Names that Peaked in 1880

Lonnie

Latin

"lion"

An old-timey boyish nickname that works as a diminutive of Leona or Leonie, Alondra, Lorna or any female name with strong L and N sounds.

Minerva

Latin

"of the mind, intellect"

Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the mythology names for girls that might appeal to adventurous feminist parents.…

Lilla

Hungarian diminutive of Lívia and Lídia, Hindi variant of Lila, Italian, Swedish, and Danish word name

"to envy; from Lydia; lilac; little; purple"

This sweet and underused name is a multicultural choice with a surprising number of meanings. It is used as a diminutive of Lívia and Lídia in Hungary (meaning "envy" and "from Lydia" respectively),…

Dorcas

Greek

"doe, gazelle"

Classic name used by the Romans, the Puritans, and the Bard, but pretty much taboo today due to the objectionable connotations of both its front and back ends.

Libbie

Libbie is a charming feminine name that originated as a diminutive of Elizabeth, which has Hebrew roots meaning 'God is my oath' or 'pledged to God.' This sweet, playful variation emerged in the 19th…

Pattie

Pattie is a feminine name typically used as a diminutive form of Patricia, which derives from the Latin 'patricius' meaning 'noble' or 'of the patrician class.' This friendly, approachable variant…

Leitha

Leitha is an uncommon feminine name with several possible origins. It may derive from the River Leitha that forms part of the border between Austria and Hungary, giving the name a natural,…

Daisey

Daisey is a charming feminine name that serves as a variant spelling of Daisy. The traditional Daisy comes from the Old English word 'dægesēage,' meaning 'day's eye,' referring to the flower that…

Rillie

Rillie is a charming feminine name with several possible origins. It may be a diminutive form of names beginning with 'Ri-' such as Riley or Rilla, or possibly a variant spelling of Rilley. The name…

Salome

Hebrew

"peace"

A soft and interesting Hebrew name long popular in France, where it has ranked in the Top 400 since 1986 (as Salomé). Ex- ER star Alex Kingston named her daughter Salome Violetta. Despite seeing…

Sybilla

Greek

"seer, oracle"

Sybilla and its near-identical twin Sibylla are dainty and demure names with a powerful namesake that also happen to be extremely rare -- no baby girls were given either name in the US last year.

Docia

Docia is a vintage feminine name with Greek origins, functioning as a diminutive of Eudocia, meaning 'good teaching' or 'good doctrine.' The name enjoyed modest popularity in the United States during…

Theodosia

Greek

"gift of God"

This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter…

Thursa

Thursa is an uncommon feminine name with Norse origins, possibly derived from Thor, the god of thunder in Norse mythology. The name may also have connections to Thurse, referring to giants in…

Zada

Arabic

"fortunate, prosperous"

Popular girls' name in Syria. In Yiddish, pronounced ZAE-dah, this is a term for grandfather.

Zula

English, derived from Zulu, South African tribal name

Related to the powerful South African warrior people, sometimes chosen by African-Americans to celebrate their heritage. Zula is also a Norwegian diminutive of Zuzanna.

Annetta

Annetta is a feminine name that serves as a diminutive form of Anna, which originates from the Hebrew name Hannah, meaning 'grace' or 'favor.' This charming variation emerged in Italian and has…

Letitia

Latin

"joy, gladness"

Letitia is a delicate, once prim and proper sounding name whose staid image has been unbuttoned by numerous phonetic spellings. The original, often used in Spanish-speaking families, would still make…