Names that Peaked in 1887

TV watchers will instantly think of hunky West Wing character Sam Seaborn, played by Rob Lowe, while techies may associate it with a programming toolkit used in statistical analysis. Few, though, will see it as a great first name.

Anice and Annis are variations of Agnes that have fallen from use, perhaps because of pronunciation issues. Neither spelling was used for any baby girls in the US in the most recent year counted, though a century ago about 100 girls were called Annis or Anice. Potential pronunciation issues ay keep parents away.

This name of a constellation in Orion's belt has an astral feel; it also belonged to the first woman to win a Pulitzer prize in drama, Zona Gale.

A chic French vintage name on the rise there for both sexes, which would make for an unconventional route to Leo.

Thompson is not as popular as Jackson or Harrison, but a novel way to circumvent Junior for the son of a Thomas.

A Middle English form of Adalbert (and therefore of Albert), which was the name of several Saxon kings. Nowadays, Ethel plus Bert is not a fashionable sound, but Albert is feeling fresh again.

This spelling of Delilah is disproportionately common among the Amish.

A word that carries a broad range of connotations across Europe, all of which ultimately derive from the Roman term for a country estate. Villa is well established as a surname, especially in Spanish-speaking countries, and has also occasionally been used as a first name for girls.

The Dutch answer to Gus. Pronounce it like the English word and you have a name that means air.