Names that Peaked in 1888
- Mamie
Origin:
Diminutive of Mary or MargaretDescription:
Mamie is back. Having finally shorn her Mamie Eisenhower bangs, this insouciant and adorable nickname name is perfect if you want a zestier way to honor a beloved aunt Mary. Meryl Streep's actress daughter, properly named Mary Willa, is called Mamie Gummer. You might think of Mamie as a sister of the stylish Maisie.
- Ollie
Origin:
Short form of Olive or Olivia, LatinMeaning:
"olive tree"Description:
Ollie is used less often as a nickname for the mega-popular Olivia or the stylish Olive than Ellie is for Eleanor or Allie for Allison. That may be because Ollie has a much longer use as a nickname for boys.
- Zella
Origin:
African, BobangiMeaning:
"lacking nothing, one who knows the way"Description:
This is an African name that would fit into any culture.
- Nils
Origin:
Scandinavian variation of NicholasMeaning:
"people of victory"Description:
Like Lars, Sven, Niels, and Nels, an unjustly neglected straightforward Scandinavian name. Surname Nilsson or the anglicized Nelson derives from Nils.
- Ebba
Origin:
English or GermanMeaning:
"fortress of riches, or strength of a boar"Description:
Ebba, the feminine version of Eberhard and also a form of an old English name, is in the Swedish Top 10 but virtually unknown in the US. However, with the rise of Emma, Ella, Ada, and similar simple-yet-traditional names, Ebba may enjoy more widespread popularity.
- Coral
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
First used during the Victorian craze for jewel names; it could rise again, along with Ruby and Pearl, though it doesn't have as much luster.
- Estes
Origin:
English, Welsh, and Spanish surnameMeaning:
"of the East"Description:
For some, a name that will evoke the beauty of the national park in the Colorado Rockies.
- Dot
Origin:
English, diminutive of DorothyDescription:
Old-fangled nickname could make dot.com era short form or middle name.
- Henri
Origin:
French and Finnish variation of Henry, GermanMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
The chic Euro spelling of Henry is rising along with the original form.
- Bertha
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"bright, glorious"Description:
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.
- Hughie
- Vere
Origin:
English from FrenchMeaning:
"alder"Description:
Upper-class surname in England that might be prime for adoption here.
- Sula
Origin:
Literary nameDescription:
The protagonist of Toni Morrison's novel, the simple-yet-sensual Sula relates to the Old Testament Shulamit. Alternatively, it might be a short form of Ursula.
- Celestino
Origin:
Italian; Spanish; Portuguese, from LatinMeaning:
"belonging to heaven"Description:
Classic Italian name with celestial vibes.
- Erie
Origin:
American place-nameDescription:
One of the Great Lakes and a city next to it, named after a Native American people. This name swings between being more popular for boys and girls, but is currently rare for both. It could also be short for a, Er- name like Erasmus. Be aware that it sounds like the word "eerie".
- Morton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"town near the moor"Description:
An English family name used a few generations ago as an Anglicization of Moses, but hardly heard since th 1950s.
- Barton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from the barley settlement"Description:
More user-friendly, though less substantial, than Bartholomew.
- Allie
Origin:
Diminutive of AllenDescription:
Too far gone to the girls.
- Thornton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"place in the thorns"Description:
Despite Thornton Wilder, playwright of the perennial Our Town, only a handful of baby boys receive this name each year..
- Thurman
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"defended by Thor"Description:
Found as a first name primarily in baseball books giving the stats on the late New York Yankee Thurman Munson.