Reinventing 1980s Girls' Names: #6-#10

Today I continue the series I began this week in which I evaluate and find alternatives to the top names of today's mothers. 

  1. Stephanie (#436)-Stephanie is a feminization of Stephen, though it feels more dated than classic. It's been out of the top 100 since 2008 and has since fallen out of the top 400. However, it was in the top 1000 as early as 1896, so Stephanie will be back when it's time. For now, use these alternatives:
    1. Leontine (unranked)-Like Stephanie, Leontine feminizes a classic male name without being classic itself. This feminization of Leon contains an "n" and "ee" sound in its ending along with three syllables. 
    2. Persephone (#818)-Greek Persephone has a similar sound and structure to Stephanie. Both names contain the "seph" sound and end in "nee". 
    3. Salome (unranked)-Salome feminizes Solomon in multiple syllables as Stephanie does to Stephen. Plus, Salome is a quirky classic that ends in the same "ee" sound as Stephanie. 
  2. Melissa (#348)-This former top 10 name barely feels usable on a little girl today. Like Stephanie, it ranked long before its heyday. Thus, it will come back when it's time. For now, it's a dated 'Mom name'. Try these instead:
    1. Callisto (unranked)-Though it doesn't sound like it, Melissa actually stems from Greek mythology. A similar-sounding name with similar roots is Callisto. It is another three-syllable name containing the "lis" sound in the middle. 
    2. Elisa (#511)-Just remove the "m" and one "s" from Melissa, and you get Elisa. This timeless name has the same ending sound as Melissa while sounding much fresher today. 
    3. Millicent (unranked)-Millicent, like Melissa, is a three-syllable name containing the same "m-l-s" pattern. Its first syllable of "mil" sounds similar to "mel". 
  3. Nicole (#266)-This feminization of Nicholas is nowhere near as classic, but Nicole still works for a little girl born today. Perhaps race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a Nicole last year. However, if you want something more current, here are some fresher options:
    1. Colette (#528)-Colette is an obvious alternative to Nicole. It is a French feminization of Nicholas that peaked in the 300s in 1966 despite being too rare to count as a 'grandma name' today. 
    2. Noelle (#210)-Noelle is structurally similar to Nicole in its French origin and sound. Plus, both Nicole and Noelle are liquid two-syllable names that contain a long "o" sound in the middle and an "l" sound towards the end. 
    3. Simone (#871)-Simone feminizes Simon as Nicole does to Nicholas. Simone is also French in sound and contains a long "o" sound in the middle. Even though Simone peaked in the 1980s, it was too uncommon to sound like a 'Mom name' today. 
  4. Elizabeth (#16)-Elizabeth has always been a popular name. Perhaps it was the only girls' name to never leave the top 100, so there's definitely no need to reboot Elizabeth. Yet, since there is not a time in which Elizabeth was uncommon, parents would probably want something fresher:
    1. Beatrice (#550)-Almost always in the top 1000, Beatrice is just as classic as Elizabeth though far less expected. Beatrice is elaborate and can shorten to some of the same nicknames as Elizabeth-think Betty, Betsy, or Bess. 
    2. Elspeth (unranked)-Parents can also consider using variants of Elizabeth. Elspeth, for instance, connects to the classic without sounding like it would be confused for the latter. Girls names Elspeth can also go by Ellie, Elsie, or even Beth. 
    3. Louise (#689)-Louise does not shorten to any Elizabeth nicknames, except Lizzie. This being said, Louise contains the same classic status and some of the same sounds as Elizabeth through its "l-z" pattern. 
  5. Heather (unranked)-Heather sounds too tied to the last generation to work for a little girl. Perhaps it peaked at #3 in 1975, meaning that it might even be a 'grandma name' by the end of this decade. Heather won't come back for about fifty years, so here are some alternatives:
    1. Ember (#187)-Ember is a two-syllable nature name connecting to fire. It also sounds phonetically like Heather, having the short "e" sound in its first syllable and ending in "er". 
    2. Hyacinth (unranked)-Heather is a floral name starting with "h" and containing the "th" sound, so is Hyacinth. As Heather connects to floral shrubs, Hyacinth connects to a purple flower. 
    3. Saffron (unranked)-Saffron, like Heather, is a liquid nature name that connects to a spice that was harvested from a flower. Thus, its floral association is indirect. Saffron also has only soft sounds and no long vowel sounds. 
Which of these 1980s names would you use? Which names would you reboot? 

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