Popular Names of 100 Years Ago--girls

Colleen

Irish

"girl"

Midcentury Irish-American favorite, never used in Ireland itself, being the generic word for "girl"; rarely given today.

Malley

Malley is a feminine name with Irish and Scottish Gaelic roots. It likely derives from the surname O'Malley or Malley, which comes from 'Ó Máille' meaning 'descendant of Máille' (a personal name…

Eloisa

Italian and Spanish variation of Eloise

"healthy; wide"

Eloisa captures a lovely name back from the spoiled little girl at the Plaza. Historical romance writer Eloisa James has helped make this antique name sound fresh and sassy again.

Sandra

Diminutive of Alessandra, Italian from Greek

"defending men"

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,…

Nella

Nella is a feminine name with Italian and Germanic origins. It can be a standalone name or a diminutive of names like Petronella, Antonella, or Cornelia. In Italian, it literally means 'at the' or…

Sigrid

Norse

"fair victory"

Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.

Eudora

Greek

"generous gift"

Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and…

Trudy

German

"spear of strength"

Innocent, sincere, and bright-eyed, and as outdated as its mother name, Gertrude.

Emeline

French form of German Amelina

"work"

An old name, with a history separate from Emily and Emma and a different kind of vintage feel, that's a possible alternative to top-of-the-pops names. More common spelling is Emmeline.