queen of the Prom in the fifties and sixties, but today is mostly heard on TV's The Office (and of course as one of the founders of Nameberry). While about 100 baby…
Pat
Diminutive of Patricia
"noble, patrician"
An early and still quintessentially gender-neutral name, now supplanted by thousands of fresher options. Hasn't been recorded as a given name since 1991. Pat was the name of a gardener in Alice's…
Kermit
Irish, variant of Diarmaid/Dermot
"without injunction, without envy"
Kermit was a Top 500 name until the 1960s, not coincidentally the decade in which Kermit the Frog made it a one-person (well, one-frog) name. Derived from the Irish surname Mac Diamada, itself from…
Girtha
Variation of Gertha, English from Scandinavian
"enclosure, stronghold"
Don't put "girth" in a baby name.
Dickie
Dickie is traditionally a masculine name functioning primarily as an affectionate diminutive of Richard, which has Germanic origins meaning 'strong ruler' or 'brave power.' While sometimes used as a…