40 Vintage Names Back from the Brink of Extinction

Celebrating the birth of a new baby comes with the expectation of revealing your little one's newly bestowed name. Naming conventions range from family names passed down through generations to searching the Internet for obscure words with unique meanings. Celebrity babies have also impacted how we determine our new baby's name. Gone are the days when an apple was just a piece of fruit.

With all the outlets available to find the perfect name for your baby, many parents might forget about the timeless options that stir a nostalgic feeling in us when hearing a vintage name called. According to baby naming experts at Nameberry, historically significant or vintage names are rising from the brink of extinction and making a comeback in today's popular culture. Inspired by classic literary works, memorable royal family members throughout history, the Bible, and even your family tree, these vintage names are some of the latest prevailing names for newborn babies.

Scroll for a list of the baby names back from the edge of extinction in America.

Vintage Names for Girls

Alice

• Origin: German
• Meaning: "noble"

Amelia

• Origin: German
• Meaning: "work"

Aurelia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: "the golden one"

Aurora

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: "dawn"

Charlotte

• Origin: French, feminine diminutive of Charles
• Meaning: "free man"

Clara

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: "bright, clear"

Daphne

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: "laurel tree, bay tree"

Eleanor

• Origin: English variation of French Provencal Alienor
• Meaning: unknown

Eloise

• Origin: French and English variation of Heloise
• Meaning: "healthy; wide"

Esme

• Origin: French
• Meaning: "beloved"

Evelyn

• Origin: English from French and German
• Meaning: "desired; or water, island"

Freya

• Origin: Norse
• Meaning: "a noble woman"

Genevieve

• Origin: English from French
• Meaning: "tribe woman"

Hazel

• Origin: English
• Meaning: "the hazelnut tree"

Iris

• Origin: Flower name; also Greek
• Meaning: "rainbow"

Ivy

• Origin: Botanical name

Nora

• Origin: Irish, diminutive of Honora, or Greek
• Meaning: "light"

Ophelia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: "help"

Penelope

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: "weaver"

Violet

• Origin: English from Latin
• Meaning: "purple"

Vintage Names for Boys

Asher

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: "fortunate, blessed, happy one"

Atlas

• Origin: Greek mythology
• Meaning: "bearer of the heavens"

Atticus

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: "from Attica"

August

• Origin: German form of Latin Augustus
• Meaning: "great, magnificent"

Caleb

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: "devotion to God"

Caspian

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: "white"

Ezra

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: "help"

Felix

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: "happy, fortunate"

Finn

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: "fair or white"

Hugo

• Origin: Latinized form of Hugh
• Meaning: "mind, intellect"

Jasper

• Origin: Persian
• Meaning: "bringer of treasure"

Jude

• Origin: Latin diminutive of Judah
• Meaning: "praised"

Miles

• Origin: English form of Milo
• Meaning: "soldier or merciful"

Milo

• Origin: Latin and Old German
• Meaning: "soldier or merciful"

Oliver

• Origin: Germanic
• Meaning: "olive tree"

Oscar

• Origin: English or Irish
• Meaning: "God spear, or deer-lover or champion warrior"

Owen

• Origin: Welsh
• Meaning: "young warrior; well-born"

Silas

• Origin: English from Latin
• Meaning: "wood, forest"

Theo

• Origin: Diminutive of Theodore
• Meaning: "gift of God"

Theodore

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: "gift of God"