Uncommon 1920s Names for Baby Girls

Expecting a baby girl and looking for the perfect name for your little bundle in pink? If you love the quirkiness of old-fashioned names, especially the less common ones, then move a little closer to the screen. We went through the U.S. Social Security Administration's historical baby name data to come up with a list of unusual and rare girl names that were perfectly on trend (but not overused) in the 1920s. To earn a spot on the list, the names had to meet the following criteria: the name was given to more baby girls in the 1920s than any other decade since the beginning of recorded baby name history in 1880; the name had to be given to at least 1000 baby girls from 1920 through 1929; and finally, the name had to be outside the 1920s' Top 100 Most Popular Girl Names as those wouldn't really qualify as "unusual".

So, have a look at our list of unusual and unique-sounding girl names from the 1920s, and who knows, you just might find that perfect old-fashioned name for your new baby girl!

• Addie. With the -ie ending, Addie feels sweet and sassy.
• Adele. After having a definite grandma vibe for decades, this beautiful girl's name has been rejuvenated by the award-winning British singer Adele.
• Adell. Adele peaked in 1918, but the less common variant Adell reached its apex in 1921.
• Adella. All the old-school charm of Adell, with the beautiful -ella suffix.
• Alberta. A place name with a twenties vibe.
• Albertha
• Alda
• Alene. One of the many variations of Aline (see below).
• Aletha
• Aline. This pretty vintage name could be related to the Irish name Aileen, or it could be a variation of the Russian/Czech girls' name Alena. Or, it could have its roots in the Ancient Greek name Helene.
• Allene. Yet another variation of Aline.
• Almeda
• Alta. An old-timer, whether a sports car or a baby name.
• Alva. A common female given name in Sweden, Alva has been used for both girls and boys in English-speaking countries.
• Alyce. A spelling variation of the more popular Alice.
• Angeline
• Annamae
• Antoinette
• Antonette
• Ardis
• Arline
• Avis. If you give your child this name, you might have a little ornithologist on your hands—Avis means "bird" in Latin.
• Belva
• Bernadine. A ponderous baby name with plenty of nickname possibilities, ranging from boyish Bernie to retro Betty to nature-inspired Birdie.
• Berneice
• Berniece
• Berta
• Bertie
• Beryl. An all-but-lost vintage choice with dinstinct British charm.
• Bette. Can be pronounced "bet", as in Bette Midler, or the same way as Betty (which is what Bette Davis did).
• Bettie
• Billy
• Billye
• Blanch. This one means "white" in French.
• Carmel
• Carmela. An Italian-flavored retro name from the 1920s.
• Carmella. Another way to spell Carmela.
• Cecile
• Charles
• Charline. A French belle with vintage panache.
• Clarice
• Claudine
• Cleo. If Cleopatra, the name of one the most powerful women in history, seems a bit too much, try the cute short form Cleo.
• Concetta
• Consuelo. Still widely in use in Spanish-speaking countries.
• Corine. While the much more popular spelling Corinne was also on-trend in the 1920s, it didn't make it onto this list because it was slightly more popular in the 1980s and 90s than the 1920s.
• Cornelia. If the nickname Cornie doesn't appeal, try Nelia or Nellie.
• Corrine
• Della
• Delma
• Delphine. A distinctly French throwback name.
• Dessie
• Dollie
• Dolly. An oldfangled name irrevocably tied to Dolly Parton, or an underappreciated gem oozing retro charm? We'll let you decide...
• Dora. In the age of comeback names Nora and Cora, this 1920s' name is starting to feel fresh again. One caveat though: Younger generations may associate the name with the animated television series Dora the Explorer.
• Dorcas
• Dorotha
• Dorothea. Saintly and sophisticated, yet friendly and approachable thanks to the cute nickname Thea, Dorothea looks like a winner to us!
• Dorris
• Dortha
• Dorthy
• Earline
• Easter. Believe it or not, the name Easter was given to over thousand baby girls in the 1920s!
• Eddie
• Edward. As crazy as it may sound, Edward was not restricted to boys back in the 1920s.
• Elda. An interesting departure from Elsa.
• Eldora
• Eleanore. A variation of the more popular Eleanor.
• Elinor
• Elma
• Elna
• Elnora
• Elouise. Although Elouise still has that old-school vintage feel, it's rapidly losing its "old lady" image.
• Elva
• Elvera
• Elvira
• Emogene
• Enid
• Erma. Erma was once a perfectly reasonable choice for a daughter back in the 1920s. Is this relic of a name ever going to be popular again? Only time will tell.
• Ernestine. A still-dusty appellation buried in the attic.
• Essie. A warm, friendly appellation drenched in retro charm.
• Estella. A vintage beauty with a number of great nicknames like Estie, Stella and Ella.
• Ester
• Ethelyn
• Etta. For many, Etta James immediately comes to mind. You could do worse than name your daughter after the famous soul singer.
• Eugenia. Steeped in history, Eugenia is waiting for some brave parents to give it a new lease of life.
• Eula
• Eunice. A sepia-tinted name with a lot of inspiring historical namesakes, including the 19th-century scientist Eunice Newton Foote, the American philanthropist Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and the silver screen star Eunice Grayson. If you're religious, there's also the biblical Eunice.
• Evelyne
• Fanny. Today, Fanny sounds hopelessly antiquated to some people, and rude to others.
• Fay. If short olf-fashioned girl names are your style, it doesn't get much shorter than this.
