Names that Peaked in 1894

Name long associated with eloquent Black Panther activist Eldridge Cleaver and jazz great Roy Eldridge.

Viva la baby with this life-affirming name, one of the appealing group of girl names that mean life.! Singer Rufus Wainwright chose it for his baby daughter, perhaps in celebration of a new life entering the world the year after he lost his mother Kate McGarrigle. The baby's middle name is Katherine.

Earl is a title name - brought to England by the vikings - that's out of fashion right now, unlike King and Duke. Its peak popularity was in the 1920s, which gives it a dusty great-grandpa feel, but there are also younger Earls in pop culture, like the reformed criminal in "My Name is Earl".

Newer than Zac, cooler than Ed, Ned, or Ted.

Archie, Albie, and Alfie are coming back into style, so naturally, we think Alvie could be next. Alternate spelling Alvy was used by Woody Allen for his character in Annie Hall.

A name with an obvious meaning, for a long time associated with Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. Nickname Goldie seems to be catching on in the celebrity community.

Frequently cited as an example of cruel baby naming, à la Ima Hogg.

The rare name Genoveva might be thought of as a variation of the French names Genevieve or Geneva, which have different roots and meanings. An unusual, pretty choice.

It sounds like a modern nature name, but Leafy was coined as a Puritan nickname for the girls' name Relief, which referred to the relief of Christ.

We can't get past the odd part of this name.

Associated all through the swing years with bandleader brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey.

Not quite as over-the-hill as Herman, but not far behind either.

Ovid is the English form of the Roman family name Ovidius, which possibly comes from the word for sheep. It is the usual English name for the first-century poet Publius Ovidius Naso.

Just the kind of old-fashioned nickname coming back into style.

Sylvanus or Silvanus was the Roman god of the forest whose name is much more often found today in such variations as Sylvia, Sylvie and even Silas than in its original form. But if you're looking for a genuine mythological or Ancient Roman name with a nature connection, this might be the perfect choice.

Streamlined spelling of the biblical name, as in basketball great Isiah Thomas, falling fast from its height in the charts.