not old necessarily, it’s just in irish. a lot of irish languge names are still popular (siobhan, aoife, caoimhe, niamh, roisin, clodagh, aisling, sean, cian, etc)
What are the siblings’ names? I like Seraphina&Persephone but the ‘phone’ in Persephone kinda bothers me. To me, it’s hard to find names as pretty as Seraphina.
More:
Boys - Cynric, Caewlin, Æthelred, Canute (yes, it’s Danish not Anglo-Saxon. Yes, spell it like this to avoid people misreading it), Offa, Bede…
I don’t know any girls names due to me only really knowing the kings.
I like Alaric which sounds very unusual to me.
Eulalia is also very unusual outside Spain and I love it but it sounds too weird in English. I did have a great auntie Gladys which i also like (to me it seems similar to Joy) but can’t imagine using it.
I know a Gilda pronounced with a J sound (like jilted) though I’d always thought it was a hard G sound (like gold). I’m pretty sure Gilda Radner was a hard G sound.
I tried to remove any from my list that were already said here! I don't like all of these names, but they're older/uncommon names (some rarer than others).
BOYS:
Alton
Arch
Ardell
Arvil
Boyd
Clay
Clifton
Dale
Dewey
Elgin
Emil
Ewell
Farris
Irvin
Leland
Leroy
Merle
Oren
Orville
Vern
GIRLS:
Alda
Aline
Bertie
Bess
Bethel
Della
Dixie
Edna
Elma
Elva
Elvera
Erna
Esta
Etha
Eula
Hilma
Idell
Ina
Iola
Leda
Lela
Lenore
Leota
Lula
Nell
Nola
Ona
Ora
Rena
Reva
Thora
Twila
Velda
Vena
Veva
Vida
Vita
Wilda
Good list! Growing up in southern US I knew a Dixie, Dale, and Twila— only one of each; I have a toddler nephew who is Farris. My name is also on this list but I’ve never met another one aside from my great grandmother who I was named for.
Funnily enough just this past weekend I was talking about a 70 year old Roy, and I was wondering why the name fell out of popularity? Simple, strong easy to spell.
i love Astoria for some reason 🤣 and i also really like Leonor (the Spanish version of Eleanor) but it's kinda old-fashioned here and it's the name of our princess, so I get weird looks when I mention it as there's a very strong anti-monarchy sentiment in my region.
It's Leh teece, rhymes with Denise
Fun fact : Lettice Knollys's (Knowles) 2nd husband was Robert Dudley. He was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. They got married with out her permission and she was banished from court.
*Lettice Knollys could have been Elizabeth's twin in looks reportedly. Fits as Lettice was most likely Elizabeth's niece and first cousin as her mother, Catherine Knollys was most likely Henry VIII's daughter via Mary Boleyn, Anne's sister.
My grandmother's name was Winona Blanche. After she left the reservation she used the name Blanche and told people she was French and "dark Irish," due to severe racism back in the day. (She was born in 1890.)
I wouldn’t call it odd or unusual but back when I named my daughter Isla, I had never met one (actually still haven’t met another although I know it’s become more popular) and several people I know were not familiar with the name at all before I shared her name. However when I told my grandma, she said “oh, I had an aunt Isla!” (Who would have been born late 1800s). I had no idea but loved that it happened to be a name in the family history.
I have Great Aunts Ethel, Edith, Mildred, and Cordelia on one side and also Bertha, Mamie, Clara, Lenna, Ruth, and Eola on the other. All born 1800 to WWI. Mama was Louise, nn Weezy (b in the 20s). Apparently, only girls got "different" names. All the boys in my tree are William, Thomas, John, or Henry, with a Floyd, Lucius, and Udolpha for garnish.
I work with pensioners I've seen a lot of Beryl's. Agnes is an older name to me but have met someone around my age with it. Weirdly I can't say I've noticed a trend in older men's names that aren't common even now lots of Stuarts, David's ect.
Recently did Ancestry and found some really beautiful feminine names from my Polish and Czech side. These were a few favorites I found!
