Name |
Meaning |
Origin |
Popularity |
Other Gender |
Agnes
|
Pure, holy
|
Greek
|
|
|
Alberta
|
Noble, bright, famous
|
German
|
|
|
Alice
|
Of nobility
|
German
|
|
|
Amelia
|
Work
|
German
|
|
|
Andrea
|
Manly and virile
|
Greek
|
|
|
Anita
|
“The graceful one,” based on the Hebrew hannah, grace.
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Anna
|
Gracious
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Annette
|
A French variant of Anna.
|
French
|
|
|
Arlene
|
Pledge, promise
|
Modern
|
|
|
Barbara
|
Foreign woman
|
Latin
|
|
|
Beatrice
|
Voyager (through life); blessed
|
Latin
|
|
|
Belinda
|
“The beautiful river,” from the Latin bella (beautiful) and Indus (a river in Asia).
|
German
|
|
|
Bernadette
|
Strong, brave bear
|
German
|
|
|
Bernice
|
Victory bringer
|
Greek
|
|
|
Charlene
|
Free man
|
German
|
|
|
Cheryl
|
Cherry fruit; green gemstone
|
Greek
|
|
|
Christine
|
Follower of Christ
|
Latin
|
|
|
Cindy
|
A diminutive form of Cynthia.
|
Latin
|
|
|
Clara
|
Bright and clear
|
Latin
|
|
|
Claudia
|
Lame
|
Latin
|
|
|
Connie
|
A short form of Constance.
|
English
|
|
|
Cora
|
Maiden
|
Greek
|
|
|
Cynthia
|
From Mount Kynthos
|
Greek
|
|
|
Dana
|
From Denmark
|
English
|
|
|
Darlene
|
Dearling; darling
|
English
|
|
|
Dawn
|
The first appearance of light, daybreak
|
English
|
|
|
Deanna
|
Valley; church leader
|
English
|
|
|
Debbie
|
Bee
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Deborah
|
Bee
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Della
|
Noble
|
German
|
|
|
Denise
|
Follower of Dionysius
|
French
|
|
|
Diana
|
Heavenly and divine
|
Latin
|
|
|
Diane
|
Divine
|
Latin
|
|
|
Dolores
|
Sorrows
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Donna
|
Lady
|
Italian
|
|
|
Doris
|
From Doris; gift
|
Greek
|
|
|
Dorothy
|
Gift of God
|
Greek
|
|
|
Dotty
|
Gift of God
|
Greek
|
|
|
Edith
|
Strife for wealth
|
English
|
|
|
Edna
|
Renewer
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Eileen
|
“The brightly shining one,” from the Greek lielene, something shining, as a torch.
|
Gaelic
|
|
|
Elaine
|
Sun ray, shining light
|
Greek
|
|
|
Eleanor
|
Of unknown meaning
|
English
|
|
|
Elizabeth
|
God is my oath
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Ellen
|
Sun ray, shining light
|
Greek
|
|
|
Eloise
|
Healthy one
|
English
|
|
|
Emily
|
To excel
|
Latin
|
|
|
Emma
|
Whole or universal
|
German
|
|
|
Erma
|
Complete, universal
|
German
|
|
|
Ernestine
|
Serious; battle to the death
|
German
|
|
|
Esther
|
Star
|
Persian
|
|
|
Ethel
|
Noble
|
English
|
|
|
Eunice
|
Good victory
|
Greek
|
|
|
Evelyn
|
Desired one
|
English
|
|
|
Florence
|
Flowering, in bloom
|
Latin
|
|
|
Frances
|
From France
|
Latin
|
|
|
Gail
|
Father of exaltation
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Georgia
|
Farmer
|
English
|
|
|
Gina
|
Shortened form of Regina
|
Italian
|
|
|
Gladys
|
“The bright one,” from the Anglo- Saxon glaecl, bright, shining.
|
Welsh
|
|
|
Glenda
|
Fair; good
|
Welsh
|
|
|
Gloria
|
Glory
|
Latin
|
|
|
Gretchen
|
“The little pearl.” Regarded as a diminutive of Margarete, the German equivalent of Margaret, which see.
