William is one of the most enduring of classic names for boys. It's also among the most popular boys' names, as American parents see it as being ideally conservative yet contemporary, and hands-down the most popular baby name beginning with W of all time.

John reigned as the most popular of all boys' Christian names for 400 years, from the time the first Crusaders carried it back to Britain until the 1950s. Then American baby namers finally seemed to tire of this straight-arrow, almost anonymous John Doe of names, replacing it with fancier forms like Jonathan and the imported Sean and Ian.

Iconoclasts though we may be, we like Fred, we like Frank, and we like George, which was among the Top 10 from 1830 to 1950, when the number of little Georges started to decline. Solid, strong, royal and saintly, yet friendly and unpretentious, we think that George is in prime position for a comeback, especially since it was chosen by Britain's royal couple.

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."

Mary is the English form of Maria, which ultimately was derived from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Helen is a name that has connoted beauty since ancient times – Helen of Troy was the the mythological "face that launched a thousand ships," over whom the ten-year Trojan War was fought.

Hollis is a rugged, gentle and quietly used name, given to over 200 boys and 150 girls each year in the US. In 2023, it became one of the newest entries to the US Top 1000, where it fits in with the surnames-as-first-names trend, and other familiar choices like Ellis, Silas, and Holden.

Theodora is one of the most revival-worthy of the charmingly old-fashioned Victorian valentine names, softly evocative but still substantial, as is the reversed-syllable Dorothea.

Odessa, (transcribed as Odesa in Ukrainian) is a Ukrainian port city and was given its name by Catherine the Great, who was inspired by Homer's Odyssey. It would make an original and intriguing choice.

Viola has plenty of positive elements going for it: the rhythm of the musical instrument, the association with the flower, the trending 'Vi' beginning and its leading role in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. With a touch of international flair, it also avoids the violent/Violet some parents have.

Bea is a former old lady name that's cute again as a short form — and is now beginning to stand on its own. Bee is a variation that, like Bea, can work as a diminutive for any name that starts with the letter B, or in the middle. Bea actually stood alone on the popularity lists for four years at the beginning of the twentieth century — and it could happen again.

Palmer is a name that derives from the fact that pilgrims often carried palms, thus the double meaning. It's a fresher sounding twist other surname style names, such as Spencer, Carter, Porter and Parker.

Eunice is a New Testament name of the mother of Timothy, long associated with one of the Kennedy sisters, the founder of the Special Olympics. As high as Number 106 in the early 1900s, it lasted on the list until 1995. Eunice was the birth name of Nina Simone, which gives it a modicum of cool.

Eula is a slightly sweeter and more compact version of Eulalia. Currently, neither name is given to more than a handful of girls each year. Eula was fairly popular in the US during the early twentieth century, and she last ranked in the Top 1000 in 1960.

Thanks to the inspiration of Pope Francis, Francesco has galloped to the front of the line to become the Number One boys' name in Italy. As Francesca has become a familiar and popular form of the name for girls in the wider world, so does the handsome Francesco have that potential for boys.

Now that Violet is becoming more popular, parents are starting to explore same-but-different options such as the French Violette, which would properly be pronounced with a long e sound in the first syllable and three syllables -- vee-oh-let -- as well as the Spanish Violeta — both of which were among the fastest-rising girl names of 2023.

Hemingway readers will recognize this as the name of Papa's first wife (and, eventually, actress Mariel's grandmother). But in Victorian times, Hadley and Hedley were actually more popular for boys.

Levie is a masculine name with Hebrew origins, functioning as a variant of Levi, which means 'joined' or 'attached.' This spelling adds a slight European flair to the traditional name, possibly reflecting Dutch or French influence where such endings are more common. Levi has deep biblical roots as one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and this variation maintains those religious connections. While less common than the standard spelling, Levie experienced some usage in the early 20th century before declining, though it has seen renewed interest amid the revival of vintage biblical names. With its soft sound and friendly ending, Levie offers a gentle twist on a name with profound historical and religious significance.

Maxie is a feminine name that originated as a diminutive form of Maxine or Maxene, which themselves are feminine versions of Maximilian or Maxwell. The name has Latin roots in "maximus," meaning "greatest." Maxie has a cheerful, friendly quality with its ending 'ie' sound, which softens the strength inherent in its meaning. While never extremely common as a formal given name, it enjoyed modest popularity as a nickname throughout the 20th century, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. It has cross-cultural appeal, used occasionally in English-speaking countries as well as in parts of Europe. Maxie can project a personality that balances strength with approachability, conveying both confidence and warmth.

Some sources say Artis is a form of Arthur, and it certainly has the same root and meaning of bear. But Artis is a name in its own right with a 60-year history on the US Top 1000, from about 1900 until the early 1960s.