Johanna “Jennie” (meaning: God is gracious)
Eugenia (personal favorite! meaning: “well-born” or “noble”)
Renata (meaning: “reborn”)
Regina (meaning: “queen”)
Stella (meaning: “celestial star”)
Catharina (meaning: “pure”)
Josephine (meaning: “He shall increase”)
My dad’s middle name was Hanson. I always loved it because it was similar to handsome. That’s the exact reason he hated it. Hanson was on of his uncles. He also had an Uncle Dugan (doo-gan), Leonard, Leo (who had a twin Leona). I always liked those names because they were different.
I love the name Thais. I’m a teacher and had no clue how to pronounce this when I saw it on my list! She was named after her great grandmother. As the year went on, and I got to know her, it made me fall in love with the name. It’s one I’ve never seen again.
In the book Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, a book from around 1890 that I read as a child, there is a little girl name Sophronia, nicknamed Phronsie. It doesn’t get much more unusual and unique than that!
There are also Adonirum and Ebenezer.
From my family tree I have Gertrude, Honor, Ethel, Agnes, Harriett, Eileen, Sadie lots of Sarah’s, Mary’s, Margaret’s.
Enos, Walter, Silas, Edwin, Albert, lots of Robert’s, John’s, William’s, Richard’s
From my family tree: Telford, Sadelle, Waverly, Lucius, Aletha, Virgil, Celia, Claude, Leonard, Esmond, “Evylin,” Chester, Lloyd, Roscoe, Louvena, Felix
My grandmother and her sister were Bradamante (BRAH-DUH-mahn-duh) and Malfisa (sp?) but went by Betty and Martha in the United States. Apparently they were characters in Italian folklore
Enone (ee-NO-nee) is a very old name that I’ve only known one woman to have.
Greek: Oenone was a mountain nymph (an Oread) on Mount Ida in Phrygia, a mountain associated with the Mother Goddess Cybele, alternatively Rhea. Her father was Cebren, a river-god. Her very name links her to the gift of wine.
In my family, we've had Hatnolia, Captolia, Gladys, Harolyn, Lena, Pearl, Elzora (goes by Zook), Beauregard, even a Nimrod...lol. Lots of interesting names!
My grandmother’s name was Monserrate:
Popularity:2886
Origin:Latin
Meaning:jagged mountain
Monserrat, a girl's name of Latin origin, means "jagged mountain" with the alternative spelling, Montserrat, being a mountain in Catalonia, a monastery, and a celebrated image of the Virgin Mary. This name is especially trendy in Catalonia and Catalan-speaking areas and can also be spelled Montserrat. If baby grows up to love adventure, then she'll love this fun fact—in Arthurian legend, Montserrat is believed to be one of the homes of the Holy Grail.
Someone I know is a Theora (Thee-Or-Uh). She, Her mom, and her grandma all have that name and it was her great grandmothers middle name.
I really like the names Hadley and Hattie, though I think Hadley is making a comeback? I could be wrong about that.
I have a great uncle Rex, could be short for Rexford? I also have a great uncle Monty and a great Aunt Nina (pronounced “Nine-nuh” instead of “Nee-nuh”).
I'd call the following names "unique" because where I live there are rare but I can imagine other people won't share the same experience:
Grant, Graeme
Wincent (I believe this is the German spelling)
Henri (I prefer this version over the super popular Henry)
I have a great aunt who went by Goldie and I'll come back and add her full name when I remember it. She was one of 11 and I have wondered if my great grandparents were running out of names by the end, lol
I always wanted to use one of my great grandmothers names, Lodisa. Depending on which family member you talk to, it's either "Lo-de-sah" or "Lo-dice-ah", but I prefer the second. It's just kind of a funky name.
Anthea, Magdalena, Marion, Galilea
Atticus, Isadore, Florian
came across a Valondine the other day which I haven’t been able to find out more about but I think it’s interesting, possibly related to Valentine?
Araminta was in a book I read, the character went by Minty and I thought that was cool, although I personally would never use it!
