Everything old becomes new again- that’s an age-old saying that has withstood the test of time!
It seems as though everything comes back in style eventually, even baby names.
It’s interesting to see what baby names from the 1920s are still being used today.
Whether you’re trying to choose a popular girl name from a century ago, or you want to find unique names from the 1920s, we’ve made several lists of popular baby names, including the most popular girl names, from the 1920s so you can find some inspiration.
- Related Article: Popular Names in the 1920s
What Girl Names Were Popular in the 1920s?
Chances are that you are going to recognize a great many of your aunts, cousins, and maybe even your grandmother’s name from this list.
The top 50 girl names from the 1920s are:
50- Lorraine 30- Patricia
49- Rita 29– Eleanor
48- Dolores 28- Ruby
47- Marion 27- Catherine
46- Bernice 26- Louise
45- June 25- Lillian
44- Hazel 24- Rose
43- Grace 23- Martha
42- Phyllis 22- Lois
41- Ethyl 21- Florence
40- Gloria 20- Marjorie
39- Edith 19- Irene
38- Lucille 18- Barbara
37- Pauline 17- Shirley
36- Norma 16- Jean
35- Edna 15- Alice
34- Thelma 14- Marie
33- Josephine 13- Anna
32- Annie 12- Evelyn
31- Gladys 11- Elizabeth
The interesting thing that we noted about these names is how many of these popular names started with the letter E or I, such as Irene and Edith.
Are you ready to check out the top 10 most popular girl names?
10- Frances
9- Mildred
8- Doris
7- Virginia
6- Ruth
5- Margaret
4- Betty
3- Helen
2- Dorothy
1- Mary
Were you surprised at any of these? We weren’t, but you might be surprised at how many of these names are still going strong in 2020.
Which Baby Girl Names Are Still Popular?
While girls’ names change more than boys’ names, there are some that are still holding on. The Top 50 baby girl names of 2020/2021 are:
1- Olivia 26- Aria
2- Emma 27- Chloe
3- Ava 28- Grace
4- Charlotte 29- Ellie
5- Sophia 30- Nora
6- Amelia 31- Hazel
7- Isabella 32- Zoey
8- Mia 33- Riley
9- Evelyn 34- Victoria
10- Harper 35- Lily
11- Camila 36- Aurora
12- Gianna 37- Violet
13- Abigail 38- Nova
14- Luna 39- Hannah
15- Ella 40- Emilia
16- Elizabeth 41- Zoe
17- Sofia 42- Stella
18- Emily 43- Everly
19- Avery 44- Isla
20- Mila 45- Leah
21- Scarlett 46- Lillian
22- Eleanor 47- Addison
23- Madison 48- Willow
24- Layla 49- Lucy
25- Penelope 50- Paisley
While some of the names from the 1920s have been replaced (you won’t find any Ediths or Ethyls here) some names seem immemorial, such as Elizabeth, Lucy, Lily, and Eleanor.
- Click Here to Read – 1920s Boy Names
What Are Rare Names for Girls from the 1920s?
In the same way that you probably won’t meet any parents from today’s era naming their baby girl Myrtle or Edith, there appear to be names that simply were not common or popular in the 1920s.
The most uncommon but beautiful names for a little girl from the 1920s include:
- Fern– An old English name meaning one who lives among the ferns.
- Millicent– Your aunt Milly probably knows that her name has a German background and it means One Who Is Strong.
- Opal– One of the most beautiful gemstones around, Opal is an ancient name that, in Sanskrit, means Jewel.
- Harriet– This is an old French word meaning Ruler of the House or Ruler of the Land.
- Petra– An ancient Latin name meaning Stone, this is a female version of Peter.
- Adele– Oh yes, the famous singer Adele takes her name from the German word Nobility.
- Althea– From the Greek word meaning To Heal, who wouldn’t want a beautiful name like this?
- Geneva– Don’t think convention, think Swiss Alps!
- Faye– A sweet English name meaning “From the Fairies”
- Garnet– If you like names like Ruby or Pearl, but want something a bit different, Garnet is a nice unisex name.
- Winifred– Sounds very old-fashioned but imagine the nicknames: Freddie, Winnie, Winsome! Winifred has Welsh origins, and it means Blessed Peacemaker.
Parents everywhere are sure to be touted as being original and sweet when they give their baby girl one of these names that have real staying power!
- Click Here to See Popular Last Names in the 1920s
What Are Some Names of Famous Women from the 1920s?
If you’re looking for baby names after some history-making women from the 1920s, you can certainly give your little one a name to live up to.
There were plenty of females in the 1920s who certainly took life by the horns, including:
- Louise Brooks– The name Louise means Fearless Warrior and Louise Brooks literally lived her name! Both an access and a dancer, Louise made the short, bob hairstyle famous!
- Coco Chanel– While coco is the bean that makes chocolate, when you think of Coco Chanel, you instantly think of luxury and riches! Coco was a trendsetter in her time, making sporty, casual clothing look elegant. Many of her quotes are still famous and are often heard today, including the line “I only drink champagne on two occasions, when I’m in love and when I’m not.”
- Josephine Baker– Josephine is the feminine version of Joseph, which means Shall Grow. Josephine Baker certainly took on that role, working as an actress, dancer, French Resistance agent, and civil rights activist. Josie is a really cute nickname as well.
- Gloria Swanson– Gloria is a beautiful name, and Gloria Swanson is still talked about today. Working as an actress, movie producer, and businesswoman, Gloria performed in both theater and television, making her career a real show-stopper.
- Zelda Sayre– In a world full of Zoe’s, be a Zelda! Zelda means Fighting Woman, and if you want a fun name to honor the 1920s, Zelda Sayre, wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote The Great Gatsby, is known as America’s first Flapper!
The women above all had a dramatic effect on America, changing social norms with their fashion, fire, and flash!
Imagine the fun your daughter will have to learn the history and famous people that belong to the history of her name.
What Are Some Really Old Fashioned 1920s Female Names?
Some parents want fresh and new names for their babies, others like popular girl names from the past.
If you love old fashioned or “old lady” type names for your little one, you might be interested in some of these 1920s girl names:
- Ada
- Alice
- Audrey
- Ava
- Cora
- Dora
- Elsie
- Edna
- Esme
- Evie
- Flora
- Gretchen
- Harriet
- Irene
- Ivy
- Iris
- Mabel
- Maggie
- Matilda
- Nell
- Nora
- Olive
- Pearl
- Rosalie
- Winifred
If you want your daughter to stand out among the crowd of Ashley’s and Emma’s, try one of these old-fashioned-sounding names from 100 years ago or more.
The Bottom Line on Popular Girls Names in the 1920’s
There’s an old saying that every 100 years, names that were once fashionable will once again come back into the mainstream.
While most parents wouldn’t want to name their child after something from their parent’s generation, names like Jennifer, Jessica, Lisa, Cathy, or Karen, they often find that popular names from their grandparents or great grandparents suddenly sound fresh and “cool”.
Older names free us from thinking about our parent’s problems or even our extended family. No one wants to be named after a relative who ended up in jail, for example.
By choosing a name from the 1920s, parent’s free themselves from that association. It also frees them from having a child that has one of the most popular baby names of their current time.
Chances are that you remember 3 or more children in your class who all had the same name. No one wants to be just another “Jennifer” in the crowd.
When you choose one of the popular 1920s girl names, you can almost guarantee that your daughter will have a unique name among her classmates, and hopefully, a rich name filled with history and meaning that she will relate to.
