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Unfashionably Fashionable

© Kristen Hanley Cardozo

As names become more and more complex, many parents long for simple old-fashioned names. The new trend among yuppie parents is to name a child a simple, plain, old-fashioned name. For girls, Emma and Sophie prevail, while for boys, names like Jack and Oliver might be favored over Jaden and Bryce. These names are not classic in the traditional sense of the word. They've fallen out of favor for many years at a time, unlike names such as Elizabeth and Daniel. Now, parents who seek a sense of simplicity and tradition revive them to create a new generation of Neds, Elliots, and Adelaides. Following is a list of unfashionably fashionable names. I hope you find something you like!

The word in parentheses is the origin, but I've done this a little differently than some baby name books. The origin quoted here is the original origin from which the name developed, not the country in which the name is used, or where the name developed its current form. For example, the name Anne is used in English, and developed its current form in England and Germany, but it derives from a Hebrew name (Channah). I would put Hebrew as the origin. I got many of my meanings for this one from Oxygen's Babynamer.

Girls' Names

Adelaide (Ancient Germanic) exalted nature
Amelia (Ancient Germanic) eager
Beatrice (Latin) voyager
Bella (Old French) beautiful
Camille (Latin) assistant to the priest
Celeste (Latin) heavenly
Cora (Greek) maiden or hummingbird (which is unknown)
Dorothy (Greek) gift of God
Elsie (Hebrew) God's promise
Eve (Hebrew) life
Fern (English) the fern plant
Flora (Latin) flower
Francine (Ancient Germanic) person from France
Greta (Greek) pearl
Gwen (Welsh) life
Hazel (English) the hazel tree
Heidi (Ancient Germanic) exalted nature
Iris (Greek) rainbow
Ivy (English) the ivy plant
Jane (Hebrew) God's grace
June (Latin) the goddess Juno
Kay (Latin) happy
Leila (Arabic) night beauty
Liza (Hebrew) God's promise
Louise (Ancient Germanic) famous warrior
Maisie (Greek) pearl
Minnie (Ancient Germanic)
Nina (Spanish) little girl
Olive (English) the olive symbolizes peace, after the famous dove and olive branch
Polly (Hebrew) bitter
Rhea (Greek) flowing
Ruby (English) the gemstone ruby
Sadie (Hebrew) princess
Stella (Latin) star
Tessa (English) late summer
Violet (English) the color and the flower of the same name
Virginia (Latin) virgin
Zelda (Ancient Germanic) dark battle

Boys' Names

Alan (Ancient Germanic) precious
Basil (Greek) royal
Bram (Hebrew) exalted father
Crispin (Latin) curly-haired
Cyril (Greek) lord
Dean (Old English) valley-dweller Dorian (Greek) one of the early Greeks
Elliot (Greek) God is Lord
Ezra (Hebrew) assistance
Felix (Latin) happy
Francis (Ancient Germanic) a Frenchman
George (Greek) farmer
Graham (Old English) gravel area
Gray (English) the color gray
Henry (Ancient Germanic) home leader
Hollis (English) the holly plant