Old-fashioned nickname with sweet turn-of-the-last-century charm that's become a favorite among the popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/a">girl names starting with A</a> of today. In fact, with all spellings of Adeline/Adalynn taken together firmly in the Top 10, and Adelaide and Addison also high in the charts, Addie is one of the most frequently-heard short forms around. But no matter how popular (or pandemic) it gets, Addie is undeniably one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/508/cute-baby-names-for-girls">cutest names for baby girls</a>. Little girls might like the fact that it's the name, though spelled Addy, of an American Girl series doll.

Addie

Alcott evokes shades of nineteenth-century New England, and memories of the author of the books Little Women and Little Men. Louisa May Alcott was the daughter of Amos Bronson Alcott, noted educator, writer and philosopher, and colleague of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.
 Alcott would make an unusual and interesting surname name choice.

Alcott

This form and its German variant Augusten are moving up fast as the preferred long forms of the trendy Gus.

Augustin

Although Greek in origin--in the fourth century, a bishop by that name established the principles of the Greek Orthodox Church--Basil for years took on the aura of aquiline-nosed upper-class Britishness of Sherlock Holmes portrayer Basil Rathbone, then spiced with the fragrant aroma of the herb that entered with the Pesto generation.
 Now, it's time to take a fresh look at Basil.
 Basil was on the U.S. popularity list quite regularly up till 1970, reaching a high of Number 328 in 1904. Its history includes several rulers of the Byzantine Empire and Eastern Orthodox saints, including one whose grandmother, father, older sister and two younger brothers were all saints as well.
 Basil has also been seen as a figure of fun, as in the manic Basil Fawlty in the British TV comedy classic "Fawlty Towers," in the Disney movie "Basil of Baker Street," and as Basil Brush and Basil Wombat in other kids' entertainment.
 The Russian version, Vassily, is another possibility.

Basil

In the past this was seen as a jokey Southern colonel name, but we have heard of some parents considering it as a path to the likeable Beau. 

Beauregard

A French form of Benedict that makes a smooth and elegant choice, although the pronunciation may trip people up in an English speaking environment.

Benoît

Bizzy has a 1930s wisecracking waitress -- think Mitzi, Flossie, Fanny -- feel to it, yet at the same time feels like a fresh, modern nickname for Elizabeth.  Given that any Bizzy better be, this name could be a way to make your Elizabeth stand out.

Bizzy

Now that such Old Testament patriarchs as Elijah and Moses fill the playground, Boaz seems downright baby-friendly, having more pizzazz than many of the others, perhaps as a successor to Noah.
 A name that was used by the seventeenth century Pilgrims and is still heard in Israel, but is a rarity in the U.S., Boaz is associated with the Jewish holiday Shavuot, as that is when the Bible story of Ruth is read in the synagogue, and Boaz was Ruth's wealthy and generous second husband, making it logical for Boaz to sometimes be given to boys born at that time.
 Extra added attraction: one of the all-time great nicknames &mdash; Bo.

Boaz

Calloway is one of those irresistibly jaunty, animated three-syllable surnames, like Sullivan and Finnegan — but this one has the added attraction of jazzy ties to the immortal "Dean of American Jive," Cab Calloway.
 There was a 1951 comedy spoof called "Calloway Went Thataway."

Calloway

Pleasant Irish last name that could be a more masculine alternative to the overused Cassidy.  Early kings of Leinster bore the name, which relates to the first name Caomhan or Kevin and can also be spelled Kavanagh, Cavanagh, Cavenagh, and Kavanaugh.


Cavanaugh

Delphine is a sleek, chic French name with two nature associations — the dolphin and the delphinium, a bluebell-like flower, a well as a link to the ancient city of Delphi, which the Greeks believed to be the womb of the earth. All of these derive from the Greek word delphus "womb". 
 
Delphine was very popular in France from the 1960s to the 1980s, peaking at Number 6 in 1977-78. In the US, its peak came earlier — in 1930, when it reached Number 427. Today, Delphine is absent from the Top 1000 entirely but retains its French flair, making it an even fresher alternative to stylish vintage names like Daphne and Josephine. Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas have a daughter named Delphine, which may revive the name among Americans.
 
