Best Rare Names from 100 Years Ago
Names from 100 years ago should be starting to feel fresh again right around… now.
You might have heard about the “Hundred Year Rule” – the theory that baby names generally take about 100 years to shed their dusty image and be rediscovered by a new generation of parents. You can see it in action right now with stylish vintage names like Arthur and Eleanor, which both peaked in the early 1920s and feel fresh and fashionable again today.
But what of the popular 1920s names that haven’t yet reappeared on the charts? Some, like Gertrude and Willie, may – we fear – be gone for good. But there are plenty of other gems from 1924 which feel ripe for revival in 2024.
We’ve picked out 20 of the best rare girl and boy names from the 1924 Top 100, none of which even ranks in the Top 1000 today.
If unique vintage baby names are your style, these retro choices really are due a comeback!
1920s Girl Names
Agnes (#63)
First on the list is saintly Agnes, one of the three young heroines of the Despicable Me franchise – still getting far less attention than sisters Margo and Edith.
Agnes is a Top 500 choice in the UK, used by British-American celebrity couple Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly in 2011.
Betty (#4)
Brilliant namesakes (real and fictional) abound, from Betty White and Betty Friedan to Mad Men’s glamorous Betty Draper. And Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds recently chose this sweet and spunky name for their third daughter, born in 2019.
Gentle Bessie is another nickname for Elizabeth that's due for revival.
Ida (#70)
Ada, Ivy and Iris are all back – so why not Ida? It’s already a Top 100 pick across uber-stylish Scandinavia, with eminent American bearers including civil rights leader Ida B Wells and investigative journalism pioneer Ida Tarbell.
Actress Jenny Slate used the name for her daughter in 2021 – we're hoping she might spark a trend!
Lois (#22)
Before Family Guy, there was DC Comics’ Lois Lane – an award-winning journalist based on Nellie Bly, and Superman’s main love interest.
This underrated Biblical name dropped out of the US Top 1000 in the early eighties, but it’s a stylish staple across the pond.
Marjorie (#17)
Three syllables, EE ending names are everywhere for girls at the moment – from popular favorites like Natalie and Avery to rising stars like Everly, Elodie and Rosalie.
Enter sweet vintage Marjorie, a medieval form of Margaret that was at its peak in the 1920s.
Minnie (#100)
A Top 500 pick in England, Minnie is an adorable vintage nickname that feels close enough to the likes of Millie, Maisie and Winnie to make it as a standalone. Or use it as a nickname for Mina, Minerva, Marina… or any M name you like!
Pauline (#38)
Once in the Top 50, today this sleek name ranks behind most other feminizations of Paul: Paulina, Paula, Paulette and Paola are all more widely used.
But with many parents charmed by the sleek French sounds of names like Josephine, Delphine and Evangeline, Pauline falls perfectly into the sweet spot: on-trend and familiar, but surprisingly rare.
French-American actress Pauline Chalamet – sister of Timothée – gives it a fresh publicity boost.
Phyllis (#44)
In romantic poetry, Phyllis was the go-to name for a fresh-faced country girl. It had a revival at the start of the twentieth century, helped by several early Hollywood actresses.
Today, it's an offbeat alternative to names like Iris and Mavis, and could be a creative way to honor a Philip or Philippa.
Rita (#49)
Glamorous Rita Hayworth (born Margarita) gave a boost to this ritzy international name in the forties and fifties, but it had its first wave of popularity in the 1920s.
Rita is on the rise in the UK, possibly influenced by popular singer and actor Rita Ora.
Viola (#82)
Floral and musical Viola seems like a natural alternative to rapid riser Violet – if you can get past the unfortunate Spanish meaning.
Viola Davis was the first African-American actor to win the prestigious “Triple Crown of Acting” (an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony award). In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Viola is the smart and independent heroine.
1920s Boy Names
Bernard (#46)
From Arthur and Orson to Teddy and Bear themselves, the Berries love names that mean bear.
Bernard derives from Germanic bern “bear” plus hard “brave, strong”, giving it a powerful meaning to match its sturdy sound.
Cecil (#85)
The dapper name of several jazz greats – like pianist Cecil Taylor, saxophonist Cecil Payne, and bassist Cecil McBee – as well as cinema giant Cecil B DeMille.
With Cecilia and Cecily considered stylish for girls, Cecil feels ready to rise again.
Chester (#67)
Another jazz-inspired name, and this one comes with the cool nickname Chet. Tom Hanks has a son named Chester, as does British TV presenter Holly Willoughby – it’s a Top 100 choice across the pond.
Clarence (#29)
This gentle vintage choice has the same soft yet sturdy sound as names like Lawrence, Wallace and Ambrose, all of which are now starting to be rediscovered by American parents.
It originated as a British royal title, deriving from the town of Clare in Suffolk, England, which lends it a regal charm.
Dale (#84)
Nature name Dale is a surprisingly traditional choice, ranking in the US Top 100 from 1921 all the way through to 1969. It fits right in with simple, solid, outdoorsy boy names like Cole, Hayes and Dean.
Elmer (#57)
We know, we know… Fudd. But with those cool El- beginning and -er ending sounds, and its naturey first syllable, there’s something about Elmer that has potential! Just maybe don’t call him Elmo for short…
Ernest (#37)
A 19th century stalwart that has felt too austere for revival until recent years, now Ernest would fit right in with modern virtues like Justice, Honor and True.
It also has literary credo: Ernest Hemingway was Nobel Prize-winning novelist, Ernest Poole a prolific American journalist and writer, and Ernest is also an important character name in Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest.
Floyd (#66)
Floyd has an offbeat appeal, bolstered by its multiple musical namesakes: blues singers Floyd Jones and Eddie Floyd, as well as the iconic British rock bank Pink Floyd.
Rhyming name Lloyd is another underused option to consider. It ranked all the way up at #59 in 1923.
Milton (#81)
Previously dismissed as too stuffy, Milton feels increasingly on-trend again, as cool surname names like Easton and Weston, Jaxton and Paxton, continue to rise.
Notable namesakes include poet John Milton and chocolatier and philanthropist Milton Hershey.
Ralph (#23)
As a Brit, Ralph’s popularity (or lack thereof) in the US never ceases to amaze me!
It’s a Top 100 choice in England and Wales, notably borne by actor Ralph Fiennes (who, confusingly, pronounces it Rafe). Nickname Ralphie also makes the Top 300 in its own right.
Virgil (#100)
The name of the great Roman poet fits in with the trend for baby names from ancient cultures – if you can get past the obvious soundalike.
Astronaut Gus Grissom, the second American in space, was born Virgil.