Famous author Stephen King once wrote, “Sooner or later, everything old is new again,” in his 2005 mystery book The Colorado Kid – though he has used the saying in a number of his popular works.
It can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but I think you see where we’re going with it.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s a new trend going around with baby names that has parents electing for what many consider ‘old lady names’ – not in an offensive way, but as a nod to the past.
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Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are a perfect example of this, having named their third daughter Betty – an ode to Blake’s grandmother and aunt – in 2019. And yes, it’s the ‘Betty’ that Taylor Swift sang about.
But they’re not even the only celebrities bringing back old lady names.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner went with Violet for their eldest daughter, while George and Amal Clooney decided to name their daughter Ella – two incredibly beautiful and elegant old lady names!
50 Popular Old Lady Names & Their Meanings
Take one look around and you’ll start to see just how many parents are electing to go with old lady names when naming their newborns – and some baby-naming experts think popular TV shows are playing a role.
At least that’s what BabyNames.com founder Jennifer Moss is saying.
She believes popular dramas – such as Bridgerton, The Gilded Age, and Downton Abbey – are giving parents even more reason to give their daughters old lady names. And trust us, we’re totally here for it!
“People are researching their ancestry online and finding these cool names that sound fresh because they haven’t been heard for so long,” Moss explained in a recent interview with The TODAY Show.
With that said, we’re going to highlight 50 of our favorite old lady names – so, let’s get started!
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50. Eleanor
Origin: Old French and Old Provençal
Meaning: Bright, Shining One, Light
Famous People: Eleanor of Aquitaine (former queen consort of France and England), Eleanor Roosevelt (former First Lady of the US), Eleanor Tomlinson (English actress), Eleanor Parker (American actress)
49. Violet
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Purpble, Violet Flower
Famous People: Violet Bonham Carter (English politician), Violet Brown (Jamaican supercentenarian), Violet Jessop (Titanic survivor), Violet Affleck (daughter of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck)
48. Mabel
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Lovable, Beautiful, My Beautiful One
Famous People: Mabel Normand (American silent film actress), Mabel Mercer (Engligh-born cabaret singer), Mabel King (American actress and singer), Mabel (British-Swedish singer and songwriter)
47. Ruby
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Red Gemstone, Birthstone for July
Famous People: Ruby Dee (American actress), Ruby Bridges (American civil rights activist), Ruby Rose (Australian model), Ruby Wax (American-British comedian and actress)
46. Lillian
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Lily
Famous People: Lillian Gish (American actress and director), Lillian Hellman (American playwright), Lillian Wald (American nurse and humanitarian), Lillian Disney (wife of Walt Disney)
45. Matilda
Origin: Germanic
Meaning: Strength in Battle, Mighty in Battle
Famous People: Empress Matilda (daughter of King Henry I of England), Matilda of Flanders (wife of William the Conqueror and Queen of England), Matilda Ledger (daughter of Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams), Matilda (title character of a famous children’s book Roald Dahl)
44. Edith
Origin: Old English
Meaning: Riches in War, Blessed War
Famous People: Edith Wharton (American novelist), Edith Piaf (French singer and cultural icon), Edith Roosevelt (second wife of former US President Theodore Roosevelt), Edith Cavell (British nurse)
43. Beatrice
Origin: Latin
Meaning: She Who Brings Happiness, Bringer of Joy
Famous People: Beatrice of England (13th centure English princess), Beatrice Arthur (American actress and comedian), Beatrice Borromeo (Italian journalist and model)
42. Josephine
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God Will Add, Jehovah Increases
Famous People: Josephine Bonaparte (first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte), Josephine Baker (American-born French entertainer), Josephine Tey (pseudonym for Scottish author Elizabeth MacKintosh), Josephine Skriver (Danish model)
41. Florence
Origin: Latin
Meaning: To Blossom, To Flourish
Famous People: Florence Nightingale (English social reformer), Florence Welch (lead vocalist of Florence and the Machine), Florence Henderson (American actress and singer), Florence Foster Jenkins (American socialite)
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40. Esther
Origin: Persian
Meaning: Star
Famous People: Esther (Biblical figure; wife of King Ahasuerus in Book of Esther), Esther Williams (American competitive swimmer), Esther Dyson (American journalist), Esther Rantzen (British journalist)
39. Dorothy
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Gift of God
