User-created list
By GenevieveReine · Updated May 2023
Across 3 pages
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German
"wise protector"
Now that the show has gone into reruns, does anybody still love Raymond? Though it's been long dormant, some parents, including Jack Nicholson, are finding its cool name component, largely through…
Latin
"angel"
Angela was a Top 10 name from 1965 to 1979, the fifth most popular name for three years, and staying in the double digits until the turn of the 21st century. Today, though, Angelina or Angelica would…
English word name
"joy"
Joy is from an older generation of word names, which also included Merry, Bliss, and Glory -- all of which exert a certain amount of personality pressure on a child. However, Joy, like Grace, Hope,…
Greek
"torch, shining light"
Helen is a name that has connoted beauty since ancient times – Helen of Troy was the the mythological "face that launched a thousand ships," over whom the ten-year Trojan War was fought. These days,…
French
"Christmas"
Noel is British, fey, and sophisticated, connoting wit and creativity, much like namesake Noel Coward. Noel has also been a character on Felicity and Pretty Little Liars . Thanks to their association…
"to open"
A favorite back in the 70s and 80s when it ranked in the US Top 30, April has since been overtaken by the likes of June, May, August, and Winter. Nevertheless, it still holds appeal as a…
"from the sea"
This pretty sea-born name was used to dramatic effect by Shakespeare in his play Pericles for the virtuous princess who says she is "Call'd Marina, for I was born at sea." Marina was an epithet of…
"advisor"
This saintly name--she was the mother of St. Augustine--plummeted after the double whammy of Lewinsky and the demise of Friends.
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.…
"black water"
Douglas, and more particularly its nickname, Doug, had a real romantic swagger in the 1950s and 1960s dating back to swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks, but today is more likely to conjure up your mom's…
Hebrew
"bee"
Deborah has suffered from the fact that in the mid-twentieth century there were so many Debbies on the block that the beauty and meaning of the original name got lost. Deborah may no longer be among…
"from the province of Lorraine"
Sweet Lorraine might just be old enough to be ripe for reconsideration. This French place name has moved in and out of fashion in the few hundred years it's been used as a girls' first name, somewhat…
English diminutive of Susannah, Hebrew
"lily"
Although Susan had her heyday from the thirties to the sixties, and is now common among moms and new grandmas, and though most modern parents would prefer Susanna/Susannah, we have spotted some…
Diminutive of Robert
"bright fame"
Bobby is the quintessential mid-century nickname, the name of the son on Mad Men and overused to the point of cliche. Though Robert is still a highly popular choice, most Roberts today are called by…
Anglicized form of Irish Caitlin
"pure"
Kathleen is the early Irish import version that came between Katherine and Kaitlin, and which hasn't been used in so long it's almost beginning to sound fresh again. It was a surprise pick by one of…
Phonetic spelling of Gillian
"youthful"
This spelling of Jillian is now much more popular than the original, maybe because the G version invites pronunciation problems.
"a rock like substance formed by sea creatures; pinkish-red; gemstone"
A color name, a gemstone name, and an ocean-inspired choice, Coral has a lot going for it with its sharp C sounds yet sweet vintage feel. Unlike Scarlett or Violet, however, it is only quietly used…
Diminutive of Frederick or Alfred, German or English
"peaceful ruler or wise counselor"
Where have all the Freds gone? We haven't seen many since the days of Flintstone and Munster. But it could be time for a comeback--if you think more of the sophistication of Fred Astaire, and of…
English
"supplanter"
Jackie Kennedy gave this name a lot of style, but it doesn't seem destined for a comeback the way brother name Jack has. Jackie and Jacqueline both peaked in 1961.
"dawn, sunrise"
Associated with the first light of the day, and more figuratively with new beginnings and fresh starts, Dawn's heyday came in the 1960s and 70s in the US, Canada and the UK. It had been in the charts…