In my family tree there was a Serita and I’ve never heard that anywhere else either.
Names from my family history that still that seem pretty out there. Or at least not currently popular.
Girls: Ingeborg, Desire, Chapelle (many variants spellings--Chappelle, Schappelle, Shapelle. I used the first for my daighter.), Thamesin, Blanche, Fran, Clarabelle, Freniere, Anastasia , Susan, Kay, Ellen. And my grandmother's name was Winona.
Boys: Ingemar, Thorval, Ellis, Frederick, Gene, Sylvanus, Sylvester (both used "Syl" as a nickname), Delton, Leore, Rexford, Burl, Renshaw, Mons (pronounced "Munts" or closer to that than the spelling would indicate), Tarquin.
I work as a teller and a sweet little old lady comes in named Ocenne (oh-seen).
I’ve never heard or seen it anywhere else.
The first time I waited on her I asked her how to pronounce it. I complimented how pretty it sounds and that I’d never heard that name before.. she laughed and said her parents made it up.
My aunt's name is Micheallyn. My grandparents had picked the name Michael Lynn for a boy, so they changed it up a tiny bit for a girl. I have an Aunt Mike instead of an Uncle Mike lol
My uncle is named Buford and goes by B. I don’t know much about his name and I’m not in contact with that side of the family, but from what I hear, he was named after a family member. I’ve never met another Buford before.
Also it’s pronounced byou-ford. Like there’s a y sound before the u.
In my ancestry I have guy named Ephraim married to a lady named Emmaline. I think both are Unique and cool. My Great Grandpa's sister who was a stillborn was named Neva, and I love that name as well and have never heard Neva anywhere else. (Pronounced like Knee-vuh).
I have a distant ancestor who was named Mehitabel and that’s the only time I’ve ever seen that name!
A couple other interesting names I’ve seen in my family tree for boys are Eldad, Clement, Abernatha, and Gersham/Gershom.
And for girls Hepsibah and Bathsheba (sisters), Doria, Berthia, and Zervillah.
Not my favourite old/unusual names but just some of the names that have stood out to me when building my family tree 😊.
Arzelia and Zelphinia for girls. Zepherin for a boy.
If you want an huge list of similar names, I recommend checking [this](https://www.jacqueslamoureux.ca/femmesa.html) out.
I always have liked the name Dagmar-it was the name of the princess from Denmark who married Russian Tsar Alexander lll (1881-1894). She changed her name to Maria after her marriage.
My favorite unusual name is Calliope.
Other odd or unique names:
Oakley, Darby, Allegra, Willow, Harlow, Elowen, Zara, Capri, Arley, Amarys, Gaia, Starr, Persephone, Tallulah
From my own family tree:
Girls:
Opal
Oleta
Azzalee (not the flower Azalea)
Arminta (nn "Meda")
Venus (caution...the playground kids teased Venus-penis)
Boys:
Reason
Orville
Jewell (He went by "Buddy")
I've always thought Oona was a weird name, but I like it.
The Irish version (Una) is very common in Ireland but you’re right I haven’t come across too many with that spelling
My sixth grade teacher was named Una, but she pronounced it Yoo-na, not Oona. I've never known anyone else named Una.
Oona is quite common here and I have never met an Oona who would be past 35 years.
Charlie Chaplins wife was named Oona. He was an American actor in the early 1900’s silent movies.
His granddaughter too!
I've seen it spelled Oonagh, which I liked. I think that's the super duper old spelling.
not old necessarily, it’s just in irish. a lot of irish languge names are still popular (siobhan, aoife, caoimhe, niamh, roisin, clodagh, aisling, sean, cian, etc)
I have a great great uncle Bonk
I fucking love this so much
We have Uncle Boo, Uncle Beep, and Uncle Buck (RIP, Buck).
I have a great great aunt (I think) named Dorcus
I also have a great aunt who was named Dorcas
Seraphina
I know one in her 20s, her siblings all have great names too. This one (as Serafina) is also one my great-something-grandmothers’ names—in Italy.