Famous People: Dorothy Parker (American poet), Dorothy Dandridge (American actress and singer), Dorothy Hodgkin (British chemist who won Nobel Prize in Chemistry), Dorothy Gale (fictional protagonist of ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’)
38. Agnes
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Pure, Holy
Famous People: Saint Agnes of Rome (Christian martyr), Agnes Moorehead (American actress), Agnes Varda (French film director), Agnes de Mille (American dancer and choreographer)
37. Martha
Origin: Aramaic
Meaning: Lady, Mistress
Famous People: Martha Washington (wife of George Washington), Martha Stewart (American businesswoman and TV personality), Martha Graham (American modern dancer), Martha Gellhorn (American novelist)
36. Adelaide
Origin: Germanic
Meaning: Noble, Nobility
Famous People: Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (queen consort of King William IV), Adelaide Kane (Australian actress), Adelaide Hall (American-born British jazz singer), Adelaide (capital city of South Australia)
35. Agatha
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Good, Honorable
Famous People: Agatha Christie (British writer), Saint Agatha of Sicily (Christian saint and virgin martyr), Agatha Barbara (first female President of Malta), Agatha Harkness (fictional character from Marvel Comics series)
34. Colleen
Origin: Irish
Meaning: Girl, Young Woman
Famous People: Colleen Dewhurst (Canadian-American actress), Colleen Hoover (American author), Colleen Ballinger (American comedian and actress), Colleen Atwood (American costume designer)
33. Edna
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Pleasure, Delight
Famous People: Edna St. Vincent Millay (American poet and playwright), Edna Ferber (American novelist), Edna Krabappel (fictional character from ‘The Simpsons’), Edna Mode (fictional character from ‘The Incredibles’)
32. Ethel
Origin: Old English
Meaning: Noble
Famous People: Ethel Barrymore (American actress), Ethel Merman (American actress and singer), Ethel Kennedy (widow of Robert F. Kennedy), Ethel Waters (American singer and actress)
31. Gertrude
Origin: Germanic
Meaning: Spear of Strength
Famous People: Gertrude Stein (American novelist and playwright), Gertrude Ederle (American competition swimmer), Gertrude Bell (English writer), Saint Gertrude the Great (13th century German Benedictine nun)
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30. Gladys
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Royalty, Princess
Famous People: Gladys Knight (American singer and songwriter), Gladys Aylward (British missionary), Gladys Bentley (American blues singer and pianist), Gladys Presley (mother of Elvis Presley)
29. Hilda
Origin: Old German
Meaning: Battle, Warrior
Famous People: Saint Hilda of Whitby (Anglo-Saxon abbess and saint), Hilda solis (American politician and former US Secretary of Labor), Hilda Doolittle (American poet and novelist)
28. Helga
Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Holy, Blessed
Famous People: Helga Estby (Norwegian-American woman who walked across US in 1896), Helga Testorf (model for many of Andrew Wyeth’s most famous paintings), Helga G. Pataki (fictional character in ‘Hey Arnold!’)
27. Irene
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Peace
Famous People: Saint Irene (early Christian martyr and saint), Irene Dunne (American actress and singer), Irene Adler (fictional character in Sherlock Holmes stories), Irene Papas (Greek actress and singer)
26. Linda
Origin: Germanic
Meaning: Soft, Tender, Beautiful
Famous People: Linda Ronstadt (American singer), Linda McCartney (American musician and wife of Paul McCartney), Linda Hamilton (American actress), Linda Evangelista (Canadian supermodel)
25. Lois
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Most Desirable, Better
Famous People: Lois Lowry (American author), Lois Lane (fictional character in Superman comic series), Lois Maxwell (Canadian actress), Lois Griffin (fictional character in ‘Family Guy’)
24. Ruth
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Friend, Companion
Famous People: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (American Supreme Court Justice), Ruth Handler (American businesswoman), Ruth Westheimer (German-American sex therapist), Ruth (central figure in the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible)
23. Shannon
Origin: Irish
Meaning: Wise River, Old River
Famous People: Shannon Elizabeth (American actress), Shannon Hoon (lead sinder of Blind Melon), Shannon Tweed (Canadian actress and model)
22. Sharon
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: A Plain, A Flat Area
Famous People: Sharon Stone (American actress), Sharon Osbourne (wife of Ozzy Osbourne), Sharon Tate (American actress)
21. Mildred
Origin: Old English
Meaning: Gentle Strength
Famous People: Mildred ‘Babe’ Didriskson Zaharias (American athlete), Mildred Loving (American civil rights activist), Mildred Bailey (American jazz singer)
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20. Maeve
Origin: Irish
Meaning: Intoxicating, She Who Rules
Famous People: Maeve Binchy (Irish author), Maeve Brennan (Irish-American writer and journalist), Queen Maeve (legendary queen of Connacht in Irish mythology)
