User-created list
Old Lady Names
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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…
Margo
French, diminutive of Margaret
"pearl"
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…
Louisa
Latinate feminine variation of Louis
"renowned warrior"
Louisa, a quaint but strong vintage name, might feel fresher in English speaking countries than old favorite Louise, just as Diana and Julia have more energy than Diane and Julie at the moment. Part…
Theodora
Femeninization of Theodore, Greek
"gift of God"
Theodora is one of the most revival-worthy of the charmingly old-fashioned Victorian valentine names, softly evocative but still substantial, as is the reversed-syllable Dorothea. The name Theodora…
Winifred
Welsh
"blessed peacemaking"
One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200…
Beverly
English
"dweller near the beaver stream"
The remarkable success of the girls' name Everly makes a revival of the name Beverly seem possible. More commonly a masculine name in the 19th century, it began to be used for girls in the early…
Denise
French, feminine variation of Denis
"god of Nysa"
Denise was a French favorite of the fifties and sixties but is less chic now. In 2020 it broke back into the Top 1000 after a five-year hiatus, catapulted into style by reality TV star Denisse Novoa…
Carol
English, feminine variation of Charles
"free man"
A Caroline abbreviation that was wildly popular with Mom's generation...or Grandma's. At one time it was a name for baby girls born at Christmas . because of its association with Christmas carols.…
Dora
Diminutive of Theodora and Isidora, Greek
"gift"
Dora is poised for a comeback, right behind Laura, Nora, Cora, and Flora. First-time parents who haven't watched cartoons in a couple of decades should be aware of the Dora the Explorer connection,…
Brenda
Scottish
"blade of a sword"
First the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's 1822 novel The Pirate , then a glamorous 1940s debutante, then the troubled twin on Beverly Hills 90210, and now fading in favor of more modern Brenna, Briana,…
Melinda
English combination name
"beautiful honey"
In the eighteenth century there was a poetic fad for names with the 'inda' sound, and, along with Belinda, Clarinda, Dorinda and Florinda, Melinda was one of those created at that time. It came into…
Ingrid
Norse
"fair; Ing is beautiful"
The luminous Ingrid Bergman's appeal was strong enough to lend universal charisma to this classic Scandinavian name, which has been somewhat neglected in the US. Even today, a child named Ingrid…
Doris
Greek
"gift of the ocean"
Doris had long been on our so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out-for-babies list, and seemed to be written there in indelible ink. But there are signs of a sea change, that Doris could profit from the…
Geraldine
German and French, feminine variation of Gerald
"ruler with the spear"
Though twin brother Gerald is still in baby name limbo, Geraldine is in line to follow the path of Josephine to imminent revival—even though Gerry is not as spunky a nickname as Josie. Geraldine was…
Maude
English and French diminutive of Matilda, German
"battle-mighty"
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,…
Gretchen
German, diminutive of Margarethe
"pearl"
Like Greta, Gretchen is a German Margaret diminutive that has become an American quasi-classic, though not much used today, having dropped off the list in 2009. She was at her high point in the…
Hilda
German
"battle woman"
Short for Brunhilda, the operatic Valkyrie of Teutonic legend, Hilda still has not quite shaken off that image that image. Though with the resurgence of Matilda, she might just have a bit of a…
Francine
French diminutive pet form of Francoise
"from France or free man"
With the advent of Pope Francis, all forms of this ancient and saintly name came up for a fresh look. Along with most other -een and -ine (when pronounced like -een) names for girls, Francine has a…
Jeanine
French variation of Jean
"God is gracious"
Together with the more common (in France) Jeannine spelling, this feminine form of Jean was most popular in the 1930s in its home country, and in the 1960s in the US. It's fallen off the Top 1000…
Josephina
Josephina is a feminine form of Joseph, ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning 'God will add' or 'God will increase.' This elegant variation combines the biblical gravitas of Joseph…