Defining Vintage Names

In the naming world, vintage is another word for old-fashioned. However, the term is never described with specific rankings. I know that vintage names come back into style after a long hibernation, but how popular does a name have to be in order to become a vintage name of its era? 

I say a name would have to be popular enough to date to its era, which is generally around the top 200. I will also limit my definition to names that have risen in use since their lowest point to clarify that they're beginning to feel stylish again. Here are some names that first peaked in the top 200 between 1880 and 1945. 

GIRLS' NAMES:

  • Belle
  • Essie
  • Ida
  • Maud
  • Vera
BOYS' NAMES:
  • Clark
  • Harvey
  • Ira
  • Otis
  • Warren
However, if I limit my definition of vintage to the popular choices of the late modern period (1750-1945) in America, then that would mean excluding several other old-fashioned sounding names. Names can also feel vintage if they ranked within the top 100 names in other English-speaking countries like England, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Here are some examples:

GIRLS' NAMES:
  • Enid
  • Ivy
  • Lavinia
  • Nola
  • Penelope
BOYS' NAMES:
  • Archibald
  • Cyril
  • Ephraim
  • Griffith
  • Percival
Finally, it would only take a single famous person to peg some names to their times. Here are some examples:

GIRLS' NAMES:
  • Agatha (Christie)
  • Clementine (Churchill)
  • Theda (Bara)
  • Willa (Cather)
  • Zelda (Fitzgerald)
BOYS' NAMES:
  • Bartholomew (Masterson)
  • Ezra (Proud)
  • Fergus (Suter)
  • Jules (Verne)
  • Winston (Churchill)
Vintage means something different for everyone in terms of specific rankings and qualifications, but the three components I described above are each enough to make a name qualify. 

Plus, vintage is not the same as antique and retro. Antique names are those from before 1750 while retro names are reminiscent of the period from 1945 to 1995. 

What makes a name vintage to you?

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