Old-Fashioned, Vintage, Retro, Classic, Eclectic, Unusual and Uncommon Names for Girls

Etheline

Variation of Ethel, English

"noble maiden"

Ethel is one of those vintage names that will always will be out...or will it? A generation ago we might have said the same for now-fashionable names like Florence and Ida. Even if Ethel rises,…

Philomela

Greek

"lover of songs"

Philomela, the name of a mythological Athenian princess who was transformed into a nightingale, is rarely heard outside the Greek community. The mellifluous Philomela might make a more distinctive…

Amadea

Latin

"lover of God"

Amadea is a strong and musical feminine form of Amadeus, as in Mozart. In more conservative times, Amadea might have seemed too strange for use on a contemporary baby, but by today's sensibility, it…

Ouida

English diminutive

This Victorian pen name is the childish version of the novelist's real name, Louisa, but it has managed to gain a sophisticated image. Ouisa is a similar childhood nickname name.

Clarabelle

Latin

"bright and beautiful"

A combination name that might be dismissed as a clown and cow name. The sounds are nevertheless pretty and the meaning is good - though spellings Claribel or Clarabel might help distance it from the…

Amandine

French, diminutive of Amanda

"much-loved"

This fragrant, almond-scented name has hardly been heard in this country, which is a pity--we've loved it since John Malkovich used it for his now grown daughter. A French diminutive of Amanda, it…

Dorian

Greek

"from Doris"

A male name occasionally borrowed by the girls, as in Dorian Cramer, a long-running female character on the soap One Life to Live and famous midcentury model Dorian Leigh.

Jocelin

Jocelin is a feminine name with medieval French origins, derived from the Germanic name elements 'gaut' meaning 'Goth' and 'lin' meaning 'little.' This elegant name was brought to England by the…

Jerry

Short feminine form of Gerald or Jerome, German or Greek

"ruler with the spear or sacred name"

The J spelling of this nickname name has always skewed more masculine, perhaps because it relates directly to Jerome but not to Geraldine. But supermodel Jerry Hall, whose full name is Jerry and who…

Terry

English, diminutive of Theresa

"to harvest"

Terry hit the Top 30 in the fifties when it was seeen as a cool, sleek gender neutral name , but it's long since lost that edge. Today's Terry would probably be Tess or Tessa.

Terri

English, diminutive of Theresa

See TERRY.

Pelagia

Greek

"the sea"

The name of several early saints, including one, Pelagia the Penitent, a beautiful and licentious dancing girl who repented, then, disguised as a man, spent the rest of her life living alone in a…