Old-time nickname that may follow in the fashionable footsteps of cronies Jake and Sam. 

Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree.
 Alexander is derived from the Greek name Aléxandros, composed of the elements aléxein, meaning "to defend," and aner, meaning "man." 
 
According to Greek legend, the first Alexander was Paris, who was given the nickname Alexander by the shepherds whose flocks he defended against robbers. He was followed by Alexander the Great, aka Alexander III, who conquered much of Asia.
 
A royal name in Scotland, Alexander is still highly popular there. In Gaelic, the name became Alasdair; in Spain, Alejandro; and in Italy, Alessandro.
 
The noble Alexander has led to the popularity of many spinoffs, such as Alex, Zander, Xan and Zan, along with female versions such as Alexandra, Alexis, and the unfortunate Alexa.
 Among the many notable Alexanders in history, standouts are Hamilton, Graham Bell, Fleming, Pope and Haig.
 Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber's Alexander is known as Sasha.

Alexander

The name of the sainted mother of the Virgin Mary was among the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> for centuries, in both the original English Ann spelling and the French Anne. Both left the Top 100 around 1970 but Anne is still among the most <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/322/classic-baby-names-for-girls">classic names for girls</a>, although others are more likely to choose the original Hannah, the Anna variation, or even Annabel or Annabella.
Anne was on a long slide from the early 1980s until about 2010, when its popularity in the US stabilized around the middle of the Top 1000.
 Anne was the name of six queens of England, two of them wives of Henry VIII, as well as the name of the present Queen Elizabeth's only daughter plus French and Russian royalty. More recently, Mindy Kaling chose Anne for her second daughter.
 Anne has too many distinguished namesakes to enumerate--but among them are Anne Hathaway, (both Shakespeare's wife and the contemporary actress), Anne of Green Gables, Anne Bronte, Anne Frank, and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

Anne

Barbara is back! Among the fastest-rising names of 2023, Barbara came back from oblivion at the very bottom of the Top 1000, gaining nearly 100 places on the popularity list.
 
Credit 2023's breakout movie Barbie, which gave a new stylish feel to the classic Barbara. Rooted in ancient Greek and ranking in the Top 10 in the US throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, Barbara is now poised to become fashionable again for the next generation of babies.
 The name Barbara has the same root as the word barbarian, meaning stranger or foreigner. There is the popular third century St. Barbara, who was reputed to have been imprisoned in a tower and may have been the inspiration for Rapunzel. She became the patron of architects, stonemasons, fortifications, and geologists, and protects against fire and lightning.
 
Barbaras appear in works by Dickens and Thackeray and, most notably, as the idealistic protagonist of the George Bernard Shaw play Major Barbara. Noteworthy bearers include real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, actress Barbara Stanwyck (born Ruby), novelist Barbara Pym, TV's Barbara Walters, and "My Name is Barbra" Streisand. Barbara Gordon was the original Batgirl in the comic books.
 And the of course there's Barbie, though today, Bebe, Bobbie, or even Babs might make a cuter retro nickname.

Barbara

Ever since the enormous German cannon was dubbed by Allied soldiers "Big Bertha" in World War I, this name hasn't worked for a sweet little baby girl. But this was not always so. Hard as it might be to imagine now, Bertha was a Top 100 name until the 1930s, and in the 1880s was the seventh most popular name in the land--the equal of Joseph.
 Bertha, aka Berchta, was a Teurtonic goddess borrowed from Norse mythology, regarded in her earliest incarnations as a beautiful and benevolent spirit. Bertha is an ancient Germanic name attached to the 6th century Saint Bertha of Kent, who was instrumental in the spread of Christianity, and it was the name of both the mother and daughter of Charlemagne. 
 In literature, Bertha Mason is the first wife of Rochester in Jane Eyre, and a character in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth. The French version Berthe is represented by the French Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot. All in all, though, modern parents might do better to consider the Polish version, Berta.

Bertha

Bonny

Charles derives from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "man" or "free man", and is a royal name in multiple European countries. A famous early bearer is Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Lombards and then Roman Emperor in the 8th-9th centuries. 
 
The word for "king" in several languages, including Slavic, Russian, and Polish, came from Charles. And, of course, Charles III is the current king of Great Britain.
 
Charles is a longtime traditional favorite that was in the Top 10 until the 1960s. Though not as popular as it once was, it's still a widely used name. 
 
