Formal Girls' Names

We live in a serious world. Expectations have increased at workplaces. Hence, there are reasons why parents might want to use formal names.

Formal names are at least slightly heavy in sound. They also have nickname-options. Thus, while some might find these names too heavy for small children, the nicknames can make up for it. Plus, all formal names have at least a century of usage. This means that Ellington and Waverly, however formal they may sound, do not qualify for this list. 

Here are some heavy ladylike names with history:

Agatha

Agnes

Araminta

Ardith

Astrid

Augusta

Beatrice

Bernadette

Beryl

Blanche

Clementina

Cordelia

Cornelia

Dinah

Dorothea

Edith

Eleanor

Emmeline

Enid

Eudora

Eugenia

Eugenie

Euphemia

Florence

Frances

Frederica

Genoveva

Georgina

Ginevra

Griselda

Gwendolyn

Harriet

Heloise

Henrietta

Honoria

Imelda

Imogene

Ingrid

Irene

Lenora

Lenore

Leona

Louise

Magdalene

Marguerite

Martha

Matilda

Mavis

Millicent

Minerva

Ottilie

Ottoline

Patience

Philippa

Philomena

Prudence

Rosalind

Rosamond

Rowena

Sophronia

Sybil

Theodora

Theodosia

Thomasina

Viola

Wilhelmina

Winifred

Zipporah

What are your favorite formal names for girls? What names would you add?

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