User-created list
By clarissaks · Updated May 2023
Across 31 pages
of 31
Hebrew, Japanese
"singing, song; poetry, excellent, white"
A popular Israeli choice that could work across different languages, Shira comes from the Hebrew shir meaning "song." Some parents may be reminded of the animated heroine She-Ra, Princess of Power ,…
Irish variation of Catherine
"pure"
An Irish and Welsh form of Catherine, Caitlin was a boom name of the eighties, rocketing from obscurity (Americans first heard it via the wife of doomed poet Dylan Thomas) to the height of popularity…
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…
Anglicized form of Aonghus, Aonghas, Gaelic
"one strength"
Angus is a traditional yet stylish choice in the UK, especially in Scotland. And it's a cool choice for US parents too, particularly those whose roots go back to Glasgow. The ancient Celtic form…
Variation of Leila, Arabic
"night"
There are a dizzying number of varieties of the Arabic name Leila or Layla, two of the most popular versions, with Lela one of the rarer, given to fewer than 100 baby girls in the US each year.…
English
"lives near a high cliff"
Clive started life as a surname for someone who lived near a cliff, making it a secret outdoorsy name. Its use as a first name began in honor of Robert Clive (aka Clive of India), an…
Short form of David, Hebrew
"beloved"
Dave is the ultimate good guy name, but where father name David is still holding onto a spot in the Top 20, Dave -- widely used as an independent name in the middle of the last century -- dropped off…
Hebrew
"God exists"
The boyish spelling, which is still pronounced with two syllables and a long e at the end, is sometimes used for girls, though the Jessie form -- whether short for Jessica or standing on its own --…
Variation of Jane
"God is gracious"
For a minute or two this sounded more modern than Janet, now equally outmoded.
Diminutive of Linda, English, Welsh
"pretty, soft, tender; lake"
Lynn arrived in the 1940s, spinning off from the wildly popular Linda to become a top mid-century middle (and first) name, ranking at #58 during its 1956 peak. Now, however, Lynn is out of the…
Irish, English, Norse
"free from envy; from the deer estate"
Once a common boy name in Ireland, the dynamic Darby now has a definite unisex feel. A bit like a mash up between Darcy and Ruby, it appeared in the US Top 1000 in the 90s, peaking in 1995 when it…
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…
French variation of Joanna, Hebrew
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,…
Stevie is a masculine name that originated as a diminutive of Stephen or Steven, meaning "crown" or "garland" from Greek origins. While traditionally a nickname, Stevie gained popularity as a…
Irish variation of Cecilia
"blind"
Sheila peaked in popularity from the 1930s to the 1960s (she reached Number 49 in 1965), along with Maureen and Colleen; parents today would probably go back to the original Cecilia or forward to…
Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Polish, Slovene, German, and Catalan variation of John, Hebrew
A standard form of John in Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Polish, Slovene, German, and Catalan. Properly pronounced yahn (in most of these languages), most Americans will still equate it…
German and Dutch
"white or blond"
This presidential name is in style limbo today - or, some might say, in the the sweet spot of familiar but little-used.
Diminutive of Jane
Janet started as a pet form of Jane but has long been used independently. Jane is a feminine form of John, which derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan. Janet can also be considered a variation of…
Feminine variation of Robert, English from German
"bright fame"
Roberta has been one of the most successful feminization names, up at #64 in 1936. It's a name that's found all over children's lit, often nicknamed Bobbie or Robbie, though Bertie is another…
Irish
"girl"
Midcentury Irish-American favorite, never used in Ireland itself, being the generic word for "girl"; rarely given today.
