Names that Peaked in 1880

This somewhat boisterous Celtic name would be at home in a noisy pub or out walking on the moors. In Scotland, it was originally a nickname for someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.

Stuffy presidential choice: consider Hayes instead.

Gorgeous name in any form, though the c may muddy the pronunciation.

We once dismissed Bird as "too flighty", but with the rise of avian names from Lark to Robin to, well, Birdie, we don't see why Bird can't be a fine choice, especially as a middle name.

An appealing surname-name that sounds perfectly feminine, unless you consider the association to Vice President Dick.

A pan-European variant of Bertha and nickname for -berta ending names, such as Alberta and Roberta. It's certainly much more appealing than its predecessor, but unlikely to become a hit in the US anytime soon.

Conjures up a tweedy English country gentleman with a large paunch.

Retro nickname for Charles that has the potential for revival, a la Hal, Ike, and Gus.

Sounds like a displaced Dr. Seuss character.

A poetic name first used in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" in 1596, it had a literary vogue in the 18th century, especially favored by Robert Burns. "inda" names--Melinda, Belinda, Linda" are not particularly in right now.

Most modern parents would drop the Jo, leaving the superpopular Ella.

This is a big name, both in heritage and sound. On the right child, this could be inspired, but others may shrink from all the connotations. While your preferred nickname for this option might be Col (or Kit if you're connecting it to Christopher Columbus), you may end up with the slightly more cumbersome "Bus" as the short-form.