Mamas Uncut

These Popular Baby Names Are Way, Way Older Than You Think

Happy smiling baby girl sitting in a chair. Wearing granny costume with glasses.

There are certain baby names that you instinctively know are ancient. For instance, names from Greek and Roman mythologies have been around for centuries. Appellations like Atlas, Augustus, Aurora, and Athena are all antique names that are trendy today. These weighty names are clearly very old but what about some names that seem fresh and modern but have actually been in use for generations? You better believe there are plenty of names that are secretly ancient.

Candace, a name that was a huge hit in the 1980s, was originally used as an Ethiopian royal title several centuries BCE. The edgy, cool name Gavin seemed like a fresh moniker when it became popular a decade ago. But, it actually comes from the Welsh name Gawain, He was famed throughout Arthurian legend as a Knight of the Round Table. So many names hold these sorts of secrets and we want to share them with you. Discover the old names of a bygone era that new parents are still choosing all these years later.

Wyatt

Old Baby Names

Wyatt is more popular in the US today than ever before. It has a cowboy adventure vibe to it. This might give the impression that the name is fresher than it actually is. Wyatt was originally a medieval English surname from Old English. It means “brave warrior.”

Wolf

Wolf has a long history as a Germanic name used both as a given name and a surname since the 8th century. Today, the name is surprisingly popular across the UK. There’s no mystery here about what this name means.

Tiffany

Tiffany peaked in popularity in the US in 1988. It had a meteoric rise following the release of the film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s in the 1960s. The name is derived from a medieval English appellation, Theophania, which was traditionally given to baby girls born on Epiphany.

Stacy

Stacy is a name that did a gender flip in the US. Today, it is mostly associated with girls but in previous decades it was used equally for boys. Rewind to medieval times and the name was given exclusively to boys as a diminutive form of the saint’s name Eustace.

Scott

The first recorded use of the name Scott was in the 12th century in Rome. You might be wondering how this name landed there instead of what would seem its native Scotland, but it was a Roman byname (nickname) for a person from Scotland.

Pax

Baby names with X’s and especially X-endings are as hot as they get right now. Parents can’t get enough of the edgy feel it offers. Pax is part of this huge trend. The name is from Latin and was used by the ancient Romans as a name for the goddess and personification of “peace.”

Natalie

Natalie really heated up in the US in the 1950s and peaked in 2008. The baby name just feels effervescent. The name belonged to an ancient saint with Russian ties to Natasha and Natalia. The name has been used for babies born on or near Christmas for centuries.

Morgan

Morgan is a unisex name but it’s a bit complicated. For boys, the name comes from the Welsh name, Morcant a name belonging to many ancient kings around the 6th century. Morgan le Fay, of the Arthurian chronicles, made this name appropriate for girls in the 12th century. The name’s meaning, depending on gender and origin, can be “born of the sea” or “sea circle” or “sea song.”

Milo

Milo is more popular today in the US than ever before. The name originated in Latin, got funneled through German, and became Milo by the 7th century. It was first recorded in France. Milo’s Germanic root means “mild.” The name’s Latin one can make it mean “soldier.” Two very different meanings!

Linda

Linda has two origins. The more contemporary is a Latinate baby name (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese), meaning “pretty.” However, the name’s history is much deeper. Linda was in use in medieval times as a diminutive form of Germanic names like Adalinde, Erlinde, Godelinde, and Richlinde.

Larkin

Larkin is an Irish name that means “fierce.” However, in English, the name first was recorded as a form of Laurence. Today, Larkin is a red-hot baby name for girls but originally it was used as a male name.

Kristin

Kristin and all of its many spellings were one of the hottest baby names of the 1980s. However, it was not new then. Kristin is a Nordic form of Christina, first recorded in Norway in the 12th century. As with Christina, the name means “a Christian.”

Kai

Kai is a charming name that was imported from Hawaii to the mainland in the 1970s. The name is unisex and means “sea.” However, this name can be found in so many naming traditions around the world. One of the best-documented instances was as a diminutive of ancient names in Germanic and Scandinavian countries like Gerhard, Nikolaus, Cornelius, and Gaius.