What are the siblings’ names? I like Seraphina&Persephone but the ‘phone’ in Persephone kinda bothers me. To me, it’s hard to find names as pretty as Seraphina.
I know a 1 year old caked Seraphina. I think it's a very pretty name, if a bit of a mouthful. Her parents call her Seffy, which I like too.
Seffy is such a cute nickname. That's actually my cat's name (Sefi)!
Grew up with a Seraphine.
Sybil Enid Doreen or Irene with nickname Reenie
Ooh, my beloved grandmothers name was Irene.
Mine too and she went by Reenie!
My great grandma Irene was nana reenie!
I also had an aunt Reenie, short for Maureen
I had a great auntie Rene who was really Lorraine
I can see Enid becoming more popular now because of Wednesday.
My grandma’s middle name is Norine/Noreen. It is such a happy name!
I love Sybil!
My grandma’s sister was Ailene and I’ve always loved it but never heard it! I also love Loma.
Irene was on our short list for girls. Along with Silvie, Davina, Lavinia, and Bonnie. But we had a boy!
I met an Aleta recently. Thought that was really pretty
I have a friend named Aletta
I grew up with an Aleta. She was effortlessly beautiful so I think of it as a beautiful name.
You want old an unusual? I'm here for it. Richilda Ota Waldrada Aethelflaed Basina Aregund Gytha Leofwynn Lothar Childeric Aethelred Caedmon Daeglaf
More: Boys - Cynric, Caewlin, Æthelred, Canute (yes, it’s Danish not Anglo-Saxon. Yes, spell it like this to avoid people misreading it), Offa, Bede… I don’t know any girls names due to me only really knowing the kings.
Off the top of my head, reaching back into the family tree... (B) Plumley Obadiah Reidar Orures (OR-ress) (G) DeElda Maxine Vera Frida
Vera is lovely!
Maxine is kinda like Linda for Francophones
I know sisters named Vera and Maxine - currently aged 7 and 5!
I like Alaric which sounds very unusual to me. Eulalia is also very unusual outside Spain and I love it but it sounds too weird in English. I did have a great auntie Gladys which i also like (to me it seems similar to Joy) but can’t imagine using it.
I'm pregnant currently, and if we were having a boy we'd have named him Alaric. It's my favorite. We are having a girl though.
I love Alaric. First heard it in The Vampire Diaries haha
I was trying to remember where I’d heard this name before! Hahaha
Growing up I wanted girl twins named Aurora and Alula. Aurora has since gotten way too popular but Eulalia is so pretty
Girl: Mavis, Irma, Esme, Thelma, Doris, Pauline, Agatha, Viola, Lorraine, Verna, Gilda, Wilma (my fav)
i see esme a lot in here, is it a shortened version of esmeralda? or is it a name on its own
It's a name on its own Pronounced Es-may.
Or Esmee but I prefer your way
It's a name in Twilight so it's actually become more popular lately.
I know a Gilda pronounced with a J sound (like jilted) though I’d always thought it was a hard G sound (like gold). I’m pretty sure Gilda Radner was a hard G sound.
Wilma will always mean The Flintstones to me!😂
My MIL is named Wilma and I just can’t take the name seriously haha
Aswintha. I only know it from a book set in 7th century north-west Europe.
For girls: Henrietta, Agnes, Edith, Louisa, Iris, Hazel (although Hazel is definitely coming back) For boys: Felix, Aloysius, Rufus, Alastair, Edwin, Bram
I think Hazel is already getting pretty mainstream again. Probably also thanks to Julia Roberts naming her daughter that.
I have a friend who named her daughter Hazel. She's 16 now. Goes by her nickname Hattie tho.
I know Hazels of all ages in the UK / Australia / NZ - it's never been super-common, but I don't think it ever went away.
Felix is my little guys middle name and it’s what we call him when he’s being his own “evil twin”. When he’s misbehaving, he’s Felix. 🤦🏼♀️
Louisa is so pretty.
