Old Lady Names That Sound New Again

Eugenia, a name scarcely used at all since the 1980's, is another that flourished a century ago and could be due for a revival.

Fay, also spelled Faye, who had been napping quietly since the 1930's, has, like cousins May/Mae and Ray/Rae, sat up and started rubbing her eyes, ready for a mini-comeback, especially as a middle name. In 2014, Faye hopped back onto the US Top 1000, though Fay is used much more quietly as a first name.

The name of the mother of Aethelred the Unready was once common among the Anglo-Saxon nobility, and was briefly revived during the 19th century, only to be lost once again to history.

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 and pronounced Bernice. Nicknames include Bernie, Berry, Binnie and Bunny.

Albertina is a dainty, antiquated -- dare we say demure? -- pet name for Alberta, the feminine spin on the once-popular Albert. With Albert one of the classic boys' names due for a comeback, we can imagine more little girls named Albertina than the zero who get the name today.