Balzac used the name in two of his novels, and Madame de Stael wrote the 1802 epistolary Delphine, which helped bring the name into fashion in France. Delphine Seyrig was a renowned French movie actress.
 
The attractive Spanish version is Delfina.

Delphine

Effie is the old-fashioned short form for Euphemia. It shares a vintage charm with Hattie and Letty although is much rarer than either. Effie is a character in The Hunger Games and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Effie

The lyrical and melodious Elodie, a Nameberry favorite, is starting to rise through the US popularity charts for the first time since the 1880s. It's a uncommon member of the trending El- family of names, which includes Ella, Eloise, and Eleanor. 
 
Elodie derives from Elodia, the Spanish variation of Alodia, a gothic German name associated with Saint Alodia. Saint Alodia was a child martyr in 9th century Spain, along with her sister Nunilo. In France, Elodie is spelled Élodie, with an accent over the E.
 
Élodie is a mono-named Italian singer and model as well as a major character in the Emile Zola novel The Earth. Princess Elodie is the protagonist of the video game Long Live The Queen and there was a character on The Hills named Elodie.
 Popular in the UK and French-speaking countries, Elodie could make an original honor name for Aunt Melody.

Elodie

There's only one: Emmylou Harris, the singer who gives dignity to an old-style combo name. 

Emmylou

It's the French Steve yet feels oh so much more debonair. Well-used and still a popular classic in French-speaking lands, but one of the many <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/498/french-names-for-boys">French names for boys</a>unfamiliar to most English speakers, except maybe fashionistas who associate it with designer Etienne Aigner. A new way to honor Grandpa Steve?

Etienne

Eugenia, a name scarcely used at all since the 1980's, is another that flourished a century ago and could be due for a revival.
 Eugenia has some interesting literary references, including the fascinating Baroness Eugenie Munster in Henry James's The Europeans and Eugenia Alabaster, a leading character in A. S. Byatt's Angels and Insects, and it was also the birth name of Skeeter in the book and film The Help.
 The third century St. Eugenia, an early Roman Christian martyr, is remembered for disguising herself as a man to escape persecution.
 Music lovers will be familiar with the name of renowned flute virtuoso Eugenia Zukerman.

Eugenia

Eulalie hasn't ranked in the US Top 1000 since 1899, but its French roots might make it more appealing to modern ears than its sister Eulalia.
 "Eulalie" is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, and the name also appeared in Gone With the Wind and The Music Man. It has been on the French popularity list for most of the 2000s. Eulalie Spence was a playwright from the British West Indies who contributed to the Harlem Renaissance.

Eulalie

Fielding isn't an occupational name, exactly, though it does relate to someone who works in or lives in a Field. Although there have been a handful of people, real and fictional, with the first name Fielding, the most famous Fielding is eighteenth century writer Henry Fielding, author of Tom Jones.

Fielding

An ancient Roman clan name, Flavia is one choice that's unusual but historic. Now a Top 60 name in Italy, Flavia has been a rarity in the US, but with the upswing in F names for girls, this could change. Seen more in literature than real life, Flavia was used as far back as an1580 romance, then in a William Dean Howells novel and as a Princess in The Prisoner of Zenda. Although the original pronunciation is FLAH-via, Flavie (as in flavor) could make a cute nickname.

Flavia

Frostine, best known in the U.S. as the name of the Candyland queen, is newly fashionable in France and is certainly a choice that any little girl the world over would love. Fanciful, if over-the-top, but a perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">name for a winter baby girl</a>.

Frostine

An everyday name in France, a charismatic possibility here. 

Guillaume

A key figure in Norse legend and a traditional Scandinavian favorite making inroads here.

Gunnar

In the USA, Hattie is one of those nicknames that is now more popular than its parent name, Harriet. In England, however, Harriet is still by far more popular than Hattie, while in Australia, Harriet is highly popular while no data exists on Hattie. In the US, we’d like to see Harriet get more usage but we’re happy to see Hattie again.
 Hattie was popular at the end of the nineteenth century, in the Top 50 from 1880 to 1900, along with other similar nickname names like Lottie and Letty. It fell off the list in 1969, to return in 2011, the year of Hattie McDermott's birth.
 Hattie McDaniel was the first African-American to be awarded an Academy Award, in 1940, for her role in Gone With the Wind. Hattie was the name of the sweet, simple protagonist in Woody Allen's 1999 film Sweet and Lowdown; Hattie (born Henriette) Carnegie was a well-known twentieth century fashion designer.

