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Victorian Names
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Nathaniel
Hebrew
"gift of God"
Nathaniel was derived from the Hebrew name Netan’el, meaning "gift of God," composed of the elements natan , meaning "to give," and ’el , in reference to God. The name is featured several times in…
Felix
Latin
"happy, fortunate"
Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks…
Vera
Russian
"faith"
Vera was the height of fashion in 1910, then was for a long time difficult to picture embroidered on a baby blanket. Now, though, it has come back into style along with other old-fashioned simple…
Victor
Latin
"conqueror"
Victor is one of the earliest Christian names, borne (as Vittorio) by several saints and popes, symbolizing Christ's victory over death. It has been quietly in the Top 200 since 1880, but just…
Oscar
English or Irish
"God spear, or deer-lover or champion warrior"
Oscar is one of the most stylish Old Man Names of our era. While it's softened slightly in popularity over the past 20 years, that may be considered a very good thing. In the nineties and the…
Edward
English
"wealthy guardian"
Unlike perennials William, John and James, Edward is a classic that moves in and out of fashion. This royal Anglo-Saxon standard has benefited in recent years from the popularity of the hot hero of…
Lucille
French variation of Latin Lucilla
"light"
Lucille is a name that had long been overpowered by its link to Lucille Ball, with an image of tangerine-colored hair, big, round eyes, and a tendency to stage daffy and desperate stunts. But with…
Ellis
English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or Welsh
"my God is Yahweh; benevolent"
Ellis is a former Old Man Name turned gender-neutral choice for the 21st century. It's one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family, unless you're in the UK, where it's a Top 100…
Louis
French, German
"renowned warrior"
Kate and William shocked the world when they announced that they'd named their third child Louis, or Prince Louis Arthur Charles, to be more precise. But we've been predicting a comeback for this…
Norah
English, Arabic
"woman of honor, light"
The skyrocketing success of singer Norah Jones brought this spelling of the name onto the pop charts in 2003. As well as being a spelling variant of Nora in English, it's also an alternative…
Malcolm
Scottish
"devotee of St. Colomba"
Malcolm is a warm and welcoming Scottish appellation (originally Mael-Colium) that fits into that golden circle of names that are distinctive but not at all odd. A royal name in Scotland, Malcolm is…
Kenneth
Scottish and Irish
"born of fire, handsome"
Kenneth may have lost much of its luster now, but Kenneth has had its moments of glory. The first king of Scotland was Kenneth, and Sir Kenneth, a Christian crusader, was the hero of the Sir Walter…
Octavia
Latin
"eighth"
Octavia began as the Latin, then Victorian name for an eighth child. While there aren't many eighth children anymore, this ancient Roman name has real possibilities as a substitute for the overused…
Titus
Latin, meaning unknown, possibly "title of honour"
"title of honour"
Titus, once seen as a slightly forbidding Roman, New Testament, and Shakespearean name, was brought back to contemporary life in the USA by the TV series Titus 2000 , increasing in popularity along…
Helena
Latinate form of Helen, Greek
"torch; shining light"
Helena is one of those classic names that just misses making the US Top 1000 girl names for its entire history, falling off for a single year in 1992. Since then it's been drifting lazily up the…
Edwin
English
"wealthy friend"
Some might be surprised to learn that Edwin has been a consistent presence on the popular names list since statistics have become available. The most famous Edwin in history was a seventh century…
Dorothy
English variation of Greek Dorothea
"gift of God"
In the 1930s, Dorothy left Kansas and landed in the Land of Oz; by the '80s she had become a Golden Girl, living in Miami with roommates Blanche and Rose, giving her a decidedly older image. But…
Willa
Feminine variation of William
"resolute protection"
Willa has become increasingly fashionable, with its combination of Willa (born Wilella) Cather-like pioneer strength and the graceful beauty of the willow tree. Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are the…
Frederick
German
"peaceful ruler"
Frederick, and friendlier nickname Fred, seemed almost to have disappeared, leaving just the memory of Freds past such as Astaire, Mr. Rogers and Flintstone. But today's parents are beginning to…
Lucian
Latin
"light"
Lucian is a sleeker, more sophisticated version of Lucius that is climbing in tandem with other Lu-starting names. Historically, the name was made famous by the ancient Greek satirist Lucian of…