User-created list
By ness17 · Updated April 2023
Across 4 pages
of 4
Scottish
"wood"
Strong but gentle, Keith is one of the Scottish surnames that, along with Douglas, Craig and Bruce, were considered the epitome of cool in the 1960s and early 1970s, when it was a Top 40 choice.…
Diminutive of James
"supplanter"
Every other little kid's name in 1957 but few Jameses are called Jimmy today; they're more often James or Jamie.
Irish
"cloud"
Always the top spelling of the name; Neil peaked in the 1950s, but then enjoyed a second coming following the fame of such Neils as astronaut Armstrong and singers Sedaka, Diamond, and Young. Now…
Spanish
"to harvest"
How do you spell Teresa? Teresa, the simpler phonetic form of this name, was the most popular variation for its early life, when it was used exclusively in Spain and Portugal. Other spellings of…
English
"the heathland dweller"
Rugged and outdoorsy, Heath was an obscure choice until the 1960s when it was used in the television series, The Big Valley for character Heath Barkley. It peaked in the 70s when it reached the US…
French
"courteous, polite"
Curtis is an attractive if somewhat dated surname name that has been borne by several significant musicians and athletes--think Curtis Mayfield, Curtis James Jackson III--aka 50 Cent, and also…
"pilgrim; one who holds a palm"
Palmer is a name that derives from the fact that pilgrims often carried palms, thus the double meaning. It's a fresher sounding twist other surname style names, such as Spencer, Carter, Porter and…
German, Scandinavian, Polish, and Russian variation of Stephen, Greek
"crown, garland"
An elegant, continental name for the post-Steve era. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1949, fell off in 2008 for one year, then dropped off again in 2024 and seems to be heading downward along with…
"brave in battle"
One of the original unisex Irish surname names, energetic Casey bounced onto the scene in the 1960s, then peaked in the 1980s for both boys and girls. Today Casey is having a resurgence for both…
"spearman"
When Gary cracked the Top 10 in 1950, it was one of the first nonclassic boys’ names to do so, largely due to Gary (born Frank) Cooper, who was renamed after Gary, Indiana, his agent's hometown. Now,…
Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil
"victory"
Pronounced like Jay, this short name is popular in South Asia and makes for a great English-South Asian crossover choice, used regularly in the UK and Australia. It can also be an alternate spelling…
The patron saint of comedians and dancers (also known as St Vitus) has a name that is both the ultimate everyman, and has a hint of British aristocracy. In the States, Guy was most popular in the…
"Gilbert's son"
An undiscovered patronymic surname, Gibson blends the cool, rugged feel of names like Bridger, Riggs, and Hudson with the clunky charm of names like Gilbert, Wilbur, and Digby. Associated with the…
Italian
"lady"
Literally meaning "lady" in Italian, Donna was the perfect ladylike housewife mom name on The Donna Reed Show in the fifties and sixties. And there were plenty of namesakes: Donna was in the Top 10…
Diminutive of Alfred, English
"wise counselor"
Alfie is a Top 20 name throughout the British Isles, where retro nickname names are mega-popular, but it hasn't really been picked up in the US yet, given to around 70 boys in a recent year.…
"town near the burnt land"
Name hovering near the bottom of the Top 1000 that may move higher with the fashion for two-syllable surnames. You could do worse...but you probably could also do better.
Diminutive of Robert, English from German
"bright fame"
This short form of Robert was borne by famous figures from Robbie Williams to Robbie Coltrane to Robbie Robertson. At one point, Robbie was the cool new Bobby, but now Robbie is cool only for girls.
"man from Adria"
Adriano is a dashing Italian name which gets around the possible gender confusion of Adrian.
Greek
"fourth letter; island formed at the mouth of a river"
Delta is an unusual vintage option, blending the sounds of Della and Etta. The fourth letter of the Greek alphabet and a geographical term, used to describe an island formed at the mouth of a river,…
Diminutive of Christina et al
Tina, despite its petite and tinkly image, is apt these days to be replaced by the more elegant originals, Christina and Martina.It does have some strong namesakes, though, in Tina Turner (born Anna…
