Quirky, Vintage Girls' Names
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Names for a quirky, old-fashioned, strong-willed, whimsical, confident, bright little girl. Thoughts?
- Agnes
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"pure, virginal"Description:
Agnes is the Latin variation of the name Hagne, which itself derived from the Greek word hagnos, meaning "chaste." In medieval times, St. Agnes was a very popular saint, leading to its popularity as a girl's name. Agnes Grey is the title of one of the two novels written by Anne Brontë.
- Anneke
Origin:
DutchMeaning:
"grace"Description:
Dutch, Limburgish and Afrikaans diminutive of Anne.
- Beatrix
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"she who brings happiness; blessed"Description:
Beatrix has a solid history of its own apart from Beatrice, with that final x adding a playful, animated note to the name's imposing history and stately vibe.
- Bernadette
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"brave as a bear"Description:
Although feminizations ending in "ette" are not particularly popular now, Bernadette is a pleasant, feminine, but strong name that doesn't feel prohibitively dated. And though strongly associated with the saint who saw visions of the Virgin Mary—Saint Bernadette of Lourdes—it is now no longer strictly inhabiting the Catholic diocese.
- Bernice
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"she who brings victory"Description:
Rarely heard today-- it fell off the list around 1980--Bernice is a biblical name of Greek origin. In the Bible, she is a sister of King Agrippa.
- Cecily
Origin:
Feminine variation of CecilMeaning:
"blind"Description:
Cecily is as dainty as a lace handkerchief. Cecily has a wide assortment of namesakes. One Cecily was the mother of King Richard III, whose beauty gained her the title "the Rose of Raby," Cecily Parsley is a Beatrix Potter bunny, Cecily Cardew is a character in The Importance of Being Earnest, and the author of the Gossip Girl books is Cecily von Ziegesar.
- Dahlia
Origin:
Flower name, from Swedish surnameMeaning:
"Dahl's flower"Description:
One of the flower names, used occasionally in Britain (where it's pronounced DAY-lee-a). It seems to have recovered from what was perceived as a slightly affected la-di-dah air. The flower was named in honor of the pioneering Swedish botanist Andreas Dahl, which means dale.
- Darcy
Origin:
Irish or FrenchMeaning:
"dark one, or from Arcy, or from the fortress"Description:
Delicate ballerina name with grace, charm, and heft courtesy of Jane Austen's Mr.
- Eleanor
Origin:
English variation of French Provencal Alienor, meaning unknownDescription:
Eleanor's straightforward feminine image combined with its royal medieval history is striking just the right note for parents in search of a girls' name that combines substance and style.
- Elsa
Origin:
German diminutive of ElisabethMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly popular Disney movie Frozen. The name shot all the up to Number 286 (its highest ranking since the 1890s) in the year after the release of the movie, though it's now dropped back down the list in the US.
- Eudora
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"generous gift"Description:
Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and euphoneous and a possibility for rejuvenation.
- Flannery
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of Flannghal"Description:
Long before the vogue of using Irish surnames for girls, writer Flannery O'Connor gave this one some visibility. It has a warm (flannelly) feel and the currently popular three-syllable ee-ending sound.
- Harriet
Origin:
English variation of French HenrietteMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
Harriet has long been considered a stylish, upscale name in England, but it's still waiting to be revived in the US—though some parents seeking a solid, serious semi-classic are beginning to consider it.
- Iris
Origin:
Flower name; GreekMeaning:
"rainbow"Description:
Iris has so much going for it. It's a fashionable flower name. It's a mythological name, from the Greek goddess of the rainbow. And it's a classic name, always ranking in the girls' Top 1000 but now at its highest point ever.
- June
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"young"Description:
June, a sweetly old-fashioned month name derived from the goddess Juno, was long locked in a time capsule with June Allyson (born Ella) and June Cleaver, but is rising again especially as a middle name.
- Mabel
Origin:
Diminutive of Amabel, LatinMeaning:
"lovable"Description:
Mabel is cuddly Victorian favorite rising in popularity in the US, after a 50-year nap If you love offbeat old-fashioned names like Violet or Josephine, only sassier and bubblier, Mabel is one for you to consider. It is currently in the US Top 200 and the UK Top 50.
- Margo
Origin:
French, diminutive of MargaretMeaning:
"pearl"Description:
Margo and Margot sound exactly the same, so why has the Margot spelling hopped back onto the Top 1000, outpacing Margo in numbers more than two to one? (Over 350 baby girls were named Margot in the most recent year, versus 150 named Margo.)
- Maude
Origin:
English and French diminutive of Matilda, GermanMeaning:
"battle-mighty"Description:
Maude, also spelled Maud, is a lacy, mauve-tinted name that was wildly popular a hundred years ago, but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose it again, especially as a middle.
- Muriel
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"of the bright sea"Description:
Once a poetic Celtic name, that of the angel who governs the month of June, Muriel became the mom or grandma on TV sitcoms. She does have literary cred via Edinburgh-born author Muriel Spark, author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and also appears as a character in Anne of Green Gables. Muriel was a Top 200 name from 1912 to 1933.
- Olympia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"from Mount Olympus"Description:
With its relation to Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods, and to the Olympic games, this name has an athletic, goddess-like aura, making it the perfect Olivia substitute.