• Fern. A no-frills name inspired by a frilly plant.
• Filomena. As so many other names and words with the Filo- (or Philo-) prefix, there's the association with the ancient Greek word "Philo", meaning "loving".
• Flora. Another nature-inspired girls' name from the 1920s.
• Florene
• Florine
• Floy
• Francis
• Francisca
• Freda
• Freida
• Gene
• Geneva. This 1920s' charmer could be an interesting choice for those with a special connection to the Swiss city of the same name.
• Genevieve. This 1920s' sweetheart has French sophistication coupled with Catholic cachet from Saint Genevieve.
• George
• Georgia
• Georgiana
• Georgie
• Germaine
• Gilda
• Harriet
• Harriett
• Harriette
• Helene. Helen with a French twist.
• Hellen. Another variation of Helen.
• Henrietta
• Hilda
• Hortense
• Idella
• Ila. For parents looking for 1920s' name with soft edges and pared-down femininity, Ila might appeal.
• Ima
• Imogene. A vintage pick with Shakespearean clout. Today's parents seem to prefer the spelling Imogen, though.
• Ina
• Inez
• Iola
• Iona. The name of the small Scottish island Iona doubles as a vintage baby name. Could be an interesting alternative to Isla, another breezy girl's name with Scottish roots.
• Ione. Or swap the A for an E, and you get the lovely Ione.
• Irma
• Iva. This one could be an interesting alternartive to Ivy.
• Jeane
• Jeannette
• Jewel
• Jewell
• John
• Johnie
• Johnnie. More than 10,000 American girls were given this unisex name in the Roaring 20s.
• Josefina
• Larue
• Lauretta
• Laverna
• Laverne
• Lavina
• Lavon
• Leatha
• Leatrice
• Lela
• Lelia
• Lenora. Love the nickname Nora? You could use Lenora as the formal name.
• Lenore
• Leola
• Leona
• Leonora
• Leora
• Leota
• Leta
• Letha
• Lettie. One of the many vintage names ending in -tie. Also out there: Hattie, Mattie and Lottie.
• Lola. In the US, Lola is a sweet, granny-chic female given name; in the Philippines, it's used as an affectionate or honorific term for grannies!
• Loraine
• Lorene
• Lorine
• Louella
• Lovie
• Lue
• Luella If you're into old-fashioned girl names with cute nicknames, Luella is a lovely option with a bunch of cute nicknames, ranging from Lou and Lulu to Ella and Ellie.
• Lula
• Lupe
• Lura
• Mable
• Madge
• Mae. This beautiful vintage name comes in at just one syllable and three letters. Perfect for the minimalist baby namer!
• Magdalene. A biblical powerhouse, with built-in short form Magda.
• Mamie
• Manuela
• Marcella
• Marcelle
• Margarett
• Margarette. A frilly variation of Margaret.
• Margery
• Margie
• Margret
• Marietta
• Marjory
• Marvel
• Mattie
• Maurine
• Mavis. Deemed way too clunky not too long ago, Mavis seems to be back in the game, with hundreds of new parents falling in love with its vintage charm and built-in nickname Maeve.
• May
• Mazie
• Melba. Today, no one seems to be interested in naming their baby girl Melba, perhaps because of the association with the peach dessert. But turn the clock back 100 years, and it's a different story.
• Melva
• Melvina
• Merle
• Millicent
• Miriam
• Mittie
• Mozelle
• Muriel
• Myrtice
• Myrtis
• Nannie. There's a whole host of old-fashioned girl names ending in -ie that are making a comeback, but Nannie isn't one of them.
• Nell
• Neva
• Norine
• Novella
• Odell
• Odessa. This one is loaded with feminine vintage charm, and it has great nickname potential, if that's a factor.
• Ola
• Oleta
• Olga. This straightforward Slavic classic was at the height of its popularity in 1920s' America. Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic parents may prize the connection to Saint Olga of Kiev.
• Ollie. A lovely blast-from-the-past with a gender-bending vibe.
• Oma. Not only does this name have a definite old-lady image, it also means "grandmother" in German.
• Ona
• Opal. If jewel and gemstone baby names are your thing, here's one for you to consider.
• Ora
• Ouida
• Pansy
• Pearlie. A cute, girly name shimmering with retro charm.
• Pearline
• Petra
• Philomena. Even if you find this name too musty for a modern-day girl, it may hold special meaning to you as a (soon-to-be) parent: in Catholicism, St. Philomena is the patron saint of babies and youth.
• Queen
• Ray
• Reba
• Rena
• Retha
• Reva
• Rhoda
• Robert
• Roma. Roma seems like the perfect blend of place name panache and vintage charm.
• Rosa
• Rosella
• Rosie. A cute, old-school -ie name with a floral twist.
• Rosina. If you're looking for a rare old-fashioned name that can be shortened to Rose or Rosie, Rosina could be for you.
• Rowena. With literary credentials galore and a ton of old-school charm, this name should be a no-brainer. Yet, poor Rowena hasn't been able to charm the new generation of moms and dads.
• Rubie
• Rubye
• Selma
• Socorro
• Susie
• Sybil. A vintage gem with quite the literary pedigree.
• Syble
• Theda
• Theodora. This old-school name comes from the ancient Greek words 'theos', meaning God, and doron, meaning 'gift'—and it's also the name of several Catholic saints.
• Tressie
• Trinidad
• Una
• Velda
• Velma
• Verda
• Vergie
• Verla
• Verna
• Vernice
• Vida. This old-fashioned girls' name means "life" in Spanish.
• Vincenza. A Catholic saint's name with an Italian vibe.
• Virgie
• Wilda. A beautiful vintage rarity with the currently underused -da ending.
• William
• Winifred
• Winnie. Deemed impossibly dowdy a generation ago, this cute 1920s' name seems to be making a comeback.
• Winnifred
• Winona. If you're looking for a formal name that shortens to Winnie but you're not a fan of Winifred, how about Winona?
• Zella
• Zelma