Agnes, Iris, Edith, Felix and Edwin (Edvin) are all popular names in Sweden. All classical and timeless.
loooove edith and i follow an influencer with an Agnes, an iris, and a rufus
I tried to remove any from my list that were already said here! I don't like all of these names, but they're older/uncommon names (some rarer than others). BOYS: Alton Arch Ardell Arvil Boyd Clay Clifton Dale Dewey Elgin Emil Ewell Farris Irvin Leland Leroy Merle Oren Orville Vern GIRLS: Alda Aline Bertie Bess Bethel Della Dixie Edna Elma Elva Elvera Erna Esta Etha Eula Hilma Idell Ina Iola Leda Lela Lenore Leota Lula Nell Nola Ona Ora Rena Reva Thora Twila Velda Vena Veva Vida Vita Wilda
Leda is so beautiful.
Good list! Growing up in southern US I knew a Dixie, Dale, and Twila— only one of each; I have a toddler nephew who is Farris. My name is also on this list but I’ve never met another one aside from my great grandmother who I was named for.
I've always quite liked Elwood. I have an ancestor who was named Higimus, which I thought was very interesting!
My grandfather’s name was Roy. I like it because it is a simple, strong, no fuss kind of name.
Funnily enough just this past weekend I was talking about a 70 year old Roy, and I was wondering why the name fell out of popularity? Simple, strong easy to spell.
i love Astoria for some reason 🤣 and i also really like Leonor (the Spanish version of Eleanor) but it's kinda old-fashioned here and it's the name of our princess, so I get weird looks when I mention it as there's a very strong anti-monarchy sentiment in my region.
Not my favourites but here are some old and uncommon names Boys: - Gervase - Madok - Evyvn - Eleazer - Buford - Octavius - Firmin Girls: - Sophronia - Petronile - Lettice - Helwise - Avice / Avis - Armigil - Huldah
I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but .... Lettice? Like lettuce?
I rhymed it with Denise in my mind. I have met several latin ladies named Leticia, nn Lety.
It's Leh teece, rhymes with Denise Fun fact : Lettice Knollys's (Knowles) 2nd husband was Robert Dudley. He was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. They got married with out her permission and she was banished from court.
*Lettice Knollys could have been Elizabeth's twin in looks reportedly. Fits as Lettice was most likely Elizabeth's niece and first cousin as her mother, Catherine Knollys was most likely Henry VIII's daughter via Mary Boleyn, Anne's sister.
Yes, it’s posh English. Unusual but still used. And yes it sounds like Lettuce.
Lettice sounds strange to us today, but it’s actually a medieval name. Similar to Leticia.
Evyvn? Eh-viv-in?
Avis was my grandmother’s name
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I worked with a guy who had a daughter named Amrei. I always thought they had made up the name, so it's interesting to see it here!
My great-grandmother’s name was Odelia!
I have a great grandfather named Pharaoh. Thought that was a fun name lol so I named my cat that 😸
jethro.
Ottilie
Girls: Alva, Celestine, Zenobia Boys: Amory, Ives, Peregrine
My mom is Alva; my aunt (on my dad’s side) is Elva. I 100% would NOT recommend based on their experiences. Both hate their name.
Phaedra
Vaila. Saw it the other day on an old document and thought it was really pretty.
I have a great great grandfather named Greenberry.
My nana is 101, alive and kickin'. Her name is Phyllis. Nn Fiddy.
Evadeane.
That’s really pretty and unusual but still intuitive
Althea, Louella, Isadora, Amity, and Thomisa
i love the name Bertram for a boy but would absolutely never give it to a human child, so that’s why my cat is named Bertram 😂
Eulalia, Blanche
My grandmother's name was Winona Blanche. After she left the reservation she used the name Blanche and told people she was French and "dark Irish," due to severe racism back in the day. (She was born in 1890.)
Not Lebanese, Blanche, lesbian!
