The 14 vintage baby names from 1900 surging in popularity as parents go for ‘cheerful, colourful & celestial' choices

The Sun

6 days ago

WE all know picking a baby name doesn't come easily for parents, but as with most things, trends come back around time and time again.
And in recent years, it seems many parents are gaining inspiration from the 1900s as many names from the Victorian era are making a comeback.
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It appears that many vintage names have stood the test of time as over 14 names from the era are being used by millennial parents.
So if you're an expecting parent and looking for a name that will be loved for decades you may want to keep reading.
Baby name experts at Nameberry have shared the 14 top boy and girl names from the era making a comeback and why they're getting popular again.
Girl Names
Adelaide
According to the moniker experts, names with the 'ad' sound like Adeline, Madeline, Addison, and Adele are all on the rise in the UK, but Adelaide is arguably the most distinctive of the bunch.
There are also plenty of nickname options that come with the name including Addie and Heidi, the latter of which is a longtime favourite in the UK.
Bea
Originally, this was a nickname for the moniker Beatrice, but it has fast become a name in its own right.
British parents love this take on the classic name and was ranked within the Top 100 names from 2013 to 2019.
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Birdie
"Birdie rose over 180 spots between 2022 and 2023, making it an extremely hot name," says Nameberry.
"It was once a nickname for full forms like Bertha and Berenice, which are unlikely to come back into fashion anytime soon."
Cecilia
According to the data, Cecilia is on the rise in many English-speaking countries, including the US and UK.
It's a classic name from the Victorian era but it was neglected as other trendy traditional names gained popularity like Amelia and Charlotte.
However, due to being forgotten for years, it now has a fresher feel parents are loving.
Estelle
Estelle and other starry and celestial names (think Celeste, Luna, Aurora, Nova, Selena) are really having a moment right now according to the name pros.
Parents who are drawn to the celestial name trend as well as vintage names are likely to use Estelle.
Goldie
While this was traditionally a nickname for someone with blonde hair, Goldie is now fair game for the birth certificate.
"It rose over 260 spots on the charts in 2023, making it one of the fastest-rising girl names in the UK," adds Nameberry.
"Many parents like its cheerful and colourful associations."
Henrietta
We Brits love a unique name apparently, and Henrietta fits the bill.
With other traditional yet rarely used names like Matilda, Harriet, and Ottilie going mainstream, Henrietta has captured parents' eyes.
Opal
Another trend Nameberry has picked up on is 'O' names becoming more and more popular.
Olivia, Orla, Olive, and Ottilie have surged in use and Opal appeals as an option that has the trendy sound without the widespread popularity (for now).
Viola
Floral names like Lily, Poppy, Daisy, and of course, Violet, have always been popular in the UK.
But Viola is an alternative with a strong vintage sensibility and a music connection that will appeal to certain sets of parents.
The struggle of choosing a baby name
CHLOE Morgan, a Senior Writer at Fabulous, has revealed her dilemma on choosing a baby name...
At 35 weeks pregnant, by far the trickiest part of pregnancy for me in the past few months (minus the insomnia and countless night-time wee breaks!) has been trying to decide on a baby name.
The dilemmas are endless...
My partner and I went for a private scan to find out the gender as early as we could - partly due to the fact we thought it would make baby naming so much easier because we'd only have to come up with a list of names for one gender rather than two.
How wrong we were...
I was absolutely thrilled to be told I was expecting the baby girl I'd already dreamed of, but being one of the last of my friends to fall pregnant, I've had countless conversations over the years with excited pals discussing their top baby names...something which I wish I could go back in time and un-hear.
With each friend mentioning at least 10 possible monikers, I can't help but feel like several are now a no-go even though I know it's something that none of them would mind in the slightest - it's a total me problem!
The debate comes up time and time again on social media forums - can you choose the same name that was a "potential" for a friend's baby?
It's a very divisive topic and opinions are always mixed...and I don't want to be THAT person.
While some will argue there's thousands of other names out there to choose from, others will say you need to choose YOUR favourite...after all, there's no guarantee that person will even have another baby.
Then there's also the issue of finding a name you adore...only to research it online and read one negative comment amongst hundreds of positives that you just can't shake off.
I made that very mistake when I fell in love with a certain name (I won't reveal it because I don't want to ruin it for others!) ...only to see someone point out that it constantly gets autocorrected on a phone to something rather rude instead.
So, back to the drawing board we went..
Just five weeks to go and it looks like our little one is going to be known as 'baby gal' for a little while longer!
Boy Names
Alvin
Classic names starting with Al- like Alfred and Albert — not to mention Alfie and Albie — have always been popular in the U.
Alvin and Alvie follow the trend as well but as it has been neglected for so long, it has a certain uniqueness to it (for now).
Laurence
A traditional choice that is neither too common nor too obscure, Laurence appeals to parents searching for the perfect 'sweet spot' boy name says the naming experts.
Plus, this spelling easily lends itself to the nickname Laurie.
Laurie
Laurie is a soft and gentle boy name with a classic British nickname vibe.
It saw a jump in usage after the release of Greta Gerwig's Little Women adaptation in 2019 played by Timothée Chalamet.
Ozzie / Ozzy
Ozzy is the dominant form of this name, but both variations are rising across the English-speaking world.
The name is energetic and makes for a great nickname for other 'O' names like Oliver, Otis, and Otto.
However, Ozzy full forms like Oswald and Osborn have yet to join the UK charts.