Historic and Vintage Names · Classic Baby Names
Colonial Names from the 1700s
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Sally
Diminutive of Sarah
"princess"
Sally is a cheerful, fresh-faced girl-next-door name that was originally a nickname for Sarah, but has long been used independently. Sally was popular in the eighteenth century and then again from…
Sibella
Greek
"seer, oracle"
Sibella is derived from Sibyl or Sibylla, referring to female prophets or oracles in ancient Greek and Roman culture. The name carries an air of mysticism and ancient wisdom, while its melodic…
Silence
Word name
The Puritans used it as a virtue name -- but today it would just be considered weird: silence is no longer golden.
Sophronia
Greek
"sensible, prudent"
Stately and elegant, but with the familiar sounds of Sophia and Sophie, Sophronia was a familiar choice back in the 19th century but has since fallen into obscurity. Derived from the Greek sophron ,…
Sukey
Diminutive of Susan, Hebrew
"lily"
Eighteenth-century nickname that still appears occasionally as an alternative to Suzy. Suki Waterhouse is a lovely English actress.
Susanna
Hebrew
"lily"
Susanna is an old and under-appreciated name, perhaps because of the recent overpopularity of Susan, that is certainly due for a comeback. The Susannah spelling is just as appropriate as Susanna. The…
Tabby
Diminutive of Tabitha, Aramaic
"gazelle"
Feline nickname for Tabitha — a bewitching vintage choice.
Tabitha
Aramaic
"gazelle"
Though never as popular as the name of her Bewitched mother, Samantha, Tabitha has its own quirky, magical charm. The name of a charitable woman who was restored to life by Saint Peter in the Bible,…
Tace
Short form of Tacita, Latin
"silence"
Tace is a cute, cool short form of the rather august-sounding Tacita.
Temperance
Virtue name
Not too long ago, Temperance was found only on lists of Puritan baby names . With increased increase in virtue names, and Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan on long-running television series Bones , this…
Tennessee
Native American, Cherokee, place-name
"bend in the river; meeting place"
Young rocker Tennessee Thomas has brought this former one-person name over to the girls' side -- though the census roles of North Carolina in 1850 included a female named Tennessee and called Tincy.…
Thankful
English word name
"conscious of benefit received"
In the Plymouth Colony of the seventeenth century, Thankful was the third most popular of the abstract word names. It disappeared after 1700 and has virtually no chance of returning.
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…
Theresa
English form of the Spanish Teresa
"to harvest"
The popular appeal of the strong, intelligent Saint Teresa of Avila, combined with the selfless compassion of the more recent Mother Teresa, have fused to give this second-tier classic a somewhat…
Thirza
Hebrew; diminutive of Theresa, English
"delightful; harvest"
This rarely used Old Testament name will inevitably set off a connection to thirst. Thirza was historically used as both an independent name and as a nickname for Theresa.
Tryphena
Greek
"softness, delicacy"
Greek name found in the New Testament makes for one of the unique baby names still undiscovered from the Bible.
Ursula
Latin
"little female bear"
A saint's name with a noteworthy literary background, including uses by Shakespeare in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Much Ado About Nothing , by Ben Johnson, Walter Scott, Longfellow, D. H. Lawrence…
Verity
Latin
"truth"
If you love Puritan virtue names and want to move beyond Hope and Faith and Grace, this is a wonderful choice, both for its meaning and its sound. A rare find here, though occasionally heard in…
Wilhelmina
German and Dutch, feminine variation of Wilhelm
"resolute protection"
Wilhelmina might once have been condemned as a clunky relic best left in the past, but a steadily increasing number of parents are dusting it off for their 21st century babies. A reasonably popular…
Winnet
American diminutive of Winifred, Welsh
"blessed peacemaking"
Winnet is a long-forgotten nickname for Winifred that was used in the US in the 18th and 19th centuries. These days, it's more often found in South Africa.