Names from the Golden Age of Hollywood

  1. Brigitte
    • Origin:

      French variation of Brighid
    • Meaning:

      "strength or exalted one"
    • Description:

      Brigitte is the French version of the ancient Irish Brighid long associated with 1950s sex symbol Brigitte Bardot. If you want to pronounce Brigitte the French way, it's brih-ZHEET.
  2. Deanna
    • Origin:

      English variation of Diana, feminine form of Dean
    • Meaning:

      "divine; valley"
    • Description:

      Though still being used, Deanna peaked many decades ago.
  3. Shirley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "bright meadow"
    • Description:

      Shirley Temple almost single-handedly lifted the gloom of the Great Depression, and in tribute (and perhaps wishing for a similarly curly-headed, dimpled darling of their own), thousands of parents of that generation gave their little girls her name. In 1935, Shirley was the second most popular girls' name in the country with more than 42,000 babies named Shirley.
  4. Jeanette
    • Origin:

      French, diminutive of Jeanne
    • Description:

      Relic of a past period of French favorites, out to pasture with Claudette and Paulette.
  5. Katharine
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Katherine, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      This is the spelling that old-time film star Katharine Hepburn used, and it's still favored by fans wanting to reference her classic strength and beauty. But in general, it's losing ground to Katherine and even Ms. Hepburn's own favorite short form, Kate.
  6. Hedy
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Hedwig
    • Description:

      Linked to one of the great screen beauties, but has never appealed much to Americans.