Top 10 Vintage and Old-Fashioned Baby Names For Girls
Classic old-fashioned and vintage baby names for girls are returning to fashion, and we’ve picked our favourite old-fashioned baby names for you to consider.
Choosing a baby name is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a new parent (as well as deciding which stroller to buy), so take the time to review our vintage and old-fashioned baby names ideas and start making a shortlist of your favourites.
Vintage and old-fashioned baby names for girls are everywhere you look. Although it originated in the 1700s, 1800s and beyond, most of it is still popular today.
That’s because trends tend to roll over again, or popular figures such as royalty and celebrities make those names fashionable, or our children’s often much older relatives get names – it’s up to you to decide.
The increase in old-fashioned and vintage baby names fo girls may be due to the fact that we are all looking for an interesting, unusual or unique name for our baby as well.
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Here Is The List Of The Most Old-Fashioned And Vintage Baby Names For Girls
1- Alice
The name Alice is the name of a girl of German origin, meaning “noble”.
Alice is derived from the old French name aalis, an acronym of Adelais, itself derived from the Germanic name Adalhaidis. Adalhaidis, from which the name Adelaide is also derived, consists of Proto-Germanic elements aþala, meaning “noble”, and haidu, “type, appearance, type”. Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland name has become popular in modern times.
The name Alice is a classic literary name that is both powerful and sweet, and has had a huge jump with Tina Fey choosing the name for her daughter. Alice, along with other girls ‘ names starting with A, has experienced a surge in popularity recently.
And Alice is quite different among traditional girls ‘ names-more feminine and elegant than Mary and Helen, more robust than Ann or Jane, but lighter and more innocent than Margaret or Katharine.
Alice is a darling of literature, from the immortal heroine in Alice In Wonderland to an unusual number of fine modern writers such as Alices Munro, Walker, Sebold, Hoffman, McDermott, Adams and Elliott Dark. In other areas, she has included first daughter Alice Roosevelt, painter Alice Neel, food innovator Alice Waters, and literary figure Alice B. There was Toklas.
As a British royal, Alice was the second daughter of Queen Victoria, who shocked her Victorian mother by breastfeeding her baby.
2- Adelaide
The name Adelaide is the name of a girl of German origin and means “noble, noblility”.
Adelaide is currently going straight uphill, accompanied by New popular sisters such as Ava, Ada and Audrey, and Adeline and Amelia. It was named by actress Katherine Heigl for her second daughter’s name.
Adelaide was born in 1830 to King George IV of England. She rose to fame as the noble German princess who married William and became known as the “Good Queen Adelaide”, an inspiration for the name of the Australian city and a craze for her name. Previously on St. Adelaide married Otto The Great and became Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, and was described as a “wonder of beauty and goodness”.
When Australian actress Rachel Griffiths (also mother to son Banjo) chose Adelaide for her daughter, she said she was inspired by the city, Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and the Disney character in The Aristocats. Adelaide can also be found in the works of Thomas Hardy and Agatha Christie.
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3- Anna
The name Anna is the name of a girl of Hebrew origin and means “grace”.
Anna Hebrew Latin form of Hannah, a Hebrew name derived from the root Chanan, meaning” grace”. European Christians adopted the name because of its association with Saint Anna, mother of the Virgin Mary – it is known in English as Saint Anne. While Hannah and Anna are the most common forms of the name, variations such as Annie, Ann, Anya, Anika, Nancy, and Anais also feature in the US top 1000.
Anna has become the dominant form of the Ann family, which has been firmly in the top 25 for years and has only been in decline for the past few years. Anna, from Russia to Italy, from Spain to the Netherlands, offers an exotic touch and a little more style than the oversimplified Ann, which has been used for generations in Europe.
Classic and simple Anna would be a great choice for parents looking for a name that would bridge two different cultures, Jewish and Italian, for example.
In literature, Anna is associated with Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. The name gained new life when it was used for the cute little sister, voiced by Kristen Bell in the animated film Land of snow. The three current carriers are actresses Anna Kendrick, Anna Friel and Anna Paquin.
Anya takes him further, to the land of Anja, more exotic.
4- Beatrice
The name Beatrice is the name of a girl of Latin origin, meaning “Blessed; who brings happiness”.
