Unpopular Ugly English Old Fashioned Names

Traditional Baby Names People Aren't Using Anymore

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Choosing a baby name can be tricky, with many different factors to weigh during the procedure. Will they like it when they grow up? What if the name all of a sudden becomes associated with something unpopular or unappealing? Is it better for a child to have a unique name or a more common one? Is it a name that could get them bullied?

Trends come up and go, but a really strong infant name is forever. And while it may not exist seen to be the most cutting edge choice, y'all can't actually go wrong with traditional names like Alice, James or Sophie. But what if you desire to go traditional, even so nonetheless don't want your kid to have the aforementioned name as anybody else?

Opting for a unique proper name steeped in history is a safe manner to make certain your kid stands out in the crowd without the confusion that comes along with a super-mod or even fabricated-up proper noun. Here's the traditional infant names that people aren't using anymore.

Celia

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Celia is non just a shortened version of the more pop Cecilia every bit some may think, but rather a pretty name in its own right, which developed independently and has a different meaning. A Shakespearean name, Celia dates back to the 1600s when William Shakespeare invented the name for a character in his play Equally You Like It. The proper name has Latin roots and means "heavenly," and is derived from the Roman surname Caelius.

Celia was popular in the Elizabethan era and stayed pop in England and the United states until the early 1900s when it started to decline. And so nowadays y'all may not observe that many Celias nearly — specially in the United states of america where it is much less popular than information technology is in Europe. This makes information technology perfect for a revival sometime soon, especially after the recent success of the Castilian telenovela Celia, a biography of the belatedly salsa legend Celia Cruz.

Barnabas

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Barnabas is the Greek form of an Aramaic name which means "son of encouragement" or "son of the prophet." In the New Attestation it was the proper name given to ane of the primeval Christian disciples, Joseph, who travelled with Paul the Campaigner. Continuing the Christian tradition, the proper name was put into use by stone band Barnabas in the 1970s, a group considered to exist pioneers of the Christian heavy metal movement.

Barnabas wasn't popularized as an English proper noun until the 12th century and, even though it wasn't all that pop at the fourth dimension, its usage has withal dropped off since and so in favor of the more popular Barnaby.

Then if you're looking for a traditional name with stiff religious roots, which is all the same unusual enough to get noticed, Barnabas is a nice choice, and it can also be shortened to Barney to make it a bit less of a mouthful.

Edith

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A hundred years ago, Edith was a massively pop name, but now one which is considered to be a lilliputian on the erstwhile fashioned side. Edith is a vibrant name meaning "prosperous in state of war," and is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon names still in utilize today.

Derived from the Old English proper noun Eadgyð, Edith was popular with Anglo-Saxon royalty in the fifth century, with a revival in the 19th. There are quite a few new Ediths in Sweden, placing the name at number 42 on their Summit 100 listing in 2017, but it's still quite uncommon in the U.s.a..

Nowadays you won't detect many American Ediths nether the age of seventy, but that could be ready to modify soon with the popularity of the character Lady Edith Crawley in Downton Abbey, and the tenacious Edith Gru from the Despicable Me series. A nice pick for something traditional if you also desire to become ahead of the trend.

Chester

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Chester is a strong masculine proper name, which was popular in the 1880s, but has tailed off in contempo decades. Chester ways "fortress" and is taken from the English urban center Chester, originally an erstwhile Roman settlement which dates back to the first century.

Quirky enough to grab your attention, simply mainstream enough to run across why it was pop in the start place, Chester can be shortened to Chet for a cute, unusual nickname. We've seen it on Idiot box, with Chester "Ziggy" Sobotka in The Wire, and lead character Chester A. Riley of the classic 1950s testify The Life of Riley, but yet, Chester refuses to go a mainstream name — which makes it a good choice if you lot're looking for something strong, yet unique.

Historically the proper name brings to mind President Chester A. Arthur, who was as well a lawyer and teacher. Now the name is nearly strongly associated in popular culture with the late, critically acclaimed vocaliser Chester Bennington of Linkin Park fame, who sadly passed away in 2017.

Flora

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Flora is a cute (however, uncommon) proper noun for a baby girl. From the Latin "flos," meaning "flower," Flora was the Roman goddess of spring and the flowering of plants, eternally youthful and cute, and and then the name became popularized in France during the Renaissance era.

Pop again in the late 1880s, Flora gradually began to lose steam until the 1970s, when its popularity dropped sharply. Still popular in some European countries, such as France and Hungary, it'south near time this traditional name made a comeback in the U.s.a..

And only because it's a delicate-sounding name doesn't mean it needs to be given to a delicate woman, for case Flora Sandes, who was the just adult female to officially serve equally a soldier in the Commencement Globe War, gaining the rank of Captain in the Serbian army. Simply goes to show you, a Flora doesn't take to be a shrinking violet.