The most fashionable form of Charles today is Charlie, used almost equally for girls and boys. And of course, Charlie or Charley is still used as a short form for Charles, along with the old school Chuck and new school Chas/Chaz.
 
Lately, Charles has been resuscitated by many celeb parents, from Jodie Foster to Russell Crowe, honoring a distinguished history dating back to the emperor Charlemagne—the original Charles the Great. 
 
Charles has been so well used for so long that it is virtually faceless—it can conjure up anyone from Dickens to Chaplin to Bronson. It has been an elegant royal name—designating both Bonnie Prince Charlie, leader of a 1745 rebellion, and the present king, as well as previous kings of France, Spain, England, Portugal, and Hungary. 
 
Among the well used international versions of Charles: Carl, Carlo, Carlos, Karel, Xarles, Charlot, and Siarl.

Charles

This form of Charlotte, long obscure, is sure to grow in popularity along with the explosion of Charlotte. It's pretty and feminine and a nice spin on the more familiar version. In Germany, short form Lotta is popular.

Charlotta

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both style and substance along with its Shakespearean pedigree.
 <br/
Cordelia is a Nameberry favorite—Number 106 on the site—and it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 60+ year absence. By 2016 it sank below that line again, must to the relief of many Cordelia fans who feared the name would get too popular.
 
If you're torn between Cordelia and the equally lovely Cora, you can always choose Cordelia for long and then call her Cora for short—or Delia, Lia, Del, or even the extremely different Cordie.
 Cordelia also appeared in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, as detective Cordelia Gray in P.D. James's mystery novels, and was promoted by a character on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.
 And then there's that quote from the heroine of Anne of Green Gables: "I would love to be called Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant name."

Cordelia

Davy

Diana, the tragic British princess, inspired many fashions, but strangely, not one for her name. For us, Diana is a gorgeous and still-underused choice.
 Diana is the Latin name for the Roman goddess associated with the moon, virginity, and hunting; she is the protector of wild animals, represented in myth as both beautiful and chaste.
 Two of her most prominent bearers today are singers Diana (born Diane) Ross and Krall. Fictional Dianas appear in All's Well That Ends Well, Jane Eyre, and Anne of Green Gables.
 Now that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, perhaps this name will finally attract more attention and greater use.

Diana

Dora is poised for a comeback, right behind Laura, Nora, Cora, and Flora. First-time parents who haven't watched cartoons in a couple of decades should be aware of the Dora the Explorer connection, which has its pluses and minuses. 
 Dora became popular during the Victorian era largely via Dora Spenlow, the "child-wife of Dickens's David Copperfield. Two noted real-life bearers were Dora Maar (born Henriette), a Picasso model and muse, and Dora Carrington, a British painter who was a member of the Bloomsbury Group. The name suffered a bit of a setback from being the title of the long-running comic strip, Dumb Dora.. 
 While Dora can stand on its own, it can also be short for Dorothea, Dorothy, or Theodora. Dory is a cute diminutive.

Dora

Eliza is a name with a wonderful combination of streamlined zest and Eliza Doolittle charm and spunk. It's a classic that's popular right now -- but not too popular.
 
Eliza has not been in the Top 100 since the 19th century and while it seemed like it was heading there again, it seems to have stopped just short of that mark. Which could be a very good thing.
 
Originally a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eliza eventually became a name in its own right. Despite its similarity to the Hebrew name Aliza, meaning "joyful," the two are unrelated. Eliza Schuyler Hamilton was the wife of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, recognizable today as one of the lead characters in the musical Hamilton.
 Eliza is the name of one of the most vivid fictional characters, My Fair Lady's spirited Eliza Doolittle. Based on the George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion, Eliza is transformed from cockney flower girl to elegant lady, played on stage by Julie Andrews and on screen by Audrey Hepburn. .
Pride and Prejudice's Elizabeth Bennett was often called Eliza; in Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, Eliza is the intelligent and courageous protagonist
 Eliza Dushku is a charter member of the Joss Whedon rep company of actors, appearing in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse and Much Ado About Nothing. 
 One note: Do not name sisters Eliza and Isabel or Isabella, as they're different forms of mother name Elizabeth.

Eliza

Ella is a sweet, simple name that owes much of its current popularity to the popularity of other names, from Emma to Bella to Emily to Ellie.

Ella is one of those names that just misses ranking among the US Top 1000 for its entire history, falling off the list for a handful of years in the 1980s before shooting straight back toward the top. Like many names from Liam to Finn to Emma that's easy to spell and pronounce, Ella is an international favorite, making the Top 100 throughout the Anglophone world as well as in a range of French and German-speaking, Scandinavian, and Eastern European countries. 

