A List of Trendy Old Fashioned Names

  1. Spurgeon
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "little branch"
    • Description:

      Spurgeon entered the mainstream name lexicon when it was chosen for their son by Ben Seward and wife Jessa Duggar, from the US reality show 19 Kids and Counting starring their large family.
  2. Stanley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "near the stony clearing"
    • Description:

      Although Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire personified brute force, most Stanleys have been portrayed as meek milquetoasts. It could be a Sydney-like girls' choice.-Bette Davis once played a character named Stanley, and it was the name of President Obama's mother (named for her father)--or possibly could be revived down the line a la Walter and Arthur.
  3. Stanton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "stony town"
    • Description:

      Seems to stand at attention and salute.
  4. Stefan
    • Origin:

      German, Scandinavian, Polish, and Russian variation of Stephen
    • Description:

      An elegant, continental name for the post-Steve era. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1949 and has been on the list every year since except for a year off in 2008.
  5. Stella
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "star"
    • Description:

      Stella is a name with star quality and sparkle, that manages to sound both ethereal and earthy. Celestial but not otherworldly, it lands somewhere between the popular Ella and bold Seraphina.
  6. Stellan
    • Origin:

      Swedish, meaning unknown, possibly "calm"
    • Meaning:

      "calm"
    • Description:

      Stellan is a strong, attractive, Scandinavian possible up-and-comer, known through actor Stellan Skarsgard, and his namesake, the son of Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany. Its trendy 'an' ending and the similarity in sound to the popular Kellen/Kellan make it all the more accessible.
  7. Stellen
    • Origin:

      Swedish, variation of Stellan, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      More usually spelled Stellan, this is a possible up-and-comer, known through actor Stellan Skarsgard and his namesake, the son of Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany.
  8. Stephen
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "garland, crown"
    • Description:

      Stephen, also spelled Steven, is a strong and likable classic, with the he's-a-great-guy short form Steve. Though not as well-used or fashionable as it was in its heyday -- it was a Top 25 name from 1946 to 1957 -- it's still a widely used name. It remains an even more popular in Ireland.
  9. Sterling
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "of the highest quality"
    • Description:

      A name with some sterling qualities, most associated with the British currency and silver markets. Sterling has several recent TV associations, with characters Roger Sterling (on Mad Men) and Sterling Archer (on Archer), and actor Sterling K. Brown (on This is Us).
  10. Story
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "an account of incidents or events"
    • Description:

      An imaginative choice with an uptempo Cory/Rory/Tori sound, perfect for the child of a writer — or anyone with a good story to tell. Story has been finding some appreciation among celebs like Minnie Driver and others as a middle name. This is just one of the literary word names that have recently entered the realm of possibility, such as Fable, Sonnet and Poem.
  11. Suede
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "Swedish"
    • Description:

      In the nineties there was a "One Life to Live" soap opera character named Suede, but few fans picked up on it; might be more appealing to today's generation of parents.
  12. Sullivan
    • Origin:

      Irish surname
    • Meaning:

      "black-eyed one"
    • Description:

      Sullivan is a jaunty Celtic three-syllable name, with a real twinkle in its eye. It was immortalized in the 1930s classic film Sullivan's Travels and was chosen for one of Patrick Dempsey's twin boys. Nickname Sully is equally jaunty.
  13. Sumner
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "summoner"
    • Description:

      Billionaire Sumner Redstone, the nonagenarian owner of CBS and Viacom, practically has a monopoly on his first name — for now. But Hunter, Asher, and Ryder have ushered in a major vogue "-er" names, so it may only be a matter of time before parents discover this one.
  14. Suri
    • Origin:

      Yiddish, Hebrew, Persian, Sanskrit
    • Description:

      Suri, a once obscure name, hit the headlines when it was chosen by Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise for their daughter in 2006. A truly multi-cultural choice, Suri is a unique name with a variety of different origins.
  15. Susan
    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Susannah, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      Although Susan had her heyday from the thirties to the sixties, and is now common among moms and new grandmas, and though most modern parents would prefer Susanna/Susannah, we have spotted some flickers of interest in a revival. It still retains a certain black-eyed-Susan freshness.
  16. Sutton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from the southern homestead"
    • Description:

      Swanky sound via New York's ritzy Sutton Place. It fits with current popular boys’ names, due to its two syllables and -on ending. It debuted in the US Top 1000 for boys in 2015, though it is currently more popular for girls.
  17. Suzanne
    • Origin:

      French variation of Susan
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      Suzanne became popular along with Susan but has just dropped out of the Top 1,000. Wait a generation (or two) in the US, though in France Suzanne is once again tres chic.
  18. Suzie
    • Origin:

      Short form of Suzanne, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      Suzie (and Susie) was the one of the It Nicknames of midcentury America, right up there with Debbie and Kathy.
  19. Suzy
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Susan and Suzanne, English, French
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      An energetic, charmingly retro nickname, Suzy and all her sisters are off their fashion peak but will rise again around the middle of this century.
  20. Swan
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "swan"
    • Description:

      Obsolete Swanhild gives way to oh-so-modern Swan, joining the flock of newly fashionable bird names such as Wren and Lark. In France, the Swann spelling is fashionable for both sexes. But Swan carries an image of grace, though perhaps also a bit of languor. It's a lovely and original name, right for our times.