Hattie

Heloise is an ancient name related to sleek, peppy classic Eloise. Both ultimately derive from the Germanic name Helewidis, which became Helewis in medieval England. In the twelfth century, the name was borne by the beloved of the French philosopher Pierre Abelard, who was considered to be one of the most learned women of the Middle Ages.
 
Most familiar to Americans as the author of Household Hints, Heloise is ready to reclaim its fashion status.

Heloise

Gentle meaning and bona fide Hebrew history, but feels old-mannish, like Herman and Menashe. 

Hershel

In mythology, Iphigenia was sacrificed by her father, Agamemnon -- a difficult legacy to pass on to a daughter, and only one reason the name is hardly ever used. 

Iphigenia

This streamlined variation of Eleanor is common in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, particularly Portugal itself, where it has ranked among the Top 3 baby girl names for over a decade.

In Spain, Leonor is the name of the princess -- Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz, Princess of Asturias -- who is the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne.

The "lioness" meaning is given because of Leonor's similarity to Leona or Leonie, names with a Latin root meaning lioness. But technically, Leonor is a variation of Eleanor, one of the most prominent names with an unknown meaning.

Leonor

Lilou is a charming, rarely heard import. Occitan is a language spoken in Provence, in the south of France, in which the suffix "ou" denotes a pet form &mdash; thus, Lilou as a short form of Liliane or its Occitan form Liliana or Liliano. Its popularity in France--where it's currently Number 12--can be traced to the 1997 film The Fifth Element. 
 Pronounced lee-loo, this is an enchanting option.

Lilou

Lisette, also spelled Lizette, is a dainty,, if somewhat dated, Gallic offshoot of Elizabeth. It reached its U.S. peak of popularity in 1999, then fell off the list in 2001.
 Lisette Model (born Elise) was an influential Austrian-born photographer; Lizette Reese was an esteemed early twentieth century poet. 
 There's a Lisette character in the new show Welcome to the Family.

Lisette

Lottie is a nostalgic great-grandma name that conjures up lockets and lace, and -- like Nellie, Josie, Hattie, Tillie, and Milly -- has considerable vintage charm. A Top 100 name at the end of the nineteenth century, Lottie fell off the popularity list around 1960, but is now climbing back both as a nickname for popular Charlotte, as well as on its' own. Lottie re-entered the US charts for the first time since the 50s in 2022, and is likely going to keep climbing. It's already an amazing Number 85 in England and Wales.
 There are several Charlottes who go by Lottie in kids lit, in particular in The Little Princess and the film The Princess and the Frog.
 Similar feel: Lettie.

Lottie

Lovisa

The related Lucas and Luke are both hugely popular boy names in the US and internationally, and now Luca has joined them on boys' popularity lists around the world.

That's an astonishing success story for a name that was virtually unknown a generation ago. Only 13 baby boys were named Luca in the US in 1980, and by 1990 it was still only 32. But by the turn of the century, Luca took off and has now surpassed his more familiar brother Luke in the US.

Boy names ending in vowel sounds may have felt too feminine to early generations who lived by more conventional gender rules. And that old school he-man America also may have rejected names like Luca for being too "foreign". But in this era of Noah and Mateo, Elijah and Ezra, Luca has finally found widespread acceptance.
Along with its popularity in the US, Luca ranks highly in a range of countries that speak English, Spanish, French, and German, among others. While Luca is technically related to Luke and Lucas and so takes their ancient Roman habitational meaning, you might also see it as a relative of Lucius or Lucian, meaning light.
 Colin Firth and his Italian wife chose Luca for one of their sons, as did Hilary Duff, Vincent d'Onofrio, Rebecca Minkoff, and Jacinda Barrett and Gabriel Macht.

Luca

Maisie, a charming name long popular as a nickname for Margaret or Mary, entered the Top 1000 as itself ten years ago and continues to rise. Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams helped propel the name back into the limelight, along with the that of her character, Arya.

