Names that Peaked in 1923

Mary

Hebrew or Egyptian

"drop of the sea; bitter; beloved; love"

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…

Dorothy

English variation of Greek Dorothea

"gift of God"

In the 1930s, Dorothy left Kansas and landed in the Land of Oz; by the '80s she had become a Golden Girl, living in Miami with roommates Blanche and Rose, giving her a decidedly older image. But…

Maxine

English, Latin

"greatest"

Sleek and stylish with a touch of quirkiness about it too, Maxine is a popular choice in Belgium and France, and has been climbing up the US charts too. Following a two decade absence, it re-entered…

Marjorie

Scottish variation of Margery, diminutive of Margaret

"pearl"

Scottish Marjorie and her English twin Margery were early twentieth century favorites that date back to medieval times, when it was popular among the royals. They were at their height in the 1920s,…

Carmela

Italian and Spanish variation of Carmel

"garden"

Carmela has been most famous recently as the name of Tony Soprano's TV wife, played by Edie Falco. The spellings Carmela and Carmella are both used in Latin cultures including Italian, Spanish, and…

Eris

Greek

"strife, discord"

Eris was the goddess of strife and discord, turned fairy tale and then popular culture figure Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty. Ironic, as her name sounds so much like that of Eros, the god of love.…

Maryjane

English, combination of Mary and Jane

"drop of the sea, bitter, beloved + god is gracious"

Mary was such a common name for so long that it sprouted a whole family of chimeric name splices: Maryann, Marybeth, Mary-Lousie, ad infinitum. Spiderman 's Mary Jane Watson, the closed toe shoe with…

Cruz

Spanish

"cross"

Cruz might be a sister for Concepcion and Corazon, although its masculine side was emphasized when the high profile David Beckhams chose it for their son.

Bette

Diminutive of Elizabeth

Pronounced a la Bette (Betty) Davis or Bette (Bet) Midler, a twentieth-century relic. Though if the equally vintage Betty comes back, Bette may be close behind.

Marybelle

English, combination of Mary and Belle

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + beautiful"

Variant of Maribel or Maribelle

Marylouise

English, combination of Mary and Louisa

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"

Homely compound name which may be written as one word, two words (Mary Louise), or hyphenated (Mary-Louise). The original meaning of Mary is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from…

Fumiko

Fumiko is a Japanese feminine name rich in cultural significance. It combines the elements 'fumi' meaning 'writing' or 'literature' and 'ko' meaning 'child,' a common suffix in traditional Japanese…

Ethelene

Ethelene is a feminine name with Anglo-Saxon origins, derived from the Old English element 'ethel' meaning 'noble' or 'of noble birth.' It emerged as an elaboration of the medieval name Ethel,…

Elease

Elease is a feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant spelling of Elise or a modification of the name Elyse. Both of these names derive from the Hebrew name Elizabeth, meaning 'God is my…