All this information is taken from Behind the Name, a really fascinating website for name etymology and historical data. All rankings are through 2012. 2013 rankings don't come out until May.
Amelia. #23, has never fallen off the list. A variant of Amalia, it became popular in England in the 18th century. Derived from the German word for work. A famous bearer is Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), one of my heroes. Amelia is the #1 name in the UK right now, likely helped by the immensely popular Doctor Who companion Amy Pond, though was already very close to the top. I think it's a great name, and don't expect it to go anywhere anytime soon.
Adela. Not ranked, it was on the list until 1957. From the German for noble. A famous bearer is Adela of Normandy (1067-1137), a daughter of William the Conqueror. I wouldn't be surprised if Adela makes a comeback. It's trendy, but different.
Adele. #536, it fell off the list after 1969, but reappeared in 2010, obviously due to the influence of the singer (born 1988). It's a lovely name, and I think it will stick around for a while.
Adelaide. #343, it was on the list until 1945, in 1947 and 1948, and then reappeared in 2005. It means 'noble sort' in German. A famous bearer is St Adelaide of Italy (931-999), Holy Roman Empress in the 10th century. I love the name Adelaide and its many diminutives, and am glad to see it popular again.
Adeline. #239, Adeline fell off the list after 1953, but reappeared in 1999, and has been rising steadily ever since. It is considered a diminutive of Adele. A famous bearer is Adeline Genee (1878-1970), a Danish-British ballerina in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I was really surprised to see that Adeline is still on the list. It's a nice name though, so I'm not unhappy about it.
Agnes. Not ranked, it was in the top 50 for much of the early 20th century, but fell off the list after 1969. It returned briefly in 1971 and 1972, but has not been back since. It means chaste in Greek or lamb in Latin. A famous bearer is St. Agnes of Rome (291-304), martyred during the reign of Diocletian in the 4th century. She is one of the eight women mentioned by name in the Catholic mass. She is patron saint of chastity, girls, gardeners, engaged couples, virgins, and rape victims. During the Middle Ages it was pronounced Annis. It was even among the top 1000 boys' names in 1887, 1893-94, 1896-97, 1899-1901, 1905-07, and 1909-10. Given that there is currently a revival of old fashioned names, I wouldn't be surprised to see Agnes reappear in the next few years.
Agatha. Not ranked, it was on the list until 1941, then once more in 1945. It means good in Greek. A famous bearer is the British mystery author Agatha Christie (1890-1976). As with Agnes, I wouldn't be surprised to see Agatha make a comeback soon. Either one can be shortened to Aggie, which I think is cute.
Amy. #144, it has never fallen off the list. Used occasionally in the Middle Ages, it gained popularity in the 19th century. It means beloved in Old French. It was used as a boy's name in 1969, and 1971-77. One of many famous bearers is Amy Johnson (1903-41), a British pilot. Although she had a degree in economics, she was the first woman in Britain to obtain her aircraft engineer license. She was the first woman to fly solo from the UK to Australia, the first person to fly from London to Moscow in one day, and made several other record-breaking flights, regularly beating records set by her own husband. She was killed in 1941, when her plane crashed over the Channel in a snowstorm. Even though she bailed out, conditions were too dangerous to effect a rescue. The one person who tried to save her died, and her body was never recovered. The reason for her flight (she was in the military at that time) is still a government secret, though it is suspected that the secrecy is because she was the victim of friendly fire. Amy is a solid name and a solid first choice in a double name. I think its popularity will decline in coming years as longer and "prettier" names gain ground, but it's enduring and is in no danger.
Alice. #127, it has never fallen off the list. A very meta name, it is a modern form of the Old French Aalis, short for Adelais, short for Adalheidis. Popular since the 1100s, it was also used as a boy's name in 1881, 1883, 1885-87, 1889-93, 1895-1912, 1925-26, 1929-30, 1932, and 1937. A famous bearer is the titular heroine of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (published 1865). I think Alice is a charming name: dainty and quirky and ultra-feminine. I predict its popularity will increase.
Alecia. Not ranked, it made the list from 1961 to 1997. A famous bearer is Alecia Beth Moore Hart (born 1979), better known as Pink. This spelling may make a comeback if parents continue to opt for unconventional spellings of normal names, and it's not an egregious one, but it's not my favorite.
Alicia.#272, it was off the list in 1884, 1891, and 1901-02. A famous bearer is the British dancer Alicia Markova (1910-2004), one of only two British dancers to be given the rank of prima ballerina assoluta. (Only 12 have been given the title.) The other is Margot Fonteyn, who received the title at the age of 60. Markova was 23. A pretty name, and very much a classic. To me, however, it feels dated. I associate it strongly with my own generation- girls born in the late '80s and early '90s. I think its popularity will decline, but it won't disappear.
Aurelia. Not ranked, fell off the list after 1950. This is one name I'd like to see revived. I think it's beautiful. A female form of the Ancient Roman name Aurelius, which means golden. A famous bearer is Aurelia Cotta (120 BC-54 BC), mother of Julius Caesar.
Angela. #193, it has never fallen off the list. A female form of Angelus, it comes from the Greek word for messenger. It was in the top 10 during the 1960s and '70s. A famous bearer is St. Angela of Foligno (1248-1309), who lived during the 13th century. I was honestly shocked that Angela is in the top 200.
