Names that Peaked in 1883

Emelia takes elements from soundalike sisters Emilia and Amelia, which actually derive from different roots and have different meanings. So rather than cobbling the two together, it's better to make a choice. Rival or work? Latin or German? Pick a lane and stick to it.

Actress Tilda Swinton injected this dated nickname name with some modern charm.

Rarely used on its own and irrevocably tied to former House Speaker Gingrich -- who was christened Newton.

In the 1950s and 60s, the name every little girl wanted for her very own.

If you find Grover too fusty and furry, this is a much cooler-sounding alternative.

A popular American name in previous centuries in honor of famed Harvard President, Charles Chauncy. This name is burdened by an incredibly pompous sound and best left in the past.

Ever since the enormous German cannon was dubbed by Allied soldiers "Big Bertha" in World War I, this name hasn't worked for a sweet little baby girl. But this was not always so. Hard as it might be to imagine now, Bertha was a Top 100 name until the 1930s, and in the 1880s was the seventh most popular name in the land--the equal of Joseph.

Updates Ellis -- but also has a lot of feminine potential thanks to Allison/Ellie similarity.

A rarely heard Hebrew name whose zippy first initial Z transforms it from dated Yetta-like image to more lively Catherine Zeta Jones-like appeal.

A romantic choice, this appealing Spanish name for boys is both accessible and distinctive.

Benton is an old English surname of a type usually given to local landowners. It is also recorded in early records as Beneton and Bentune. Benton newly returned to the Social Security list in 2011 after a forty-plus year absence, perhaps as a fresh route to Ben.

This nickname-name is very popular in Germany, though Lottie is still the preferred version in the US. The problem, of course, is that you'll have to put up with a lotta jokes. See?

Relaxed male name occasionally used for girls; sounds novel compared to such former favorites as Kerry and Sherry.

Gray-bearded name heard primarily in Sweden and Germany.

Common form of Emma found in the Baltic and Slavic states.

Currently in the Danish Top 50, Milas blends the trendiness of Silas with the old-school bookishness of Miles. Milas might derive from Latin roots, meaning soldier, or from Slavic roots meaning great/powerful.

This variation of the more well known Alvin adds an unusual and feminine touch to the original. It sounds a bit more like what it means--"elf friend."

World War II stamped a permanent verboten on Adolph.

An invention of the eighteenth-century romantic poet James Macpherson, in his epic cycle about Ossian, a legendary Celtic hero. In Poland, where it was popular at the start of the 20th century, the spelling is Malwina, and it's also had some use in other Eastern European countries.