I am really drawn to classic names but so many of them are so in right now, [name]Ella[/name], [name]Grace[/name], [name]Clara[/name], [name]Lilly[/name], etc… Obviously there is a reason for them being so “in” -they’re all cute! But I like to be a [name]LITTLE[/name] different. Or just not common. I thought the name [name]Gemma[/name] fit the bill; I really love it but my husband is NOT on board. Any other ideas for us? Thanks!
[name]How[/name] about:
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name]
[name]Cecilia[/name]
[name]Georgia[/name]
[name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Ellery[/name] or [name]Elodie[/name]
[name]Lila[/name]
Or you could go for a classic that is less trendy like [name]Elizabeth[/name] or [name]Catherine[/name] or [name]Margaret[/name] or [name]Frances[/name]
Maybe [name]Amy[/name] and [name]Amanda[/name]. They’re at 143 and 226 respectively.
While they had a 70s-90s run, they’ve always been in the top 1000, so they’re pretty classic.
[name]Laura[/name] and [name]Diana[/name]. 273 and 203 respectively. Similar profile to [name]Amy[/name] and [name]Amanda[/name], different feels.
[name]Johanna[/name] and [name]Louisa[/name]. [name]Feel[/name] timeless to me, but aren’t even in the top 1000.
Pp’s suggestion of [name]Cecilia[/name] - it has been remarkably stable across the entire duration of records (with a high around 190 and a low around 401).
[name]How[/name] popular is overused for you?
[name]Julia[/name], [name]Lucy[/name], [name]Maria[/name], [name]Mary[/name], and [name]Marie[/name] all come to mind too.
Random suggestions:
[name]Willa[/name]
[name]Aida[/name]
[name]Wendy[/name]
[name]Belle[/name]
[name]Faye[/name]
[name]Hazel[/name]
[name]Harper[/name]
[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Coral[/name]
[name]Jillian[/name]
[name]Gisele[/name]
[name]Romilly[/name]
[name]Anna[/name]
[name]Jewel[/name]
[name]Gioia[/name] (prn. joy-ah)
[name]Neva[/name]
[name]Tessa[/name]
[name]Pearl[/name]
[name]Maeve[/name]
[name]Eve[/name]
[name]Vivia[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Roselle[/name]
[name]Verena[/name]
[name]Vienna[/name]
[name]Mirabel[/name] / [name]Mirabelle[/name]
[name]Amabel[/name]
Rosabel
[name]Christabel[/name]
[name]Chantel[/name]
[name]Dinah[/name]
[name]Bellerose[/name]
Belphoebe
[name]Dharma[/name]
[name]Daria[/name]
[name]Estella[/name]
[name]Stella[/name]
[name]Elettra[/name]
[name]Violetta[/name]
[name]Eliana[/name]
[name]Elora[/name]
[name]Bellamy[/name]
[name]Ellery[/name]
[name]Allegra[/name]
[name]Claudia[/name]
[name]Dorothy[/name]
[name]Dolly[/name]
[name]Edith[/name]
[name]Elsie[/name]
[name]Joan[/name]/[name]Joanie[/name]
[name]Lorna[/name]
[name]Mamie[/name]
[name]Marcy[/name]
[name]Marjorie[/name]
[name]Meg[/name]
[name]Nella[/name]/[name]Nellie[/name]
[name]Nora[/name]
[name]Polly[/name]
[name]Roxanne[/name]/[name]Roxy[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name]
[name]Tracy[/name]
[name]Wendy[/name]
Here are some ideas: (Sorry for any repeats)
[name]Helen[/name]/[name]Helena[/name]
[name]Dorothy[/name]
[name]Irene[/name]
[name]Elaine[/name]
[name]Patricia[/name]
[name]Rachel[/name]
[name]Anne[/name]
[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Mary[/name]
[name]Fay[/name]/[name]Faye[/name]
[name]Mae[/name]
[name]Margaret[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name]
[name]Joan[/name]
[name]Theresa[/name]
I don’t think [name]Gemma[/name] is a classic name but [name]Jemima[/name] nn of [name]Jemma[/name] is beautiful and fits the bill.