Which makes sense for a name with parallel derivations in several different languages and cultures. Ella is the Norman variation of the Germanic Alia—itself a nickname for names containing the element ali. In English speaking countries and Scandinavia, Ella developed as a diminutive for names beginning with El-, such as Eleanor and Elizabeth. Ella is also a Hebrew name, referring to a tree in the pistachio family or in modern Hebrew, "goddess."

Ella can also be a short form of names that begin with El, such as Eleanor and Elizabeth, as well as those that end with -ella, from Gabriella to Luella to Rafaella. And it can be one of the many routes to the super-popular nickname Ellie.

Ella has long been a favorite celebrity baby name, chosen by several stars for their now-mostly-grown daughters by John Travolta, Warren Beatty, Ben Stiller, Eric Clapton, Jeff Gordon, Ioan Gruffudd, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Wahlberg.
 
Iconic singer Ella Fitzgerald adds a jazzy edge. And Ella Enchanted gave the name some princess-y pop.

Ella

Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names we think is due for a comeback— alongside cousins Cora and Dora. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all.
 
Also the name of a saint, Flora has long been a favorite in Scotland where it was the name of the young heroine who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie make his way to the Isle of Skye. In Gaelic, her name was Fionnghal nic Dhòmhnaill, but the Anglicized Flora caught on with the Scots, who used it disproportionately compared to the rest of the UK until the 20th century.
 
Flora was a Top 100 name in the 1880s and 1890s but gradually descended until it finally fell off the list in 1972. It is still popular in some European countries, including Hungary and France.

There have been a number of memorable Floras in literature, including the angelic little girl in Henry James's Turn of the Screw, the exasperating but charming Flora Poste in Stella Gibson's Cold Comfort Farm, Flora MacIvor in Walter Scott's Waverly, and one of the three Good Fairies in Disney's Sleeping Beauty.
Flora is the name of the eighth child and fifth daughter of Ballerina Farm Instastar Hannah Neeleman. Neeleman is one of the main inspirations for our Natural Glamour group of names that makes up one of the prime <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/baby-name-trends-2024">baby name trends</a> of the year, a trend that includes Flora.

Flora

Considered ultra debonair in the silent-movie era, Gilbert then went through a nerdy phase, a la Gilbert Gottfried. Now though, like Albert and Alfred and Walter and Frank, it could be in for a style revival. 
 Gilbert has always been on the US popularity list, reaching as high as Number 90 in 1930. The Normans introduced Gilbert to England, where it was common during the Middle Ages; it was the name of a 12th century English saint.
 Gilberts have appeared in such books as Henry James's Portrait of a Lady, Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, and Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, and on screen in The Incredibles and as embodied by the young Johnny Depp in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?. The most famous portrait painter of George Washington was Gilbert Stuart. 
 Nickname Gil could come back along with Hal, but even more appealing are Gib or Gibby.

Gilbert

Harmon

This is a streamlined spelling of the biblical Hephzibah. Hephzibah is an Old Testament name that came into use in the 17th century, but is not often used today. It does have less formal nicknames Eppie and Hepsie, which seem revivable. Hephzibah "Eppie" Cass/Marner is the heroine of George Eliot's novel Silas Marner and Hepzibah Smith is a witch in the Harry Potter series.

Hepzibah

No, we don't consider Jane too plain. In fact, for a venerable and short one-syllable name, we think it packs a surprising amount of punch, as compared to the related Jean and Joan.
 A very old name, Jane has been around since Tudor times, in this country moving in and out of fashion. Jane was once so common that it became generic—as in Jane Doe and G.I. Jane—then spent a considerable time as the back end of such smooshes as Maryjane, Bettyjane, and Sarajane.
 We think it's time for a fresh look at Jane—and not only in the middle place. Just think of all the awesome Janes of the past, both real and fictive—from Austen to Addams to Eyre to Fonda. 
 Jimmy Kimmel recently named his baby girl Jane.

Jane

Blink and you’ll miss that the first I in Jedidiah was swapped for an E.

Jedediah

Josephine, with its large measure of class and character and a gently offbeat quality, has been on a gentle uphill climb in the US for over 30 years, now ranking in the Top 100. With an intriguing number of vivacious nicknames, from Jo to Josie to Fifi to Posy, Josephine is a Nameberry favorite.
 
