Hollis

Holly ranked among the top girls' names in the second half of the twentieth century. The retro name now feels like a modern classic. It still works, but there are fresher spins on the name. One example is Hollis. 

Hollis is a surname-name derived from the root words holegn "holly" and kel "prick". Its use as a surname dates from Medieval England. Hollis was given to families who lived near holly trees. It took several centuries for Hollis to promote to first-name status. 

Hollis was first recorded for at least 5 girls in 1895. It even broke the charts fifty years later. Hollis debuted in the top 1000 in 1948 and 1949. The name ranked again from 1951 to 1955, peaking at #772 in 1953. For boys, the name ranked every year until the early 1970s. Its quiet use for all genders over time makes Hollis unisex in style. 

Hollis may have the same unisex surname-name status as modern hits like Everly and Piper. Unlike these names, though, Hollis is clearly not new. Decades of history is rare when it comes to unisex surname-names. That makes Hollis sound more appealing. 

Hollis remains rare as a girls' name today. It is also more common than ever before despite the rankings suggesting otherwise. 

NAME STYLES:

Surname, Underused, Unisex

SISTERS:

Adair, Cleo, Ellery, Marlowe, Petra, Sylvie

BROTHERS:

Campbell, Hawkins, Ivor, Murphy, Rand, Truman

ALTERNATIVES:

Connolly, Ferris, Halston, Hathaway, Linden, Wallis

What do you think about Hollis? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hazel

Image
In the Northern Hemisphere, there is a common broadleaf tree. It produces nuts with a certain shade of brown. The tree and nut have one name in common: Hazel. The nature name, which derives from the Old English hæsel , has been in sparing use as a unisex name between the late 1700s and early 1800s. It became a common feminine name alongside Myrtle and Olive in the late Victorian Era. Hazel was a top 100 American name between 1886 and 1936, peaking in the top 20 in 1897.  Hazel was popular in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand around the same time as its American run. However, it did not enter the British top 100 until 1924. It remained popular in England and Wales until 1954, making it more retro over there.  As Hazel declined in popularity, pop culture reminded the public of its dated sound. A comic strip featuring a troubled housekeeper by the name and Witch Hazel from Looney Tunes did the job.  Hazel dropped out of the American top 1000 in 1976. It began its revival when it reentere
Read more

Romeo

Image
Once upon a time, Juliet had a lover. His name, Romeo, actually has roots dating back long before Shakespeare wrote his famous play. Romeo is the Italian form of the Latin Romaeus , which possibly means "from Rome." It could also mean "pilgrim to Rome," which is shocking because Romeo was definitely not a holy pilgrim. Shakespeare took his name from the Italian stories of Luigi Da Porto and Matteo Bandello featuring lovers Giulietta and Romeo. It is unknown if Da Porto's Romeo was any better than Shakespeare's, but it's also not likely. Romeo was never a popular American name, but it ranked in the top 1000 several times, especially between 1890 and 1949. It reentered in 1996, the same year Baz Luhrmann's edgy take Romeo + Juliet hit theaters. Romeo has been rising at a moderate to slow pace, though, and remains outside the top 300.  Because Shakespeare's Romeo takes his own life, he does not provide little boys with a good role model. That can tu
Read more