Antique vs. Vintage Names
In the naming world, the terms "antique" and "vintage" have been used interchangeably. Even "retro" has been used for nickname-style names with similar qualities, even though it's mostly reserved for the recent past. There's still a need to distinguish "antique" and "vintage," though.
Abby Sandel wrote about the topic for her Sunday Summary post in July 2020. In her post, she points out that, unlike furniture, "names aren't produced." That explains why it's difficult to distinguish between "antique" and "vintage" names the same way we do for furniture. However, Sandel also wrote, "And I often use "antique" to refer to names that aren't quite back in favor. (Otherwise, they'd be vintage, right?)"
I agree that most "antique" names are not yet back in favor, compared to "vintage" names. However, I will reference the Merriam-Webster dictionary for my definitions. It defines "antique" as "being in the style or fashion of former times." In contrast, it defines "vintage" as "dating from the past."
Hence, I have landed on these definitions:
- "Antique" names were most fashionable in the centuries before the late Victorian era (before 1880), including medieval names and names that slipped out of the American or English top 100 before then.
- "Vintage" names were most fashionable from the late Victorian era through World War II (between 1880 and 1945).
- Amice was among the most popular names in medieval England
- Hamond also ranked among the most popular names in medieval England
- Jocosa is a medieval variant of Joyce worn by a sixteenth-century English philanthropist
- Prudence is a colonial virtue name who dropped out of the English top 200 by 1900
- Tancred is an Old Norman name worn by multiple medieval figures
- Clyde ranked in the American top 100 through the 1930s
- Della was a top 100 name until the early 1900s
- Ira was a top 100 pick in the 1880s and 1890s
- Opal peaked in the top 100 in the early twentieth century
- Wilbur was a 1910s favorite
Comments
Post a Comment