Short Old-Fashioned Girl Names

Whether you're looking for a short and sweet old-fashioned name for your baby girl, or would like to balance your future daughter's very long first name with a shorter middle name, you're in luck. We have compiled a list of 200 short old-fashioned girl names, sorted by length, so all that's left for you to do is decide which names deserve a spot on your own baby name list.

One-Syllable Vintage Names for Baby Girls

One-syllable names are the shortest of the pack. Here's a list of old-fashioned one-syllable girl names for parents who like very short vintage names:

• Rose. Traditional floral choice.
• June. Old-fashioned but not frumpy.
• Ruth. Biblical throwback ripe for a resurgence.
• Jane. Classic name complete at one syllable.
• Mae. Pretty name, first or middle.
• Faye. The epitome of "what's old is new again".
• Pearl. Radiates vintage femininity.
• Gwen. Short for Gwendolyn, or as a standalone.
• Joyce. Strikes a mid-century vibe that may or may not appeal.
• Belle. Beautiful, literally.
• Queen. Moderately popular in the first half of the 20th century.
• Joan. Whether you pronounce it like Jone or Jo-Ann, Joan has a decidedly retro feel.
• Fern. Charming botanical name for a girl.
• May. Blends frills-free femininity with retro charm.
• Nell. Nellie cropped.
• Jean. Tennis legend Billie Jean King lends this old-school name a sporty edge, while silver screen star Jean Harlow injects the name with some Old Hollywood shine.
• Lou. Mini moniker oozing old-school charm.
• Bea. Cute Beatrice short form that can stand on its own, too.
• Jayne. Fanciful version of Jane that gained some popularity in the 1950s and 60s.
• Fay. Trimmed-down version of the already short vintage name Faye.
• Kay. Shunted aside by newer K-names.
• Gail. This girl name harkens to the 1940s and 50s.
• Maude. Five letters, but just one syllable!
• Kaye. All the retro charm of Kay, with an added E.
• Gayle. This Abigail offshoot has been out to pasture for decades now, and it's hard to imagine it making a return.
• Lynne. Mid-century sweetheart.
• Jan. Mid-century name and nickname.
• Sue. This spare and simple girl name has seen better days.
• Nan. For the intrepid minimalist!
• Bess. The vintage charm of Bessie...in a more compact package.
• Floy. Under-the-radar vintage possibility.
• Gale. Variant of Gail.
• Madge. Once-popular name now on the verge of extinction.

Two-Syllable Vintage Names for Girls

If you're looking for a retro name that comes in at two syllables, here are some options:

