Souvenir Baby Names

Phyllis

Greek

"green bough"

Phyllis has been used by classical poets for the idealized pastoral maiden. A Greek mythological name of a woman who was turned into an almond tree, Phyllis was in the Top 100 from 1916 to 1958,…

Rachael

Variation of Rachel, Hebrew

"ewe"

This form of the Biblical Rachel is well-used despite its somewhat counter-intuitive spelling which can make English speakers think the name should be pronounced with a k sound, as in Raquel. The…

Renee

French from Latin

"reborn"

Chic in the fifties, now kept in the public eye mainly by actress Zellweger. Variations include Rene, Renae, and Renny.

Rhonda

Welsh

"noisy one"

"Help Me, Rhonda. sang the Beach Boys -- help me convince my parents not to give me this sixties name.

Rita

Spanish, Hindi

"pearl; truth, order"

One of the glamour girl names of the Rita Hayworth 1940s, Rita was once a Top 50 name and stayed on the SSA list until 2002. The name Rita still has enough Latin zip to be a lively, revivable short…

Sandra

Diminutive of Alessandra, Italian from Greek

"defending men"

2012's Hurricane Sandy blew away whatever style currency Sandra retained from its 1960s Sandra Dee heyday. While in recent years it's been associated with Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor,…

Sandy

Diminutive of Sandra or Alexandra, Greek

"defending men"

Nickname name in the era of Grease . Sandy fits well in the era of boyish nicknames for girls - a la Scottie and Stevie - or as an alternative to the rapidly rising Goldie. While it peaked in 1960,…

Shannon

Irish

"old and wise"

Irish place-name -- it's a river, a town, and an airport -- once popular but now supplanted by such newer immigrants as Saoirse and Seanan.

Sharon

Hebrew

"a plain"

This Old Testament place name was in the Top 10 fifty years ago, but now Sharon, along with sound-alike Karen, have fallen out of favor.

Sheila

Irish variation of Cecilia

"blind"

Sheila peaked in popularity from the 1930s to the 1960s (she reached Number 49 in 1965), along with Maureen and Colleen; parents today would probably go back to the original Cecilia or forward to…

Sheri

Sheri is a feminine name with multiple potential origins. It emerged primarily as a diminutive form of Sheryl or Cheryl, which themselves derive from the French name Chérie, meaning "beloved" or…

Sherry

Phonetic variation of French Cheri; also a Spanish fortified wine

Peppy cheerleader name of the 1960s and 70s that's sure to evoke the Four Seasons song of that name.

Shirley

English

"bright meadow"

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…

Stacey

Stacey is a feminine name (though also used for boys) with Greek origins, derived from Eustace, meaning 'fruitful' or 'productive.' Initially a diminutive of Anastasia, meaning 'resurrection,' Stacey…

Sue

Diminutive of Susan

Much-used midcentury diminutive, now fallen far from favor even as a middle name.

Susan

English diminutive of Susannah, Hebrew

"lily"

Although Susan had her heyday from the thirties to the sixties, and is now common among moms and new grandmas, and though most modern parents would prefer Susanna/Susannah, we have spotted some…

Tammy

English, diminutive of Tamara

Made famous in fifties movies as a wholesome backwoods gal, Tammy was a Top 10 choice from the mid-60s to early-70s, but is now given to fewer than 100 babies per year in the US.

Terri

English, diminutive of Theresa

See TERRY.

Terry

English, diminutive of Theresa

"to harvest"

Terry hit the Top 30 in the fifties when it was seeen as a cool, sleek gender neutral name , but it's long since lost that edge. Today's Terry would probably be Tess or Tessa.

Theresa

English form of the Spanish Teresa

"to harvest"

The popular appeal of the strong, intelligent Saint Teresa of Avila, combined with the selfless compassion of the more recent Mother Teresa, have fused to give this second-tier classic a somewhat…