[name_f]My[/name_f] definition of a “classic” name is the following:
(1) a name of depth and history that doesn’t follow any trends. They can come from different styles but all of them have these two qualities in common.
(2) a name that can be popular or not. All classics have been in steady use for many years but their popularity can ebb and flow.
(3) A name that never goes out of style and can’t be pigeonholed to a certain time period. That’s where the word “timeless” comes into play (eg. take the girls name [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] for example. Could you tell if it was a baby, a teenager, a middle-aged woman or a senior citizen? No one would have any glue unless you met the person).
(4) A name that has a certain predictability because practically everyone has either heard of them or have known someone with the name and they know how to pronounce and spell them. They may not be the most creative, unique, unusual or exotic names on the block but they’ll last a lifetime.
From the Nameberry List, I would consider these bolded names to be “classic”:
[name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], [name_f]Audrey[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Eva[/name_f], [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u], [name_f]Georgia[/name_f], [name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_f]Isabel[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Madeline[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Sophia[/name_f]
[name_f]Anne[/name_f], [name_f]Catherine[/name_f], [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Kate[/name_f], [name_f]Mary[/name_f], [name_f]Victoria[/name_f]
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f], [name_f]Claire[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Elise[/name_f], [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Grace[/name_f], [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], [name_f]Rose[/name_f]
[name_f]Amy[/name_f], [name_f]Angela[/name_f], [name_f]Anna[/name_f], [name_f]Christine[/name_f], [name_f]Joanna[/name_f], [name_f]Julia[/name_f], [name_f]Laura[/name_f], [name_u]Leslie[/name_u], [name_f]Marie[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Susan[/name_f], [name_f]Theresa[/name_f]
[name_f]Amanda[/name_f], [name_f]Bridget[/name_f], [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f], [name_f]Claudia[/name_f], [name_f]Corinne[/name_f], [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f], [name_f]Emily[/name_f], [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f], [name_f]Natalie[/name_f], [name_f]Priscilla[/name_f], [name_f]Regina[/name_f], [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f], [name_f]Veronica[/name_f]
[name_f]Frances[/name_f], [name_f]Ellen[/name_f], [name_f]Helen[/name_f], [name_f]Irene[/name_f], [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], [name_f]Virginia[/name_f]
[name_f]Deborah[/name_f], [name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], [name_f]Judith[/name_f], [name_f]Leah[/name_f], [name_f]Lydia[/name_f], [name_f]Martha[/name_f], [name_f]Miriam[/name_f], [name_f]Naomi[/name_f], [name_f]Rachel[/name_f], [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f], [name_f]Ruth[/name_f], [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]
That’s just my opinion because people have their own definitions of “classic” names. The names I bolded are those which have three main components: they’re “classic”, “traditional” and “timeless”. Maybe my standards are a little higher to reach. For me, it’s almost like there is a hierarchy of “classic” names. Few names reach the pinnacle or highest level like [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] or [name_f]Mary[/name_f] in my mind. Some names had great surges of popularity at a certain time (eg. [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] in the 1980"s) so they “feel” more trendy to many people. I try to look at the history of a name and the Blblical [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] can still be considered “classic” in my mind. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though Biblical names share the same pedigree, I don’t consider a [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f] on par with an [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] or a [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] at the same level as a [name_f]Mary[/name_f]. By most accounts, I should have bolded a name like [name_f]Sophia[/name_f]. I did not because I think of it as lower on the “classic hierarchy” (many of the names on the list fall into that category). Sometimes I think modern popularity distorts our perceptions of the term “classic”. By the replies you have received thus far, you can see it’s very subjective. YOU will have to decide which names YOU think can be defined as “classic” because if you asked ten people to define the term, you may get ten different answers. 