Josephine is the feminine form of Joseph, a name ultimately derived from the Hebrew Yosef, meaning "Jehovah increases." In French it has an accent over the first E, which was omitted in the English, German, and Dutch translations of the name. Empress Joséphine du Beauharnais was born Marie-Josephe-Rose, but called Josephine by her husband, Napolean Bonaparte.
 
Josephine Baker (born Freda), the American-French singer, dancer, and civil rights activist, is a potential namesake.
 Some of the Josephines in literature and recent pop culture are known by their nicknames—the admirably headstrong Jo in Little Women, Joey Potter (played by Katie Holmes) in Dawson's Creek, and Josie of Josie and the Pussycats. In Some Like it Hot, Josephine was the nom de femme of Tony Curtis.
 Josephines have been the subjects of countless songs, performed by artists ranging from Fats Domino to Tori Amos to the Black Crowes.

Josephine

Friendly mega-popular short form of Katherine that has definitively replaced Kathy, Katie is often given on its own.  Going forward, though, Katie is more stylishly clipped itself to the grownup Kate.

Katie

Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names like Clementine and Marigold. 

 The flower's name derives from Latin lividus "bluish", influenced by lavō "wash" due to use of lavender in washing clothes. It has long been used in traditional medicine and in cooking for its sweet fragrance and soothing properties. But it also has a long history as a name, going back to the eighteenth century, when it was also used for boys. 

 Famous fictional namesakes include Lavender Brown, a witch character in the Harry Potter saga, and the eponymous heroine's best friend in Roald Dahl's Matilda.

Lavender

Lily is the most popular of the popular delicate century-old flower names now making a return, thanks to its many irresistible attributes: a cool elegance and a lovely sound, a symbol of purity and innocence, and a role in Christian imagery.
 Lily's use as a given name was a direct influence of the flower. The floral name was derived from the Latin lilium, itself derived from the Greek leirion. Lily later became an adjective to describe whiteness and purity.
 
 Lily is a favorite of celebrity parents, including Chris O'Donnell, Kate Beckinsale, Greg Kinnear, Fred Savage, and Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis (who made it a double bouquet, with Lily-Rose). The more proper Lillian is also rising in popularity, though Lily has long stood on its own. 
 Lily is an authors' favorite, some notable example being Lily Bart, the main character of Edith Wharton's House of Mirth, Lily Owens in The Secret Life of Bees and both mother and daughter of Harry Potter. Other current bearers are Lily Tomlin, singer Lily Allen, and actress Lily James. Two one-time starbaby Lilys are now celebrities on their own: Lily Collins, daughter of Phil, and Lily Rabe, daughter of Jill Clayburgh and David Rabe.
 Lily is currently quite popular throughout the English-speaking world as well as in France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and other European countries. Other possible spellings are Lilly, Lili, and Lillie.

Lily

Marilla is a names that's familiar via its resemblance to Mary and variations, but also distinctive: It hasn't been on the Top 1000 since the 1800s and was given to only 27 baby girls last year. 
 
Delicate and sweet, Marilla might be seen as a Latinate form of Maria or a short form of the flower name Amaryllis. Marilla Cuthbert was a character in L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables.
 Not heard much since the 1880s, Marilla could make a distinctive alternative to Marissa.

Marilla

The name of our first First Lady still has something of a prim and proper image, academic and efficient. That quiet, traditional, and tasteful gestalt is exactly what makes Martha appealing to some parents today.
 The New Testament Martha, sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, was a solicitous housekeeper who looked after the material welfare of Jesus when he was a guest in her home. For this reason Martha has since been identified with domestic labor and hospitality and is the patron saint of housewives, waiters, and cooks (a la Martha Stewart, who shares her name with her mother).
 Martha has been a royal name in Scandinavia, the subject of Beatles song "Martha My Dear," and is also associated with the New England island Martha's Vineyard. Livelier foreign forms that have been used in this country include Marta, Martine, and Martina.
 Modern dancer/choreographer Martha Graham would make a notable namesake for a dance aficionado.

Martha

Martin is one of those names like Arthur and Vincent and George that is in the process of throwing off its balding middle-aged image to start sounding possible again, used in full without the dated Marty nickname. 
 Notable Martins are too numerous to mention as the name has been so well used throughout time and in so many countries. Martin became part of the basic European stock of names, largely due to the popularity of the fourth century St. Martin of Tours. Also influential were the German founder of Protestantism Martin Luther and civil rights leader Martin Luther King (originally born Michael and renamed in honor of Martin Luther), eighth President Martin Van Buren, and influential philosophers Heidegger and Buber.
 More current Martins include actors Sheen and Short, writer Amis, and director Scorsese.
 Two books with eponymous Martin titles are Martin Chuzzlewit by Dickens and Martin Eden by Jack London.
 Martin also is enjoying popularity in countries such as Chile, Spain and Austria.
 Yes, a Martin revival appears to be right around the corner -- if only we can think of a new nickname.

