Historic and Vintage Names
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 17 pages
of 17
Hebrew
"God is glory"
The name of the mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses in the Old Testament. Yocheved was also the name of one of the three daughters of the medieval Talmudic scholar, Rashi. Famous modern-day bearers…
German
"dear friend"
Levin, known in the U.S. mostly as a surname, is a Top 100 boys' name in Germany. There have been saints with variations of this name, whose meaning relates to love.
Aramaic
"son of the furrow"
Bartholomew is an apostle's name that's been out of favor for centuries but might appeal again to the parent in search of an old but rare choice. The challenge could be to avoid the Simpson-ish…
Medieval form of Clarita, a derivative of Clara
"bright, clear"
If you’re a fan of the annual animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you’ll recognize the name of Rudolph’s beautiful doe sweetheart, pronounced cla-REES—uncomfortably close to the Silence of the…
Diminutive of Harold or Henry, English, Scandinavian, German
"army ruler or estate ruler"
Could Hal be the Jack, Max, or Gus of the future? It just might happen in the new nickname environment, especially with Cal and Cy feeling cool, and with the interest in vintage, cowboy-esque…
Feminine variation of Julian
"youthful"
Gillian is a name that was in common usage in Great Britain until the 1970s, when it dropped out of the Top 100 and is yet to return. Until recently, it had not crossed the Atlantic in significant…
Latin
"traveler, pilgrim"
Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the U.S., where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's…
English and French diminutive of Matilda, German
"battle-mighty"
Maude, also spelled Maud, is a lacy, mauve-tinted name that was wildly popular a hundred years ago, but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose it again,…
French from German
"the foreigner, the guest"
Depending on your cultural references, you may think of Phantom of the Opera author Gaston Leroux, or the macho villain of Beauty and the Beast . While he's hardly a role model (unless you too use…
Irish
"rough, fierce"
The additional syllable makes Lark a masculine surname name, borne by poet Philip Larkin.
Variation of Adeline or Aileen
Aline may have originated as a short form of Adeline in the Middle Ages, but it may also be a variation of the Irish Aileen or Scottish Eileen. Aline dropped off the Top 1000 in the 1950s. Fewer than…
Italian and Spanish variation of Celeste
"heavenly"
We are hearing more of such heavenly names as Celeste and Celia, which opens the door to the range of lovely variations rarely heard before. Celestina is one of them, though given the more accessible…
Spanish, from Latin
"flourishing, prosperous"
A pretty elaboration on Florence used in Hispanic countries.
Anglo-Saxon from French
"pledge of peace"
In the US, this spelling is less common than mid-century favorite Jeffrey, and it has faded from popularity faster. This more British spelling is the usual form for historical figures like Geoffrey…
French; English
"of the Passover; Easter"
The French-accented Pascal was historically used for sons born at Easter, and can make an interesting choice for a boy with Gallic roots arriving around that holiday. Pascal has a number of notable…
Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Hungarian
"young ceremonial attendant, gracious people"
Milla originated as a diminutive of names like Camilla and Ludmilla, but has since become well established as a name in its own right in several European countries. Milla Jovovich is a Ukrainian-born…
"little lord"
Tiernan is the slightly edgier and sharper cousin of Kiernan. This is one Irish surname that is attractive but distinctive; Tierney is another, related, option. Tiernan was a popular name in early…
Sanskrit; Hawaiian; French
"earth goddess; strong; bitter"
Mahi is another name for the Hindu earth goddess Bhumi. It also means strong in Hawaiian and might be a medieval French variation of Mary. But most modern Americans would hear it as the name of the…
Dutch
"Saxon"
From the first time we saw the name Saskia attached to a portrait of Rembrandt's wife (her full name was Saakje van Uylenburgh, but she was always called Saskia), we have found it utterly charming…
Greek
"man of Cyprus"
With a long and noble history -- Cyprian was one of the great Christian Latin writers -- this could make a highly unusual but meaningful choice. Cyprian has been in use since medieval times,…