Angeline. #759, it fell off the list in 1957, 1959-61, 1963, 1983-86, 1988-2001, and 2003-04. A famous bearer is Princess Angeline (1820-96), the daughter of Chief Seattle. Angeline is different without being crazy, and I think it will gain in popularity.
Angelica. #374, it has been ranked since 1959. A famous bearer is Angelica Balabanoff (1878-1965), a Russian-Jewish-Italian activist. Honestly, all I think of when I hear this name is Angelica Pickles, off Rugrats. She was such a brat I could never name a child that, even if I were so inclined.
Ann. #958, it has never been off the list. It was in the top 50 for much of the first half of the 20th century, and made the list as a boy's name in 1910. Both Ann and Anne have been popular since the Middle Ages, but Ann gained popularity in the 19th century. A famous bearer is Ann Bonny (1702-82), a notorious pirate. It means favor. I hope Ann hangs on, but it's in a very precarious position, hovering right at the bottom of the list.
Anna. #35, it has never fallen off the list. It ranked on the boys' list in 1880-81, 1883-1914, 1926-28, and 1930. A famous bearer is Anna of Denmark, Electress of Saxony (1553-1585), who was tough as nails and an influential queen. Anna is not in any danger of losing ground.
Annie. #377, it has never fallen off the list, and was in the top ten during the 1880s. It ranked as a boys' name 1880-83, 1885-96, 1898-1910, 1913, 1927-32, 1934-35, and 1937. A famous bearer is Phoebe Ann Moses (1860-1926), better known as Annie Oakley. Annie is a cute name that ages well, and I expect it to go nowhere but up.
Amanda. #265, it has never fallen off the list. It was also used as a boys' name from 1978-1989, while it was at the height of its popularity for girls. It means lovable, and comes from Latin. A famous bearer is Amanda Clement (1888-1971), the first female baseball umpire. She was also the first woman to referee a high school basketball game. In college, she ran track, captained the women's basketball team, was a gymnast, and one of South Dakota's top tennis players. She was so popular as an umpire, people came to games to see her. She also set records in shot put, sprinting, and hurdling, and could throw a ball 275 feet. She taught PE at several schools, managed several YWCA facilities, coached basketball, organized tennis tournaments, was a journalist, police matron, typesetter, justice of the peace, county assessor, and social worker. I expect Amanda will fall in the coming years, as the name feels dated and inextricably linked to the '70s and early '80s when it was so popular.
Antoinette. Not ranked, fell off the list after 2000. A female form of Antoine or Anthony, it is of unknown Etruscan origin. The most famous bearer is tragic French queen Marie Antoinette (1755-93). I wouldn't be surprised if Antoinette turned up on the list again.
Antonia. Not ranked, it fell off the list after 2005, but reappeared in 2007. A famous bearer of the name is Antonia Minor (36 BC-37 AD), daughter of Marc Antony, mother of the Emperor Claudius, and grandmother of the Emperor Caligula. I think Antonia is a lovely name, stately and elegant. Bring it back!
Arabella. #245, ranked in 1881, 1885-88, 1893, and since 2005. It is a medieval Scottish name, likely a form of Annabel. It may also come from the Latin for invokable. I honestly had no idea this name was so old, so this one really surprised me. One famous bearer of the name is Arabella Mansfield (1846-1911), the first female lawyer in the United States. Its rise has been so meteoric, it's in no danger.
Annabel. #519, it was off the list from 1933-1999. It is a medieval Scottish variant of Amabel. The most famous bearer of the name is the titular maiden of Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee" (published 1849). I expect it will make slight gains in popularity. [The image is of Poe's wife Virginia, a likely inspiration for the poem.]
Aspasia. Never ranked within the top 1000. The name means welcome embrace in Ancient Greek, but it never caught on here in the States. A famous bearer of the name was Aspasia (470 BC-400 BC), the wife of Pericles, an Athenian statesman. (You might know him from the funeral oration he gave after the Peloponnesian War. It's recorded by Thucydides. I had to read it in high school and college.) Aspasia is a lovely name, but I'm not holding my breath for it to catch on.
Albertine. Not ranked, ranked from 1880-81, 1883-85, 1887-1905, 1907-19, 1921, 1924-25. It means noble and bright. A famous bearer is the main character in Albertine (published 1886), by Christian Krohg. It was a controversial novel about a prostitute.
Albertine is dead and will never come back, as far as names go. Even when it ranked, it was never very high.
Augusta. Not ranked, it fell off the list after 1944. For boys it was ranked in 1880, 1886, 1889-90, 1893-95, 1899, 1901-06, and 1908-09. It comes from the Latin word for venerable. A famous bearer is Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1811-90), the Queen of Prussia and Empress of Germany. A nice name, but I doubt it will ever experience a serious revival.
Annette. Not ranked, fell off the list after 2007. A famous bearer of the name is Annette Funicello (1942-2013), the "beach party" actress and Mouseketeer. I don't think Annette will come back for this generation, but maybe a generation from now.
Aglaia. Never ranked, but I think it's a lovely name. Aglaia was the youngest of the Charities in Greek mythology, and her name means splendor. She and her two sisters attended Aphrodite.
Let me know what you think of this name list! Which should come back, which should stay gone? I'll follow up soon with part two.
A rose by any other name,
Callie R.
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