• Hazel. Beautiful retro revival.
• Ellie. Sweet and feminine comeback name.
• Ruby. Old-fashioned gemstone name.
• Alice. Literary powerhouse.
• Clara. Graceful classic.
• Mary. Classic girl name dripping with old-school charm.
• Ada. Perfect mix of traditional and modern.
• Olive. Alternative to the chart-toppingly popular Olivia.
• Elsie. Lost gem enjoying a style revival.
• Vera. Distinctly feminine, but free of frills.
• Annie. Warm and friendly.
• Lena. Exudes warmth and sweetness.
• Willa. Beautiful comeback name with literary cred via author Wilella "Willa" Cather.
• Mabel. Pretty comeback name.
• Helen. Chock full of history.
• Rosie. Cute, old-school -ie name with a floral twist.
• Edith. Worn by everyone from saints to literary greats.
• Alma. This vintage favorite means "soul" in Spanish. How cool is that?!
• Opal. Vintage choice with charm to spare.
• Myra. This one occasionally takes a dip but always comes back again.
• Marie. Today more popular as a middle name.
• Zelda. Comes with a nice resume of pop culture and literary references.
• Flora. Retro girl name with a nature connection.
• Irene. Saintly and sophisticated, yet friendly and personable.
• Della. Pretty vintage choice with the beautiful Del-prefix.
• Martha. Golden oldie with biblical provenance.
• Mavis. Bird-inspired girl name loaded with vintage charm.
• Ila. Lovely, lilting choice.
• Cleo. A lovely blast from the past.
• Adele. Old name rejuvenated by singer Adele.
• Linda. Chart-toppingly popular in the 1950s.
• Vada. Vada is finally starting to break free from the nursing home.
• Veda. Just like its sister Vada, this sepia-toned name seems to be back in the game.
• Ellen. Soft but strong.
• Etta. Shifting from fusty to fashionable.
• Nancy. Once a mainstay in the Top 10.
• Zola. Old name with comeback potential.
• Vida. This old-fashioned girl means "life" in Spanish. How beautiful is that?
• Dixie. Perfect mix of spark and sweet.
• Susan. Ubiquitous in mid-century U.S.
• Ida. Quaintly charming.
• Agnes. Catholic girl name with several saintly namesakes.
• Betty. Old Hollywood darling shared by everyone from Betty White to Betty Grable to Betty Hutton.
• Sally. Short, casual name with mid-century vibe.
• Mazie. Macy screams Y2K, but Mazie ruled the roost in the 1920s.
• Zella. A forgotten gem ready for more use!
• Addie. Casual and friendly.
• Rita. Retro moniker with saintly credentials and Old Hollywood glam via Rita Hayworth.
• Lula. Sweet and mellifluous.
• Inez. Reads retro in America—but not necessarily in other countries.
• Delia. Beautiful, whether you pronounced as a two- or three-syllable name.
• Janie. Jane with that sweet -ie ending.
• Sybil. A true vintage gem with deep literary underpinnings.
• Iva. Peaking in the 1920s, this vintage charmer could make an interesting alternative to Ivy.
• Judy. Hopelessly dated? Or ready to be rediscovered?
• Lois. Forgotten biblical beauty waiting for new parents to bring it back to life.
• Cindy. Seems trapped in a mid-century time warp.
• Lela. Shimmering with vintage charm.
• Donna. Very mid-century.
• Diane. Comes with distinguished namesake cred.
• Norma. Old name struggling to make a comeback.
• Mona. This girl name had a long run of popularity in the 20th century but is now out of luck.
• Janet. Yet another standard-issue mid-century moniker.
• Edna. Short, old-fashioned name with literary cachet.
• Dolly. A severely outmoded name irrevocably tied to Dolly Parton, or an underappreciated vintage gem? You decide.
• Carol. Mid-century style maker.
• Ollie. A pleasant retro name with a gender-bending vibe.
• Effie. Euphemia short form.
• Dora. In the key of Nora and Cora.
• Roma. This one marries place name appeal and old-school charm.
• Susie. A sweet vintage find to one person; a dusty relic to another.
• Doris. Waiting in the wings to be rediscovered.
• Kathy. Mid-century sensation.
• Selma. We think the right couple could definitely blow the dust off this oldie and turn it into a retro-cool baby name.
• Lulu. Popular in the 19th century, this cute (perhaps too cute) vintage L name has yet to gain favor with today's parents.
• Irma. Stuck in the nursing home with Norma.
• Neva. This is the kind of name that sounds too fusty—until some high-profile celebrity couple uses it for their brand new baby girl.
• Sandy. Locked in a mid-century time capsule.
• Olga. Slavic retro choice.
• Rhoda. Old biblical name from the New Testament.
• Joann. Joan with a little more substance.
• Dinah. Old-fashioned name with biblical roots.
• Mable. Variant of Mabel.