Jessica

Jessica was all the rage and a top-ten baby name in the 1970s. The origin of the name can be traced to Shakespeare in the 16th century. He invented the name for a character in The Merchant of Venice. It is thought that he based the name off of the Old Testament, Iscah. The character in the play is Jewish so it makes sense for him to choose a Hebrew name. Iscah means “to behold.”

RELATED: 25 Ancient Baby Names for Girls That Sound Unique and Energetic Today

Griffin

Griffin has been a popular baby name for boys in the US since the 1990s. However, it originated from Gruffydd, an ancient, Welsh, royal name that means “brave lord.” The appellation is also associated with the mythological creature.

Emery

Emery is another one of the ancient names that has undergone a gender flip. The ancient name was borne by several early Germanic kings in the form of Amalric or Emmerich. Today, the name could not be any more fashionable for baby girls in the US as parents are choosing it as an alternative to Emily, Emma, etc. This name means “industrious.”

Denise

Denise is a name that belonged to two very early saints. The name originated in Greek (and was used by the Romans as well) in the form of Dionysos and Dionysia. Both refer to the god of wine.

Chloe

Chloe is one of the many names of the Greek goddess Demeter. Chloe is one with a connection to the spring season as Demeter was attributed with new plant growth at that time. Thus, the name means “young, green shoot.” The name has become a mega hit in recent decades.

Chad

Chad did not come into its own in the US until the latter half of the 20th century. However, this baby name is extremely old from Anglo-Saxxon, Ceadda who was a 7th-century English saint. Most agree the appellation means “battle warrior.”

Caitlin

Caitlin is a name with a variety of spellings that came into use in a big way in the 1980s and 1990s in the US. Caitlin is the Irish form of Catherine, a medieval French form of an ancient Greek name that means “pure.”

Brian

Brian Boru names one of the legendary kings of Ireland who fought back the Viking invasion in the 11th century. Thus, the name became a hero one and ensured its popularity for centuries to follow. This baby name is so beloved in Ireland that even the Bryan spelling has been documented as far back as the 16th century! The name is taken to mean “strong and virtuous.”

Avery

Avery is a very old French form of the Old English royal name, Alfred. The name has two potential meanings in “wise counsel” and “elf counsel.” Originally a masculine name, it goes to more girls than boys in the US today.

Austin

Austin, Texas gives the name a hip, youthful feel. But, you’d be wrong to think this baby name was new. Austin is a contraction of Augustine, popularized by two celebrated saints in the 5th and 6th centuries. The Austyn spelling was first recorded in England in the 16th century! The Latin root of the name means “magnificent.”

Aubrey

Aubrey was originally a masculine name and it very much still is popular among boys in England today. Aubrey started as a Norman-French form of Alberich, from German. The name became a popular male one in medieval England. In the US today, the name goes to far more girls than boys. Yet another one of the baby names that has flipped.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 25 Ancient Baby Names for Boys That Sound Fresh and Unique Today

Alison

Alison did not become truly popular in the US until the 1950s. Before that, in medieval times, it was a French and English diminutive form of Alice. The name was so popular that alternative spellings Alyson, Allison, and Allyson were recorded as far back as the 16th century!

There you go! Can you believe that so many of these baby names are ancient? We hope you enjoyed learning about them and their long histories. If you would like to learn more about very old baby names, keep reading. We’ve also got a list of old names that will likely go “extinct” from lack of use in the next couple of years!

Baby Names for Girls Set to Go Extinct

Averly

Cecile

Christie

Delphina

Georgette

Harpreet

Julianne

Kenzi

Luanna

Olivine

Perl

Sharlene

RELATED: 55 Forgotten But Wonderful Old Fashioned Baby Names We Hope Make a Comeback

Sigrid

Baby Boy Names Set to Go Extinct

Alexandro

Braydan

Darnell

Elbert

Finneas

Greg

Jamiel

Kristopher

Neville

Raymon

Rhuben

Stone

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 25 Geek Chic Baby Names for Boys That Are Making a Comeback

Wes

Wow! There were some serious surprises among these baby names that are set to go virtually extinct next year. There are so many beloved appellations that still deserve consideration. New parents, it’s up to you now.

Exit mobile version