Names that Peaked in 1941
Across 2 pages
of 2
Jerry
Short feminine form of Gerald or Jerome, German or Greek
"ruler with the spear or sacred name"
The J spelling of this nickname name has always skewed more masculine, perhaps because it relates directly to Jerome but not to Geraldine. But supermodel Jerry Hall, whose full name is Jerry and who…
Herb
Herb is a masculine name that originated as a shortened form of Herbert, which comes from Germanic elements 'hari' meaning 'army' and 'beraht' meaning 'bright.' Primarily used in English-speaking…
Jere
Short form of Jeremiah, Jeremias, or Jeronim, English, Finnish, Croatian
"appointed by God; Yahwah will rise; sacred name"
In English, Jere could be an alternative spelling to Jerry, a short form of Jeremy, Jerald, Jeremiah and similar. In Croatian and Finnish, however, it is pronounced "YEH-reh" and is used as a…
Lynn
Welsh
"lake"
Traditionally used for boys before the 20th-century, Lynn was solidly used as a masculine name in the US, right up until the 70s when it fell out of favor. Prior to that, however, it had already…
Meredith
Welsh
"great ruler"
Meredith has been considered primarily a girl's name since the fifties, before which it was more commonly used for boys. Comic actor Jay Mohr recently named his son Meredith, which might help it…
Georgene
Georgene is a feminine variation of George, which derives from the Greek name 'Georgios,' meaning 'farmer' or 'earth-worker.' This elegant name gained modest popularity in the United States during…
Karolyn
Karolyn is a feminine name representing a variant spelling of Caroline or Carolyn, all deriving from the masculine name Charles, which means 'free man' or 'manly.' This particular spelling combines…
Carol
English, feminine variation of Charles
"free man"
A Caroline abbreviation that was wildly popular with Mom's generation...or Grandma's. At one time it was a name for baby girls born at Christmas . because of its association with Christmas carols.…
Gearld
Gearld is a masculine name that appears to be a variant spelling of Gerald, which has Germanic origins. The traditional Gerald derives from elements meaning 'spear' and 'rule' or 'power,' suggesting…
Suellen
Compound name, blending Susan and Ellen
"shining lily"
Suellen is a smoosh name that combines two classic names into one that feels both mid-century and modern, a little like Carolyn, a bit like Elowen. Notably used by Margaret Hill in her novel, Gone…
Judyth
Variation of Judith, Hebrew
"He will be praised or woman from Judea"
As with many names, the spelling variation Judyth saw some use during the heyday of its then-popular original form Judith. Eighteen baby girls were named Judyth in 1940, when more than 22,000 girls…
Phyliss
Phyliss represents an alternative spelling of the more traditional Phyllis, a feminine name with ancient Greek origins meaning "green branch" or "foliage." The name has deep historical roots,…