Patches of Names

In the Biblical New Testament, the apostle Paul went on his second missionary trip with a companion. He eventually became canonized as a saint, but his name became popular much later.  Silas is a possible diminutive of the also-Biblical Silvanus, meaning "of the forest" or "prayed for." Regardless of meaning, the was first used after the Protestant Reformation in the 1600s. Yet, Silas only became somewhat popular by the Victorian Era, during which it declined in England. The name was also somewhat common in the United States, where it ranked at #139 in 1880.  Silas may not have been too common in real life, but it gained a notable literary namesake: George Eliot's 1861 novel  Silas Marner . Silas later appeared in Dan Brown's 2003 novel: The Da Vinci Code . Plus, it was during the publication of The Da Vinci Code when Silas was on the rise. After hitting its low point in the 1960s, Silas rose again from the 1990s until its top 100 entry in 2020. The name is

Names undeniably go in and out of fashion, thus validating the existence of vintage names. However, a lot of the names perceived as vintage are actually much more popular than ever before today. Eleanor "Elea" Nickerson on British Baby Names refers to these as "ripe renovations." Here are some examples of names that feel vintage but never made the top 100 anywhere in the English world until recently: Arlo This sweet mini name ranked between 1910 and the 1940s, but it only entered the top 200 in 2021. Ava Hollywood star Ava Gardner pinned this name to the past. Yet, Ava only became a top 100 hit in the 2000s. Its recent top 10 status, especially, gives it a modern vibe.  Beau Beau first appeared as a Gone With the Wind character. However, it only made the top 1000 in the late 1960s and the top 100 in 2021.  Bella Ella and Della were top 100 hits in the 1880s, making it easy to put Bella in the same category. Not only did Bella first hit the top 1000 in the 2000s, but