User-created list
Rare Names from my Family Tree
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Lavern
Lavern is a unisex name that was more commonly used in the mid-20th century, though it has traditionally been more popular for women. Derived from French elements, it likely combines "la" (the) and…
Lucinda
English, Spanish, and Portuguese variation of Lucia
"light"
Lucinda, an elaboration of Lucia created by Cervantes for his 1605 novel Don Quixote , is a pleasingly pretty alternative to Lucy. It was subsequently used by Moliere in his play The Doctor in Spite…
Laurabelle
Lecta
Magdalene
Spelling variation of Magdalen
"woman from Magdala or high tower"
This name made famous in the New Testament has gone from crusty grandma to sleek and chic in recent years, or is it months? The name's image is perhaps helped by the fact that Mary Magdalene was one…
Margaretha
Margaretha is a feminine name of Greek origin, being a variation of Margaret, which derives from 'margarites' meaning 'pearl.' This elegant form of the name has been particularly popular in Germanic…
Melba
Modern invented name
Australian opera singer Nellie Melba—self-named for her hometown of Melbourne—inspired this now-dated name more associated today with a peach dessert and dietetic toast.
Margrethae
Mehitable
Nena
Nena is a charming feminine name with Spanish and Italian origins. It traditionally serves as a term of endearment meaning 'little girl' or 'baby' in Spanish. The name gained international…
Orlena
Orlena is a delicate feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variation of Orlene, which derives from French roots meaning "golden" or can be considered a feminine form of Orlando.…
Permelia
Permelia is a feminine name with historical roots dating back to the 19th century in America. It's a variant of Pamela or Permilia, derived from Greek elements meaning 'all honey' or 'sweetness.' The…
Reva
Hindi river name; Hebrew
"rain"
Refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.
Rosana
Portuguese form of Roxana
"bright, dawn"
This elegant, minimally-spelled name could be a variant of Rosanna/Roseanna. But it's also the Portuguese version of Roxana, with all the meaning and history of the name, but none of the "Roxanne"…
Rua
Silence
Word name
The Puritans used it as a virtue name -- but today it would just be considered weird: silence is no longer golden.
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…
Temperance
Virtue name
Not too long ago, Temperance was found only on lists of Puritan baby names . With increased increase in virtue names, and Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan on long-running television series Bones , this…
Thelma
English, Literary, meaning unknown
Though modern parents seeking to honor an ancestor named Thelma might opt for the airier Thea instead, Thelma is starting to make its way back onto adventurous vintage name lovers' radars. It is…
Thyris