[name]Amelia[/name] is beautiful and the nn’s of [name]Mia[/name], [name]Leah[/name], [name]Mimi[/name], [name]Mel[/name] or [name]Amy[/name] make it very flexible.
[name]Jessica[/name] is beautiful too I know that she was discovered 20 years ago and hit the top of the naming charts but she is a really lovely choice.
If you like glamorous, sophisticated and popular names then look no further than [name]Ava[/name].
However, for something less popular
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Helena[/name]
[name]Calista[/name]
[name]Cecelia[/name]
What about [name]Amelia[/name] spelled [name]Emilia[/name], which is much less common and looks like a cross between [name]Amelia[/name] and [name]Emily[/name] to me?
I think the name [name]Alexandra[/name] is less common than the other classics (though you’d have to avoid the [name]Lexi[/name] variations as nicknames since those are super popular).
You could also try [name]Miranda[/name], which is Shakespearan and not at all common. Same for [name]Regan[/name] ([name]REE[/name]-gan).
Since [name]Emma[/name] is so popular, how about [name]Emmaline[/name]?
Another idea would be [name]Katerina[/name] instead of [name]Katherine[/name].
Aww @[name]Rollo[/name] it’s nice to see [name]Jessica[/name] getting some love. The name has almost always been in the top 1000 and has been around since [name]Shakespeare[/name]. So while it’s fair that it’s trending downward after the over-use I actually am inclined to consider it somewhere near classic, if not truly. But I might be biased : D.
PS [name]Rebecca[/name] and [name]Rachel[/name] are two more I’d add to the [name]Amy[/name]-[name]Amanda[/name]-[name]Laura[/name]-[name]Diana[/name] bucket (i.e. names with features of classics that were “overused” for the current generation of moms and have subsequently become somewhat less popular, but still feel grounded enough to not be “mom names”).
I wonder if @pam and @linda can come up with a better name for this category?
Maybe “useable mom names” and I do think there’s a subsequent “useable dad names” category, that I’d put [name]Gregory[/name] in for starters.
I agree with this. I know one little [name]Mary[/name] and when I heard her name I broke out into a huge smile…it is a beautiful classic that you just don’t hear that often (at least in my area – I never hear it!)
I would like to reiterate the love of [name]Jessica[/name]. It is lovely. In 30 years, the trendy 80s Jessicas will be classic Grandmothers.
I also think the same applies to the name [name]Mary[/name]. It is lovely too.
[name]Dian/namee is a classic that is pleasantly familiar, yet surprisingly uncommon at this point in time. It’s also a name with a pedigree. For example, [name]Diane[/name] de Poitiers (1499-1566) was a French noblewoman who lived at the apex of the French Renaissance. [name]Diane[/name] was the French spelling, but [name]Dianne[/name] is preferred in English due to the short “a” sound in the name, requiring two n’s, just like [name]Anne[/name].
[name]Erica[/name] is another one that I would say is a lovely classic. Like [name]Dianne[/name], it combines a timeless heritage with a new-again quality.
I think it’s fun how no one has mentioned [name]Anna[/name] yet.
[name]Anna[/name] would be my suggestion ^^
[name]Eve[/name], [name]Eva[/name], [name]Marie[/name] and [name]Maria[/name].
Some ones that come to mind…
[name]Audrey[/name] (love it, but cant use due to unfortunate association)
[name]Tessa[/name]
[name]Ruby[/name]
[name]Willa[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Hazel[/name]
[name]Leonora[/name]
[name]Lila[/name]
[name]Mabel[/name]
[name]Jane[/name]
I have always liked it I had a great aunt named [name]Jessica[/name] ([name]Jessie[/name]) and I have always thought that it was lovely. My great aunt would have been born in the 19th century. I really do think it is a classic, her sisters were named [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Ruth[/name] [name]Elspeth[/name] [name]Mary[/name] [name]Nan[/name] [name]Madge[/name] [name]Lavinia[/name] and for my money this [name]Jessica[/name] won the naming lottery over her sisters.
rollo
I love the name [name]Alice[/name]. It does feel a little bit overused but it is so cute, it will grow well, and I think it’s pretty distinctive!
I “second” [name]Rebecca[/name] and [name]Helen[/name].