vintage girl names begging to be rediscovered

Early

Diminutive of Earl, English, or word name

"nobleman, warrior; early"

A word that's been used, very infrequently, as a name for hundreds of years. Interesting sound and meaning.

Easter

English, from German

Easter has been used as a name for several hundred years, as part of the day-naming tradition; now, this rarely heard holiday celebration name would make a novel choice for a springtime baby.…

Effie

English diminutive of Euphemia, Greek

"pleasant speech"

Effie is the old-fashioned short form for Euphemia. It shares a vintage charm with Hattie and Letty although is much rarer than either. Effie is a character in The Hunger Games and Sisterhood of the…

Electra

Greek

"amber, shining, bright"

Though the plays by Sophocles and Eugene O'Neill and via the "Electra Complex" proposed by psychoanalyst Carl Jung, this name has, unfortunately, become associated with incest and murder.…

Ellamay

Ellamay combines the popular name Ella (meaning 'fairy maiden' or 'light' in various languages) with May, traditionally associated with the spring month and renewal. This compound name creates a…

Elodia

Spanish variation of Alodia, German

"foreign riches"

As Elodie filters into the mainstream, parents may turn to the rarer Spanish form Elodia as an alternative.

Enid

Welsh

"life, spirit"

This Celtic goddess and Arthurian name may sound terminally old-ladyish to many ears--but so did names like Ella and Etta not so long ago. So Enid is yet another forgotten four-letter E-possibility:…

Ennis

Irish

"from the island"

Irish town names are now fair game -- as are most other places with connections to Ireland -- but are much better suited to boys.

Era

Word name

Name that enjoyed some popularity early in the 20th century but now is locked in another, ahem, era.

Erie

Erie is an uncommon feminine name with multiple potential origins. It may derive from the Erie Native American tribe and the Great Lake named after them, giving it a natural, geographical connection.…

Eris

Greek

"strife, discord"

Eris was the goddess of strife and discord, turned fairy tale and then popular culture figure Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty. Ironic, as her name sounds so much like that of Eros, the god of love.…