Historic and Vintage Names · Popular Names and Name Trends
Endangered Baby Names
Across 11 pages
of 11
Gretel
Diminutive of Margarete, German
"pearl"
Gretel originated as a nickname for Margarete, the German form of Margaret. It’s a charming name, but most American parents prefer Greta, as Gretel is strongly tied to the fairy tale heroine. The…
Randi
Feminine diminutive of Randolph
"shield-wolf"
A relic of the midcentury Mandi-Sandi-Andi era.
Tanya
Russian diminutive of Tatiana
Long integrated into the U. S. name pool but still retaining some Slavic flavor, Tanya feels a bit tired; it's ready for replacement by cooler Russian choices like Sasha, Mischa, or parent name…
Lucile
Spelling variation of Lucille
"light"
Lucille and its alternate spelling Lucile are both popular in France, but in the US, Lucy rules with the more-antiquated sounding Lucille a distant second. Lucile fell off the Top 1000 more than 60…
Berenice
Greek
"she who brings victory"
A name with a surprising amount of history--it was the name of the wife of Ptolemy I of Egypt, occurs in the New Testament, and belonged to a fourth century saint. In the US, it has long been spelled…
Justine
French feminine variation of Justin
"fair, righteous"
Justine is a French name that's never reached the popularity we think it deserves. Like its far-more-common brother Justin, Justine is sleek, and sophisticated, but still user-friendly. Justine has…
Lorna
English literary name
One of those names like Pamela, Vanessa and Wendy, Lorna was invented for a particular literary character--the protagonist of the 1869 novel Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore--and then perpetuated as…
Candy
English word name or diminutive of Candace, Latin
"white, pure, sincere"
Too sugary sweet and inconsequential for a modern girl.
Connie
Diminutive of Constance, English
"steadfastness"
Connie is a sweet and charming vintage nickname, which ranks in the top 200 in the UK and has a vintage charm that makes it ready for a comeback in the US as well.
Terence
Latin clan name
"soft; thresher"
A name that seems to hail from the old Irish neighborhoods of Boston and New York, Terence actually dates back a lot further, to the time of a famous second-century poet, who started life as a North…
Tim
Diminutive of Timothy, Greek
"honoring God"
Tim is a boyish short form occasionally given on its own. There were 37 baby boys named Tim in the US last year, versus over 1700 named Timothy.
Ken
Diminutive of Kenneth; Japanese
"born of fire or handsome; healthy and strong"
In many minds this one belongs to Barbie, but with such positive meanings and international connections, can Ken make the transition to usability again?
Felicia
Latin
"lucky"
A lacy, lucky name very popular in the Hispanic community a decade ago, less so now.
Maryanne
English, combination of Mary and Anne
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"
Variant of Marianne or Maryann
Marty
Short form of Martin, Latin
"warlike"
Marty is one of those Old Man nicknames that's just starting to sound cute again.
Mick
English, diminutive of Michael
Most often associated with Rolling Stone Jagger, Mick is also used as a generic, and derogatory, term for an Irishman.
Matt
Short form of Matthew
"gift of God"
Still one of the most appealing short forms, which goes a long way toward explaining the sustained popularity of Matthew. Matt is perennially the popular guy in high school, friendly, attractive, and…
Zac
Diminutive of Zachariah/Zachary
"the Lord has remembered"
A popular nickname that, over the past few decades, has acquired enough standing to work on its own, a la earlier equivalents such as Jack and Max; an alternative to Zach/Zack. Actor/singer Zac…
Tom
Diminutive of Thomas
"twin"
Just like Sam and Ben, Tom could be revived as a simple, well liked name on its own. Tom, just Tom, is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France
Melba
Modern invented name
Australian opera singer Nellie Melba—self-named for her hometown of Melbourne—inspired this now-dated name more associated today with a peach dessert and dietetic toast.