Historic and Vintage Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
Variation of Verde, Spanish
"green"
Verda was a fairly popular girls' name in the US from the 1880s through the 1920s, when it started to slip, finally dropping from sight after World War II. Today, Verde and Verda are both extinct.
English
"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…
Variation of Nedda, Slavic
"born on Sunday"
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.…
Slavic
Midcentury macramé-maker.
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.…
German
"noble, famous"
Adelma is likely a feminization of Adelmar, which means famous nobleman. The name was seen a bit during the nineteenth century, with a famous bearer being Adelma Vay, a medium and spiritualist, which…
Short form of Adelma, German
Adelma shot to stardom on the coattails of 19th century Eastern European spiritualist Baroness Adelma Vay de Vaya. Delma continued to be used in the US until the 1950s, when it dropped from sight.…
"elf counsel"
Short form of Alfred that had fallen out of favor, but could come back alongside Alfie and other clunky old-style nicknames like Gus and Ike.
Algie is a vintage masculine name that originated as a diminutive of names beginning with 'Alg-' such as Algernon or Albert. With Old French and Germanic roots, it gained modest popularity in the…
English word name or variation of Almund or Aleman, German
"almond; noble strength; German"
Almond may seem like a hippy modern name, but its use for American boys goes right back to the mid-nineteenth century. In these cases, it was either a variation of Almund, meaning "noble strength,"…
Feminine form of Arthur, Celtic
"bear"
If you're looking for a girl's name that honors an ancestral Arthur, try Artis.
Word name or diminutive of Barbara
You can call your baby "babe," but don't name her that.
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.
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.
Diminutive of Bartholomew, Hebrew
"son of the earth"
Permanent property of that devilish little Simpson kid.