Beatrice is derived from Beatrix, a Latin name meaning” the woman who brings happiness”. Beatrice was the name of Queen Victoria’s youngest child. And in Dante’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy, Beatrice is his Guide To Heaven and is idealized as the embodiment of the spirit of love. In Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice is a witty, high-spirited heroine. Spanish and Portuguese Beatriz and other variants of the name include French Béatrice and Spanish and Portuguese Beatriz.
Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the beautiful Beatrice, the long literature (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history with parents who are looking for a classic character (Paul McCartney and Bryce Dallas Howard as), such as by examining with fresh eyes and Bea Bee optimistic and many a nickname. Beatrice has rivalries with the more exotic Beatrix and Beatriz these days. Beatrice is much more popular in the UK.
His nickname, Bea, remained alone on the popularity charts for four years at the turn of the twentieth century, and this could happen again. Bea is stylish and modern, Trixie sounds nostalgic and spoilt – but if you prefer Trixie, you might want to think of the Beatrix version of the name, reminiscent of the watercolorist and children’s author Beatrix Potter, and with an amazing-x ending. Beatrice, on the other hand, feels kinder and more classical.
When the Duke and Duchess of York, aka Fergie and Prince Andrew, chose her for their eldest daughter in 1988, they put Beatrice back in the public eye. The name can be pronounced with two syllables, BEE – or BEH-tris; with three, as in BEE – or BAY-ah-Tris; or, as the Italians call it, with four, bay-ah-TREE-chay.
Other names meaning happiness: Felicity and Hilary, both of whom would have been a good twin or sister name for Beatrice. Beatrice is also among the relatively rare girls ‘ names that begin with B and have many style values today.
5- Catherine
The name Catherine is the name of a girl of Greek origin and means “pure”.
Catherine is one of the oldest and consistently best-used girls ‘ names, with its endless variations and nicknames. The Catherine form feels more gently old-fashioned and feminine than the more popular K versions. The most stylish nickname for Catherine at the moment: Kate … or Cate, a la Blanchett.
While the popularity of the Catherine form has waned in favour of K and Katherine, we think it may be reversed since Catherine Middleton, who reportedly hated the name Kate and never used it, became Prince William’s wife and put on a modern model. A stylish shine to the already classy name.
The spelling Catherine was a top 100 name by the millennium; it peaked at number 18 in 19 teens.
Catherine has been used throughout history for Saints (one of whom, Catherine of Alexandria, is the patron saint of philosophers, students, craftsmen, nurses, and librarians), Queens, and similarly for the public.
Catherine has also been associated with some of the great romantic literary heroes, such as Heathcliff’s love in Wuthering Heights and Hemingway’s passionate nurse Catherine Barkley in Goodbye to guns.
And if you’re wondering why all these interchangeable C and K’s, it’s because when Anglo-Saxon Britain was named Catherine was spelled with C because the letter K does not yet exist in the English alphabet.
Parents may also want to consider one of the attractive foreign variations, such as Caterina.
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6- Clara
The name Clara is the name of a girl of Latin origin, meaning “bright, clear”.
Having long fallen into the stagnant waters of The Olde World, the European-flavoured Clara has been speeding up the charts in the coat-tail of her more stylish sister Claire for the past few decades. Now, many might say, the classic chic Clara is more stylish than the two names. Actor Ewan McGregor was one of the first to adopt the name of one of his daughters.
Clara is loyal to a popularity list and is now as popular as she has been since the 1940s. And Clara was one of the top 10 names in the 1880s, once associated with the silent screen ‘It Girl’, Clara Bow, and before that, the German musician and composer Clara Schumann and Clarissa-born Red Cross founder Clara Barton.
The name Clara is loved for her starring role in The Nutcracker ballet and for being Heidi’s invalid friend.
Other Clara variations you might want to consider include Clarissa and Clarina, but Clarabelle still seems suitable for cows.
7- Eleanor
The name Eleanor is the name of a girl of English origin.
Although some think Eleanor is a variation of Helen through Ellen, it is in fact derived from the Provencal idiom meaning “other aenor”, which was used to distinguish the original Eleanor, named after her mother aenor. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine brought her to England from France in the twelfth century. Other spellings are Elinor and Eleanore.
Eleanor’s simple feminine image, combined with her royal medieval origins, makes just the right note for parents looking for a girl’s name that combines content and style.