In literature, Maisie is the name of the precocious young title character in the Henry James novel What Maisie Knew, and is also the main female character in Rudyard Kipling's The Light That Failed. And to bring things up to date, Maisie is a half-blood character in the Harry Potter series. Spelled Maisy, it's a popular children's book series.
 When Maisie re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2014 at 658, it was one of the fastest rising names of that year. She's still got a ways to go In the US to catch up to other English-speaking countries, where Maisie ranks in the Top 100.

Maisie

Mitzi is a spunky German nickname name that might appeal to parents drawn to the genre of lively vintage chorus girl names that proliferated in 1930's musicals. 
Lively entertainer Mitzi Gaynor--who was originally named Francesca Marlene de Czani von Gerber--made the name notable in mid-century America.
 You may be surprised to know that Mitzi was on the Top 1000 list through 1979, as high as Number 420 in 1955. Today, Mitzi is one of those <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/339/vintage-baby-names">vintage baby names</a> still stuck in an earlier era, for better or worse.

Mitzi

This image of this distinguished Anglo-Scottish surname, drawn from the French place name of the ancient castle of Saint Foi de Montgomery, is rapidly shifting from fusty and formal to cool. And dashing short form Monty (or Monte) nudges it to cute. 
 Best-known bearer of the name is beautiful-but-tortured midcentury actor Montgomery Clift. Roger de Montgomery was a Norman nobleman who was made Earl of Arundel after he invaded England in 1066 and Sir Bernard Montgomery was a noted army commander in World War II. Montgomery is also the proper first name of Star Trek's engineer Scotty and, less flatteringly, the middle name of The Simpsons' evil Mr. Burns.

Montgomery

Monty, a name with a World War II feel, is rarely used on its own.  But we're hearing rumblings of a comeback and think that Monty, whatever it's short for, is an adorable vintage nickname name of the future.

Monty

Other kids might see a teasible connection to mortician or mortuary. Mortimer is an English family name used a few generations ago as an Anglicization of Moses; it was Walt Disney's original choice for the name of his mouse, until his wife talked him out of it.

Mortimer

This ready-for-revival nickname name recalls the old Gay Nineties and bicycles-built-for-two era. In the US, Nellie is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/unique">most popular unique girl names</a>, lying just beneath the Top 1000. About five times as many baby girls are named Nellie in the US today as shorter form Nell. 

Nellie is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/sweden">top girl names in Sweden</a>.

Nellie

Octavie

Ophelia reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts, and rose more than 600 spots since then, with no signs of slowing down. Could Ophelia may be the next Olivia?
 Ophelia is a beautiful name that has long been hampered by the stigma of Hamlet's tragic heroine—for whom Shakespeare seems to have invented the name—but more and more parents are beginning to put that association aside. There is also a gutsy Ophelia in Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 Uncle Tom's Cabin, which seems to have had some influence on baby namers at the time.
 
 Among the actresses who have played modern non-Shakespearean Ophelias are Jamie Lee Curtis and Blake Lively. The heroine of the film Pan's Labyrinth used the Spanish spelling, Ofelia.
 Actress Patricia Neal and author Roald Dahl named one of their now grown daughters Ophelia, and more recently musician Dave Grohl named his baby girl Ophelia Saint.

Ophelia

Ottilie is trending in the UK, where the pronounced T helps the name sound pretty and delicate, ala Amelie. Ottilie is less popular in the US, where many Americans pronounce it as a near-homonym for "oddly".
 
Ottilie and its diminutive Ottiline are a pair of names heard among the British upper crust, but have rarely been seen here since the 1880s. Ottilie does have a few cultural references: She is a key character in Goethe's Elective Affinities, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a poem called To Ottilie, Franz Kafka had a sister named Ottilie, and it is the name of the protagonist in the John Wyndom sci-fi story Random Quest.
 
Probably the best-known Ottilie is the German journalist, abolitionist, and feminist Ottilie Assing, who had a long involvement with fellow abolitionist Frederic Douglass.
 
Some attractive Ottilie relatives: Ottoline, Ottilia, and Odile. And Ottilie has the adorable nicknames Lottie and Tillie.

