Extinct Names

If there's an ancestral Earl you want to honor, consider Early instead.

Adelma is likely a feminization of Adelmar, which means famous nobleman. The name was seen a bit during the nineteenth century, with a famous bearer being Adelma Vay, a medium and spiritualist, which may be enough to put this in the new class of spiritual names. Count Adelma among the unusual but intriguing German names for girls.

Rice is really stretching the nature name boundary to its outer edges. But you may want to take it that far.

Shepherd is soaring in the charts, so why not Farmer? Perhaps because, unlike some of the occupation names that are so popular today, it is still an everyday word. Even so, if you're looking for a name that fits modern trends but no one else is using, Farmer could be the one.

Midcentury macramé-maker.

Nature surname with an aristocratic edge. Spelling it DeForest distances it from deforestation.

Here too lies the danger of entitlement.

Long one of the most popular girls' names starting with P, Patti replaced Patsy as the midcentury's popular, peppy babysitter but has now joined her in the retirement home.

Marge used to be as common as Maggie or Megan, ranking on its own in the girls' Top 1000 from 1900 until right after World War II, when so many Old School names fell off the list in favor of a new generation cuter, perkier choices.

Sociable middle name choice with a Quaker feel.

Merilee and Merrilee were early respelled or word names, ahead of their time in some ways. Merrilee hit the Top 1000 for a couple of years in the 1940s, but last year no baby girls were given either version of the name in the US, which makes it more appealing.

If you're looking for a girl's name that honors an ancestral Arthur, try Artis.

Part Verna, part Bernice, Vernice saw use as a girls' name during the heyday of both those names. Both entered the Top 200 in the 1880s, where Verna lasted until 1940 and Bernice a decade longer.

Warm and open, but way too much teasing potential.