Amish Names

A short form of Elisabeth, similar in sound to the 60s favorite Lisa.

An old-school great-grandpa name, like Irving and Ernest, that may just be ready for revival. It's also a well-known name in Hungary and elsewhere in central and eastern Europe. As a surname, it's associated with jazz sax player Booker Ervin.

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.

Justina was the pre-Justine feminization of Justin, now a possible alternative to Christina. Oddly, while Justine feels like a name unto itself, Justina feels like a pinned-together feminization in the mold of Richarda or Benjamina. Still, it may appeal as one of the unusual-yet-familiar girl names starting with J.

Mose is the German variation of Moses, a widely familiar name thanks to the character in the Old Testament. Mose is also used a nickname for Moses.

Ammon is connected to two religions in the US and is used exclusively between the two of them. Prior to the 1960s, Ammon was considered a solely Amish name. In the Amish community, Ammon is bestowed in honor of Jacob Amman, whom the Amish sect is named after.

The traditional German spelling of this name, used by Goethe, Bach and many other luminaries.

A blend of Mervyn and Marvin that is every bit as dated as either of the originals. That -erv sound is difficult no matter what. Mervin is still used today among Amish families.

Despite the voluptuous doll's various career choices, from astronaut to doctor, her name still remains a euphemism for "bimbo".

Katharina is an attractive form of Katherine and a great way to update a classic. But English speakers may want to choose the Katerina or Katarina spelling to avoid pronunciation confusion.

Heinz has become a cartoonish German name, prone to ketchup teasing.

Botanical Hebrew choice that leads to the sweet vintage nickname Nettie.

It's hard to believe, via a 21st-century sensibility, that Fannie was ever a Top 50 name. But Fannie was even more popular than Fanny in its late 19th-century heyday, and stuck around much longer, staying on the Top 1000 until the 1960s while Fanny fell off in 1940. Today, however, Fannie sounds antiquated at best, and rude at worst.

Laverna was the Roman goddess of thievery, cheating, and the underworld. The original meaning of her name in unknown, however, there are several theories. One such theory states that Laverna is related to the Latin word for theif, laterniō, while another connects the name to levare, meaning "to lift," as in shoplifting. In the case of the latter, Laverna would mean "goddess of gain".

That er sound -- as in Myrna, Myrtle, and Bernice -- sounds terminally dated.

Benuel is an Amish name that has only ever appeared on the Pennsylvania charts.

Concise and clipped European version of the earnest Ernest.

Nickname left over from the last generation.