'Old Lady' Baby Names Are On The Rise. Here Are 38 To Inspire You

Say hello to a new generation of Adas and Pearls.
ilbusca via Getty Images

Baby names rise and fall in popularity, often in cycles – so it’s perhaps no surprise then that vintage monikers like Ada, Dorothy and Elsie are making a comeback.

Earlier this year, BabyNames.com founder Jennifer Moss said the trend for old-school names isn’t going anywhere, as people are researching their ancestry online and “finding these cool names that sound fresh because they haven’t been heard for so long”.

What’s more, the baby names expert told Today.com that period dramas such as Bridgerton and Downton Abbey are likely behind the rise in parents choosing olden day names for their little ones.

Celebrities and social media influencers are also exploring the vintage name trend, which could prompt others to follow suit.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, for example, called two of their children Betty and Inez; while Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey welcomed a baby girl, who they named Matilda, earlier this year.

According to experts at Nameberry, the best vintage names are inspired by literary, biblical and royal sources.

So, if you’re thinking of opting for a classic name for your new arrival, here are 38 girls’ names that evoke “old lady chic”.

  1. Ada
  2. Adelaide
  3. Agatha
  4. Beatrice
  5. Betty
  6. Celia
  7. Cordelia
  8. Dorothy
  9. Edna
  10. Edith
  11. Eleanor
  12. Elsie
  13. Evelyn
  14. Estelle
  15. Etta
  16. Flora
  17. Florence
  18. Frances
  19. Henrietta
  20. Irene
  21. Ivy
  22. Lois
  23. Mabel
  24. Margaret
  25. Martha
  26. Matilda
  27. Maude
  28. Minnie
  29. Nellie
  30. Olive
  31. Ophelia
  32. Pearl
  33. Penny
  34. Ruby
  35. Sadie
  36. Sylvia
  37. Vera
  38. Winnie
Close