Vintage Girl Names (109 Old-Fashioned and Unique Antique Ideas)

Vintage Girls’ Names (109 Old-Fashioned and Unique Antique Ideas)

I’ve scoured the archives for dozens of vintage girls’ names along with old-fashioned girls’ names!

Some of these are certainly ready to be used again. Others, like Evelyn and Claire, have already come around and become popular again. And a handful like Bertha and Bessie are destined to fade away.

What are old fashioned female names?

vintage girl names

Old fashioned female names hit their peak popularity at least 70 years ago. Here are some of the most popular names from those times:

  1. Mary
  2. Helen
  3. Dorothy
  4. Margaret
  5. Ruth
  6. Mildred
  7. Anna
  8. Elizabeth 
  9. Frances
  10. Virginia
  11. Marie
  12. Evelyn
  13. Alice
  14. Florence
  15. Lillian 
  16. Rose
  17. Irene
  18. Louise
  19. Edna
  20. Catherine 
  21. Gladys
  22. Josephine 
  23. Ethel
  24. Ruby
  25. Martha 

Source

Old Fashioned Girl Names From the 1800s

Some of the most common old fashioned girl names from the 1800s include

  1. Mary
  2. Anna
  3. Emma
  4. Elizabeth 
  5. Margaret 
  6. Minnie
  7. Ida
  8. Bertha
  9. Clara
  10. Alice
  11. Annie
  12. Florence 
  13. Bessie
  14. Grace
  15. Ethel 
  16. Sarah
  17. Ella
  18. Martha
  19. Nellie
  20. Mabel
  21. Laura
  22. Carrie
  23. Cora
  24. Helen
  25. Maude

Source: Social Security Administration’s top names of the 1880s

Uncommon and Unusual Old-Fashioned Baby Girl Names

These old-fashioned baby girl names are uncommon and unusual 

  • Flossie
  • Myra
  • Alberta
  • Verna
  • Virgie
  • Elva
  • Rena
  • Mayme
  • Cleo
  • Leola
  • Ina

Keep reading to learn just how rarely used they are! 

Sassy Old Lady Names

These are perfect sassy old lady names:

  • Gertrude
  • Edna
  • Mattie 
  • Lula
  • Lulu
  • Fanny
  • Mamie
  • Effie
  • Lottie
  • Estella
  • Gladys
  • Flossie 
  • Eula

Vintage Girl Names

Vintage girl names hit peak popularity 30-60 years ago. 

Elegant Vintage Girl Names

vintage girl names

These elegant vintage girl names are classy without being pretentious 

  • Henrietta 
  • Estelle 
  • Ines
  • Patricia 
  • Angela
  • Annette 
  • Regina
  • Tamara
  • Crystal
  • Carmen
  • Loretta
  • Yvette
  • Yvonne
  • Felicia

Related post: Vintage boy names

Vintage Twin Girl Names 

These vintage twin girl names range from matchy to names that just sound good together:

  • Evelyn and Olive
  • Minnie and Lottie
  • Ida and Ethyl
  • Martha and Edna
  • Lula and Mamie
  • Ollie and Pauline
  • Ester and Henrietta 
  • Angela and Janet
  • Marcia and Felicia
  • Loretta and Tamara
  • Sharon and Carmen 
  • Patty and Selma
  • Annie and Hallie
  • Rose and Sadie 
  • Patricia and Isabel 
  • Lillian and Phyllis
  • Frances and Flossie
  • Nancy and Alberta
  • Jo and Kay
  • Lottie and Louise
  • Holly and Laurel 
  • May and Ruth
  • Maria and Tabitha
  • Iva and Mary
  • Blanche and Grace
  • Barbara and Jean
  • Marilyn and Rosalyn
  • Julie and Claire
  • Lindsay and Sidney
  • Martha and Silvia
  • Connie and Cassie
  • Linda and Pauline
  • Agnes and Margaret
  • Veronica and Vanessa
  • June and Jennifer
  • Rhonda and Regina
  • Diane and Elaine
  • Gayle and Gladys
  • Marge and Mary Ann
  • Peggy and Patsy
  • Wendy and Susanna 
  • Miriam and Olive
  • Janice and Jill
  • Mona and Lisa
  • Angela and Maria
  • Cindy and Mindy
  • Elza and Nellie
  • Darcey and Stacey
  • Louise and Henriette 
  • Elisabeth and Emily
  • Katrina and Kristina
  • Sarah and Karen
  • Sandra and Kelly
  • Tess and Ashley
  • Paula and Maria
  • Jill and Jacqueline
  • Daisy and Violet
  • Sally and Phoebe
  • Stephanie and Pauline 
  • Lisbeth 
  • Patricia and Priscilla

