Amish Names

To those who remember, Rhoda is still reminiscent of the brassy Bronx 1970s sitcom Rhoda Morgenstern. But Rhoda has a much longer history--it is a name that can be found in the New Testament as a servant girl in the house of Mary, mother of John. Later, Rhoda appeared in the novel Vanity Fair and the Shaw play Man and Superman.

This traditional Germanic name hasn't been on the U.S. list since 1958, but perhaps due to the mythic power of painter Frida Kahlo, parents are beginning to show some interest in it.

Traditional German names of this ilk have had a difficult time emigrating into the American name pool, mostly because anti-German sentiment during the two world wars of the 20th century drove German names out of fashion. One of Heinrich's nicknames, Harro, might do better.

A common surname often used as a first among the Amish.

Many parents prefer this spelling of Rebecca, used in some versions of the Bible. Still, it's slipped considerably since its heyday in the eighties and nineties.

With Old European vibes, Johan is a variant of the classic John, similar to the Latin, Hebrew, and Germanic forms, Iohannes, Yohanan, and Johannes. Conjuring up the image of the classical composer Brahms or the astronomer Kepler, while still feeling timeless and distinctive, Johan has been in the US Top 600 for most of the 21st century, helped along by Heidi Klum and Seal using it for their son in 2006.

The Ephram spelling, a phonetic spin on the original, may gain ground as it's the one used for the hero's name in the novel Ruby by Cynthia Bond, the new pick for Oprah's book club.

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.

This form of Theodoric, familiar via Marlene, is a possible German import. It is an Anglicized ancestor of Derek and all its variations. A noted bearer was acclaimed classical German baritone and conductor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and there have been Dietrichs in Henry James's The Princess Casamassima,/em and more recently on the TV show Psych.

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."

This spelling variation of trending unisex Ari — both diminutives of Hebrew Ariel — means "lion of God".

Lizzie was commonly used as an independent name in the last half of the nineteenth century. Today Lizzie is still one of the most stylish short forms of Elizabeth, but few U.S. parents put it on the birth certificate.

Elam is the name of no fewer than eight Old Testament figures. The most notable was a grandson of Noah whose followers were dubbed the Elamites. Elam is commonly used in Amish communities today.

A name that gained some currency through its rhyming relationship to Breanna, though it has been on a downward trend since 1989.

The modern name Dena can be considered to come from either of two Old Testament names. Adina, which means delicate, was the name of a male soldier in the Bible. Dinah, meaning judged, Dinah was the daughter of Jacob and Leah. Dena is a common name in Amish communities.

A coffee filter.

A thundering biblical name - belonging to a grandson of Adam and Eve, also known as Enosh - that hasn't made as much of a comeback as similar Enoch. Enos is also a book in the Book of Mormon, and the name of the first chimpanzee to go into orbit. Caution: depending on your accent, it could have one or two unfortunate rhymes.

The Mennonites took their name from Menno Simons, a Dutch leader of the Anabaptists. His name, which is a nickname of Meine, is still used today in the American Mennonite community.

After cracking the US Top 200 in the early 2000s, fueled by Jacob's rise, this name has been losing steam in recent years. But Jakob is the top form of the name in many other countries, cultures, and languages, ranking highly in Germany, Norway, Austria, Iceland, and Slovenia. Jakub is the Polish variation.