Ugliest Names

Josephine

French feminine variation of Joseph, Hebrew

"Jehovah increases"

Josephine, with its large measure of class and character and a gently offbeat quality, has been on a gentle uphill climb in the US for over 30 years, now ranking in the Top 100. With an intriguing…

Esther

Persian

"star"

Esther was derived from the Old Persian word stāra , meaning "star." In the Old Testament, Esther, originally named Hadassah, was the captured Jewish wife of the King of Persia who risked her life to…

Fatima

Arabic

"a woman who abstains"

Captivating and gorgeous, powerful but with gentle sounds, Fatima is a popular name of Arabic origin. In the Quran, she is one of the Prophet Muhammad's daughters, and the wife of Ali, the forth…

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…

Rhiannon

Welsh

"divine queen"

Strong and outdoorsy, yet pretty and queenly, Rhiannon was a once obscure Welsh name, brought into the mainstream in 1976, following Fleetwood Mac's flash hit song of the same title. It stormed into…

Sharon

Hebrew

"a plain"

This Old Testament place name was in the Top 10 fifty years ago, but now Sharon, along with sound-alike Karen, have fallen out of favor.

Courtney

English from French

"short nose; courteous, from the court"

Among the Top 20 names of the 1990s, today's Courtney is more apt to be the babysitter than the baby. Courtney has dropped since its peak at Number 17 in 1995. Familiar from Courtney Love and…

Suzanne

French variation of Susan

"lily"

Suzanne became popular along with Susan but has just dropped out of the Top 1,000. Wait a generation (or two) in the US, though in France Suzanne is once again tres chic.

Diane

French variation of Diana, Latin

"divine"

Like Joanne and Christine, middle-aged Diane has been overshadowed by the a-ending version of her name. Diane has a definite mid-century feel; it was a Top 20 name from 1946 to 1959. Though it has…

Joanne

French variation of Joanna, Hebrew

"God is gracious"

A Top 100 name from the 1930s all the way through the 1950s, it's now firmly in Mom -- or Grandma -- land and supplanted for babies by Joanna.....or even great-grandmother Josephine. In its heyday,…

Colleen

Irish

"girl"

Midcentury Irish-American favorite, never used in Ireland itself, being the generic word for "girl"; rarely given today.

Dorcas

Greek

"doe, gazelle"

Classic name used by the Romans, the Puritans, and the Bard, but pretty much taboo today due to the objectionable connotations of both its front and back ends.

Brianne

Brianne is a feminine name of Celtic and French origins, essentially a feminine form of Brian, meaning 'strong, virtuous, honorable.' It gained popularity in the United States during the 1970s and…

Rhonda

Welsh

"noisy one"

"Help Me, Rhonda. sang the Beach Boys -- help me convince my parents not to give me this sixties name.

Gertrude

German

"strength of a spear"

Could cute nickname Gertie, remembered as cute five-year-old Drew Barrymore in E.T. , revive the long shunned Gertrude? It's tempting to dismiss Gertrude as a name on its way through the door marked…

Sue

Diminutive of Susan

Much-used midcentury diminutive, now fallen far from favor even as a middle name.

Bronwen

Welsh

"white breast"

Bronwen is widespread in Wales, but still rare enough here to sound somewhat international — we think Bronwen is a real winner. (Note: the Bronwyn spelling is an Anglicization, since the -wyn ending…

Cathleen

Variation of Kathleen, English and Irish

"pure"

Variant of Kathleen

Beryl

Greek

"sea-green jewel"

Dated British favorite that never caught on in this country, where Jade remains the green gem of choice. Interesting namesakes: British writer Beryl Bainbridge and British aviatrix Beryl Markham.

Edwina

Feminine variation of Edwin, English

"wealthy friend"

Edwina may still be taking tea in the parlor, but we can see her joining friends like Matilda and Josephine for a comeback, especially if pronounced like Edwin rather than Edween. She had a very…