Related post: Unique Names for Twin Girls

Vintage One Syllable Girl Names

vintage girl names

Here are vintage one syllable girl names:

  • Grace
  • Maude
  • Claire
  • Joan
  • Jean
  • Ruth
  • Jane
  • Gail
  • Rose
  • Jo
  • Sue
  • Anne
  • Kay
  • Lynn
  • June
  • Pat
  • Faye
  • Jill
  • Dawn
  • Kim
  • Beth
  • Joy
  • Pam

More Vintage and Old-Fashioned Girl Names with Meanings

vintage girl names

Here is a massive list of vintage and old fashioned girls’ names along with their meanings and popularity 

Margaret

The name Margaret means pearl. It was used frequently until the 1920s but is somewhat less common now.

Minnie

Minnie originated as a nickname for Wilhelmina but became a name in its own right. It was quite popular until the 1930s. But since 1940, it’s been virtually unheard of and given to fewer than 100 baby girls every year. 

Ida

The name Ida comes from a Germanic word meaning work. Ida’s popularity declined steadily after 1880 and now it’s given to fewer than 100 baby girls each year!

Bertha

Bertha also comes from the German language and means bright, famous. It was popular until the 1920s, but now it’s faded away and hardly given to any babies.

Clara

Clara also means bright or famous. Clara isn’t used often in the US anymore, but its French cousin, Claire, is more common.

Alice

Alice is a form of Adelaide and means noble type. It’s a classic girl’s name and has been one of the top 100 choices from 1880-1957 and then again from 2014 onward.

Florence

The name Florence means prospering, flourishing, or be given in honor of the Italian city Florence. This name is rare in the US, but quite trendy in Quebec, England, and Australia. 

Bessie

Did you know that Bessie is a nickname for Elizabeth? It means my god is an oath. Bessie was in the top 20 girl’s names from 1880 to 1902 but is given to fewer than 100 girls per year now. This is certainly an old fashioned girl’s name!

Grace

The vintage girl’s name Grace is coming back into style! As you may have guessed, it means grace.

Ethel

The Old English name Ethel means noble. This old-fashioned girl’s name was in the top 20 choices from 1880 to 1913. Parents used it less and less, and now it’s given to fewer than 100 baby girls each year. 

Martha

Martha comes from the Aramaic word meaning the lady. As Martha Stewart shows us, this name was quite popular from the 1880s through 1941, but is rarely used now. 

Mabel

Meaning: loveable. Other forms of this old-fashioned girl’s name are Amabel, Maybell, Mabella, and Maybelline. While Mabel isn’t common in the US, it’s currently very trendy in England.

Maude

Did you know Maude is a form of Matilda? It means strength in battle. It used to be extremely popular, but after 1900, the name Maude was rarely used in the US.

Gertrude

Gertrude means spear of strength. It was among the 30 most common girl’s names from 1880 to 1911. But since the 1960s, it is rarely used!

Edna

The gorgeous but old-fashioned girl’s name Edna means pleasure. It was all the rage from 1890 to 1908. It slowly declined in use. Do you think Edna is ready for a comeback? 

Hattie

The stereotypical old lady name Hattie is a nickname for Harriet, which is actually a form of Henriette. Hattie was extremely popular from 1880 to 1930. It’s making a bit of a comeback recently, with 600-700 baby girls receiving this name from 2015 onward.

Mattie

As a girl’s name, Mattie is a short form of Matilda. Mattie was a very popular girl’s name in the late 1880s and has faded away since then.

Myrtle

vintage girl names

Myrtle started being used in the 1800s along with many other flower and plant names. It was consistently popular from 1880-1910, but is now extinct! 

Frances

Historical name Frances hit its peak in 1920 and is only used occasionally today.

Lula

Lula is a nickname for Louise, Louisa, Luella, Eloise, Talluluah, Ludmilla, and other names with an “lu” sound. After 1895, Lula wasn’t common at all. Interesting that the similar-sounding name Luna is extremely trendy now!

Lulu

Unsurprisingly, Lulu is a nickname for names starting with Lu or Lou, like Louise and Lucinda. It was extremely popular from 1884-1896, but hasn’t appeared among the top 1,000 girl names since 1941.

