When parents with a traditional bent look for a fresh baby name, they look to the past. Not just one generation back, but four or five to the time of the baby's great-great ancestors. That generation of names has lain fallow long enough that the names sound new again. The names also take on a patina of grace and charm from the bygone era they evoke.
These antique revival names are especially popular for girls, as you can tell by a glance at the U.S. name popularity chart. Names like Emma, Olivia and Ava are all in the top-10. This graph of the number of Emmas born shows the classic revival trend:
Emma was an old-time favorite that had all but vanished, so now it sounds sweetly old-fashioned. Or take Olivia, another staple of "retro" and "old-fashioned" baby-name lists:
Wait a second. Where's the antique part? We all know that Olivia is a great-great-grandmother name...right? But if you look at the numbers, it turns out that a baby girl was actually more likely to be named Olivia in 1950 than in 1890. Huh.
Well, let's look at Ava instead. A recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the antique name cycle claimed: "Old-fashioned names like Ava, Milo, Hazel, Hugo and Clara are coming back."
How's that for an old-fashioned name? And that graph is a major year out of date. More Avas were born in the United States last year than in 1880-1980 -- the whole century combined. How can a name "come back" when it was never here to begin with?
Perhaps they're even more antique than my graphs can show--say, top hits of the 1840s. But no, a check of census records says otherwise. The unavoidable conclusion is that Olivia and Ava aren't real antiques. They were timeless but uncommon names that are suddenly, dramatically contemporary. So why do we hear them as old-fashioned?
More on this next time....
Comments
Val - How about Lexi, Melia (Muh-lee-ah), or Aeryn for your friend? I also love Tansey's suggestion of Verity (I just really like that name and it's so unusual).
Thanks Christina, I like your choices, (but Lexi is mine mine mine!) Seriously though, I'll tell her your picks and thanks again.
I haven't heard too much about the name Cecelia. I'm expecting, and if I have a girl, that is what I will name her. That was my grandmothers name and I absolutely love it (could be because of my fond memories of her!)
When I first saw the name Lucia, I thought it was pronounched Lu-see-a, but it's Lu-chi-a, isn't it? Like St. Lucia? I wonder if that pronunciation is widespread enough that you'd have to keep correcting people, if you wanted it pronounced Lu-see-a...
HI all!
Lucia is a lovely name! Have you ever read the children's picture book (applauded by many religions) "You're Special?" Lucia is the main character who doesn't let anyone else's judgement's "stick."
I also love Camille... but my son is going to a school named Camellia so it's off our list :)
Isadora is lovely too! I like Izzy for a nickname... is that too close to Lizzy?
RobynT
For some reason, Lucia is "Loo-sha", to me.
If you like the pronounication "Lu-chi-a" I think you can make it stick. It depends how often you want to be reminding people.
Hm... no one thinks that the resurgence of Emma might have something to do with 'Friends'?
My girls names are Lillian, Annalise and Emmaline. All named aftertheir great-great grandmothers.
Ladies - TY for the compliments - lovely to hear our tuppence ha'pennies are appreciated :-)
Bev - thats the cool thing about this site - you get a number of eyes looking at your choices giving you a fresh insight.
Christiana - Verity is interesting along with Felicity. They're 'virtue' names but not so obvious as the Faith/Hope/Charity ones so possibly a little easier to live with.
Kelly - Cecelia is interesting - picking a name because of a loved one makes it special and of course as your baby she will be most special. I think of the Simon & Garfunkel song also and Cecy in 'What Katy Did'.
Robyn T - Interesting point about Lucia's pronounciation - 'Loo-chee-ah' seems correct to me but 'Loo-see-ah' might take over. I wonder if other names from different cultures have gone through that?
I think that Loo-see-ah is the classical pronunciation (the feminine of Lucius), and seeming as it is clearly a Latinate name, the correct one. Loo-chee-ah I would guess is something that has happened to the name in Hispanic languages, and does not sound right to me...