|
German
|
|
|
Gwendolyn
|
Blessed ring
|
Welsh
|
|
|
Harriet
|
Home ruler
|
German
|
|
|
Helen
|
Sun ray, shining light
|
Greek
|
|
|
Irene
|
Peace
|
Greek
|
|
|
Jackie
|
Supplanter
|
French
|
|
|
Jacqueline
|
Supplanter
|
French
|
|
|
Janet
|
“The gracious gift of God.” A diminutive form of Joanna, the feminine form of John.
|
Scottish
|
|
|
Janice
|
“The gracious gift of God.” A variant form of Joanna, a feminine form of John.
|
English
|
|
|
Jean
|
God is gracious
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Jeanne
|
God is gracious
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Joan
|
God is gracious
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Jodi
|
He Will Add
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Josephine
|
God will increase
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Joy
|
Happiness
|
Latin
|
|
|
Joyce
|
Lord
|
Latin
|
|
|
Juanita
|
God is gracious
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Judith
|
From Judea; Jewish
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Judy
|
A diminutive form of Judith.
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
June
|
Month of June
|
Latin
|
|
|
Karen
|
A Scandinavian form of Catherine.
|
Danish
|
|
|
Kathleen
|
An Irish equivalent of Catherine.
|
Irish
|
|
|
Kathy
|
Short form of Katherine
|
English
|
|
|
Latoya
|
Victorious one
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Laura
|
Laurel
|
Latin
|
|
|
Laurie
|
The bay, or laurel plant
|
Latin
|
|
|
Laverne
|
“Bathed in dew,” from the Latin lavere, to bedew.
|
Latin
|
|
|
Leona
|
Lion
|
Latin
|
|
|
Leslie
|
Holly garden
|
Scottish
|
|
|
Leticia
|
Joy
|
Latin
|
|
|
Lillian
|
Lily flower
|
English
|
|
|
Lily
|
Lily flower
|
English
|
|
|
Linda
|
Pretty
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Lisa
|
A variant-diminutive of Elizabeth, “to the Lord I consecrate thee.”
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Lois
|
Superior
|
Greek
|
|
|
Loretta
|
“The knowing one,” from the Middle English lore, traditional learning.
|
Italian
|
|
|
Lori
|
“The lazy one,” in allusion to the loris, a slow-moving nocturnal lemur, from the Flemish lorrias.
|
Modern
|
|
|
Lorraine
|
From Lorraine
|
French
|
|
|
Louise
|
Famous warrior
|
German
|
|
|
Lucille
|
Of the light
|
French
|
|
|
Lynette
|
Nymph; idol
|
Welsh
|
|
|
Lynn
|
Lake", "waterfall" or "pool", and probably would have been given to a family living near such a body of water. Sometimes used as a diminutive of Linda (Spanish) "pretty
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Mabel
|
Lovable
|
Latin
|
|
|
Mae
|
The fifth month
|
English
|
|
|
Maggie
|
Pearl
|
English
|
|
|
Margaret
|
Pearl
|
English
|
|
|
Marilyn
|
“Tempestuous Mary,” from Mary and the Anglo-Saxon hlynn, a torrent.
|
Modern
|
|
|
Marion
|
A variant form, through the French, of Mary.
|
French
|
|
|
Marjorie
|
Pearl
|
English
|
|
|
Marsha
|
A variant form of Marcia.
|
English
|
|
|
Martha
|
Lady; mistress of the house
|
Aramaic
|
|
|
Mary
|
Of the sea
|
Latin
|
|
|
Mary Ann
|
Combination of Mary and Ann
|
English
|
|
|
Maureen
|
Star of the sea
|
Irish
|
|
|
Maxine
|
Greatest
|
Latin
|
|
|
Meredith
|
Great, noted ruler
|
Welsh
|
|
|
Mildred
|
Gentle strength
|
English
|
|
|
Mindy
|
Short form of Melinda
|
Latin
|
|
|
Minnie
|
A variant form of Mary.
|
English
|
|
|
Miriam
|
Of the sea
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Myrtle
|
“The exclusive,” in allusion to the plant of the same name regarded as sacred to Venus.
|
Latin
|
|
|
Nadine
|
A French form of Nadya
|
French
|
|
|
Nancy
|
A diminutive-variant of Anna or Anne, from the Hebrew hannah, grace.