Homer

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The fact that this proper name is best associated with the American sitcom The Simpsons might have something to do with the fact that information technology is no longer widely used. But Homer is a securely traditional name which used to be held in great esteem, rather than being associated with the doltish, overweight figure of Homer Simpson.

The name originated in Ancient Greece and —The Simpsons bated — is best known as the name given to the famous Greek poet Homer, writer of the Iliad and the Odyssey. The proper name itself means "security" or "pledge," and lends itself to the phrase "homeric," which refers to something that takes place on an enormous scale.

The name came into use as a given proper noun in English speaking countries, America in particular, in the 18th century, and though it was popular until the 1940s, the name isn't widely used anymore today. Merely, as its varied history shows, it would certainly brand for an interesting option.

Maude

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Another name which y'all may recognise from The Simpsons as the name of Ned Flanders' tardily wife, Maude is another traditional proper noun you don't see much of these days. The medieval form of Matilda, Maude ways "battle mighty" and is associated with strong leaders, despite the soft sounding proper noun.

Maude, and the alternate spelling Maud, were massively popular in the 19th century, likely due to its use in Alfred Lord Tennyson'southward famous poem Maud, published in 1855. Over the past fifty years its usage has dropped off sharply, and Maudes are rare to find these days.

But information technology's a potent name with a strong legacy, like the Empress Maud who was the first female ruler of England in the 12th century. The royal connexion is there again with Queen Victoria's granddaughter, born Princess Maud Victoria. She went on to become Queen Maud of Kingdom of norway, and was famed equally a charitable ruler who gave generously to charities supporting children, animals, music and the arts.

Lemuel

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A name you actually don't hear much of these days is the Old Testament title Lemuel, a Hebrew name which means "devoted to God." A slightly less known alternative to the very popular Biblical name Samuel, Lemuel definitely walks the line between traditional and unique and would be a nice choice for a special little boy.

Lemuel is about as old school as it gets. Non only does it come from the King Lemuel who is mentioned in the Proverbs, you may also recollect it equally the name of the narrator from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (or the film of the same name starring Jack Black).

Pop in the 1800s, the proper noun has all but but vanished from lists beyond the globe ever since — which makes it a good choice if you're looking for something unique, simply historic. Information technology can likewise exist shortened to Lem, or Lemmy if y'all're a Motörhead fan, for a fun and unusual nickname.

Dorothea

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While the traditional Dorothy yet enjoys some popularity these days, its sister proper name Dorothea is a much more unusual choice. This pretty girl'due south name is the feminine form of the Greek name Dorotheos, which means "souvenir of God."

It's a name steeped in history. Dorothea was the proper noun of 2 quaternary century saints, Dorothea of Caesarea and Dorothea of Alexandria, as well as the 14th century Dorothea of Montau, who was the patron saint of Prussia. You may also recognize the name from Dorothea Lynde Dix, the activist who campaigned on behalf of the mentally sick to create the first mental asylums in America, and turned the public'due south view of the mentally ill to go more sympathetic. So Dorothea, it seems, is a name with an empathic history, and a lovely pick for a little daughter.

Pop in the Victorian times and the early 20th century, Dorothea dropped off the charts in 1970 and hasn't made a comeback notwithstanding — but it's well overdue one. It'south also wonderfully versatile, as information technology tin be shortened to a multitude of nicknames including Dee, Dot, Dodie, Dottie, or Thea.

Clarence

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Clarence is a lovely boy'due south name which has fallen out of favor due to its current condition every bit a bit nerdy, but it'south actually a very noble moniker to accept. Clarence means "bright," and comes from the Latin championship Clarensis, which belonged to members of the British Royal Family. The name was originally derived from the town Clare in Suffolk, England, and so Clarence and Clare could pair nicely together for twins or siblings.

Clarence has been in employ as a given name since the 19th century, and it enjoyed some popularity until 2010 when it sharply dropped off.

Some notable Clarences include Clarence Birdseye, without whom nosotros wouldn't have the frozen food process (and more than importantly, Birdseye Fish Fingers), and the famous Dutch footballer thespian and sometime A.C. Milan manager, Clarence Seedorf. Clarence was besides the name of the guardian angel in the iconic Christmas filmIt's a Wonderful Life, and so it would be a perfect pick for a baby boy built-in effectually Christmas time.

Bessie

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A pretty trivial name that has fallen out of favor in recent times, Bessie comes from the much more popular Elizabeth and means "pledged to God." Bessie was a very popular proper noun in the late 1880s just is rarely seen now, perhaps due to the clan with cows — but yous tin always avoid this past shortening to it the sweet and simple Bess.

