When it comes to choosing a baby name going down the traditional route might not be so unusual for little ones born between 2010-2024.
Soon-to-be parents are bringing old fashioned names back into the mainstream, as the once unpopular baby names are being seen in a new light.
According to The Daily Record, names that you may associate with your grandparents’ era are experiencing an uptick, especially those beginning with ‘A’ for girls. Branded as ‘old lady chic’, classic and timeless names having a revival include Ada, Agatha, Agnes and Althea.
Ada also made it as one of the top ten trendiest girls’ names in 2020 (which could be thanks to BBC’s hit Peaky Blinders), and it has many origins across different cultures. Ada can be a shortened version of names such as Adelaide or Adeline, derived from Germanic roots meaning nobility or noble, and in other contexts, Ada originates from Hebrew, meaning ornament or adornment.
The names above also feature on Nameberry’s list of ‘old lady’ monikers that sound new again as well as: Adelia, Alberta, Anastasia, Adelaide, Adeline, Alma, Antonia, and Augusta.
Celebrities and members of the royal family are also spearheading this trend, with many opting for traditional names for their newborns.
Lily Allen named her daughter Ethel in 2011, for example. Hollywood actress Katherine Heigl named her adopted daughter Adalaide after her great-grandmother and, of course, the traditional names given to Prince George, Charlotte, and Louis.
The old lady names making a comeback, according to Nameberry, are:
- Beatrice
- Cornelia
- Dorothea
- Edith
- Frances
- Geraldine
- Helen
- Irene
- June
- Lois
- Mabel
- Nellie
- Opal
- Phyllis
- Ruth
- Sylvia
- Theodora
- Ursula
- Voila
- Winifred
- Zenobia
Now that you’ve chosen a first name for your baby, get some inspiration for some middle names for boys and girls, and discover the most popular baby names along with their meanings.
