Every name links to its full page: meaning, origin, and its real popularity curve since 1890.
EmmaGermanic · "whole, universal," from the old root ermen; it began a thousand years ago as a short form of longer Ermen- names and has stood alone ever since, worn by medieval queens and Austen's heroine alike. About as classic as a girl name can get
EvelynEnglish · traditionally "wished-for child," from the Norman French Aveline, though the root is debated; a surname for centuries and once a boys' name in Britain, it settled into a soft vintage classic that has peaked twice, a century apart
LillianEnglish · elaboration of Lily, from Latin lilium (lily flower)
WillieGermanic · diminutive of William ("will helmet"); for generations of American girls too, standalone or short for Wilhelmina
AliceGermanic · "of noble kind," from Adalheidis worn down through Old French Aalis; a medieval queen's name that Lewis Carroll sent down the rabbit hole into permanent storybook fame. The vintage revival returned it to the top tier across Europe and beyond
HazelEnglish · "the hazel tree," an Old English word name that doubles as the warm brown-green of hazel eyes; a Victorian nature name that faded with its era and came back a century later as one of the signature revivals
CarlGermanic · variant of Karl (see Charles), from Germanic karl, "man"
KathrynGreek · variant of Katherine; traditionally linked to Greek katharos, 'pure', though the etymology is debated
AudreyEnglish · from Old English Æthelthryth, "noble strength"
HenryGermanic · "home ruler," from heim and rik, smoothed through French Henri into English; eight kings of England carried it, and after a mid-century nap it returned to the modern top tier. A century of Hanks, Hals, and Harrys ride along
JaneHebrew · God is gracious (feminine form of John); famously borne by Jane Goodall, primatologist whose decades of research transformed the study of chimpanzees
TheresaGreek · meaning uncertain, possibly 'harvester' or from the island of Thera
VioletLatin · "the violet," from the Latin viola, the small purple flower of modesty in the old flower language; a fixture of Victorian nurseries revived a century later into the top tier. The rare color name and flower name in one
AmeliaGermanic · traditionally "work," from the old root amal that also gives Amalia; long entangled with the unrelated Latin Emilia. An 18th-century royal favorite revived worldwide, a full classic that answers to Amy, Millie, and Mia
EleanorGreek · traditionally "light," by association with Helen, though it began as the Occitan Alienor, its true root debated; queens of Aquitaine and England wore it, a First Lady dignified it, and the vintage revival returned it to the top tier. Nell, Ellie, and Nora wait inside
EllenGreek · torch, bright one (variant of Helen); immortalized by Ellen Ripley in Alien (1979)
JulieFrench · French form of Julia, from the Roman family name Julius
LeonardGermanic · Germanic, 'brave lion' or 'lion-strength'
TeresaGreek · of disputed etymology, traditionally linked to Greek 'therizein' (to harvest) or the island of Therasia
JoyceFrench · from Old French Josse, ultimately the Breton name Iudoc meaning 'lord'
MarvinWelsh · traditionally derived from Welsh Merfyn ('marrow' + 'eminent'), sometimes linked to Old English Maerwine 'famous friend'
LoisGreek · meaning uncertain, traditionally 'good, desirable'
LucilleFrench · form of Lucy, traditionally "light"
MarionFrench · a form of Mary; famously borne by Marion Donovan, inventor of the modern disposable diaper
SadieHebrew · "princess," by way of Sarah, of which it began as a Victorian pet form; it went its own way more than a century ago and returned with the vintage revival, sweeter and spunkier than its stately mother name
LillieLatin · variant of Lily/Lillian, from the flower name, Latin 'lilium'
RitaGreek · pearl (short form of Margherita); famously borne by Rita Levi-Montalcini, neurologist and Nobel laureate who discovered nerve growth factor
RubyLatin · "the ruby," from rubeus, "red," July's birthstone; a favorite of the Victorian gem-name generation alongside Pearl and Opal, and the one that came back strongest a century on. Warm, vivid, and a little retro-glamorous
AbigailHebrew · "my father's joy," from the Hebrew Avigayil, the quick-witted wife of David in the Bible; a Puritan favorite that fell out of use when "abigail" became slang for a lady's maid, then returned in the 1970s to become a modern staple. Abby for short
CharlotteFrench · French feminine diminutive of Charles (Germanic karl, "man"); queenly from George III's consort to today's young British princess, and friendly in its short forms Lottie and Charlie. The rare classic that reads regal and warm at once
EileenIrish · Anglicized form of Irish Eibhlín, also sometimes treated as an Irish equivalent of Helen; not an Evelyn-derived 'light' name
LorraineFrench · from the region of Lorraine, 'realm of Lothar'
MattieAramaic · diminutive of Martha, 'lady/mistress' (sometimes also short for Matilda)
ClaraLatin · "clear, bright, famous," from clarus; St. Clare of Assisi gave it saintly standing, and the Nutcracker's heroine dances under it every December. A vintage classic revived across Europe and the Americas alike
GeraldineGermanic · feminine form of Gerald, 'rule of the spear'
HollyEnglish · the holly tree, a symbol of Christmas (nature name); immortalized by Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
MaeEnglish · possibly a form of Mary, or from the month of May; famously borne by Mae Jemison, engineer and physician who became the first Black woman in space
MarianEnglish · variant of Mary; meaning disputed (traditionally 'bitter' or 'beloved')
HannahHebrew · "grace, favor," from Channah, the mother who prayed for a child and gave the Bible one of its tenderest stories; a Puritan mainstay revived in the 1980s and 90s to the American top five. A palindrome, warm from either direction
NoraIrish · "honor," by way of Honora, the form Ireland made its own; also the pet form of Eleanora in Scandinavia and beyond. Long after its Ibsen heroine slammed the door, it returned as a sleek vintage favorite
SheilaIrish · Irish form of Cecilia, traditionally "blind" (disputed); a Brazilian favorite of the 1970s and 80s
AugustLatin · "exalted, venerable" (from Augustus); one of Sweden's most popular boys' names in recent years and a rising vintage revival in the US
DarrellFrench · surname from Norman French d'Airelle, 'from Airel' (a place in Normandy)
HughGermanic · from Germanic 'hug' meaning heart, mind, spirit
LonnieGermanic · diminutive of Leonard, 'brave lion'
MinnieGermanic · diminutive of Wilhelmina ("will helmet"); also used as a pet form of Mary
StellaLatin · "star," the word itself, set alight as a name in Renaissance sonnets; a favorite of the early 1900s reborn on the celestial wave. Bright, brief, and impossible to misspell
ByronEnglish · from an English surname meaning 'at the cattle sheds' (Old English 'byre')
FrankGermanic · from the name of the Franks, the Germanic tribe (possibly named for their spear, *frankô); in modern use often a short form of Francis or Franklin
CeceliaLatin · variant of Cecilia, from Roman clan name Caecilius, related to 'caecus' (blind)
EmmettEnglish · surname from a medieval diminutive of Emma (Germanic irmin, "whole" or "great")
PenelopeGreek · traditionally "weaver," after the wife in the Odyssey who unwove her loom each night to hold off suitors, though the root may be an old word for a duck; four syllables of loyal, literary charm that clip to Penny and Poppy
AddieGermanic · diminutive of Adelaide, noble kind
BlancheFrench · white, fair; immortalized by Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
