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Jane Austen's Era
Across 7 pages
of 7
Hetty
English diminutive of Henrietta, English, or Mehetabel, Hebrew
"estate ruler; God makes happy"
A classic short form of Henrietta, also seen as a nickname for Mehetabel.
Humphrey
German
"peaceful warrior"
Humphrey is an old name that might have faded completely were it not for that Bogie flair. A royal name in Britain, where it's used somewhat more frequently, Humphrey might just have some life beyond…
Jemima
Hebrew
"dove; daytime"
Jemima, the name of a strong and beautiful Biblical daughter of Job, has long been among the chicest choices of aristocratic Brits, and has since shifted to be used more generally too, replacing…
Jezalinda
Kitty
English, diminutive of Katherine
"pure"
This endearing nickname name is one Katherine pet form that predates all the Kathys and Katies, having been fairly common in the eighteenth century. With the current mini-craze for animal-related…
Lavinia
Latin, from ancient place name Lavinium
Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the…
Letitia
Latin
"joy, gladness"
Letitia is a delicate, once prim and proper sounding name whose staid image has been unbuttoned by numerous phonetic spellings. The original, often used in Spanish-speaking families, would still make…
Marianne
French combination of Marie and Anne
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"
A midcentury Catholic classic that's not chosen by many parents today. Leonard Cohen fans might think of the beautiful song So Long, Marianne , named for his lover and muse Marianne Ihlen. The…
Maryann
English, combination of Mary and Ann
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"
Combination of Mary and Ann which has been more popular than Marianne in recent years, although still below the Top 1000, after a peak in the 1940s. Mary is the English form of Maria, which…
Ned
English, diminutive of Edward
"wealthy guardian"
Ned is a gently old-fashioned Nancy Drew-Bobbsey Twins-era short form for Edward that sounds cooler than Ed and is enjoying a small style renaissance. Usage of Ned in literature goes back to a Ben…
Patty
Diminutive of Patricia
"patrician"
Replaced Patsy as the midcentury's popular, peppy babysitter.
Phillipa
Phillipa is the feminine form of Philip, derived from Greek roots meaning "lover of horses." This elegant name has historical usage throughout Europe, with particular popularity in Britain and…
Pistoletta
Polly
English variation of Molly, diminutive of Mary, Hebrew
"bitter"
An alternative to the no-longer-fresh Molly, the initial 'P' gives Polly a peppier sound, combining the cozy virtues of an old-timey name with the bounce of a barmaid. Associated with Tom Sawyer's…
Ralph
English from German
"wolf-counsel"
Ralph has two diametrically different images: there's the suave Ralph Fiennes-type Brit (often pronounced Rafe), and then there's the Jackie Gleason blue-collar, bowling blowhard Ralph Kramden bus…
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…
Selina
Variation of Selena or Celine, Latin
"moon; heaven"
The Selina spelling swims below the Top 1000, which it fell off more than 15 years ago. Still, more than 160 baby girls were named Selina in 2023, compared with over 1300 named Selena and more than…
Sidney
English from French
"Saint Denis"
A contraction name, Sidney comes from Saint Denis and is related to Dioynsius, the Greek god of fertility and wine, although another theory is that it derived from an Anglo-Saxon place name, meaning…
Sophy
Sophy is a charming feminine name with deep historical roots, functioning as a diminutive of Sophia, which means "wisdom" in Greek. This shorter variant has appeared throughout European history,…
Sukey
Diminutive of Susan, Hebrew
"lily"
Eighteenth-century nickname that still appears occasionally as an alternative to Suzy. Suki Waterhouse is a lovely English actress.