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Naomi
|
Pleasant one
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Norma
|
The standard or norm
|
Latin
|
|
|
Pamela
|
Honey; all sweetness
|
Greek
|
|
|
Patricia
|
Noble; patrician
|
Latin
|
|
|
Patsy
|
Noble; patrician
|
Latin
|
|
|
Patty
|
Noble; patrician
|
Latin
|
|
|
Paula
|
Small
|
Latin
|
|
|
Pauline
|
Small
|
Latin
|
|
|
Pearl
|
Pearl
|
Latin
|
|
|
Peggy
|
A variant form of Peg.
|
Greek
|
|
|
Penny
|
Weaver
|
English
|
|
|
Phyllis
|
Greenery
|
Greek
|
|
|
Reba
|
A diminutive form of Rebecca.
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Regina
|
Queen
|
Latin
|
|
|
Rhonda
|
Good lance
|
Welsh
|
|
|
Rita
|
Right
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Roberta
|
Bright fame
|
German
|
|
|
Robin
|
A short variant form of Roberta.
|
German
|
|
|
Rose
|
Rose flower
|
English
|
|
|
Rosemary
|
Dew of the sea
|
Latin
|
|
|
Roxanne
|
Dawn
|
Persian
|
|
|
Ruth
|
Friend
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Sally
|
“The princess,” a diminutive form of Sarah.
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Sandra
|
A short form of Alexandra, which see.
|
Italian
|
|
|
Tracy
|
Warlike
|
Latin
|
|
|
Trudy
|
A diminutive form of Gertrude.
|
German
|
|
|
Valerie
|
Strength and vigor
|
French
|
|
|
Velma
|
A variant form of Wilhelmina.
|
German
|
|
|
Vicky
|
A diminutive form of Victoria.
|
Latin
|
|
|
Viola
|
Purple
|
Latin
|
|
|
Virginia
|
Maiden
|
Latin
|
|
|
Wanda
|
The tribe of the Vandals
|
Slavic
|
|
|
Wendy
|
Friend
|
English
|
|
|
Yolanda
|
Violet flower
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Yvonne
|
Yew
|
German
|
|
|
Get some namespiration from a blast from the past with old school girl names. Uncovered from yesteryear, these throwback picks pack a wallop of style from the decades they dominated. Our master list has them all in ABC order, but we have some standouts here for your consideration.
Many old school girl names used to rule the name charts like Linda. A Spanish sweetheart, she means “pretty” and reigned in the Top 10 from 1940 to 1965. She even spent 1947 to 1952 as the #1 girl name. She has dropped down to #850 in 2021. Mirroring here is Patricia, whose Top 10 stint was far longer, lasting from 1929 to 1966! This feminine form of Patrick is loaded with nickname options, including Patty, Tricia, and Trixie. Another option is Barbara, meaning “the stranger.” She also had a long stay in the Top 10, lasting from 1927 to 1958. See Susan, Nancy, and Donna for more old-school names for girls that were once mega-popular.
Other vintage options remain popular today like Elizabeth. Meaning “God is my oath,” this beauty has almost always been in the U.S. Top 25 aside from a handful of years where she dipped just beyond the cutoff. This makes her a classic choice with a timeless appeal. She’s also incredibly versatile, appearing refined in her full form or playful with nicknames like Lizzie and Beth. Similarly, Anna has always enjoyed a relatively high position on the name charts. A Hebrew name, she means “gracious.” You likely recognize Mary, too. She held the #1 spot on the charts for decades between the 1800s and 1940s, but today she’s dancing just outside the Top 100. Other throwback options that remain popular include Margaret, Sarah, and Emily.
Other old school girl names are more unique yet ready for a comeback. These names are great if you’re seeking a less common moniker that suits the red-hot vintage trend in names. Judy is a prime pick. This short form of Judith is similar to retro Ruby who’s trending on the charts today. There’s also Reba, a short form of Rebecca. She has a peppy energy that fits an active little one. Check out June, Cynthia, and Laura for more unique old-school finds.
Get reacquainted with more familiar faces from the past or discover new friends on our complete list of old school girl names.