Unusual Antique Baby Names

Elnora is best known as the name of the heroine of the early 20th century novel A Girl of the Limberlost. While Elnora might plausibly have many derivations, the most logical is that isn't a contracted form of Eleanora, the Latinate variation of Eleanor.

The Early Americans invented names too, sometimes variations of classical or biblical favorites. This one appears in Colonial rosters; the Aur beginning is Latin and means "gold."

If default nickname Eli is too common for your tastes, you may consider resuscitating the antique nickname Lige for your little Elijah.

All but unheard of today, Floy was a popular Florence nickname used on its own in a century ago: it was Number 448 in 1914.

Clemma is a one-hit wonder, appearing on the US popularity list only once, back in the 19th century. This is one case where the diminutive is not cuter than the proper name.

Mittie is an antiquated nickname, best known as the name of the mother of President Theodore Roosevelt. It may be a short form of the pet name Mitten.

This Myrtle variation may not be the most melodious choice but it does have that appealing nature meaning.

Missouri, the name of a tribe, a state and a river, derives from the Illinois word mihsoori meaning "dugout canoe". It became a somewhat popular American girls' name in the mid-19th century.