Modern "Vintage" Names

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 it feels modern, especially as an Isabella nickname. 


Charlie

For boys, this nickname has endured through the ages. It also has a long history as a girls' name in the United States, but it never reached the top 200 until 2016.


Dahlia

Dahlia has a vintage sound, but it has never even ranked before 2006. It was listed as a popular 1880s name in Galbi Think records, yet it's not as visible as the SSA data. 


Holden

Holden Caulfield from J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye makes his name seem as if it has history. While the book came out in 1951, the name debuted in 1987. 


Maisie

Maisie is an old-fashioned diminutive of Margaret as Sadie is to Sarah. Unlike Sadie, though, Maisie never even made the top 1000 before 2014.


Milo

Milo has a timeless feel but sounds rather modern. Since it only reached the 300s before 1900 and is almost in the top 100 for the first time, though, Milo is more current than vintage. 


Rhett

As with Holden, this name emerged in classic literature (in Rhett's case, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind). Yet, Rhett has only entered the top 1000 in 1955 with a spike into the 100s this past decade.


Scarlett

As with Rhett, some people consider the main hero of Gone With the Wind to have a vintage name. Scarlett O'Hara definitely makes her name sound old-fashioned, but it only entered the top 1000 in 1940 and the top 100 in 2011. 


Sylvie
 
Sylvie's relation to Sylvia makes it sound old-fashioned. Like Dahlia and Maisie, Sylvie only entered the top 1000 in the twenty-first century. 


Thea

Thea is a feminization of Theo and a short form of old-fashioned Dorothea or Theodora. While it ranked in 1880, it hit its peak in the 200s in 2017. 


Wyatt

Outlaw Wyatt Earp gives this name a vintage vibe. However, Wyatt never made the 300s until 1991, let alone the top 100 until 2004. 


What do you think about this list? Any names you would add?

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