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"Freaks and Geeks" Names
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Judith
Hebrew
"He will be praised or woman from Judea"
The biblical Judith, the fourth most popular name in 1940, may be getting ready for a comeback in its full, elegant, if somewhat solemn form. Many of those earlier Judiths were called Judy—some after…
Ben
Hebrew
"son of"
Ben, the diminutive of Benjamin or Benedict, can easily stand on its own as a simple, strong, nice-guy choice, though it's somewhat attenuated. Ben is this generation's Bob or Bill.
Kelly
Irish
"war"
Once the quintessential bouncy teenager name, Kelly helped launch the trend of unisex Irish names . But it now takes a backseat to more substantial surname names like Kennedy.
Harold
Scandinavian
"army ruler"
The name of the last Anglo-Saxon king of England before the Norman conquest, and a name that's long been associated with a pipe-smoking, bespectacled grandpa or uncle. After years in style limbo,…
Kim
English diminutive of Kimberly; Vietnamese; Scandinavian diminutive of Joachima; Soviet name
Kim was the coolest name... of the 1960s. Kim was popularized by actress Kim Novak, and its energy is still maintained by rapper Lil' Kim, but it holds lil' or no appeal for new babies. Parents who…
Lindsay
English surname
"marshlands of Lincolnshire"
In the early eighties, Lindsay, in tandem with Courtney, approached the Top 10. Lindsey is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the ey…
Jean
English and Scottish, from French variation of Johanna
"God is gracious"
Originally a feminine of John, Jean was popular in Scotland long before it found favor elsewhere, and had its most shining moment here in the era of Jean Harlow (born Harlean), ultimate symbol of…
Nick
English, diminutive of Nicholas and Dominick
The classic strong-yet-friendly nickname name, much used for charming movie characters.
Ken
Diminutive of Kenneth; Japanese
"born of fire or handsome; healthy and strong"
In many minds this one belongs to Barbie, but with such positive meanings and international connections, can Ken make the transition to usability again?
Neal
Irish
"champion or cloud"
Always the less common spelling of Irish classic Neil, Neal has been on a fifty-year slide, and now doesn't even make the Top 1000. It has a streamlined, surnamey appeal in this spelling.
Bill
English, diminutive of William
"resolute protection"
Most Bills today are dads...or grandpas. The younger Williams are usually nicknamed Will, or called by their full names.
Cindy
English diminutive of Cynthia, Greek, or Lucinda, Spanish and Portuguese
"moon goddess, woman from Kynthos; "
Cindy as a name in its own right made it into the Top 20 in 1957 and remained a Top 200 girls' name until the end of the 20th century. Although it's fallen precipitously since then and left the Top…
Gordon
Scottish
"great hill"
As this long-term Age of Jordans, both male and female, begins to wind down, the neglected Scottish favorite Gordon, with its more distinguished history, could come back as a distinctive alternative.…
Harris
English
"son of Harry"
When Harrison is too much, but Harry isn't enough, try this stylish surname name with a touch of British flair. It briefly reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time since 1988 in 2016, but has…
Vicki
Vicki is a feminine name that originated as a diminutive form of Victoria, which derives from Latin meaning "victory." This shorter, friendlier version gained significant popularity as an independent…
Todd
English
"fox"
A 1970s beach boy surfing buddy of Scott, Brad, and Chad, Todd is given to relatively few babies these days.
Maureen
Irish variation of Mary, Hebrew or Egyptian
"drop of the sea; bitter; beloved; love"
Almost as popular in the 1950s among the Irish in Boston as it was with those back in Bray, Maureen was once among the most prominent Irish names for girls in the US but has fallen from favor along…
Sampson
Hebrew
"sun"
This name, once considered overly powerful due to the superhuman strength of the biblical figure, is now an option for parents in search of an unusual route to Sam. But you really don't need that p:…
Howie
Diminutive of Howard, English, Germanic, Norse
"high guardian; brave heart"
Old school Howard has fallen out of fashion in recent years, having been a Top 100 choice in the US from the 1880s until the 1960s. Short form Howie, however, might have more potential, with its…
Herbert
German
"bright army"
Names ending in bert have long been in limbo, but with the return of Albert, maybe there's hope for Herbert. who could share the Bertie nickname. Herbert is a name that's been used by English…