vintage girl names begging to be rediscovered

Jacinta

Spanish for Greek flower name

"hyacinth"

Jacinta, the Spanish word for hyacinth, is a lot softer and sweeter than the English version. The correct Spanish pronunciation is ha-SEEN-ta, though many English speakers would say ja-SIN-ta.…

Jacoba

Hebrew, feminine variation of Jacob

Now that Jacob has been the top boys' name for several years, this may come to the fore, the way Michaela did after Michael's long reign at Number One. For now, it's one of the more unusual girl…

James

Hebrew

"supplanter"

James for a girl? Believe it or not, this is one of the boy names for girls" gaining a lot of attention these days, since Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds shocked the world by choosing it for their…

Janaan

Janaan is a feminine name of Arabic origin that carries the beautiful meaning of 'heart' or 'soul.' In some contexts, it can also mean 'garden' or 'paradise,' evoking images of natural beauty and…

Janina

Polish; Finnish; Lithuanian; German; Swedish

"God is gracious"

A sweet and sprightly feminine form of John.

Janna

Dutch contraction of Johanna

Could run into pronunciation confusion.

Jannie

Jannie is a feminine name with multiple origins, functioning as a diminutive of Janet or Janice, which ultimately derive from Jane (a feminine form of John, meaning 'God is gracious'). In Dutch and…

Jayce

Jayce is a name that, while traditionally masculine, has been increasingly used for girls. Originally a variant spelling of Jason (meaning 'healer' in Greek), Jayce has developed as a distinct name…

Jerusha

Hebrew

"inheritance"

This biblical name of the mother of King Jotham of Judah has an appealing soft Russian accent.

Jetta

English

"jet"

Although this is a legitimate name, most people would associate it with a line of Volkswagens -- you'd be better off choosing a Mercedes.

Joella

Hebrew

"the Lord is God"

Most modern parents would drop the Jo, leaving the superpopular Ella.

Joetta

Joetta is a feminine name with American origins, functioning primarily as a combination name blending Jo (from Josephine or Joan) with the feminine suffix -etta. This type of combined name became…

Joey

Diminutive of Joanna or Josephine, Hebrew

"Jehovah increases"

Fun, friendly and fresher than Jo or Josie as a nickname for Joanna or Josephine. Joey can be thought of as one of the Stevie/Billie/Frankie boyish nicknames for girls so fashionable today.

Joretta

Joretta is a feminine name that likely represents an elaboration of the name Jora or a feminine form of George. The name George derives from Greek 'georgos' meaning 'farmer' or 'earth-worker.'…

Josetta

Josetta is a feminine name that serves as an elaborate variation of Josette, which itself is a French diminutive of Josephine (meaning 'God will add'). This elegant name carries a vintage charm with…

Josette

French,pet form of Josephine, feminine of Joseph, Hebrew

"Jehovah increases"

One of the group of French 'ette'-ending names that emigrated to this country in the last century, though never as popular as some others, such as Claudette and Paulette--it did have a little…

Jossie

Jossie is a feminine name that functions as a diminutive of names like Jocelyn, Josephine, or Josette. With English and French influences, it carries a sweet, endearing quality through its 'ie'…