Girl Names Lists · Historic and Vintage Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 10 pages
of 10
Diminutive of Margery or Margaret
"pearl"
A super diminutive nickname name, and sometime Madonna nickname – it was how the British tabloids referred to her when she moved to London in the 1990s, which she found annoying until then husband…
Short form of Theodosia, Greek
"giving to God"
Dosia is rare but not foreign, especially since the antiquated name Theodosia was highlighted in the play Hamilton .
Short feminine form of Anacletus, Greek
"invoked"
Cleda is a simple but rare name that may be related to Cleta, the name of one of the Charities or Graces.
Greek, Zulu, Xhosa
"lover, friend; to live of life"
In the Zulu and Xhosa languages of Southern Africa, Phila is a unisex name pronounced "PEE-la" and means "to live of life" It's also the feminine version of the ancient Greek name Philo, pronounced…
Greek place-name
"brotherly love"
Place-name mentioned in the New Testament and not yet on the name map. Philadelphia Thursday was the character played by Shirley Temple in John Ford's 1948 "Fort Apache."
Literary elaboration of Clara
"bright, clear"
A poetic name first used in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" in 1596, it had a literary vogue in the 18th century, especially favored by Robert Burns. "inda" names--Melinda, Belinda, Linda" are…
Hebrew
"my delight is in her"
This is a streamlined spelling of the biblical Hephzibah. Hephzibah is an Old Testament name that came into use in the 17th century, but is not often used today. It does have less formal nicknames…
Latin
"joy, gladness"
Letitia is a delicate, once prim and proper sounding name whose staid image has been unbuttoned by numerous phonetic spellings. The original, often used in Spanish-speaking families, would still make…
Diminutive of Priscilla
"ancient"
Takes the priss out of Priscilla.
Irish and English diminutive of Bridget
"strength or exalted one"
A once very common Irish diminutive of Bridget that has unfortunately been associated since the 18th century with a pejorative slang term for an old or fussy woman.
Celtic
"chieftain"
Melvina ranked in the Top 1000 for over 65 years in the US, coinciding to a large extent with the years its much more popular masculine counterpart Melvin ranked in the Top 100. Today, Melvin is…
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
This playful variation of Elizabeth became popular in its own right during the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly in England and America. Betsey offers a sweet, vintage quality with a touch of…
Virtue name
"relief"
Relief was a name used by the Puritans in reference to the relief of Christ. Leafy was the common nickname.
Word name
No one will ever forget it. But Remember as a name came over on the Mayflower, so it has deep history as well as modern potential.
"God makes happy"
A name mentioned in the Old Testament as the wife of a king of Edom. A curious blend of clunky biblical style, and a "bel" ending that mirrors the feminine sound of names like Isabel and Annabel.…
"daughter of Jehovah"
Long forgotten Old Testament name with modern potential.
Diminutive of Margaret, Greek
Meg, perennially one of the Little Women, is a Margaret short form that manages to be neither quite in nor quite out of style. Meg is sleeker and more sophisticated than Maggie, more contemporary…
"daughter of an oath"
Popular with the Puritans, this name of the shrewd and beautiful wife of King David and mother of King Solomon could be a bit of a load for a modern girl to carry. Bathsheba is the name of the…
"forsaken"
Azuba is a form of Azubah, the Old Testament wife of Caleb. The name was used among early African-Americans.
American invented name
"gold"
The Early Americans invented names too, sometimes variations of classical or biblical favorites. This one appears in Colonial rosters; the Aur beginning is Latin and means "gold."