Martin

Mary is the English form of Maria, which ultimately was derived from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

 Mary, the quintessential New Testament name, was #1 for girls until the mid-twentieth century. Though still popular, Mary is used now mostly for religious or family reasons. If it's style you're after, Mary's many diminutives and derivatives such as Maire, Mamie, May, Mitzi, Molly, Maura, Marietta, and even Maria may seem more fashionable. 

 Mary was the most popular and enduring female Christian name in the English-speaking world (as were Maria and Marie in Spanish and French) until the 1940s. That was when in the US Mary was finally dethroned by such trendy upstarts as Linda and Karen.

 There are six Marys in the Bible, including the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and Mary the mother of Mark, and there have been British royal Marys beginning in the sixteenth century. In earlier times Mary was considered too sacred to be used; it finally gained usage in England in the twelfth century, and by the sixteenth had blanketed the female population, to the point where dozens of pet forms had to be contrived to distinguish one Mary in the family from the others.

 The poet Byron deemed Mary a "magic" name, and Bing Crosby proclaimed it "a grand old name." Mary has always been a good-girl name, as reflected by such mid-century icons of propriety and wholesomeness as Mary Poppins and Mary Tyler Moore. The lovely Lady Mary Crawley of Downton Abbey has restored some freshness to the name.

 Among the celebs who dropped their birth name of Mary are Meryl Streep, Debbie Reynolds, and Lily Tomlin.

 For more detail on the origins and possible meanings of the name Mary, see this <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/in-search-of-the-meaning-of-mary">excellent post on the subject</a>.

Mary

There was a time in the early twentieth century when Matthew and Mathew were closer together in terms of popularity; today, Matthew is America's clear preference.
Mathew is also the standard Welsh spelling.

Mathew

Milty

Mirabel is one of those names that's not on the Top 1000 but ought to be, and undoubtedly will be soon following the release of Disney's 2021 Encanto. Mirabel is the film's quirky and highly relatable heroine. Mirabel had a significant rise in 2022, going from 34 births in 2021 to 153 births in 2022. Read more about Mirabel and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

 Along with Maribel, Annabel, Rosabel and the like, Mirabel is a more unusual and elegant alternative to the popular Isabel. Spelled Mirabelle, it is also the name of a delicate French plum variety.
 
Mirabel and the Italian form Mirabella were both quite common in the later Middle Ages, and Mirabel is scattered throughout early English poetry. Mirabel has a nice pair of nickname options: Mira and Belle.

Mirabel

To some, Nancy is a sweet, sparkly, vintage choice with plenty of energy and style. For it strays too much into '"old-lady" territory to be cool again yet. It's out of fashion in France, New Zealand, and Canada; it lingers towards to bottom of the US charts. In the UK however, Nancy has been a Top 100 name for nearly a decade where it fits right in with Evie, Mabel, and Pippa.
 
Nancy originated as a contraction of "mine Ancy", with Ancy being a nickname for name Annis, a Medieval English variant of Agnes. Later, in the 18th century, it began to be used as a nickname for Ann too, but also as a name within its own right. This could give it the possibly meanings of "my pure and holy one" or "my grace". 
 It is also a French place name, though in this case, the name is likely derived from Nanciao, a Ghaulish personal name, which came from nanto, meaning "river or valley" in Proto-Celtic.
 
As a name in its own right, it has always been in the US Top 1000, peaking between 1931 and 1962 when it remained in the Top 20. In 1940 alone, Nancy was given to about 20,000 baby girls. In recent years, however it has been on a downward trend, and as of 2023, it was given to 280 girls, holding on to just a small fraction of the sway in held in the mid-century. 
 
Today, it might feel like a distinctly British choice then, nickname-y and old-fashioned, but pleasing to say and easy to spell. It also has a couple of interesting variations itself, such as Nan, Nance, Nanette, Nanny, Nansi, and Nanou.
 

