Names that Peaked in 1896

  1. Hazen
    • Origin:

      Dutch surname from German
    • Meaning:

      "gray, black; hare"
    • Description:

      Hazen is a variation of the Dutch surname Hasin, which has two separate origins. The first is as a nickname for Haso, a Germanic given name derived from haswa, meaning "gray" or "black." Hasin was also a variation of Haas, a Dutch and German surname meaning "hare."
  2. Mahlon
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "sickly"
    • Description:

      Obscure Old Testament name -- he was the son of Naomi and the husband of Ruth -- that's become even more obscure over the past century, perhaps due to its unappealing meaning.
  3. Ocie
    • Origin:

      Short form of Ocean, nature name
    • Description:

      Ocie is yet another antiquated ie-ending short form that was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s and now has almost dropped from sight.
  4. Mckinley
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "son of the fair hero"
    • Description:

      New Presidential name, if you're ready to move beyond Lincoln and Jefferson. At the turn of the last century, during the original McKinley's heyday, as a first name it almost reached the Top 100.
  5. Little
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      A name that shows up on the Social Security roles of a hundred years ago. Let's hope it was a never-to-be-repeated mistake.
  6. Cam
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Cameron, Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "crooked nose"
    • Description:

      Cameron is still more popular as a boy's name than a girls and this simple, snappy short form works well for either sex.
  7. Price
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "son of Rhys"
    • Description:

      Some names referring to expensive things -- Tiffany, Armani, Porsche -- are in fact declasse, but Price transcends that label with its simplicity and strength.
  8. Aurore
    • Bertrand
      • Origin:

        French from German
      • Meaning:

        "magnificent crow"
      • Description:

        This name of famed philosopher, mathematician and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell becomes slightly more plausible with the French pronunciation, bare-TRAHN. Another noted bearer is French director and screenwriter Bertrand Tavernier.
    • Park
      • Origin:

        Word name
      • Description:

        A grassy place with trees is a nice image to attach to a name.
    • Tressa
      • Origin:

        Cornish
      • Meaning:

        "third"
      • Description:

        More unusual than Tessa, this would make an interesting, meaningful and attractive choice for a third child.
    • Crawford
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "ford where crows gather"
      • Description:

        A common surname in Scotland, but a starchy first name choice.
    • Lela
      • Milda
        • Origin:

          Lithuanian mythological name
        • Meaning:

          "goddess of love"
        • Description:

          The name of the Lithuanian love diety is a unique way to get to the nickname Millie. Milda has also been seen as a diminutive for names such as Matilda and Mildred. It appeared on the US Top 1000 in 1886 and 1887.
      • Evans
        • Origin:

          Welsh surname
        • Meaning:

          "the Lord is gracious"
        • Description:

          Evans is an historic Welsh patronymic surname, derived from Evan, which is a form of John. With Evan's popularity in the U.S. and the U.K. -- it's a Top 50 names -- the stylish s-ending version may also be on the rise.
      • Reta
        • Origin:

          Greek
        • Meaning:

          "shaken"
        • Description:

          With a soft e, sounds like an affected pronunciation of Rita.
      • Vergil
        • Hobart
          • Origin:

            English and Dutch variation of Hubert
          • Description:

            More user-friendly than the original.
        • Vira
          • Offie
            • Origin:

              Diminutive of Ophrah, Hebrew
            • Meaning:

              "fawn"
            • Description:

              A very old-fashioned nickname for the biblical city name Ophrah.