19. Nadine
Origin: French, Slavic
Meaning: Hope
Famous People: Nadine Gordimer (South African writer), Nadine Coyle (Irish singer and actress), Nadine Labaki (Lebanese actress and director)
18. Wanda
Origin: Polish
Meaning: Wanderer
Famous People: Wanda Jackson (American singer), Wanda Sykes (American actress and comedian), Wanda Landowska (Polish harpsichordist and pianist)
17. Wilma
Origin: Germanic
Meaning: Willful Protection, Resolute Protector
Famous People: Wilma Rudolph (American sprinter and Olympic champion), Wilma Flinstone (fictional character in ‘The Flinstones’), Wilma Mankiller (first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation)
16. Brenda
Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Sword, Blade
Famous People: Brenda Lee (American singer), Brenda Blethyn (English actress), Brenda Fassie (South African singer)
15. Beverley
Origin: Old English
Meaning: Beaver Stream, Beaver Meadow
Famous People: Beverley Cleary (American author), Beverley Knight (British recording artist), Beverley Mitchell (American actress and singer)
14. Pearl
Origin: English
Meaning: Precious Gemstone
Famous People: Pearl S. Buck (American writer and Nobel Prize winner), Pearl Bailey (American actress and singer), Pearl Jam (American rock band)
13. Deborah
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Bee
Famous People: Deborah Kerr (Scottish actress), Deborah Harry (American singer and actress), Deborah Sampson (former American Revolutionary War soldier)
12. Mary
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Beloved, Bitter
Famous People: Mary, Mother of Jesus (central figure in Christianity and mother of Jesus Christ), Mary Shelley (English novelist), Mary Queen of Scots (historical figure and queen regnant of Scotland)
11. Patricia
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Noble, Patrician
Famous People: Patricia Highsmith (American novelist), Patricia Arquette (American actress), Patricia Neal (American actress and Academy Award winner)
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10. Shirley
Origin: Old English
Meaning: Bright Meadow
Famous People: Shirley Temple (American actress and singer), Shirley MacLaine (American actress and author), Shirley Jackson (American writer)
9. Betty
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God Is My Oath
Famous People: Betty White (American actress and comedian), Betty Grable (American actress and singer), Betty Friedan (American feminist writer and activist)
8. Helen
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Torch, Light
Famous People: Helen of Troy (figure from Greek mythology), Helen Kelelr (American author and activist), Helen Mirren (English actress)
7. Margaret
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Pearl
Famous People: Margaret Thatcher (first female Prime Minister of the UK), Margaret Atwood (Canadian author), Saint Margaret of Scotland (11th century queen and saint)
6. Susan
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Lily
Famous People: Susan B. Anthony (American social reformer and women’s rights activist), Susan Sarandon (American actress), Susan Sontag (American writer and filmmaker)
5. Henrietta
Origin: Germanic
Meaning: Ruler of the Home
Famous People: Henrietta Lacks (African-American woman whose cancer cells helped create first immortalized human cell line), Henrietta Maria of France (queen consort of King Charles I of England), Henrietta Swan Leavitt (American astronomer)
4. Deirdre
Origin: Irish
Meaning: Sorrowful, Broken-Hearted
Famous People: Deirdre (tragic heroine from Irish mythology), Deirdre Lovejoy (American actress), Deirdre Imus (American author and radio personality)
3. Dolores
Origin: Spanish
Meaning: Sorrows
Famous People: Dolores Huerta (American labor leader and civil rights activist), Dolores del Rio (Mexican actress), Dolores O’Riordan (Irish singer and songwriter)
2. Priscilla
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Ancient, Venerable
Famous People: Priscilla Presley (American actress and businesswoman), Priscilla Chan (American pediatrician and philanthropist), Saint Priscilla (early Christian and missionary in the New Testament)
1. Darcy
Origin: Irish
Meaning: Dark One
Famous People: Darcy Bussell (retired English ballerina and principal dancer with the Royal Ballet), Darcy Wakaluk (Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender)
Are You Joining the Old Lady Names Trend?
Old lady names, also referred to as ‘classic’ names and ‘vintage’ names, are making a comeback whether you want to admit it or not – and a lot of your favorite celebrities and TV series are a big reason why.
But we’re not complaining – especially since a lot of us have grandmothers with those names.
The truth is most old lady names have a certain grace and sophistication that the modern names of today might lack. And in an era of rapidly changing trends, vintage names stand out and offer a unique identity.
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If you’re taking a strong liking to old lady names, then hopefully our list above gave you some good ideas. And if you happened to think of an even better one, then we would love to hear what you came up with!