Nancy is a major character in Oliver Twist and is fondly remembered by some as Nancy Drew, girl detective, while contemporary kids are enjoying the Fancy Nancy series. Frank Sinatra paid tribute to his daughter with the song "Nancy with the Laughing Face." Nancy also has political ties, via the mother of Abraham Lincoln, the wife of Ronald Reagan (born Anne), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Nancy

Oliver is an international star, ranking near the top of the charts in the US and throughout the English-speaking world, along with a host of European and Latin American countries, from Norway to Chile, Slovenia to Switzerland.
 
Long a popular choice in England, Australia and New Zealand, Oliver entered the list of Top 100 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy names</a> in the U.S. for the first time in 2009, but has already jumped to the top of the charts. Why? Because Oliver is energetic and good-natured, stylish but classic, with a meaning symbolizing peace and fruitfulness. 
 
Oliver derives from Olivier, the Norman French variation of the Ancient Germanic name Alfihar ("elf army") or the Old Norse Áleifr ("ancestor's relic"), from which comes Olaf. Olivier emerged as the dominant spelling for its associations with the Latin word oliva, meaning "olive tree."

Oliver was used as a given name in medieval England after the spread of the French epic poem ‘La Chanson de Roland,’ which features a character named Olivier. It lost favor after the seventeenth century rule of Oliver Cromwell, then was revived in the nineteenth century. 

Oliver's biggest boost in this country came from the hit book and movie Love Story, which also catapulted the name Jennifer to stardom. Notable namesakes range from Oliver Wendell Holmes to Oliver Hardy to Oliver Stone. In fiction, there is Oliver Twist, and Oliver is also a Harry Potter name.
 Oliver works particularly well with single-syllable surnames, as in Oliver Stone, North and Puck (son of Wolfgang). Other celebrities who have chosen Oliver include Bridget Fonda, Fred Savage, Stephen Stills, and Taylor Hawkes. 
 International forms include the French Olivier, the Spanish Olivero, and the Italian Oliviero.
 Parents considering Oliver for their sons might consider that with Olivia at the top of the charts for girls, there will be an awful lot of children with names starting with Oliv-.

Oliver

To the thousands of girls who screamed the name of their favorite Beatle in the 1960s, the boys' name Paul had a thrillingly unique image, but to the rest of the world, then and now, it's a name that's so simple and yet so widely diffuse that it could belong to almost anyone. Paul is an ancient <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">name for boys</a> -- popular in Roman and medieval times -- that's not very fashionable now, which can work in its favor, scarcity balancing simplicity. 
 Paul also has a rich religious background: Saint Paul (originally called Saul but baptized Paul after his conversion) was a cofounder with Peter of the Christian church, and there have been six Pope Pauls.
 Paul also boasts a wide range of name-sharing heroes, from Revere to Newman, Cezanne to McCartney. Some creative foreign versions are Pablo (Spanish), Paolo (Itlaian), Pavel (Russian) and Paavo (Finnish).
 Paul's single syllable also make it one of the most popular traditional <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a>.

Paul

Peter is derived from the Greek Petros, meaning "rock" or "stone." One of the most important figures in the Christian hagiography is Saint Peter, keeper of the Gates of Heaven. Born Simon bar Jonah, he was given the nickname Peter by Jesus, to signify that he would be the rock on which Christ would build Christianity. Centuries later, there was Peter the Great, the czar who developed Russia as a major European power.
 
For generations, there have been pleasant childhood associations with this classic New Testament name, what with Peter Rabbit, Peter Pan, et al. But as user-friendly as this makes the name, it has a solid, traditional side as well.
 
Never as widely used as some of the more traditional Anglo-Saxon stalwarts, Peter retains an enduring appeal to parents seeking a less-used classic, with those nice childhood associations. Peter also has some interesting derivatives: The Brits like Piers; the Irish, Pierce and Pearse; the Italians, Piero and Pietro; the Spanish, Pedro; the French, Pierre; and the Dutch, Piet.
 
One potential problem: in some parts of the world, "peter" can be a slang term for "penis".

Peter

Despite her somewhat prissy, puritanical air, Priscilla has managed to stay widely used for well over a century -- it reached as high as Number 127 in 1940 -- appreciated for its delicacy and solid history.
 A New Testament name, it was Priscilla with whom the apostle Paul stayed while spreading the gospel in Corinth. It was common in the ancient Roman world and later was a favorite of the seventeenth century Puritans. Priscilla Mullins (Alden), remembered for her co-starring role in Longfellow's poem The Courtship of Miles Standish, making Priscilla one of the perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/645/delicious-thanksgiving-names">Thanksgiving baby names</a>. There was also a sympathetic Priscilla in Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance.
 The most conspicuous contemporary bearer of the name is Priscilla Presley, and it's what J. R. R. Tolkien named his only daughter.
 If you find the nickname Prissy too prissy, you could use the British-inflected Cilla.