Fanny

Fanny or Fannie can be a nickname for Francis, Francine, Francoise, or Stephanie. However, Fanny has become a derogatory slang word since the early 1900s, so it quickly went out of style and isn’t used as a name anymore. 

Agnes

Agnes comes from a Greek word meaning chaste, but is also associated with the Greek word agnus, which means lamb. It fell into decline after the 1930s and hasn’t been among the top 1,000 girls’ names since 1972.

Blanche

The name Blanche means white or fair. It was quite common in 1890 but hasn’t appeared in the top 1,000 girl names since 1964. It’s currently given to fewer than 100 girls per year.

Mamie

I never realized that the name Mamie actually originated as a nickname for Mary or Margaret. It can also be a nickname for Madge, Mariel, Marinda. It started becoming less popular in the 30’s and has been given to fewer than 100 girls per year since then!

Effie

Effie is a diminutive form of Euphemia, which means to use words of good omen. In the UK,  Effie is becoming trendy now, but it’s still very rare in the US.

Nettie

Nicknames were popular as names in the early 1900s and Nettie is no exception! It can be a nickname for names like Annette, Jeannette, Ninette and other names ending in -tte. Nettie was among the top 200 girl names from 1880 through 1921, but has faded away since then.

Muriel

Muriel comes from Old Irish and has a gorgeous meaning- bright sea. It reached top popularity in 1922, but is given to fewer than 100 girls each year. Do you think this name is ready to make a comeback alongside Evelyn and Harper? Maybe one of its variants like Mariel, Meriel, Merle, Maryl, or Merla has more potential. 

Alma

Whether it’s based on the River of Alma in Crimea, the Latin word for nourishing, the Spanish word for soul, or Hebrew for young woman, Alma makes a unique choice. It’s pretty uncommon in the US but is trendy in England, France, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Denmark and Argentina. 

Sadie

Sadie is a diminutive of Sarah, meaning lady, princess, or noblewoman. It was among the top 200 most popular girl names  from 1880-1926, and from 2003 onward. I love seeing this beautiful and unique old fashioned female name catching on again!

Sarah

As we just learned, Sarah means lady, princess, or noblewoman.  Sarah is definitely a vintage girl’s name. It was super popular from 1970-1990 but has become less popular since then.

Irene

Peace – a beautiful meaning for a beautiful name! Irene was very common in the US from 1895 until 1924. It’s currently given to around 400 girls each year.

Lottie

Like many other names on this list of elegant vintage names, Lottie originated as a nickname for names like Charlotte, Carlotta, and Liselotte. After 1920, Lottie dropped out of the top 200 girl’s names. It’s quite rare now, and is given to fewer than 100 girls per year. However, it’s in vogue in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England now.

Esther

Esther comes from the Persian word for star. It became popularized in 1893 by the birth of Esther Cleveland, the daughter of Grover Cleveland. It’s actually fairly common now and given to 1,500-2,000 girls each year in the US.

Mildred

The old-fashioned girl’s name Mildred means gentle strength. It was common from 1903-1921. With today’s trends towards soft sounding names with many vowels like Emma and Olivia, a strong-sounding name like Mildred is very uncommon! 

Beulah

In Hebrew, Beulah means married. It peaked in 1900 and vanished from common use after 1961.

Ollie

Ollie was popular as both a girls name and boys name, especially from 1880-1910. Surprisingly, it was even more popular as a feminine name! Although it’s unheard of today, it makes a great alternative to the very common Oliver and Olivia.

Olive

On a related note, Olive was very popular from 1880 through 1925. It’s making a comeback these days too! You probably guessed that it’s related to the olive tree or olive fruit.

Pauline

Pauline and Paulina were common names for baby girls born between 1908-1926. Fewer than 100 baby girls receive these names now. These names are related to the name Paul, meaning humble.

Matilda

Matilda means strength in battle. It’s very trendy in England at the moment but only given to 600-700 baby girls in the US per year.

Henrietta

Henrietta is a cousin of the names Harriet and Hattie, which we saw earlier on our list! It was frequently used in the late 1800s but faded into obscurity after 1968. I hope this classy name makes a comeback.

Estella

vintage girl names

After Charles Dickens published Great Expectations in 1860, many folks named their little girls after the heroine, Estelle Havisham. After 1914, this name fell into decline, but it’s been sparking a bit of interest lately. This gorgeous name means star.

Iva

Surprisingly, Iva means willow tree in Southern Slavic. Immigrants brought this popular Serbian, Bulgarian, Croatian, and Macedonian name to the US, where it peaked in 1898. Its use died out after 1961. However, the similar sounding name Ivy is on the rise. Perhaps Iva will see some love too! 