• Golda. This old-fashioned G name for girls comes with a dazzling meaning.
• Una. Gaelic heritage choice.
• Era. Perfectly legit baby name at the beginning of the 20th century.
• Hilda. Time to bring back little Hildas?
• Debra. Pared-down version of Deborah.
• Roxie. Consider this retro name the perfect blend of edge and sweet.
• Rubie. Variant of Ruby.
• Aline. Name with multiple possible origins.
• Essie. A warm and welcoming handle steeped in old-school charm.
• Ina. Depending on who you ask, Ina is either a pretty retro name blooming with potential, or an irretrievably dowdy title best left in the past.
• Ora. Short, old-fashioned O-name for girls that hasn't managed to gain fans in modern-day America.
• Wanda. Flourished in mid-century America.
• Lorna. Mid-century name that few contemporary parents have had the chutzpah to use.
• Alta. Winning hearts in the early decades of the 20th century.
• Elva. Seldom heard, then and now.
• Enid. Has Enid remained in the shadows long enough to feel young and fresh again? We'll let you be the judge.
• Alyce. Variant of Alice.
• Lynda. Spelling variation of Linda.
• Elma. conspicuously retro.
• Trudy. Nod to the fifties!
• Alva. Peaked more than a century ago.
• Wilma. Traditional, or just old and dated? We're not sure.
• Ethel. Belonged to numerous Old Hollywood and Broadway stars.
• Ona. All-but-lost appellation with true vintage appeal.
• Verna. Too vintage?
• Erma. Accumulating cobwebs in the attic with Irma.
• Nona. Old lady name through-and-through!
• Cathy. Mid-century hit with a nicknamey vibe.
• Patsy. Mid-century favorite.
• Tilda. If Matilda feels too long.
• Reba. Any country music fans out there?
• Mamie. At its peak more than a century ago.
• Peggy. A diminutive of Margaret, popular as a standalone name in the 1940s and 50s.
• Merry. Festive!
• Lovie. Beloved baby name at the beginning of the 20th century.
• Vina. Occasionally seen on birth announcements in the 1920s and 30s, Vina means "vineyard" in Spanish.
• Ilene. Shorter version of Eileen.
• Luann. On-trend in the 1950s.
• Velma. In the same ballpark as Elma and Selma.
• Avis. This one means "bird" in Latin.
• Elda. Nice change of pace from Elsa.
• Judi. Variant of Judy.
• Freda. Today, baby Fredas are in short supply. But turn the clock back 100 years, and it's a different story.
• Zelma. Selma with zip.
• Myrna. Funky-clunky throwback.
• Ola. Shone in the early 1900s.
• Lura. vintage rarity.
• Dovie. Cutesy vintage choice.
• Ettie. One of the many old-fashioned ie-ending names.
• Janis. Unmistakably mid-century.
• Leta. Endangered appellation with true vintage appeal.
• Vicki. Victoria diminutive used frequently as a given name in the 1950s and 60s.
• Adell. Variant of Adele.
• Alene. One of the many variations of Aline.
• Mayme. Spelling variation of Mamie.
• Bette. Can be pronounced "bet", as in Bette Midler, or the same way as Betty.
• Eula. Poor Eula seems to be heading for extinction...
• Lupe. Hispanic retro choice.
• Patty. Initially a diminutive of Patricia.
• Nita. Time was, Nita was considered a stylish choice; today, it's teetering on the edge of extinction.
• Berta. Variant of Bertha and a nickname for the -berta cluster (think Roberta, Alberta, Gilberta).
• Shari. Sixties' style star.
• Suzan. Variant of Susan.
• Oma. Not only does this name sound like it belongs to a grandmother or a great-grandmother, it also means "grandmother" in German.
• Besse. Variant of Bessie.
• Eura. Sure to turn heads in the modern world!
• Reta. Short and streamlined.
• Beryl. Forgotten British charmer.
• Delma. Occasionally used in the first half of the 20th century.
• Diann. Variant of Diane.
• Earla. Earl in a dress.
• Estel. A streamlined version of Estelle.
• Gilda. Attention-grabbing vintage possibility.
• Kitty. Occasionally given to baby girls in the first half of the 20th century.
• Marva. If you like the sound of Martha but want something more unique-sounding.
• Melba. Inspired by the Australian soprano Nellie Melba, this now-forgotten name was once a firm fixture on baby name charts.
• Melva. Intriguing antique that peaked about a century ago.
• Nelda. Last making waves in the 1930s and 40s.
• Nonie. Just like the more formal version Nona, Nonie is struggling to make comeback.
• Ouida. Distinctive retro possibility with literary cred via the late Victorian novelist Maria Louise Ramé, aka Ouida.
• Retha. Sister for Martha, an alternative to Rita!
• Sudie. One of the lesser known ie-enders with a vintage vibe.
• Vonda. Made famous by singer-songwriter Vonda Shepard.
• Wilda. Zelda is already making a return—could Wilda be next?