Names due for a comeback

  1. Maxine
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "greatest"
    • Description:

      With the success of all names Max, from Max itself to Maxwell to Maxfield to Maximilian, it's just possible that Maxine could be lured away from her mah-jongg game at the clubhouse and into the nursery. She's already been chosen by hip musician Nick Hexum for his daughter, sister to Echo.
  2. Bernadette
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "brave as a bear"
    • Description:

      Although feminizations ending in "ette" are not particularly popular now, Bernadette is a pleasant, feminine, but strong name that doesn't feel prohibitively dated. And though strongly associated with the saint who saw visions of the Virgin Mary—Saint Bernadette of Lourdes—it is now no longer strictly inhabiting the Catholic diocese.
  3. Regina
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "queen"
    • Description:

      A classic name with regal elegance--Queen Victoria, like other queens, had Regina appended to her name. She was a Top 100 name in the 1960s.
  4. Luella
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Louella
    • Meaning:

      "battle famous fairy maiden"
    • Description:

      Luella is a sleeker spelling variant of the girls' name Louella and is now more popular than the original. Sweet, but lively, it was a popular name in the the early 19th century, but fell out of favor in the 50s. Now, after a 60 year absence, it's back in the charts, in the US and the UK.
  5. Meredith
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "great ruler"
    • Description:

      Meredith is a soft, gentle-sounding name with subtle Welsh roots. Although originally a boys’ name , Meredith is used mainly for girls now.
  6. Martha
    • Origin:

      Aramaic
    • Meaning:

      "lady"
    • Description:

      The name of our first First Lady still has something of a prim and proper image, academic and efficient. That quiet, traditional, and tasteful gestalt is exactly what makes Martha appealing to some parents today.
  7. Goldie
    • Origin:

      Anglicized form of Yiddish Golde or Golda
    • Meaning:

      "gold"
    • Description:

      Goldie is a shimmering new addition to the nickname name lineup, and became one of the fastest rising girl names in 2023. After peaking at Number 114 in 1904-1905, Goldie slid off the list completely in 1958. She re-entered the US Top 1000 again in 2021.
  8. Lois
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "most desirable"
    • Description:

      The eternal fiancee of Superman turned sweet gray-haired lady who's always available to babysit her grandkids turned....hot new baby name?
  9. Henrietta
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Henry, German
    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"
    • Description:

      Despite a return to such feminizations of male names as Josephine, Clementine, and Theodora, starchy Henrietta has not made it into that group. Still, if you look hard enough, you'll see that Henrietta has the same vintage charm.
  10. Marjorie
    • Origin:

      Scottish variation of Margery, diminutive of Margaret
    • Meaning:

      "pearl"
    • Description:

      Scottish Marjorie and her English twin Margery were early twentieth century favorites that date back to medieval times, when it was popular among the royals. They were at their height in the 1920s, when they were seen as more lively versions of the old standard. Marjorie was always the preferred spelling, in the Top 25 from 1920 to 1927.
  11. Prudence
    • Origin:

      Virtue name
    • Meaning:

      "caution"
    • Description:

      Prudence, like Hope and Faith, is a Puritan virtue name with a quiet charm and sensitivity that is slowly returning to favor, though it hasn't yet registered on the charts.
  12. Sigrid
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "fair victory"
    • Description:

      Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.
  13. Gloria
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "glory"
    • Description:

      Gloria is beginning to move beyond its de-glamorized Grandma image, most recently thanks to glamorous young Hollywood parents Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, who chose it for their second daughter. Gyllenhaal was quoted as saying they had been inspired by Patti Smith's rendition of the Van Morrison song "Gloria" at a concert and thought " 'We'll name our daughter that one day'."
  14. Belinda
    • Origin:

      Spanish or German
    • Meaning:

      "pretty one, or, serpent"
    • Description:

      Belinda, cousin of Linda and Melinda, enjoyed a brief return to the Top 1000 from 2005 through 2013, only to fall off again in 2014. A name that some may consider a modern spin on the midcentury popularity queen Linda is in fact a classic with deep and fascinating roots. In Babylonian mythology Belinda was the goddess of heaven and earth, and the name later was used for the heroine of Alexander Pope's satirical poem The Rape of the Lock.
  15. Millicent
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "strong in work"
    • Description:

      Combining the mild and the innocent, this sweet and feminine name is worthy of a comeback, in the mode of Madeline and Cecilia. Its original, also attractive form is Melisende, which came from Germany to France and was borne by a daughter of Charlemagne.
  16. 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.
  17. Beverly
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the beaver stream"
    • Description:

      The remarkable success of the girls' name Everly makes a revival of the name Beverly seem possible. More commonly a masculine name in the 19th century, it began to be used for girls in the early 1900s, reaching #14 ion the popular names list in 1937. Inspirations: Beverly Johnson was the first African-American model to appear on the cover of Vogue, Beverly Sills was a major American soprano, Beverly Cleary authored the beloved 'Ramona' books, and Beverly Goldberg is the beloved TV matriarch of 'The Goldbergs'.
  18. Loretta
    • Origin:

      English variation of Italian Lauretta; diminutive of Laura
    • Meaning:

      "bay laurel"
    • Description:

      Though Loretta has long ago lost its Latin flair, fashionable Sarah Jessica Parker's choice of it as the middle name of one of her twin daughters freshens it up a bit. It's one of several such names, like Anita and Rita that we can envision making a comeback.
  19. Muriel
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "of the bright sea"
    • Description:

      Once a poetic Celtic name, that of the angel who governs the month of June, Muriel became the mom or grandma on TV sitcoms. A Top 200 name from 1912 to 1933, Muriel may be due for a comeback according to our Hundred Year Rule. Only 50 baby girls were given the name in the US last year, and none were given Muriel's French variation, Murielle.
  20. Phryne
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "toad"
    • Description:

      A name with a less conventional animal meaning, rescued by the reputation of the Greek courtesan Phryne (more beautiful than Aphrodite, one of the wealthiest women in classical Athens) and the charming character Phryne Fisher from Australian author Kerry Greenwood's detective series Phryne Fisher's Mysteries, set in the 1930s.

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