Rhoda

The forgotten name Rhoda comes from the Greek word for rose

Nina

Nina, like many other names on this list, is a nickname for Antonina, Giannina, Saturnina, Nicolina, Tonina, Yanina, Janina, and other names ending with -ina or -nina. This short, simple, and sweet name certainly fits with the current trend of soft, melodic names with several.

Beatrice

This name means voyager, traveller. Beatrice was prevalent until 1909, when its use started to dwindle. It’s not quite out of sight now, it’s currently given to around 500 baby girls each year. Its Latin cousin, Beatrix, is only given to around 200 babies each year. 

Sophia

This name meaning wisdom is actually more popular today than it ever has been! The elegant Sophia is in the limelight around the globe, and it’s no wonder. With an easy pronunciation, it’s a wonderful fit in nearly any culture.

Ines

 I had no idea that Ines is a Spanish version of Agnes, which we learned earlier means chaste. It was a familiar name from 1890 until 1934.

Gladys

The Old Welsh name Gladys was an everyday name from 1880 through the 1940s. The novel Puck brought it to the international stage in 1870. It means country. 

Eula

The wholesome Eula is a short form of Eulalia, which means sweetly speaking. It was prevalent from 1880 until 1959 when it fell into obscurity. 

Luella, Louella

The names Luella and Louella are combinations of the names Lou and Ella. From 1916-1928, it was an everyday name. It’s started to edge into becoming a more common name today, but has a long way to go! It’s only given to 200-300 girls per year.

Birdie

Did you know that Birdie can be a name on its own, or a nickname for Bertha, Bernice, and other similar names? It was consistently used in the timeframe from 1880-1940 but is extremely rare today. 

Flossie

Flossie, a nickname for Florence, was a standard old-fashioned girl’s name! 

Patricia

Patricia, a feminine form of Patrick, first appeared in 18th century Scotland. It’s the perfect vintage girl’s name- it reigned at the top of the baby name charts from 1930-1960. And now it’s very obscure. Meaning: nobleman/ noblewoman.

Linda

The pretty name Linda means flexible, soft, mild, and is identical to the Spanish word for beautiful. It was the most popular name for girls from 1947-1952! It’s still used occasionally today.

Brenda

The vintage girl’s name Brenda comes from the Old Norse word for sword. In 1940, it zoomed to the top of the charts, where it stayed until 1970. Now this name is often considered dated since it was popular relatively recently. 

Barbara

The name Barbara wasn’t used much until it rocketed into every parent’s baby name list from 1927-1945! It was actually among the top 10 names during that entire time! Now it’s dwindled to only one of the 900 most common girl names.

Related post: Find more classic names in our collection of Victorian Names!

Angela

You’ve likely guessed that Angela means angel. This gentle name soared in popularity during 1960-1980. It’s still pretty popular, given to around 1,200 girls each year. 

Sharon

This classic name refers to the plains near the coast of Israel, or the flower, rose of Sharon. Around 1940-1960, Sharon rose (hahaha, pun intended) sharply and was used frequently! Recently it’s given to fewer than 100 baby girls per year.

Lindsay

Did you know that Lindsay used to be a male name until the 1960s and 70s? It suddenly skyrocketed to fame in the early 1980s but isn’t used anymore.

Janet

Janet originated in medieval times as a nickname for Jane. It was very popular from 1930-1960 but has since faded. It’s now given to around 200 girls per year. 

Sheila

While researching this post, I learned that Sheila is a form of Cecelia! It was prevalent from 1950-1970 but is rare today. 

Connie

Another nickname! Constance, Concordia, Cornelia, Consolata, Constantina, Constanza, Consuela, and other similar names can be long forms of Connie. It was actually used as a nickname for boys with names like Conrad too! Connie peaked between 1945-1962 but is non-existent today. 

Veronica

Surprisingly, Veronica is a form of the name Berenice! It came to the US by the way of France and Scotland. It’s been used frequently over the last 150 years, but was most common from the 1970s until 1990.

Janice

vintage girl names

Author Paul Lester Ford created the name Janice as a form of Jane for his novel Janice Meredith published in 1899. It took the US by storm from 1940-1960. Now it’s faded into obscurity. 

Annette

The elegant French nickname for Anne became a household name in America in the 1950s due to the fame of actress Annette Funicello. Its use has dwindled after 2010.

