Names Inspired by Amelia

It may have been an early medieval saint's name, but Amelia became fully established with royals in the eighteenth century. It later became a popular Victorian choice among English-speakers. Amelia declined afterward, but it never completely went away. Amelia has been back in the American top 100 since 2004 and the top 10 since 2017.

Amelia's popularity may turn some parents off, but there are many factors. It sounds frilly or girly, but namesakes such as aviator Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) prove otherwise. Alongside being both consistent in usage and old-fashioned in sound, Amelia has an array of nickname options, including Amy and Millie.

Parents seeking an alternative (or sibling name) for Amelia and mere fans of the name will enjoy this list of alternatives, all ranking below the top 100:

Adelaide

This regal name not only lacks a tie to any era, but Adelaide can also shorten to nicknames like "Addie."

Amabel

Antique and girly Amabel is much less common than Annabelle and, like Amelia, can shorten to nicknames like "Amy" or even "Ames."

Annalise

Annalise is slightly frilly, but it is also the full name of Anne Frank (1929-1945). It can shorten to many nicknames, including "Annie" and "Lissy."

Antonia

Antonia is another classic with saintly and royal heritage alongside nicknames like "Annie" or "Tia."

Arabella

Like Amelia, Arabella is a frilly name worn by strong women like Arabella Mansfield (1846-1911), America's first female lawyer. This Victorian charmer can also shorten to "Ari" and "Bella."

Beatrice

Beatrice has several qualities in common with Amelia. It's both timeless and old-fashioned, has been worn by royals, and shortens to nicknames like "Bea" and "Tris."

Camille

Camilla or Camellia could also work, but they're either too popular or too similar to Amelia. The more tailored Camille is not only timeless but shortens to "Cammie" and "Millie." 

Celestia

Celestia is girly in sound and has been worn by Princess Celestia from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In addition, Celestia can shorten to nicknames like "Cettie" and "Lessie." A bonus is that it is the middle name of Laura Ingalls Wilder's sister Carrie, giving it some vintage charm.  

Clementine

This old-fashioned elegancy can shorten to nicknames like "Clem" and "Minnie."

Cordelia

Cordelia sounds a bit more grand, but still has the crisp old-fashioned style of Amelia. It can shorten to "Cora," "Delia," or, like Amelia, "Lia."

Dorothea

Victorian Dorothea, bringing to mind Dorothea Dix (1802-1887), can shorten to "Dora," "Dottie," "Thea," and many other nicknames. 

Eloisa

Frilly Eloisa can shorten to nicknames like "Ellie," "Elsie," and "Lolo."

Emmeline

Vintage Emmeline sounds less frilly, but it has still been worn by strong women like suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928). This can also shorten easily to "Emmy."

Estella

Estella, a vintage name making a comeback, sounds a bit frilly.  

Felicity

Felicity, associated with an American Girl doll that represented pre-Revolutionary America, has a colonial vibe. Like Amelia, it is fun to say and shortens to nicknames like "Fliss." 

Helena

Shakespearean and timeless with nickname options like "Henny" or "Lena," Helena especially makes a good Amelia alternative if pronounced "Hel-EEN-a." 

Henrietta

Henrietta doesn't sound frilly, but princesses have worn it. Besides, this vintage charmer has a variety of nicknames, including "Hetty" and "Ria." 

Irene

Irene is an old-fashioned name with a heritage, including royals and a saint, that dates from antiquity and ranked in the top 1000 yearly, giving it a timeless feeling. It is rather nickname-proof, though it can shorten to "Irie."

Lavinia

This lacy Victorian name can shorten to "Vinnie" (as with Emily Dickinson's sister) and "Lia."

Leona

Leona is much more solid than Amelia, but it has a similar Victorian vibe. It can also, though not automatically, shorten to "Lia," "Leni," or even "Leo."

Louisa

Louisa feels timeless and old-fashioned at once. It also connects to namesakes like Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), who wrote the 1868 novel Little Women. 

Maisie

Maisie has a girly sound that rolls off the tongue and feels old-fashioned despite not ranking until recently. The name's association with Lucy Cousins's mouse brings it closer to Amelia (associated with Amelia Bedelia) in terms of children's literature connections.

Matilda

This vintage name has some of the same sounds as Amelia. Plus, it has been worn by royals and shortens to nicknames like "Mattie," "Tillie," or even "Tilda."

Millicent

Millicent, like Amelia, is an old-fashioned name that can shorten to "Millie." Nicknames are otherwise lacking. Still, Millicent conjures Amelia's quiet and girly image. 

Miriam

Classic Miriam can shorten to "Miri" and "Mamie," which sound similar to Amelia's nicknames. 

Philippa

Regal Philippa brings to mind the full name of Pippa Middleton. Pippa is, of course, a nickname option along with Pippi and Pia. 

Priscilla

Classic Priscilla nearly matches Amelia in frilliness, especially when shortened to "Prissy."

Ramona

Vintage Ramona, which gets its sweetness from the titular character of Beverly Cleary's children's novels, can shorten to "Romy" and "Mona" despite there being no automatic nicknames. 

Susanna

Timeless Susanna is as nickname-rich as Amelia, shortening to "Susa," "Sukie," or even "Sunny." 

Wilhelmina

This might look too serious to be an Amelia alternative, but this old-fashioned regal name actually sounds a bit frilly. Nicknames include "Willa," "Willie," and "Mina." 

What alternatives would you add?