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Old-Fashioned, Vintage, Retro, Classic, Eclectic, Unusual and Uncommon Names for Girls
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Annalee
Combination of Anna and Lee
"grace; pasture"
A compound name with an old-fashioned ring. It only first appeared on the US Top 1000 in 2012. Annalie is a somewhat different name that is nevertheless pronounced the same.
Annalie
Nordic, German
"grace"
Melodious and unusual form of a name with an uncountable number of variations. Many will understand it as the more down-to-earth Annalee.
Victorine
French variation of Victoria, Latin
"victory"
Victorine is appealing if you know it's an authentic vintage French girls' name, less so if you assume it's an awkward feminization, ala Davette or Richardine.
Vivien
Latin
"life"
Vivien (Scarlett O'Hara) Leigh was born Vivian. Some sources give Vivien as a relative of the Irish goddess name Bebinn and a literary name invented by Tennyson. Others say it's related to the…
Geneva
Swiss place-name or French
"juniper tree"
Unlike its somewhat formal Swiss city namesake, this is a lively and appealing place-name that also has a real history as a female name. Geneva was a relatively popular American name at one time: it…
Almeria
Spanish
"mirror of the sea"
Evocative Spanish city name that would make a one-of-a-kind given name.
Swanhild
Saxon
"battle swan"
An ancient name belonging to "the most beautiful of all women" in Germanic mythology, whose tragic story features in many northern European legends. The daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun, her jealous…
Swanhilde
Germanic
"swan battle"
Form of Swanhild
Brunhilde
German from Norse
"armed for battle"
Form of Brunhild
Brunhild
Norse
"armed for battle"
One of the Valkyries, still clad in heavy armor.
Celestia
Variation of Celeste, Latin
"heavenly"
Celestia is a heavenly name that sounds more ethereal than Celeste, Celestia might make a distinctive, feminine choice if your taste runs toward names like Angelina and Seraphina. Celestia was more…
Karen
Danish variation of Katherine, Japanese
"pure; lotus flower"
Karen, a once sweet Danish import, was so popular during the baby boom (Karen was Number 3 in 1960) that it's become a mem in recent years, representing a hostile white woman—one who usually wants to…
Sally
Diminutive of Sarah
"princess"
Sally is a cheerful, fresh-faced girl-next-door name that was originally a nickname for Sarah, but has long been used independently. Sally was popular in the eighteenth century and then again from…
Arabel
English variation of Arabella, Latin; Scottish
"yielding to prayer; lovable"
There were only SIX baby girls named Arabel in the US last year, astonishing when you consider the popularity of Arabella, used for over 1300 baby girls, and Arabelle, given to over 100. As isabel is…
Roslyn
Spelling variation of Rosalind
Spelling variations abound when a name is trendy, which Rosalind is not these days. We say leave Roslyn back in the middle of the 20th century and reclaim the original Rosalind.
Gunda
Gunda is a feminine name with Germanic and Scandinavian roots. It derives from the Old Norse element 'gundr' meaning 'battle' or 'war,' highlighting the warrior traditions in Norse culture. In some…
Irmgard
Irmgard is a traditional Germanic female name with deep historical roots. It combines the elements 'irmin' meaning 'universal' or 'whole' and 'gard' meaning 'enclosure' or 'protection'. Popular…
Primula
Latin
"first rose"
Primula is related to Primrose, the name and the flower, and would make a quirky yet charming (or is it charming yet quirky?) botanical name for a first daughter.
Euphemia
Greek
"fair speech"
Ancient martyr's name that, though not especially appealing, might still be mildly possible, especially for Anglophiles. It was widely used in early Scotland, but was overtaken by its nickname, Effie.
Rowena
Welsh
"white spear; famous friend; fame and joy"
A fabled storybook name via the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), which featured a heroine called Rowena of Hargottstanstede, and also a Harry Potter name, as Rowena Ravenclaw,…