Ottilie

Remy is one of the hottest names today for both boys and girls, sometimes spelled Remi. . It entered the popularity list in 2009 and has quickly become one of the fastest-rising names on the list.
 Remy came into the spotlight via the 2007 Disney film Ratatouille, starring an ambitious chef named Remy—who happened to be a rat. The name has also been borne by a variety of human characters in The Da Vinci Code, House, New Girl, and The Fairly Oddparents.
 The name of a fifth century saint and one of a new generation of <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/162/french-names">French names</a> being discovered in the US, Remy is one of those ancient names that sounds particularly modern and attractive. 
 Remy de Gourmont was a French Symbolist poet, and Remy Charlip is a children's book author and illustrator.

Remy

From the first time we saw the name Saskia attached to a portrait of Rembrandt's wife (her full name was Saakje van Uylenburgh, but she was always called Saskia), we have found it utterly charming and wondered why it hasn't attracted more fans In this country--she's appreciated by the Brits, who have moved her to Number 392. Saskia is one of those names that's been used in Europe since the Middle Ages, but has never crossed the ocean.
 One contemporary bearer is actress Saskia Reeves, who was born to a Dutch mother. Pop artist Red Grooms has a grown daughter named Saskia, and more recently TV's Anne Dudek chose it for her daughter.

Saskia

Grandparents are sure to link this to disgraced Nixon vice president Spiro Agnew. 

Spiro

Taisie

This hauntingly euphonious Choctaw name has re-entered the public domain, as memories of the outrageous actress Tallulah Bankhead have faded. For years, Tallulah was a name associated only with Bankhead, named for her paternal grandmother who was named after the Georgia town of Tallulah Falls.
 A modern hipster favorite, Tallulah had been chosen for their daughters by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Patrick Dempsey, Damian Dash, Rachel Roy and Sara Rue. The name was trail-blazed by Demi Moore and Bruce Willis for their now grown daughter. 
 When spelled Talulla or Talullah, it is also a traditional Irish name that was borne by two saints.

Tallulah is among the Feminine Feminist names is one of our hottest <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/baby-name-trends-2024">baby name trends</a> of 2024.

Tallulah

One of the few ancient Roman names that doesn't end in us, the rarely heard Tarquin has a decidedly creative, even dramatic flair, which could appeal to the parent looking for a strikingly original name. Sir Laurence Olivier used it for his oldest child, who was named Simon Tarquin but called by his middle name.
 As Tarquinius, it was borne by two early kings of Rome.
 Tarquin has some literary cred as well, appearing in Shakespeare's poem The Rape of Lucrece (referring to a dark stain on the name), as Tarquin Blackwood in Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series and as Tarquin Cleath-Stuart in the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella.

Tarquin

Viola has several positive elements going for it: the rhythm of the musical instrument, the association with the flower, the trending 'Vi' beginning and its leading role in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. 
 In the Bard's gender-bending comedy of identity and disguise, Viola is the appealing, passionate heroine. Later takes on this tale include Shakespeare in Love, with Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola de Lesseps and She's the Man starring Amanda Bynes.
 The most distinguished current bearer is Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress Viola Davis.
 Viola was a Top 50 name from 1899 to 1911, falling off the list in 1972, but is still popular in other countries such as Italy, where it is Number 15. And with Violet not sounding quite as fresh as it did, the strong Viola could find herself back in the running.

Viola

Now that Violet is becoming more popular, parents may start exploring same-but-different options such as the French Violette, which would properly be pronounced with a long e sound in the first syllable and three syllables -- vee-oh-let -- as well as the operatic Italian Violetta.

Violette

New to the US Top 1000 in 2015, Wilder is on many parents' possibility lists, one of the new generation of bad boy names growing in popularity. Wilder got a big boost in interest through Goldie Hawn's grandson, born in 2007, via son Oliver.
 Wilder is more familiar as a surname, borne by such notables as authors Laura Ingalls and Thornton, composer Alec, director Billy, and actor Gene. Douglas Wilder was the first African American to be elected Governor of Virginia. Wilder was one of the 10 fastest-rising boys' names of 2016 and is on its way to becoming one of the hottest <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/w">baby names starting with W</a>.

Wilder

MariahPapaya's list "Babesiosis" of 50 great name ideas: Addie - Wilder!