The big plus: Eleanor, with two aliases – Ellie and Nell / Nellie – is a really affectionate serious name. Nell is more prominent, but Ellie is arguably one of the cutest names for today’s baby girls.
Diane Lane has an Eleanor and Katie Couric has an Elinor using the variant spelling. (Jane Austen used both versions – Eleanor in Northanger Abbey and Elinor in Sense And Sensibility.)
A notable namesake is First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Two other English queens bore his name: the wives of Henry III and Edward I, currently Eleanor Shellstrop, the protagonist of the television show The Good Place.
Eleanora and Leonora are beautiful, more feminine variations. Ellen and Lenore are shorter forms.
8- Emma
The name Emma is the name of a girl of German origin, meaning” universal”.
Emma appeared as a diminutive for Germanic names beginning with the Armenian root. A very old royal name, much used over the centuries – Queen Emma married King Ethelred the Unready in 1002 – Emma is also historically associated with Lady Hamilton, mistress of Lord Nelson and muse of the painter George Romney.
It is worth noting that Emma, Emily and new British No 1 Amelia all derive from different roots and have different meanings. But they continue to feel like very similar names.
Emma has now been the top baby girl name in the United States for four consecutive years, claiming the crown again for 2018. Emma topped the charts internationally thanks to Emma’s Legion of heroes from Bovary to Goldman and Jane Austen. It is the protagonist along with famous modern Emmas such as Emma Stone and Emma Watson. Parents returning from Emily to Emma looking for something more distinctive will have to keep searching.
Emma received a huge boost among popular baby names when she was given Rachel and Ross’s baby on the series Friends in 2002. It also tops many fashionable girls ‘ names, starting with Ella, Eleanor and E. Eliza
Emma is simple but has a deep background, streamlined and has a modern feel but is distinctly feminine. It’s hard to put all these qualities together in one name, which is why so many parents (more than 17,000 last year) chose Emma and made her the name of the best girls.
Parents who love Emma but think she is overexposed turn to alternatives such as Amelia, Emilia, Amelie, Emmeline and Ella. But, of course, those names may be ready to rise and replace Emma near the top of the old-fashioned and vintage baby names for girls list.
Three of the hottest young female stars share the same name: Emma Watson, Emma Roberts and Emma (born Emily) Stone.
9- Isabel
The name Isabel is the name of a girl of Spanish origin and Means “dedicated to God”.
Isabel came from Elizabeth in southwestern Europe in the Middle Ages. It was originally written as Elisabel, but was dropped as the first syllable spread across the continent. In Spain and Portugal, Isabel and Elizabeth are considered variations of the same name, but in other European countries and the US they are considered separate names.
The charming Isabel is quite fashionable again, a century after her first wave of success. And it’s easy to understand why: the lady (an Isabel Archer in Henry James’s Portrait of a lady) and melodic, traditional but somewhat unusual. Isabel looks both smart and beautiful.
The Chilean writer Isabel Allende and the painter Isabel Bishop and the Cuban-American fashion designer Isabel Toledo are two well-known cultural names.
The only drawback: Isabella’s recent popularity, numerous other small Isabels, Isabelles, Isabellas, Belles, and Bellas yours will be far from unique.
Angela Kinsley of the office named her daughter Isabel, and Annette Bening and Warren Beatty have a young Isabel.
The French version of Isabelle is Isabella, which is Italian, and the Scottish spelling Isobel, which has a definite character of its own, ‘she’, which gives her an extra shot of strength.
Stylish nicknames include Izzy, Ibby, Isa and Belle.
10- Letitia
The name Letitia is a girl’s name of Latin origin, meaning” joy, happiness”.
Letitia is a sensitive, once primitive, and appropriately voiced name, unbuttoned by its stale image with numerous phonetic spellings. The original, often used in Spanish-speaking families, would still be an attractive and delicate choice. After a solid century in the top 1000 list, Letitia fell out in the early 1980s and has yet to return.
Letitia has the legacy of First Lady as the wife of President John Tyler. Jacqueline Kennedy’s White House social secretary, Letitia Baldridge, was commonly known as Tish. These days, most parents prefer the sweet, gold medallion pet forms Letty or Lettie.
She spelled Laetitia, she was the Roman goddess of celebration, happiness and joy. The name originated in Medieval England in the form of Lettice. We have explained our ‘old-fashioned and vintage baby names for girls’ list.
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