Priscilla

Rachel was derived from the Hebrew word rāchēl, meaning "ewe." In the Old Testament, Rachel was the favorite wife of Jacob, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. International variations include the Spanish Raquel and Israeli Rahel.
 
Delicacy, softness, and Old Testament importance made Rachel a top biblical choice from the seventies on. At a much earlier time Rachel was considered characteristically Jewish—it wasn't used as a Christian name until after the Reformation—but the fact that it has reached as high as the Top 10 in this country demonstrates that it has been fully embraced by parents of all backgrounds. While off its peak, Rachel is still one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/r">girls' names starting with R</a> as well as one of the most <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/322/classic-baby-names-for-girls">classic names for girls</a>.
 Rachel was a US First Lady name, via the wife of Andrew Jackson, and current prominent bearers include Rachels Weisz, Dratch, McAdams, Griffiths, Maddow, Roy, and Zoe. A major influence on the name was Jennifer Aniston's iconic character on Friends; other fictional Rachels were found in the Anne of Green Gables and Percy Jackson series, and on Glee.

Rachel

A classic old Norman name popular for a thousand years and favored for kings (Richard Nixon was named for Richard the Lionhearted), as well as the hoi polloi (as in every Tom, Dick and Harry), Richard was the sixth most popular US <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a> in 1925, and was still Number 8 in 1950, but is now much less popular. 
 We predict that if parents do readopt the name Richard, it will be in its full and formal version. All the possible nicknames -- Richie (too Happy Days), Ricky, (too I Love Lucy) and especially Dick (too tricky and teasable) -- sound so dated that it's hard to imagine Richard ever coming back into style. But not that long ago, people said that about now-hot <a href="https://nameberry.com/">baby names</a> Jake and Max.

Richard

Robert was the Number 1 boys' name in the US in both 1925 and 1950, and in fact was in the Top 25 for more than a century, giving it true classic status. Strong if not quite stylish, Robert remains in the Top 100 for baby boys as a family favorite.
 
Robert was derived from the ancient Germanic name Hrodebert, from the elements hrod, meaning "fame" and bertha, "bright." Robert was the name of three kings of Scotland, including Robert the Bruce, who freed Scotland from English rule. The name was brought to England by the Normans.
 Nicknames Bob and Bobby are stuck in the past, while Rob, Robb and Robby/Robbie have an ever so slightly more modern appeal. Antiquated pet forms Dob, Hob, Rab and Rabbie might be fresh nicknames, but the most fashionable form of Robert today is....Robert.
 There are countless literary and real-life namesakes, from poets Frost and Burns to actors Redford and De Niro to Shark Tank businessperson Robert Herjavec. Modern parents might consider honoring an ancestral Robert by choosing Robertson or Robinson, or even the derivative Robin, rising in popularity for boys.

Robert

Rosalia

Sarah was derived from the Hebrew word sarah, meaning "princess." Sarah is an Old Testament name—she was the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. According to the Book of Genesis, Sarah was originally called Sarai, but had her name changed by God to the more auspicious Sarah when she was ninety years old.
 
Sarah is a timeless classic, as perpetually stylish as it is traditional. Sarah is still widely used, but with such a range of images and variations that any child can make it her own.
 
Sarah was a Top 10 name from 1978 to 2002, and though it has slipped in popularity, it's still one of the most widely used <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/baby-names-starting-with/s">names that start with S</a>. The Sara spelling is another popular option, and diminutives Sadie and Sally are used independently.
 
A few of her many prominent namesakes are iconic actress Sarah Bernhardt, jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, comedian Sarah Silverman, and actress/fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker.

Sarah

A key cheerleader in the nickname game of the 1970s, Stacy is now the mom. Consider Stacia, or the original Anastasia. 

Stacy

If you wanted to try to get people to pronounce your son's first name the way Stephen Curry does, this might be a way to do it.