Wanda

Author Oudia introduced the German name Wanda to the English-speaking world with her 1883 novel Wanda. It was pretty popular from 1920-1962. Now fewer than 200 baby girls receive this name each year.

Vanessa

Vanessa was invented by writer Jonathan Swift for his poem Cadenus and Vanessa. It was later used as a name for a genus of butterflies. It became fairly popular after the 1950s.

Related post- Names that mean butterfly

Sabrina

This name comes from an ancient Welsh princess. Thanks to the comic book,  Sabrina the Teenage Witch (introduced in 1962), tv adaptations (1970-1974 and 1996-2003), plus Sabrina appearing as a main character in Charlies Angels in 1976, this name has appealed to Americans from the 1960s through the 1990s!

Related post: Names that mean magic

Rhonda

Rhonda started becoming popular in the mid-1940s and peaked in 1956 before declining. It may be a combination of Rhoda and Linda.

Diane

From 1940-1970, Diane was a very popular name in the US. Meaning: divine, goddess-like

Gayle

Both Gail and Gayle were very popular from 1938-1958. They are short forms of Abigail, meaning joy.

Marge

Marge is a short form of Margaret that was used occasionally from 1900- 1948.

Mona

The short and sweet Mona has several meanings! First, Mona comes from an Irish name meaning little noble one. It’s related to the Greek monos, meaning one. And of course, there’s also the Mona Lisa, where it means my lady. It was popular from 1930-1970!

Cindy

Cindy, like Cynthia, peaked in popularity in 1957. It’s a diminutive of Cynthia or Lucinda

Lucinda

vintage girl names

Cervantes invented the name Lucinda for his novel Don Quixote published in 1605! It was used occasionally in the US until the 1970s, but is no longer used today. 

Berenice

Meaning: bringer of victory. Berenice was a modestly popular name from 1880-1920, and again in the 1980s, but was rarely heard outside those times.

Mindy

Mindy, a nickname for Melinda, was briefly in the limelight from 1951-1991, but has been given to fewer than 200 baby girls per year outside that range!

Darcy

Darcy was very popular from 1960-1980, but isn’t given to many girls now. Fitzwilliam Darcy is a famous character from Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. 

Stacy

The vintage girl’s name Stacy could be a short form of Anastasia or Eustace. It was a common name from 1966-1986.

Katrina

Katrina. Popular from 1970-1990. After the devastating  Hurricane Katrina in 2005, this name died out.

Kristina

Christina and Kristina were both frequently used from 1975-1984, making it the perfect vintage girl’s name. 

Karen

Karen, a form of Katherine, was very trendy from 1942-1966.

Sandra

Did you know Sandra is a short form of Alessandra? It was among the top 30 girl names from 1938-1970.

Kelly 

Kelly used to be a male name but is now predominantly female. It rose in popularity as a feminine name in the 1940s but was on the decline by the end of the 1970s.

Angela

Angela comes from the word angel. It was in vogue in the US from 1970-1978 and is still used occasionally. 

Annette 

Famous actress Annette Funicello brought this name into the spotlight in the late 1950s. It’s a fun amd unique form of Anne that we don’t hear often anymore. 

Regina

Meaning: queen. This name was given tp honor the Virgin Mary in the Middle Ages. What do you think of the nickname Reggie? From 1960-1968, Regina was very popular in the US. It’s still used occasionally today. 

Tamara

The Russian name Tamara refers to the date palm trees. It skyrocketed in popularity from 1958-1974 and is rarely used now.

Crystal

Referring to crystal, glass, and ultimately coming from the Greek word for glass, Crystal has always been an elegant name. During the period from 1978-1984, it was among the top 20 girls names in the country.

Carmen

The soft and melodic Carmen comes from the word carmel, which means garden. It may have been influenced by the Latin word carmen, meaning song.

Loretta

This unique form of Laura means laurel. It was fairly common from 1900-1958, but was used frequently from 1940-1950.

Felicia

Felicia means lucky, prosperous. It was among the top 200 girls names in the US from 1964 through 1996!

You might enjoy reading an in depth post about vintage diapers collections.

Yvette

vintage girl names

The formal sounding name Yvette quickly climbed the charts from 1960 to 1966, but has now faded away. Meaning: yew tree

Yvonne

And our final name, Yvonne, shares the same origin as Yvette and also means yew tree. Like Yvette, it was popular from 1960 to 1966, but is quite obscure now.

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Resources For Finding Vintage and Old-Fashioned Girl’s Names

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