The name has been in use since the 17th century, and has a potent literary history with characters such every bit Jane's nursemaid Bessie in Jane Eyre, and Bessie Burges in The Turn and the Stars.

Information technology's also the namesake of many notable women, such as Bessie Smith, the Empress of the Dejection, and Bessie Coleman, who was the first African-American female aviator and the first American adult female to obtain a pilot's license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. An impressive legacy, and no cattle in sight.

Darcy

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A lovely lyrical moniker, Darcy comes from an English surname which was derived from the French d'Arcy, meaning "from Arcy," a commune in French republic. It had some traction in the USA back in the 1950s, merely dropped out of pop utilise altogether in the 1970s.

You'll probably recognise the proper name Darcy as Fitzwilliam Darcy — usually known but as Mr. Darcy — in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the brooding romantic figure who somewhen wins the love of heroine Elizabeth Bennet. This Mr. Darcy figure was carried over into Helen Fielding's novel Bridget Jones's Diary, which itself was adjusted into a massively popular film in 2001.

A versatile, unisex name, Darcy can exist used for either a boy or a girl. Currently it is more closely associated with men due to the indelible Mr. Darcy figure, only perhaps information technology'southward time to suspension that mold.

Mildred

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A securely traditional proper name, Mildred is one which isn't in popular use these days and is sadly considered by some to exist an ugly or undesirable proper name. This wasn't e'er the case, all the same, as the name was popular in the eighth century and early on 1900s, simply took a major striking in the 1950s and has been in decline e'er since. A shame, every bit the name is a very noble one.

Mildred comes from the Old English Mildþryð, which means "gentle strength." It was the proper name of the seventh century Saint Mildred, a nun who was known for her deep generosity and pity to the poor and run downwards. And on the other side of the coin, there's Mildred Shush, a formidable woman who was one of the earliest female professional wrestlers and began her career by taking on — and defeating — male opponents.

So see, Mildred isn't all bad — it's actually incredibly versatile! And information technology can e'er be shortened to Millie or Milly for a cute nickname.

Arnold

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Arnold is a bold, traditional, Germanic proper name which is currently suffering from a lapse in popularity, though nosotros suspect that might not last as well long. Popular as a English proper name during the Middle Ages, it all simply died out after the 15th century before beingness revived in the 19th. Though Arnold still has some traction in England, its popularity in the U.s. took a dive in the 1970s, and the use has declined steadily ever since.

The name itself comes from the Germanic elements "arn", meaning "hawkeye", and "wald", meaning "power", so the proper name itself means "ruler" or "strong as an eagle." No surprise then that one of the most famous modern Arnolds is the Austrian-American histrion, politician, and erstwhile professional bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And like Dorothea, Arnold is a saintly name. Arnold of Soissons is the Roman Catholic patron saint of hop-pickers and brewers, and you lot may recognize his name from the Saint Arnold Brewing Visitor, Texas' oldest craft brewery. Like Schwarzenegger in Terminator, nosotros suspect that it won't accept long for this proper noun to exist back.

Barbara

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Barbara was a very popular name in the 1910s all the way through to the 1980s when its usage took a precipitous and sudden drop, so there aren't that many baby Barbaras being born these days — unless you're in Portugal where the proper name is still quite pop.

Barbara comes from the Greek "barbaros," which means "strange". Another saintly name, the beautiful Saint Barbara was an early Christian Greek saint who was martyred when she was killed by her father afterward she renounced his organized religion and refused to marry.

And then the proper name Barbara has a pretty formidable legacy, especially in popular culture with Barbra Streisand and Barbara Gordon, better known as DC Comics' Batgirl. Perhaps we'll one day see Barbara restored to its sometime glory. Every bit a bonus, the weighty name Barbara can also be shortened to many lovely nicknames, such as Bebe, Bobbie, Babs, and the ever iconic Barbie.

Gilbert

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A Germanic proper name meaning "bright pledge," Gilbert was popular for a long while in the 1900s. It was a very common name during the Eye Ages in England, and it topped popularity lists in the USA until the 1970s. Simply since then Gilbert has dropped then far downwards the radar that it's an unusual one to observe nowadays.

Like Bessie, Gilbert has a long literary tradition — the name appeared in literature, such as Maud Montgomery'southward Anne of Green Gables and Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. The always popular Johnny Depp played a Gilbert in the pic What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, and of course there'southward a Saint Gilbert too, Gilbert of Sempringham who founded the Gilbertine Religious Order.

Like Clarence, Gilbert is one of those names which is considered a flake unfashionable these days, only it could exist fourth dimension for a revival again, especially with the fun shortened version Gil, or fifty-fifty Gib or Gibby for something a bit more unusual.

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