Stephan

A solid classic with plenty of history, Thomas strikes the balance between strength and gentleness. A favorite in the UK, a staple in France, and Australia, and never absent from the US Top 100, Thomas feels like a safe bet and a name that fits into any era. 
The Greek form of the Aramaic name Ta’oma, Thomas means “twin.” It came about in the Bible because there were too many apostles called Judas, and so, Thomas became the “twin”, to reflect his close brotherhood with Jesus. 
Known as “Doubting Thomas” due to his initial skepticism of Jesus’s resurrection, he went on to become a martyr, and there was no need to doubt Thomas’s potential as a given name. 
Brought into common usage by the Normans, it was then always among the 5 most common English names for boys at any point between the 13th and 19th century. 
While it has fallen down the US charts in recent years, it remains a familiar and trusted choice. Given to over 6000 boys every year, it has made a steady climb back into the Top 50. 
Across the pond in the UK, both Thomas and Tommy make the Top 30, while Tom, Tommy-Lee and Tommie have made their mark in the Top 1000. 
As a well-established classic, Thomas naturally comes with plenty of noteworthy namesakes. “Thomas the Tank Engine” might appeal to you kids, but there’s also the theologian, Sir Thomas Aquinas, the cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson. the philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, and the writer, Thomas Hardy. 
More recent namesakes for those who aren’t into history include actors Tom Hardy, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hiddleston, singers Tom Parker and Tom Fletcher, Olympic diver Tom Daley, and Thomas Sanders, of YouTube fame. 
A timeless all-rounder, Thomas comes with the intuitive nicknames, Tommy and Tom, which feel sweet for a child but not too cutesy for a grown-up. For more unexpected options, you could try the nature-inspired Moss or Scottish Tam. 
Unlikely to go out of style anytime soon, Thomas is a refined but approachable choice. If the popularity does give you pause, however, you could try the surname-inspired Thompson, or an <a href=“https://nameberry.com/list/492/100-classic-boys-names--below-the-top-1000/all”> underused classic</a> like Marius, Rufus, or Phinneas. 
Alternatively, there is a wealth of interesting variants to ponder, from Italian Tommaso and Scottish Tavish to Croatian Tomo– and for girls, there’s Thomasina, Tomine and Tamsin.

Thomas

Violetta is a more vibrantly colored, feminissima form of Violet. It is the name of the heroine of the Verdi opera La Traviata--in fact Violetta was the original title of the work.

Violetta

Walter was seen as a noble name in the Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Walter Scott era, but it then spent decades in baby name limbo. Now quite a few independent-minded parents are looking at it as a renewable, slightly quirky, classic, stronger and more distinctive than James or John, second only to William among the handsome classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/w">boy baby names starting with W</a>.



 A favorite Norman name, Walter was extremely popular in medieval England, where it was pronounced "Water" and a common short form was Wat. In the US, Walter's heyday was from the 1870s through the 1940s. 



 The recent popularity of Breaking Bad has brought us Walter White, conferring on the name Walter a new kind of cool and prompting a fresh wave of popularity.Plus there are all those great Walters and Walts to consider, from Whitman to Disney to Cronkite to Mondale to Payton to Matthau. And then there's the ultimate fantasizer Walter Mitty, not to mention (Walter) Bruce Willis. Recently, actor Rainn Wilson named his son Walter.



 Short forms include Walt, Wally, and the antiquated Wat.

Walter

William is one of the most enduring of classic names for boys. It's also among the most popular boys' names, as American parents see it as being ideally conservative yet contemporary, and hands-down the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/w">baby name beginning with W</a> of all time. 
 For 400 years, William has been second only to John as the most popular name in the English-speaking world. And now of course, it's also a newsy name—thanks to Britain's high-profile Prince William.
 William is derived from the Germanic name Wilhelm, composed of the elements wil, "will," and helm, referring to a helmet or protection. The name was introduced to England by William the Conqueror, with William being the Norman variation of the name. In Central and Southern France, it was translated as Guillaume.
 
In terms of short forms, yesterday's Bills and Billys have given way to today's Wills—or Williams, with no diminutive—though a few hip Billys, including Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton's, have surfaced recently. 
 But Irish spinoff Liam is the most stylish William nickname and has now superseded William, becoming the most popular boy name in America. Riding the William bandwagon is the Dutch Willem, which comes with the unique nickname Pim.
 
William has long reigned as a royal name in the U.K. There are tons of worthy namesakes called William, including William Shakespeare, Bill Gates and four U.S. presidents.

William

rli220's list "Full Anne of Green Gables Names" of 47 great name ideas: Abe - William!

Full Anne of Green Gables Names

A series of books in the 19th and early 20th century
First book is very popular and wellknown but i'll be doing all of the books including the Rilla one