~ Names I liked when I was a child ~

Elizabeth

Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Elizabeth is one of the most popular girls' names of all time, the female equivalent of James or William. Yet Elizabeth has so much going for it—rich history, broad appeal, and timeless style—that no…

Audrey

English

"noble strength"

Audrey is one of the girls' names that have been rising due to their connection to Old Hollywood glamour — in this case the eternally chic and radiant Audrey Hepburn. Audrey has another very…

Kimberly

English surname and place name

"Cyneburga's meadow"

Kimberly's heyday was in the 1960s and 70s, when it ranked among the Top 10. While it hasn't been stylish for decades, it's evidenced more staying power than some former hot girl names, remaining…

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…

Bianca

Italian

"white"

Bianca, the livelier Italian and Shakespearean version of Blanche, has been chosen by many American parents since the 1990s, just as Blanca is a favorite in the Spanish-speaking community. Its…

Alexis

Greek

"defender"

Alexis, a one-time exclusively- boys’ name , was more popular than its sister Alexandra for quite a while, but in recent years Alexandra has overtaken it once again. Alexis was a Top 20 girls’ name…

Chelsea

Place name, English

"landing place for chalk or limestone"

Chelsea is still being used, with about 400 baby girls named Chelsea in the US last year. But it was much more popular a few decades ago, peaking at Number 15 in 1992. Chelsea first entered the…

Karen

Danish variation of Katherine, Japanese

"pure; lotus flower"

Karen, a once sweet Danish import, was so popular during the baby boom (Karen was Number 3 in 1960) that it's become a mem in recent years, representing a hostile white woman—one who usually wants to…

Courtney

English from French

"short nose; courteous, from the court"

Among the Top 20 names of the 1990s, today's Courtney is more apt to be the babysitter than the baby. Courtney has dropped since its peak at Number 17 in 1995. Familiar from Courtney Love and…

Shannon

Irish

"old and wise"

Irish place-name -- it's a river, a town, and an airport -- once popular but now supplanted by such newer immigrants as Saoirse and Seanan.

Becky

English diminutive of Rebecca, Hebrew

"servant of God"

Down to earth and versatile, Becky is a popular diminutive of the classic Biblical name, Rebecca. In the US, it was most popular as a stand alone name back in the 60s, while in the UK, it remained in…

Gretchen

German, diminutive of Margarethe

"pearl"

Like Greta, Gretchen is a German Margaret diminutive that has become an American quasi-classic, though not much used today, having dropped off the list in 2009. She was at her high point in the…

Shelly

Shelly is a feminine name that originated as a diminutive of Michelle or as a reference to seashells, giving it both personal and nature-inspired origins. Popular during the 1960s and 1970s in…

Inga

Norse

"guarded by Ing"

Ing was a powerful Norse god whose name inspired several modern variations -- though Inga has become a caricatured Scandinavian choice.