A List of Trendy Old Fashioned Names

Milady

English

"my lady"

Mildred

English

"gentle strength"

Is it clunky cute, strong and vintage, or dreadful and mildewy? Like Gertrude and Bertha, Mildred is one that divides the crowds, but with popular nickname Mildred and renewed interest in Winifred,…

Millicent

German

"strong in work"

Combining the mild and the innocent, this sweet and feminine name is worthy of a comeback, in the mode of Madeline and Cecilia. Its original, also attractive form is Melisende, which came from…

Milou

Combination of Marie and Lou or Louise

Milou and her near-identical twin Malou are adorable names popular throughout Europe; they're contractions of Marie or Mary and Lou or Louise. The Malou spelling will probably be easier for English…

Mimi

Diminutive of Mary, Miriam, and others

Sweet, nicknamey name belonging to the tragic heroines of both La Bohème and Rent . Mimi might feel too slight for many parents to use on the birth certificate, but as a short form, it's one of the…

Minda

Short form of Melinda or Sanskrit

"knowledge, wisdom"

Minda is a simle, even familiar-sounding name that is nevertheless completely unknown. It might be a contraction of Melinda but it is a genuine Indian name with an appealing meaning.

Mindy

Diminutive of Melinda

"beautiful honey"

This sweet nickname style name combines contemporary Indy with vintage Minnie. Popular in the 80s, it fell out of style by the mid-90s, but, with the likes of Annie, Edie, Ellie, Bonnie and Heidi…

Minna

Diminutive of Wilhelmina, German

"resolute protection; love"

One of those pan-European nickname names much more familiar in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe than in the US, though related name Mina is making a comeback here. Light and bright, it could be an…

Minnie

Diminutive of Wilhelmina, German

"resolute protection"

Minnie was wildly popular at the turn of the last century — it was the fifth or sixth most popular name throughout the 1880s — but is completely obscure in the US today. Blame Mickey's girlfriend.…

Mireille

French

"to admire"

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…

Mirriam

Mirriam is a variant spelling of Miriam, which has Hebrew origins meaning 'wished-for child' or 'bitter sea.' In the Bible, Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron. This feminine name carries…

Monet

French artist name, from diminutive of Simon

A new favorite of the bohemian set, brought to light by actress Monet Mazur, daughter of the artist who designed the Rolling Stones' mouth logo.

Morena

Slovak, Macedonian

"brown-haired"

Morena is the goddess of seasonal rites and rebirth worshipped in Central Europe.

Morwenna

Welsh

"maiden"

Morwenna is an ancient Cornish name now being revived in Wales, deriving from a Celtic word meaning "maiden", although the Mor- syllable means that it's often associated with the sea. It's been heard…

Morwyn

Morwyn is a feminine name with Welsh origins. It combines 'mor' meaning 'sea' and 'gwyn' meaning 'white' or 'blessed,' sometimes interpreted as 'maiden of the sea' or 'fair sea.' This poetic name…