Published on 06/16/2020 13:51 By Georgia Stone
Edited by | Fact-checked by
Traditional old names, used over 100 -years ago, are increasing in popularity. We probably all have a great aunt “Maude” somewhere in our family tree and it may be a lovely legacy to name your baby after them.
Maybe picking a beautiful, delicate flower name like; Lily, Ivy, Iris and Rose or a vintage girl’s name like “Betty,” could be the perfect match for your little bundle of joy. You could even choose a vintage Old Hollywood name for extra glitz and glamour!
During pregnancy, there is a mountain of baby girl names to wade through and it can be overwhelming. It may be a leap too far to choose an old Victorian name like “Fanny,” or “Ethel”, but, there is plenty of other classic, old-fashioned lady baby names and we’ve listed our favourites.
Royal Names
Crown your daughter with one of these beautiful girl names inspired by nobility.
1. Beatrice: Of Italian origin, with the most famous being the Queen’s grand-daughter, an alternative spelling is Beatrix, as in Beatrix Potter, the famous author and illustrator.
2. Catherine: This classic old namecan be shortened to “Kate” and can be spelt with a “C” or a “K” and means “pure” in Greek.
3. Elizabeth: A good, strong, regal name, widely used after the reign of the powerful Queen Elizabeth 1st and latterly after our own Queen Elizabeth, the name has so many variations and can be shortened to; Betty, Lilibet, Bessie, Beth, Lizzie and Liz.
4. Victoria: The noble Latin name means, “winner” and “conqueror” and the most famous being the long-reigning monarch, Queen Victoria. Nicknames include; Vicky and Vic.
Old Lady Name Chic
A few generations back, Elsie and Florence were commonplace; here is a selection of old fashioned names for girls making a comeback in 2020.
5. Agnes: OfGreek and Latin origin and if it’s good enough for the famous supermodel, Agyness Deyn and one of the Despicable Me girls, then it’s got to be very on-trend!
6. Agatha: Greek origin meaning “good” or “honourable” and probably one of the most famous Agatha is the crime writer Agatha Christie. This name can be shortened to Aggie.
7. Betty: Such a lovely vintage name, derived from the name Elizabeth. Betty can also be spelt Bette as in Bette Davis, the Hollywood actress.
8. Dorothy: Anostalgic name of Greek origin from “Dorothea” andprobably most famously used for the little pig-tailed girl in The Wizard of Oz. A cute shortened retro version of Dorothy is; Dottie, Dolly (this is where the word doll ones from) and Dot.
9. Edith: This very English vintage name is a real trip down memory lane, meaning “riches” or “blessed” and made famous by the infamous French singer Edith Piaf. Edith was recently made memorable with one of the lead characters in Downton Abbey, “Lady Edith“. The shortened versions are adorable with; Eddie, Eddy or Edie.
10. Esme: This pretty French name is making a big come-back, meaning “loved” or “esteemed”, it was shortened from the original name , the heroine of The Hunchback of Notre Dame novel and more recently the feisty character in the TV series Poldark.
11. Elsie: Of Scottish heritage and a shortened version of Elspeth and an alternative to names like; Ella and Ellie.
12. Flora: From the Latin name meaning “flower,” this sweet, feminine name was used as a character in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.
13. Florence: Of Latin origin, with the most famous Florence being the world-renowned nurse Florence Nightingale to the present-day band, “Florence and The Machine”, nicknames are just as cute with; Flo, Flossie and Florrie.
14. Iris: Of Greek origin, meaning “rainbow” which is used today as a symbol of hope. Iris is also associated with the delicate flower.
15. Ivy: An English word, deriving from the plant and a popular choice for Christmas babies, famously there is Blue Ivy, the daughter of Beyoncé and Jay Z.
16. Imogen: The first recorded use of the name Imogen is by Shakespeare, for a British princess, in his play Cymbeline. Imogen and is a Celtic name meaning “maiden.”
17. Matilda: Roald Dahl may have played just a small part in the revival of this traditional name which means “battle” or “mighty” and in Australia, they have the popular folk song “Waltzing Matilda”; it can also be spelt Mathilda if you want something a little bit different.
18. Mabel: Meaning “loveable” of English origin andnow a popular chart-topping singer, just known as “Mabel.”
19. Millicent: Of German origin and meaning, “strong worker” Millicent can be shortened to Millie.
20. Nellie or Nelly: OfEnglish origin, meaning, “bright” and “shining” it’s a shortened version of Eleanor, Helen and Ellen.
21. Olive: Unsurprisingly, derived from the olive tree and well known for being Popeye’s long-suffering sweetheart Olive Oyl. Many Hollywood celebs have chosen Olive for their daughter’s including; Drew Barrymore, Isla Fisher and David Tennant.
22. Ruby: Named after the pretty red gem stone. There have been several songs with a Ruby in the title such as: “Ruby Tuesday” by The Rolling Stones, and “Ruby” by the Kaiser Chiefs.
23. Sylvia: Of Latin origin, meaning a “girl from the forest”, the most famous Sylvia is the US poet Sylvia Plath and the name can be shortened to Sylvie.
Unique Baby Girl’s Names
There are lots of benefits to having a unique baby name; maybe the most important is how beautiful they are. Have a look at some of our pretty, .
24. Augusta: Derived fromLatin, it’s a strong, powerful name meaning “great” and was used to address important people in Ancient Rome. A variation of the name is August.
25. Adelaide: Of German origin, meaning “noble” and of course everyone knows the Southern Australian City!
26. Clementine: Of Latin origin and better known in this country as a small citrus fruit! Clementine is the female version of Clement and features in the US song “Oh My Darling Clementine”. The French version is Clémence and shortened to Clem or Clemmie.
27. Constance: a Latin derivative meaning “constant” and “steadfast” and can be shortened to Connie.
28. Eva: Meaning, “the giver of life” and of Hebrew origin, this simple, short name is becoming very popular baby name in the UK.
29. Evelyn: Means “beautiful bird” and can be used for both boys and girls.
30. Thea: Of Greek origin is an alternative spelling of the Greek goddess Theia and so the name literally meaning ‘goddess’. Other alternatives include; Theodora, Dorothea, or Althea.
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