Hi Abi,
Actually, you've got it backwards. Italians pronounce the name Loo-chee-ah (I have an Italian friend--from Italy--with this name) and Hispanics pronounce it Loo-see-ah. The "ch" sound in Spanish is always spelled "ch."
I used to babysit for a girl named Lucia and she pronounced it Loo-shah. So I think this name is all over the map, making it an interesting and pretty choice. All of those pronunciations sound good to me.
Psyche,
You are wrong, Eva is a very common name in Spaina and it is pronounced AYva.
OK, thanks for correction :)
I am about to deliver my daughter, Emma. When I first came up with the name for her I thought I was being so creative (and traditional). I didn't want there to be 5 Emmas in her kindergarten class! Imagine my disappointment to find out that the name is one of the most popular names these days. But I decided not to change it because it is such a beautiful name. I can't wait to meet my little Emma.
When I was expecting my daughter, I wanted the name Olivia in the worst way. I'm a HUGE fan of the show Law and Order: SVU. The character "Olivia" is a strong determined woman like I would want my daughter to be. However, Daddy wouldn't go for it so we have a Hannah and it fits her to a "T."
Congratulations Carolyn on your imminent birth - in the end it doesn't matter if she's one of ten or twenty Emmas in her class/sports team - she's individual to you. Have you got an interesting second name for her?
Maggie - I'm actually pretty sure that Emma did get a surge thanks to Friends.
To finish my last statement (computer malfunction) - if you look at Voyager, there was a big jump of Emma in 2003 (Rachels Emma was named in May of 2002). But what made the ever popular Friends writers shoose that name? My guess would be the trend towards classic, old-fashioned names and they got in on it.
How about when Monica and Chandler called their twins Jack and Erica? Did anything happen to those names?
Weren't the twins named in the last episode of the show? They wouldn't have had the reinforcement of having the names said over and over, so I'd guess there wasn't much influence. Jack has been popular for a while, with "Titanic" giving it a big boost.
Olivia has never sounded old to me. I've always though of it as being quite modern though nice because it's Shakespearean. Ava is 100% because of Ava Gardener. Also because it was not around at all for two decades.
Does anyone remeber that show "Mad about You"? When they had a baby they named it something i thought at the time was very "ugly" and "old". Can't remeber just what it was...Margory?
Found it; Mabel (Mothers Always Bring Extra Love). OK the meaning is a little weak but at least i don't think of it as quite such terrible name anymore.
My dogs' mother was called Mabel. Their father was Lloyd, both of which are ridiculous names for dogs.
Someone above mentioned Alice as a true antique that (so far) hasn't come back. My 10-month-old daughter is named Alice, mainly because we just like the name, but also because it's a name that everyone recognizes and can spell, but that isn't common or trendy. We've had a few people look at us quizzically and say things like "is she named after someone?" as though that were the only reason to name a child Alice, but most people seem to like the name. Her middle name is Rebecca, which I've always loved and which is about as trend-proof as they come.
Alice Rebecca is just beautiful!
So I am showing that "Fanny" and "Gaylord" are coming up for recycling...or maybe not...
I don't think I would ever use my Grandmothers' names, June and LeWanda. I bet LeWanda isn't even in the books.
I don't think I would ever use my Grandmothers' names, June and LeWanda. I bet LeWanda isn't even in the books.
Hi Ladies, I was wondering if anyone else has noticed how some women peers can get so possessive or competative about baby name choices (and they may not even be pregnant yet). I am curious how you handle it and what your thoughts are. What is the problem of having a duplicate name if you both adode them and you aren't even part of the same family? For instance I was at an outing with my friends and mentioned a name I liked and one of the them said, "no that's gonna be my name when I have a baby girl. the race is on" I feel sometimes that that behavior is so middle schoolish, aren't we above that?
Mimi - I picked Jonathan for my first child's name only to have my sister-in-law calmly tell me it was her first choice for her son - after I had shared this with her. As she was pregnant first, she got her way.Fortunately I had a girl :-), which she never had until her one of her sons married.
