Oregon Trail era names but for girls

Susan

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…

Susana

Susana is a feminine name with Hebrew and Spanish origins, being a Latin variant of Susannah, derived from the Hebrew name Shoshana meaning "lily" or "rose." This elegant name appears in biblical…

Susannah

Hebrew

"lily"

Susannah is by far the most stylish form of the classic name now that Susan and Suzanne have retired. Susannah has biblical and musical pedigrees, is impervious to trends, and has an irresistible,…

Susie

Diminutive of Susan, Hebrew

"lily"

In the 1950s and 60s, Susie was the name every little girl wanted for her very own. Susie, which might be short for Susan or Susannah, might be off its fashion peak but it's still cute and perky.

Sybil

Greek

"seer, prophetess"

The image of the lovely Lady Sybil, tragic youngest daughter of the Crawley family on Downton Abbey is likely to go a long way towards reviving this almost forgotten name, off the list since 1966 and…

Sylvania

Sylvania is a feminine name derived from Latin elements 'silva' or 'sylva' meaning 'forest' or 'woods', combined with the suffix '-ia' denoting 'land of'. The name literally translates to 'woodland'…

Tabatha

Tabatha is a variant spelling of Tabitha, a feminine name with Aramaic origins meaning 'gazelle.' In the New Testament, Tabitha (called Dorcas in Greek) was a charitable woman restored to life by the…

Tamara

Hebrew

"date palm tree"

Adding a final a to Tamar lends it a more sensual Slavic tone, making it a more popular choice than the original.

Temple

English

"dweller near the temple"

The old word name Temple has gained some recent notice as a girls' name via admired autistic writer and inventor Dr. Temple Grandin (born Mary Temple), subject of an acclaimed biopic, in which she…

Thankful

English word name

"conscious of benefit received"

In the Plymouth Colony of the seventeenth century, Thankful was the third most popular of the abstract word names. It disappeared after 1700 and has virtually no chance of returning.

Theodosia

Greek

"gift of God"

This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter…

Theresa

English form of the Spanish Teresa

"to harvest"

The popular appeal of the strong, intelligent Saint Teresa of Avila, combined with the selfless compassion of the more recent Mother Teresa, have fused to give this second-tier classic a somewhat…

Thirza

Hebrew; diminutive of Theresa, English

"delightful; harvest"

This rarely used Old Testament name will inevitably set off a connection to thirst. Thirza was historically used as both an independent name and as a nickname for Theresa.

Thomasine

Thomasine is the feminine form of Thomas, a name of Aramaic origin meaning "twin." This elegant variation emerged during medieval times when feminizing male names by adding suffixes like "-ine" or…