Historic and Vintage Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Although she declared her independence as far back as the reign of Elizabeth I — Good Queen Bess, Bess now sounds less passé than Beth or Betsy.
Medieval variation of Esther, Persian
"star"
The disgraced heroine of The Scarlet Letter 's name, after long neglect, just might have a chance at revival, following in the wake of sister-name Esther. We've characterized her elsewhere as an…
French
"blackbird"
A sleek, smooth, understated name off the grid in the US but among the Top 100 girl names in Germany. In the US, it is a unisex name, while in Germany and the Netherlands, it is predominantly…
Sandi is a feminine name typically functioning as a diminutive of Sandra or Alexandra, though it has established itself as an independent given name. Popular particularly during the 1950s through the…
Variation of Verna, Latin
"springtime"
Part Verna, part Bernice, Vernice saw use as a girls' name during the heyday of both those names. Both entered the Top 200 in the 1880s, where Verna lasted until 1940 and Bernice a decade longer.…
Slavic
"born on Sunday"
Midcentury macramé-maker.
Variation of Orpah, Hebrew
"fawn or gazelle"
The misspelling that created an indelibly one-person name. And we mean that literally: Despite Oprah Winfrey's fame and appeal, there were no baby girls named Oprah last year, OR Orpah. The Biblical…
Diminutive of Albert, Bertram etc
Long a royal nickname in England, it's coming back there along with Archie and Alfie. British singer Kate Bush calls her little boy Bertie.
English
"beaver stream"
An English surname name which was originally used as a masculine first name in the 19th century, before becoming more popular for girls from the early 20th century onwards.
Latin
"true"
Verlin is an obscure name that found some use in the US in the early part of the 20th century, but now it and variation Verlyn are extinct, given to no baby boys in the US last year. Verlyn…
Diminutive of Bartholomew, Hebrew
"son of the earth"
Permanent property of that devilish little Simpson kid.
Variation of Nedda, Slavic
Nedra was one of a phalanx of names -- Delma, Verda, Vernice -- popular in the late 19th and early 20th century that dropped out of fashion after World War II and now have disappeared completely.…
French occupational name
"beard"
This name's all-male occupational roots help it break the Barbara bonds, but still not the most inspiring surname choice.
"fawn"
Orpha, with its Biblical roots and its animal meaning, was once a fairly popular name, but fell from sight around the time of the Second World War, along with so many other Old School Names. And its…
Variation of Lorelei, German
"alluring temptress"
The lilting Lorelei has given birth to many variations, including this one, now extinct.
English diminutive of Barbara, Greek
"foreign woman"
Barb is a midcentury nickname name that, like Deb and Sue, feels terminally dates now. But with the revival of Barbie, Barb may not be far behind.
Word name or diminutive of Barbara
You can call your baby "babe," but don't name her that.
"proud and hard"
Best known these days as the name of an American department store chain, Dillard was once a baby name that ranked on the US Top 1000, at least until the middle of the last century. Today, Dillard…
Feminine form of Arthur, Celtic
"bear"
If you're looking for a girl's name that honors an ancestral Arthur, try Artis.
English, Latin
"man"
Although now usually considered a female name in the US, Carol actually had a good run of popularity for boys too, peaking at #325 in 1937 and remaining in the US Top 1000 until the mid 1960s, when…