Either you don't share your name choice until your baby is born and named, use it anyhow (you are likely to lose touch with people like that anyway), or find some better friends that don't look upon everything as competitive.
Hi Tansey, thanks for your reply. It is sad that in some arenas tight-lipped has to be the way. I can usually do this, but that time there were 6 of us moms all together and they all started talking baby names. Now I am afraid if I use one of the names that both the other mom and I had in common, I fear she is going to say I "stole" her name. I hate these caddy games. You are rght though, if she gets this way, this is not the kind of friendship I will want to continue to pursue. Thanks again!
From RootsWeb Review, 1 November 2006, Vol. 9, No. 44
MORE AMERICANS. The U.S. population recently reached 300 million and the
Census Bureau stepped back in time to compare contemporary life and
statistics to those in the time periods in which the nation reached
other noteworthy population milestones -- in 1967 (when the population
reached 200 million) and in the year 1915 (when it reached 100 million).
Some interesting comparisons on the site include:
The most popular baby names for boys and girls, respectively.
2006: Jacob and Emily
1967: Michael and Lisa
1915: John and Mary
Try this site. I didn't get on but I think it is because it was a two line URL and was not active. Cut and paste is required probably.
http://www.census.gov/Press-
Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/007276.html
Mimi/Tansey - On one hand, if you're going to spending a lot of time with the other mother-to-be and her child, it could be awkward to have the same name. Not earth shattering, by any means, but awkward. However, I would actually be more honored to suggest a name and have someone fall in love with it so much that they want to use it for their child. (I named my best friend's first and my sister's second). I think it's tacky though to be "competing" with someone to get pregnant just so you can use the name.
My s-i-l is trying to get pregnant and I haven't discussed names with her. I'm not sure I want to, since she is the competitive type (she scheduled her wedding 10 weeks before mine just so she was the first married sibling). Of course, i think we have very different tastes, so it might not be a problem. We shall see if the subject comes up at Christmas.
Olivia is a character in shakespeare's Twelfth Night. It may not have always been popular, but it has existed for centuries.
Christiana - too true. When I was trying to get pregnant I had a friend who was scared to tell me she was on the way because I was getting desperate. Our daughters were born a month apart fortunately.
With your s-i-l, for pete's sake don't share your choices! Maybe murmur a few that you say are 'favorites' and hope like heck she doesn't list one of your real ones.
Generally though - replications are one of those things. I have two s-i-ls named Barbara(out of a total of three s-i-ls) and two nephews named Ben. If it happens you might just say 'great minds...' and smile a lot :-)
I noticed that about of month ago some of you were talking about the name 'Gillian'. My name is Gillian and I pronounce it with a J, but of course people who first meet me always say it with the G pronunciation. My name is said to be Irish and I like my name, but it would be much easier if it was spelled with a J. Just a tip for people who are considering the name, many people call me Gillian with a hard G sound or even Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)which gets awfully annoying at times!
Love Gillian with a soft G. Love Ellen, though I didn't used to. Love Anne. Up with the hard-nosed "N" endings (says the mother of Caroline, named after her grandmother). They give a girl dignity. Lovely as they sound now, I think the "-a" names are going to sound like the "-i" names of the 70s in twenty years (you know, Traci, Kelli, Kari, Staci). Or the "-ette" and "-elle")names of the (fifties?) -- Susette, Anette, Yvette, Janelle, Maybelle. All those names sound overgirled to me at this point in history.
I thought this was interesting:
On the Soap Opera Guiding Light (my favorite show), there is a character named Olivia who has two daughters, Ava, and Emma.
Also, has anyone noticed the increase in boys' names used for girls?
Examples: Joey, Ryan, Brian, Drew, Charlie (Or Charleigh), and I know 2 Mary-Michals.
I thought of some more:
Johnni, Cameron, Devin, Blake
Yes, another post by me.
