Names that Peaked in 1881

Soloman

Soloman is a variation of the classic Hebrew name Solomon, derived from 'shalom' meaning "peace." This alternate spelling maintains the rich historical significance of the original name, which calls…

Solon

Greek

"the wise one"

Despite the reputation of the sagacious ancient Greek lawmaker, this name hasn't moved to the modern world.

Tilman

Tilman is a masculine name with Germanic origins, derived from the elements 'til' meaning 'to' or 'goal,' and 'man' meaning 'man' or 'person.' It emerged as both a given name and surname throughout…

Tobe

Diminutive of Tobias, Hebrew

"God is good"

Simple short form of Tobias that feels more distinctly masculine than Toby. Tobe makes a great middle name — horror film director Tobe Hooper was actually born William Tobe Hooper.

York

English

"from the yew estate"

Brisk, preppy York is an underused classic with the potential to really shine in the 21st century. It's most familiar as a place name — York is a city in England — and surname. New York City and…

Lemuel

Hebrew

"devoted to God"

Lemuel is a neglected Old Testament name, with the friendly nickname Lem, that we're surprised hasn't been picked up on by parents who have known too many Samuels. In the Bible, Lemuel is mentioned…

Byrd

English word name

"bird"

The name of the teenaged son on the dear departed television show "Huff."

Philo

Greek

"loving"

Could Philo be the next Milo? We love the o-ending and sweet meaning of this dynamic and distinctive Greek name, often used in literature, but never particularly popular. The ancient Philo (aka Philo…

Manning

Irish surname

"monk"

For football fans who have decided Peyton has become too feminine. Or they could look to brother Eli for inspiration.

Mat

Short form of Mathew or Matthew, Hebrew

"gift of God"

This short form of the biblical Matthew relates most directly to the shorter, rarer spelling Mathew. (About 7000 baby boys were named Matthew in the US, versus about 250 called Mathew.) Nearly 50…

Christ

English from Greek

"anointed, messiah"

Meaning "anointed one" in Greek, this was a title applied to Jesus by early Greek-speaking followers. It has been used as the English form of both Christos and Chrestos, which means "good".

Lige

Diminutive of Elijah, Hebrew

"Yahweh is God"

If default nickname Eli is too common for your tastes, you may consider resuscitating the antique nickname Lige for your little Elijah. Lige Conley, born Elijah Crommie, was an American silent film…

Alford

Alford is an English surname-turned-first-name with Old English origins, derived from 'ald' meaning old and 'ford' meaning river crossing, literally signifying "old river ford." As a given name, it…

Benjamine

Benjamine is a masculine name that represents a variant spelling of Benjamin, which comes from Hebrew origins meaning 'son of the right hand' or 'son of the south.' The additional 'e' at the end…

Almon

Almon is a masculine name with biblical Hebrew origins, appearing in the Old Testament as the name of a place and as a personal name. The meaning is often associated with 'hidden' or possibly 'almond…

Finis

Finis is a masculine name derived from the Latin word meaning 'end,' 'boundary,' or 'conclusion.' Historically, this name was sometimes given to a final child in a family, signifying that parents did…