Vintage girl names are back in style, which choices such as Emma, Olivia, and Adeline ranking high on the popularity lists. But maybe you want a vintage name for your daughter and are hoping to uncover a hidden treasure from the past. 

　　We’ve written a lot about the 1910s baby names that are coming back, thanks to the Hundred Year Rule: Alice and Florence, Lillian and Hazel and Ruby.

　　But what about the names in the Top 1000 of 1910 that are virtually unknown now? A hundred years ago, Helen was the number 2 name for girls, right behind Mary. Mildred was number 8, Ethel number 13, and the dubious Gladys hot on her heels at 15. You don’t meet many Ethels and Gladyses (Gladysi?) anymore outside the nursing home.

　　And I’ve never heard of a Ceola, Ozella, or Exie, yet those names and dozens of others now lost were in the 1910 Top 1000.

　　Several months ago we looked at the Lost Names of 1880, and were surprised by how many there were. We declare ourselves surprised anew by how many lost names we’ve located on the 1910 roster that are different from those we listed in the 1880 story.

　　

Girl Names Popular in 1910

The first group are not lost, exactly, as they’re still heard from time to time. A few — Blanche, Lula, Viola — may even make a comeback. But most of these names, popular in 1910, have been in mothballs for decades now and may never make it out.

　　Aline

　　Alma

　　Avis

　　Beulah

　　Bernice

　　Bertha

　　Blanche

　　Clarice

　　Doris

　　Elnora

　　Ernestine

　　Eunice

　　Fern

　　Hilda

　　Inez

　　Iola

　　Iona

　　Leona

　　Lois

　　Lorena

　　Lula

　　Melba

　　Merle

　　Myrtle

　　Opal

　　Pansy

　　Rosetta

　　Thelma

　　Veda or Vida

　　Velma

　　Verna

　　Viola

　　Wilma

　　Zelma

　　

Obscure Names of 1910

The second group are names that have already slipped under the surface. While I’m certain that some of you knowledgeable berries will protest about the visibility or viability of a handful of these names, most seem to me to no longer be part of the basic American name lexicon. Your opinions on exceptions welcome.

　　I want to note that several of these names seem like quasi-names, a group we singled out in the 1880 story. We include here choices not included there — Alta, Elva, Lera, Rilla — and there are enough of these name snippets to assume it was still a trend in 1910….though it is not today.

　　Albina

　　Alida

　　Almeda

　　Alpha

　　Alta

　　Altha

　　Alva

　　Alvina

　　Arvilla

　　Ceola

　　Della

　　Delma

　　Delphia

　　Dona

　　Elda

　　Elna

　　Elva

　　Emmer

　　Erma

　　Ethelyn

　　Eula

　　Florine

　　Floy

　　Glenna

　　Hulda

　　Idell or Idella

　　Ira

　　Leatha or Letha

　　Lela

　　Leola

　　Leora

　　Lera

　　Louvenia

　　Lue

　　Lura

　　Marvel

　　Meta

　　Mozelle

　　Myrtice or Myrtis

　　Nedra

　　Neva

　　Nona

　　Novella

　　Odell

　　Oleta

　　Ozella

　　Palma

　　Reatha or Retha

　　Reva

　　Rilla

　　Rosina

　　Treva

　　Trula

　　Vada

　　Velva

　　Verda

　　Verla

　　Vesta

　　Zada

　　Zella

　　Zola

　　Zula

　　

Nicknames of 1910

And then there are the lost nickname-names, epidemic in 1880 and still raging in 1910. We listed a lot of those names in the 1880 story and didn’t want to repeat, but here are several nicknames that were hot in 1910 and are rarely heard now.

　　Arie

　　Arlie

　　Bennie

　　Bertie

　　Callie

　　Claudie

　　Exie

　　Flossie

　　Gussie

　　Jannie

　　Kattie

　　Linnie

　　Lonnie

　　Lossie

　　Macie

　　Maudie

　　Mazie

　　Mossie

　　Myrtie

　　Nannie

　　Ollie

　　Ossie

　　Ressie

　　Tennie

　　Tressie

　　Vergie or Virgie

　　Verlie

　　Versie