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Classically underused
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The names
Valerie
French variation of Valeria
"strength, health"
The name of a martyred medieval saint, Valerie has been on the popularity list since its earliest publication in 1880. Though it peaked in the 1960s, remaining in the Top 100 until 1988, it still…
Daphne
Greek
"laurel tree, bay tree"
In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollo’s romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. It is from this myth that the…
Diana
Latin
"divine"
Diana, the tragic British princess, inspired many fashions, but strangely, not one for her name. For us, Diana is a gorgeous and still-underused choice. Diana is the Latin name for the Roman goddess…
Sylvia
Latin
"from the forest"
The musical, sylvan Sylvia seems poised to join former friends Frances and Beatrice and Dorothy back in the nursery. Sylvia has been consistently on the popularity list since records started being…
Sabrina
Celtic, Latin name for the River Severn
Sabrina, the bewitchingly radiant name of a legendary Celtic goddess, is best known as the heroine of the eponymous film, originally played by Audrey Hepburn, and later as a teenage TV witch; it…
Heidi
Diminutive of Adelheid; German
"noble, nobility"
Heidi became known — and popular — via the 1880 eponymous children's classic by Swiss writer Johanna Spyri and, despite decades of American Heidis of all sizes, shapes, and personalities, the name…
Rebecca
Hebrew
"to tie, bind"
Rebecca is a name representing beauty in the Bible, an Old Testament classic that reached the heights of revived popularity in the seventies but is still a well-used choice. It derives from the…
Helena
Latinate form of Helen, Greek
"torch; shining light"
Helena is one of those classic names that just misses making the US Top 1000 girl names for its entire history, falling off for a single year in 1992. Since then it's been drifting lazily up the…
Jocelyn
German
"member of the Gauts tribe"
Jocelyn has gotten new life and popularity as a result of the current passion for lyn endings. Though it was a male name in medieval times, now Jocelyn couldn't sound more softly feminine. John…
Bonnie
Scottish
"beautiful, cheerful"
Bonnie is an adorable nickname name, heading back up the popularity list after a 50-year nap. A Top 100 girls' name throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Americans are later to jump on…
Lana
English diminutive of Alana
"rock or handsome"
Popularized in the 1940s by Lana (born Judy) Turner, today Lana is synonymous with American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. Although it has been rising steadily since the early 2000s, Lana still sits…
Holly
English nature name
Holly ranks just in British Top 50, but it's been out of favor here since the 1970s Era of Nickname Names. Still, the name may be on her way back as a rejuvenated nature pick. Jolly Holly has always…
Meredith
Welsh
"great ruler"
Meredith is a soft, gentle-sounding name with subtle Welsh roots. Although originally a boys’ name , Meredith is used mainly for girls now. Meredith's highest point of popularity for girls in the…
Jacqueline
French, feminine diminutive of Jacques
"supplanter"
Jacqueline originated as a feminine form of Jacques, the French variation of James, and therefore Jacob. Jacob was ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Ya’aqov, and gets its meaning, "supplanter"…
Cassandra
Greek
"shining or excelling man"
The name of the tragic mythological Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but was condemned never to be believed, Cassandra has been used for striking characters in movies and…
Irene
Greek
"peace"
Serene Irene, the name of the Greek goddess of peace and one of the most familiar Greek goddess names , was hugely popular in ancient Rome and again in the United States a hundred years ago. One of…
Susannah
Hebrew
"lily"
Susannah is by far the most stylish form of the classic name now that Susan and Suzanne have retired. Susannah has biblical and musical pedigrees, is impervious to trends, and has an irresistible,…
Ingrid
Norse
"fair; Ing is beautiful"
The luminous Ingrid Bergman's appeal was strong enough to lend universal charisma to this classic Scandinavian name, which has been somewhat neglected in the US. Even today, a child named Ingrid…
Marion
English and French diminutive of Marie
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
An underused classic that has proved surprisingly unisex over the last few decades, being given to roughly the same number of baby girls and boys in the US from the 1970s to the 2000s. For a girl,…
Jillian
Phonetic spelling of Gillian
"youthful"
This spelling of Jillian is now much more popular than the original, maybe because the G version invites pronunciation problems.