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A List of Trendy Old Fashioned Names

  1. Cece

    • Origin:

      Short form of Cecelia, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "blind"

    • Description:

      Cece, all by itself, gained notice as the nickname of Jim and Pam's baby on television's The Office. On the show as in real life, Cece is often short for Cecelia or even Cecilia, but it can also be a short form of just about any C name. Cece -- or, less elegantly, CeCe -- can also be a stylish nickname name used all by itself, ala Coco and Lulu. If you really love girl names starting with C, this is one way to express your devotion every time you say your daughter's name!
  2. Prescott

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "priest's cottage"

    • Description:

      Prescott is one of several distinguished, upper-crusty surnames beginning with P.
  3. Sherman

    • Origin:

      English occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "shearer of woolen cloth"

    • Description:

      Not quite as over-the-hill as Herman, but not far behind either.
  4. Valley

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "low area of land between hills and mountains"

    • Description:

      An evocative word name, conjuring up images of the beautiful low land between hills and mountains, and the streams and rivers that often run through them, Valley has the advantage of also sounding totally name-y. Reminiscent of Ally, Valerie, Valentina, Tally, and Callie, it is a rising choice in the US, more than doubling in popularity in recent years.
  5. Pomeline

    • Origin:

      French, related to "apple"

    • Meaning:

      "apple"

    • Description:

      A rarely heard--even in France--name, most prominent as the third name of Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi, the daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco and granddaughter of Grace Kelly.
  6. Echo

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "echo or sound"

    • Description:

      Echo, the pretty, resonant name of a legendary nymph, was the heroine of Joss Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse. Nick Hexum, of the band 311, named his daughter Echo Love.
  7. Peony

    • Origin:

      Flower name; Latin

    • Meaning:

      "healing"

    • Description:

      One of the rarest of the floral names, though not without some teasing potential. Peony is a historical 1948 novel by Pearl S. Buck.
  8. Thayer

    • Origin:

      French variation of Taylor

    • Meaning:

      "tailor"

    • Description:

      Thayer is an affable, less-common alternative to Taylor, with a much more indirect connection to its occupational source. Actor Thayer David (born David Thayer: Thayer was his father's first name) was known for his roles in Rocky and Dark Shadows.
  9. Tilda

    • Origin:

      Estonian and Spanish diminutive of Matilda, German

    • Meaning:

      "battle mighty"

    • Description:

      Actress Tilda Swinton injected this dated nickname name with some modern charm.
  10. Howie

    • Description:

      Howie is a masculine name that originated as a diminutive form of Howard, though it's now often used as an independent given name. Howard derives from the Old Norse name Hávarðr, meaning "high or chief guardian." Howie carries a friendly, approachable quality typical of nicknames ending with the -ie suffix. The name reached its peak popularity in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, aligning with the success of figures like musician Howie Day and television host Howie Mandel. While retaining a certain boyish charm, Howie has declined in usage in recent decades, giving it a distinctive retro quality that might appeal to parents looking for a friendly, unpretentious name with historical roots.

  11. Diesel

    • Origin:

      German, from a pet form of Mathias

    • Description:

      Diesel, which you can think of as a word name for the fuel or as a German surname that derives from a pet form of Matthew or Mathias, is a new entry to the American name lexicon thanks to celebrities Jennie Finch and Casey Daigle, who chose it for their son, baby brother of Ace. Diesel might also be thought of as one of the neo-macho names, joining such bros as Harley, Ranger, and Breaker.
  12. Lynette

    • Origin:

      French elaboration of Lynn or Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "idol"

    • Description:

      Linda begat Lynn which gave way to Lynette, which peaked in the late 1960s. Lynette has been off the Top 1000 for a couple decades now, and the Lynn variations finding the most favor are those that put the "lyn" part at the end: Evelyn, Madelyn, Brooklyn.
  13. Mireille

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "to admire"

    • Description:

      A pretty name that may pose pronunciation problems for non-French speakers or those who've never encountered it, but it is worth the effort. Pronounced meer-AY (or closer to MEE-RAY in French), it comes from the Occitan word mirar meaning "to admire".
  14. Sandra

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Alessandra, Italian from Greek

    • Meaning:

      "defending men"

    • Description:

      2012's Hurricane Sandy blew away whatever style currency Sandra retained from its 1960s Sandra Dee heyday. While in recent years it's been associated with Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, as a baby name Sandra is sinking beneath the waves.
  15. Auden

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "old friend"

    • Description:

      A softly poetic surname name, associated with poet W.H., Auden is enjoying quiet but marked fashion status. It was chosen for his daughter by Noah Wyle and is definitely one to watch.
  16. Nilo

    • Origin:

      Spanish diminutive of Daniel

    • Meaning:

      "God is my judge"

    • Description:

      So much more worldly than Danny.
  17. Abe

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Abraham. Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "father of multitudes"

    • Description:

      Old-time nickname that's following in the fashionable footsteps of cronies Jake and Sam. Abe feels both fresher and cuter -- which is maybe the same thing? -- than those choices right now. You can also get to Abe via Abel, which may prove a friendlier formal name than the gray-bearded Abraham.
  18. Sumner

    • Origin:

      English occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "summoner"

    • Description:

      Billionaire Sumner Redstone, the nonagenarian owner of CBS and Viacom, practically has a monopoly on his first name — for now. But Hunter, Asher, and Ryder have ushered in a major vogue "-er" names, so it may only be a matter of time before parents discover this one.
  19. Rush

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "basket weaver"

    • Description:

      Might suggest speed, excitement, even danger, were it not for its best-known bearer, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh.
  20. Chandler

    • Origin:

      English from French occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "candle maker"

    • Description:

      In the US, nearly 300 baby girls were named Chandler in the US last year, which first appeared on the girls' Top 1000 in the heyday of Friends. While the TV character was masculine, today the name is 43 percent female and climbing, making it one of the trendiest boy names for girls.

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