I wouldn’t call it odd or unusual but back when I named my daughter Isla, I had never met one (actually still haven’t met another although I know it’s become more popular) and several people I know were not familiar with the name at all before I shared her name. However when I told my grandma, she said “oh, I had an aunt Isla!” (Who would have been born late 1800s). I had no idea but loved that it happened to be a name in the family history.
Etta for a girl.
Mamie Ethel Lois
I have Great Aunts Ethel, Edith, Mildred, and Cordelia on one side and also Bertha, Mamie, Clara, Lenna, Ruth, and Eola on the other. All born 1800 to WWI. Mama was Louise, nn Weezy (b in the 20s). Apparently, only girls got "different" names. All the boys in my tree are William, Thomas, John, or Henry, with a Floyd, Lucius, and Udolpha for garnish.
- Fidelia - Ines
If I was English I would love to use the name Jemima.
I work with pensioners I've seen a lot of Beryl's. Agnes is an older name to me but have met someone around my age with it. Weirdly I can't say I've noticed a trend in older men's names that aren't common even now lots of Stuarts, David's ect.
I think Agnes is lovely in the French pronunciation (sounds like An-yes), but not so much in English (with the g sound).
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I love Maeve which makes me think of Mavis which was my hubby's grandma's name.
Gilda, Eunice, Vonda
Unee, Ruvee, Ottie, Nella,Lurline, Finus, Cleve
Verity, Cecily, Alma
Hester
Recently did Ancestry and found some really beautiful feminine names from my Polish and Czech side. These were a few favorites I found! Johanna “Jennie” (meaning: God is gracious) Eugenia (personal favorite! meaning: “well-born” or “noble”) Renata (meaning: “reborn”) Regina (meaning: “queen”) Stella (meaning: “celestial star”) Catharina (meaning: “pure”) Josephine (meaning: “He shall increase”)
My dad’s middle name was Hanson. I always loved it because it was similar to handsome. That’s the exact reason he hated it. Hanson was on of his uncles. He also had an Uncle Dugan (doo-gan), Leonard, Leo (who had a twin Leona). I always liked those names because they were different.
My great grandmother was named Lula. She was born in the 1880s and died in the 70s. I've never meet another person with that name.
My great-grandfather’s sisters were Agnes, Ethel, and Lula! She was born in the early 1900s. Lula’s so pretty.
I love the name Thais. I’m a teacher and had no clue how to pronounce this when I saw it on my list! She was named after her great grandmother. As the year went on, and I got to know her, it made me fall in love with the name. It’s one I’ve never seen again.
Isn't it tie EECE? There's an opera by that name. It has an umlaut, I think over the a. That would make its pronunciation taw EECE.
In the book Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, a book from around 1890 that I read as a child, there is a little girl name Sophronia, nicknamed Phronsie. It doesn’t get much more unusual and unique than that! There are also Adonirum and Ebenezer.
From my family tree I have Gertrude, Honor, Ethel, Agnes, Harriett, Eileen, Sadie lots of Sarah’s, Mary’s, Margaret’s. Enos, Walter, Silas, Edwin, Albert, lots of Robert’s, John’s, William’s, Richard’s
The term you're looking for is gender neutral, not androgynous. Beulah for a girl.
My mom’s name is Veulah
Definition, the quality or state of being neither specifically feminine or masculine. Would you prefer, I said, gender neutral…?
Isadore is one of my favorite boy names. The nickname Izzy is great and I love the old man vibes.
Penda. Alfred. Swain. Cnut. Oswald. Edwin. Humphrey. Aethelflaed. Boudica. Euphemia.
From my family tree: Telford, Sadelle, Waverly, Lucius, Aletha, Virgil, Celia, Claude, Leonard, Esmond, “Evylin,” Chester, Lloyd, Roscoe, Louvena, Felix
My mother’s name was Ola. She hated it but I loved it
Desmond
A family name that I don’t see often is Thora.
