Sophia, Isabella, Hannah, Olivia… these names were once considered old-fashioned. Now that they’re the 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th most popular baby names in the nation, though, they are quite in fashion. This is an unfortunate turn of events for those who once loved the “antique” sound of these names.
Now the big question is: Are there any good, old-fashioned names left out there? Ones that don’t look like they’ll be skyrocketing in popularity anytime soon?
I think so. Here are a few I’ve come up with:
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Adella Adelia Althea Amalia Arabella Aurelia Augusta Celia Delia |
Elodie Eloisa Estella Evelina Idabella Idella Isadora Lelia Octavia |
Odelia Odessa Ophelia Ottilia Rosella Sabina Sophronia Viola Willa |
Most of these are fashionably dense with vowels, making them more sonorous than the likes of, say, Myrtle and Mildred. Still, they’ve remained under the radar. (Think any of them will ever catch on?)
4 Comments
I named my little girl
Eleanor.
I think it is beautiful and regal and it makes all older folks smile and tell me about their sister or aunt who was named eleanor.
My grandmother (b 1927) is an Odelia. Her mother (b 1904) was also an Odelia. My grandmother goes by Penny. Hates Odelia.
Eleanor seems hot in my neck of the woods (midwest) these days. There’s a Willa in my daughter Maeve’s preschool class.
In my opinion, Viola will sound old forever.
If our next little one is a girl, she’ll be named for my other grandmother, Edith. We’ll call her Edie.
what about meredith? i love that name. and my name is ida. just ida, nothing before or after like ann or belle or bella.
We named our daughter Clara Irene, we liked the old fashion name that doesnt seem to be super common.