Names that Peaked in 1888

This is an African name that would fit into any culture.

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.

Old-fangled nickname could make dot.com era short form or middle name.

Turner is a name that's both preppy and painterly, recalling the exquisite watercolor seascapes of British painter J.M.W. Turner. An occupational name in the Taylor-Carter mold, Turner is a more distinctive choice than many of the usual suspects.

Like Lars, Sven, Niels, and Nels, an unjustly neglected straightforward Scandinavian name. Surname Nilsson or the anglicized Nelson derives from Nils.

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.

The chic Euro spelling of Henry is rising along with the original form.

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.

Godfrey was very popular in the Middle Ages, but today you're more likely to hear it as a surname than a first name. It has a solid, old-man charm, but a couple of possible deal-breakers: the first syllable being God, and no obvious nickname. Goff, maybe? For a different feel, we also like the Italian artist's version Giotto.

For some, a name that will evoke the beauty of the national park in the Colorado Rockies.

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.

Despite Thornton Wilder, playwright of the perennial Our Town, only a handful of baby boys receive this name each year..

Classic Italian name with celestial vibes.

Upper-class surname in England that might be prime for adoption here.

Too far gone to the girls.

The double 'n's in this spelling variation of vintage Winifred aesthetically looks closer to the loveable nickname Winnie which is likely the appeal for many parents. Winnifred, along with several other Win names, from vintage revivals Winnie and Winona to modern Winter and Winslow, is on the rise.

A highly unusual Old Testament name that had a burst of popularity in the States in the 19th Century.

Wong is a common romanization of the pinyin Chinese family names Huang and Wang, as well as rarer surnames such as Heng and Hong.

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".

An English family name used a few generations ago as an Anglicization of Moses, but hardly heard since th 1950s.