I like names that end in the -ah sound.
Examples: (I got most of these from Guiding Light)
Marah (favorite)
Dinah (favorite)
Ava (Of course the hot trend)
Eva
Marina
Emma
Kara
Tara
More of my favorites:
Eden
Harley
Janie
Jenna
How do you like the name Violet Rochelle together? I think it is beautiful.
Hi Erin's , yes, I too have noticed a rise in popularity of boy names for girls. I even heard Spencer is now being used for girls. In some ways, I think giving a girl a more masculine sounding name kind of makes a tired boys name used for guys sound new and refreshing (to an extent, in my opinion). I think some like Max may never "cross over" though, who knows?! I was wondering what everyone thought of Hudson for a girls name, I think it sounds strong and unique, but I fear it may be too strange for a girl, almost like a "max" name...perhaps it siuts a boy better. Thanks in advance for input!
Hi Erin's , yes, I too have noticed a rise in popularity of boy names for girls. I even heard Spencer is now being used for girls. In some ways, I think giving a girl a more masculine sounding name kind of makes a tired boys name used for guys sound new and refreshing (to an extent, in my opinion). I think some like Max may never "cross over" though, who knows?! I was wondering what everyone thought of Hudson for a girls name, I think it sounds strong and unique, but I fear it may be too strange for a girl, almost like a "max" name...perhaps it siuts a boy better. Thanks in advance for input!
LaTisha - love Violet but I'm afraid Rochelle for me comes under the 70's bleach-blonde bimbo scenario. Violet is such a pretty name with Edwardian overtones it might be nice to use something from the turn of the 20thC for it such as:
Violet Rebecca
Violet Ellen
Violet May
Violet Caroline
Violet Eleanor
I am a twin. I am Mary Ellen my sister is Margot (silent "T") Ann. We are 60 years old. She loves her name and I love my name. She especially loves her silent "T"--lots of people don't know it's silent. When she gets a phone call and is called Mar-GOT, she knows it's no one she knows and tells them she's not home. Works for her!!
I hope the last-name-first-names are over. It was getting crazier by the minute.
If you name a boy John, no one else in school will have it.
I heard of a woman who named her son Guy and pronounced it Gooey. Yikes! She saw the name in a romance novel.
I hope the name Bertha never comes back. There are others I had hoped wouldn't come back but they did.
I don't like for girls to be named boys' names. A couple up the street is Tim and Bryan. Bryan is the wife. Besides that, when the girl is 18 she will get a letter to sign up for the Selective Service. :-)
Just some food for thought!
Mary
I'd love to get some feedback on the name "Renae/Renee" for a girl.
Elizabeth- I agree. I feel that the wave of frilly -a names, Isabella, Carolina, etc., are going to sound just as dated in 30 years as the -i names, Keri, Cindi, etc., sound to our ears now. Even still, I am partial to the name Kalista. What do others think of that name?
By the way, Mary, you are too funny!!
I love the more old-fashioned sounding names. Especially when the children are named after their grandparents because it gives them an attachment to their family. Too bad my grandma's name was Agnes! She hated it and wouldn't allow people to call her that, opting instead to go by her middle name Marie. Which I got as a middle name and which I plan to give to my daughter as a middle name.
Stephanie- I think that Renae is a very pretty name
Allison- Kalista is a pretty name too but it makes me think of Ally McBeal
I love some of the old names that are experiencing a 'rebirth'. For example ava, aislyn, beth, emma, anastasia, isabella, susie and madeleine. I am not so keen on the surnames which people are using as first names: jackson, hudson etc. i dont mind the male names as female names, though i couldnt imagine it the other way around. i dont think i will ever meet a boy named jennifer or anna. i do think names ashley jo taylor courtney morgan and so on are fine on girls.
stephanie-i agree with jenny and think that renae is a very lovely name
allison-kalista isnt bad but im not quite as keen on it. pretty ring to it though, i must say
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