User-created list
Legitimately Classic Girls Names -- Top 100 in US 1880 - 1930
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Rebecca
Hebrew
"to tie, bind"
Rebecca is a name representing beauty in the Bible, an Old Testament classic that reached the heights of revived popularity in the seventies but is still a well-used choice. It derives from the…
Laura
English from Latin
"from Laurentum or bay laurel"
Laura is a hauntingly evocative perennial, never trendy, never dated, feminine without being fussy, with long-standing literary links. All this makes Laura a more solid choice than any of its more…
Florence
Latin
"flourishing, prosperous"
Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion. The name…
Bonnie
Scottish
"beautiful, cheerful"
Bonnie is an adorable nickname name, heading back up the popularity list after a 50-year nap. A Top 100 girls' name throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Americans are later to jump on…
Dorothy
English variation of Greek Dorothea
"gift of God"
In the 1930s, Dorothy left Kansas and landed in the Land of Oz; by the '80s she had become a Golden Girl, living in Miami with roommates Blanche and Rose, giving her a decidedly older image. But…
Opal
Sanskrit
"gem"
Opal is on the verge of a repolishing, following other jewel names like Ruby and Pearl. A Top 100 name during the first two decades of the twentieth century, the opalescent Opal has a good chance of…
Leona
Latin
"lioness"
A strong, grounded choice that still has plenty of energy and charm, Leona is the feminine form of Leon, itself derived from the Greek word for "lion". Associated with courage, leadership, and…
Alma
Latin, Hebrew, Kazakh
"nurturing, soul; young woman; apple"
Alma is a solemn, soulful, yet gentle sounding name that became fashionable in England following the Battle of Alma during the 19th century Crimean War. A name with multiple origins, Alma has subtle,…
Helen
Greek
"torch, shining light"
Helen is a name that has connoted beauty since ancient times – Helen of Troy was the the mythological "face that launched a thousand ships," over whom the ten-year Trojan War was fought. These days,…
Amanda
Latin
"she must be loved"
Amanda may no longer be the most popular girls' name in her class, but it still holds appeal with its pleasing meaning and solid yet romantic sound. Its heyday however was back in the eighties when…
Maxine
English, Latin
"greatest"
Sleek and stylish with a touch of quirkiness about it too, Maxine is a popular choice in Belgium and France, and has been climbing up the US charts too. Following a two decade absence, it re-entered…
Edith
English
"prosperous in war"
Edith was a hugely popular name a hundred years ago that's being revived among stylish parents in Stockholm and London. It's currently beginning to gain traction in the US among those with a taste…
Mae
Diminutive of Mary or Margaret, Hebrew, Latin
"beloved, bitter, drop of the sea; pearl"
Mae, a sweet and springlike old-fashioned name, hadn't been on the national charts in forty years, but finally made it back in 2010. Mae is derived from May, the month name that was chosen for its…
Beatrice
Latin
"she who brings happiness; blessed"
Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the lovely Beatrice with its long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents seeking a…
Louise
French and English, feminine variation of Louis
"renowned warrior"
Louise has for several decades now been seen as competent, studious, and efficient—desirable if not dramatic qualities. But now along with a raft of other L names, as well as cousin Eloise, Louise is…
Kate
English, diminutive of Katherine
"pure"
Kate, in the headlines via Catherine Middleton aka the Princess of Wales, has been as pervasive as Kathy was in the 1950s and 1960s, both as a nickname for Katherine and Kaitlyn and as a strong,…
Virginia
Latin
"virginal, pure"
A literary name and a place name with a grand yet familiar feel, Virginia has been in the US Top 1000 since records began in the late 19th century. Also familiar in Spain, Brazil and Italy, recent…
Lottie
Diminutive of Charlotte, English
"free man"
Sweet Charlotte nickname Lottie might be considered a nostalgic great-grandma name that conjures up lockets and lace, and — like Nellie, Josie, Hattie, Tillie, and Milly — has considerable vintage…
Nellie
Diminutive of Helen, Ellen, and Eleanor, English, Swedish
"light, shining torch"
This sweet nickname name has seen a recent revival in the US, breaking the Top 1000 in 2019 for the first time in 40 years. By 2024, it became one of the fastest rising girl names, chasing sister…
Jacqueline
French, feminine diminutive of Jacques
"supplanter"
Jacqueline originated as a feminine form of Jacques, the French variation of James, and therefore Jacob. Jacob was ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Ya’aqov, and gets its meaning, "supplanter"…