vintage girl names begging to be rediscovered

China

Place-name

Long before the current place-name craze, a pair of the more daring pop singers of the Age of Aquarius picked this name for their daughters. Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick used the conventional…

Chloris

Greek

"pale"

Antiseptic sounding.

Christella

Latinate variation of Christelle, French

"a Christian"

Either an alternative feminization to Christina, an elaboration of the French diminutive Christelle , or a compound name, blending the element Christ- with either Stella or Ella. In the case of the…

Cipriana

Greek

"from the Island of Cyprus"

Offbeat and romantic place-name.

Claretha

Claretha is a feminine name that appears to be a variant of Claritha or an elaboration of Clara. With Latin roots meaning 'bright' or 'clear,' the name carries connotations of clarity, light, and…

Claribel

English combination of Clara + -bel, Latin

"bright + beautiful"

Claribel improves on its mother name Clarabelle by distancing itself from the clown and the cow.

Clarinda

Literary elaboration of Clara

"bright, clear"

A poetic name first used in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" in 1596, it had a literary vogue in the 18th century, especially favored by Robert Burns. "inda" names--Melinda, Belinda, Linda" are…

Clelia

Italian, Latin

"famous"

The obscure yet not unappealing name of a legendary heroine of Rome, likely derived from the Roman family name, Cloelius. It is believed to come from the Latin word cluere , meaning "to have renowned…

Clella

Variation of Clelia, McClellan, Claudia, or Ella

"famous; descendent of Faolán; fairy maiden, all, completely; lame, enclosure"

A jazzy and catchy sounding name, Clella has a variety of possible origins. One possibility is that it comes from Cloelia or Clelia, an Ancient Roman name and its Italian variant, meaning "famous" or…

Clemence

French feminine variation of Clement

"mild, merciful"

Calm, composed, and chic. Often seen with an accent in France, as Clémence.

Clemma

Diminutive of Clementine, French

"mild, merciful"

Clemma is a one-hit wonder, appearing on the US popularity list only once, back in the 19th century. This is one case where the diminutive is not cuter than the proper name.

Cleone

Greek

"glorious"

An unusual Greek mythological name belonging to a fresh-water nymph, also known as Cleona, Kleone, and Kleona.

Cleora

Greek

"glory"

Cleora is a now-extinct name (there were no babies named Cleora recorded in the U.S. since 1982) that achieved some standing in the early 20th century thanks to the craze for all things…

Cleotilde

Variation of Clotilde, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese

"famous in battle"

A rare and warmer version of Clotilde, in combination with the Greek name Cleo. The first recorded use of Cleotilde was in 1894. It peaked in 1924 when 16 baby girls were named Cleotilde.

Clois

Clois is a feminine name that likely developed as a blend of popular names like Chloe and Lois, or as a variation of Cloris. With potential Greek roots if derived from Chloe (meaning 'young green…

Clytie

Greek mythology name

"glorious or renowned"

Clytie was a sea nymph who loved the sun god Helios, who spurned her. She turned into the heliotrope flower.

Colena

Colena is a feminine name with Scottish and Greek origins. It can be considered a feminine form of Colin (which derives from the Greek name Nicholas, meaning 'victory of the people') or a variation…

Columbia

Latin

"land of Columbus"

Columbia is a rarely used name with many associations. From the eighteenth century it has been used as a female personification of the United States, often appearing as a flag-draped patriotic…

Corabelle

Corabelle is a charming feminine name that combines elements of Cora and Belle, both names with their own rich meanings. Cora comes from Greek, meaning "maiden" or possibly from the Latin "cor"…

Coral

English word name

"a rock like substance formed by sea creatures; pinkish-red; gemstone"

A color name, a gemstone name, and an ocean-inspired choice, Coral has a lot going for it with its sharp C sounds yet sweet vintage feel. Unlike Scarlett or Violet, however, it is only quietly used…