Muppet Names

Aka, the reason Grover and Kermit aren't more popular.
  1. Abby
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Abigail, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "my father is joyful"
    • Description:

      Gently old-fashioned stand-alone nickname that owes its popularity to mega popular Abigail.
  2. Aloysius
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "famous warrior"
    • Description:

      This name is a classic example of an underused golden oldie that ticks so many boxes - unusual yet traditional, heaps of cute nicknames, a statement name that exudes retro cool. Aloysius is the Latin form of many more common names like Louis, Luis, Luigi and the uncommon but symphonically familiar Ludwig.
  3. Barkley
    • Bert
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of Albert and Bertram
      • Description:

        A once-popular nickname for Albert and Bertram now being polished up by hip Brits, but still hibernating in the Land of Nerd over here.
    • Betty
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Elizabeth
      • Meaning:

        "pledged to God"
      • Description:

        Combine the popularity of Betty White and Mad Men's glamorous Betty Draper Francis, with the residual sweetness of Ugly Betty's Betty Suarez, and the result is an impending return of the name. It's got presidential cred via Betty Ford and feminist history through Betty Friedan.
    • Biff
      • Origin:

        American nickname
      • Description:

        The quintessential midcentury nickname, famously found in Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman."
    • Bruno
      • Origin:

        Germanic
      • Meaning:

        "brown"
      • Description:

        Tough-yet-cuddly Bruno is an international name even in its origins: it derives from the Germanic word for “brown” plus a Latin ending, and was borrowed as a color word in many European languages.
    • Beaker
      • Bunsen
        • Camilla
          • Origin:

            Latin
          • Meaning:

            "young ceremonial attendant"
          • Description:

            The Spanish Camila, pronounced ka-MEE-la, is the fastest rising version of this ancient Roman name, but recent royal Camilla may have helped promote the British brand. In Roman myth, Camilla was a swift-footed huntress so fast she could run over a field without bending a blade of grass.
        • Cookie
          • Curly
            • Curly
              • Dawn
                • Origin:

                  English
                • Meaning:

                  "dawn, sunrise"
                • Description:

                  Dawn's heyday in the US, Canada and the UK came in the 1960s and 70s. It peaked at #14 in the US in 1971, but has since sunk from sight to be eclipsed by other names with the same meaning, such as Aurora, Roxana or Zariah.
              • Don
                • Origin:

                  Diminutive of Donald, Scottish
                • Meaning:

                  "proud chief"
                • Description:

                  Short form of Donald -- or more stylishly, Donahue or Donovan -- that's acquired a new sixties-era suaveness thanks to Mad Man Don Draper. The name also carries a Sopranos or Godfather-style double entendre.
              • Dorothy
                • Origin:

                  English variation of Greek Dorothea
                • Meaning:

                  "gift of God"
                • Description:

                  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 parents today seeking a quiet classic are bringing Dorothy back—she reentered the Top 1000 in 2011 after almost completely disappearing.
              • Elmo
                • Origin:

                  Italian from German
                • Meaning:

                  "protector"
                • Description:

                  Elmo, like fellow Sesame Street characters Kermit and Grover, has a hard time being taken seriously. (It isn't easy being red either.)
              • Ernestine
                • Origin:

                  Feminine variation of Ernest
                • Description:

                  One time joke name, à la Lily Tomlin's bossy telephone operator, Ernestine is ready for a possible reevaluation, like cousins Josephine and Clementine..
              • Ernie
                • Origin:

                  Variation of Ernest, English from German
                • Meaning:

                  "serious, resolute"
                • Description:

                  Can Ernie shed the rubber ducky association and make its way onto the vintage revivals list? Years ago we may have said no, but celebrity chef Stephanie Izard made a strong case for Ernie when she gave the name to her son in 2016.
              • Floyd
                • Origin:

                  Welsh
                • Meaning:

                  "gray-haired"
                • Description:

                  Floyd was a Top 100 name from the 1880s to the 1940s that somehow developed an almost comical hayseed persona along with a touch of retro jazz cool; it's beginning to appeal to parents with a strong taste for the quirky.