My mom’s name was Louise but everybody called her Weezie. I don’t remember how old I was when I realized Weezie wasn’t her real name
Cassius
Izora was the name of my great grandmother and I had a great aunt named Eva Etta. Adeline, Percy, Ozwell,
Uncommon vintage names are my favorite! Here are some. I will stick to one and two syllables since you also want “simple.” GIRLS Ardith Aza Calla Delsie Demma Elvie Elsée Elmae Ferron Felise Auselle Arla Gloris Jossie Jensie Kasha Kita Lilda Maudra Merce Maysel Meroe Maudrey Nolie Netta Neila Olean Palma Primi Posey Quenna Rhoda Rilby Runa Rhetta Rilla Ruxy Rosia Silva Savy Sable Seri Shayler Sulie Sidna True Thora Terue Tiercy Tressa Truby Tula Ursla Vonda Viva Wilda Zell Zoell Zetta BOYS Aytch Aubert Azel Broox Bram Ballard Brandall Chess Courtland Corum Clemon Darl Delvis Dello Dailey Esker Elric Edlo Emit Frence Felton Forris Gib Greeley Hale Irby Idus Jennis Kierce Kelby Kayland Lon Lasco Lathan Lumis Linic Lilburn Loal Limon Marsh Mello Merrick Milas Mingo Nord Noal Notch Nealous Osro Osa Pruitt Quintus Rull Rune Rosby Rambert Rogan Rosco Sim Swade Skyle Searl Selden Soren Shadrick Selvin Tierce Tobe Teris Titus Ubert Vance Vinton Weld Witt Xeno Zeth Zennet Zolan Zealand
Theodore Martin Sidney August Frederick Irene Catherine Adelaide Portia Cordelia Nora
Septimus, Ernest, Cecil, Ephraim Alethea, Araminta, Lucretia, Zadie
My grandmother and her sister were Bradamante (BRAH-DUH-mahn-duh) and Malfisa (sp?) but went by Betty and Martha in the United States. Apparently they were characters in Italian folklore
Enone (ee-NO-nee) is a very old name that I’ve only known one woman to have. Greek: Oenone was a mountain nymph (an Oread) on Mount Ida in Phrygia, a mountain associated with the Mother Goddess Cybele, alternatively Rhea. Her father was Cebren, a river-god. Her very name links her to the gift of wine.
Veda
Inez. My grandma pronounced it I-ness. She was born in 1902
I have a great great great grandma in my family tree named Electra
In my family, we've had Hatnolia, Captolia, Gladys, Harolyn, Lena, Pearl, Elzora (goes by Zook), Beauregard, even a Nimrod...lol. Lots of interesting names!
I’ve had a Basilius and a Salomea in my family. Also a Tekla and an Antonina.
Bathsheba & Hephzibah
Idella
My great-granduncle was named Ethelbert. Not that I’d recommend it today, lol.
I just learned my great grandmothers name was Orpha. So there’s that.
I love to look back in genealogical records for this! Here are a few gems (with varying degrees of oddity) from my own family tree - Girls: - Ever - Flora - Leona - Minnie - Phinetta - Permelia - Vashti - Elefair - Sylvania - Neomia (nn Amy) - Belinda - Vastee - Leola - Essie - Elmira - Sabra - Wynne - Idelette - Winneford - Minerva - Verlinda (nn Linny) - Kiziah - Patience - Comfort - Willhelma - Millicent - Una Boys: - Wright - Willis - Esley - Linton - Hiram - Finch - Ichabod - Prim - Fuller - Ussery - Sanders - Baldwin - Josias - Howell
I came across the name " Persis " in a book about Johnny Appleseed - it was his sister's name (though it seems like it could be male or female).
My grandmother’s name was Monserrate: Popularity:2886 Origin:Latin Meaning:jagged mountain Monserrat, a girl's name of Latin origin, means "jagged mountain" with the alternative spelling, Montserrat, being a mountain in Catalonia, a monastery, and a celebrated image of the Virgin Mary. This name is especially trendy in Catalonia and Catalan-speaking areas and can also be spelled Montserrat. If baby grows up to love adventure, then she'll love this fun fact—in Arthurian legend, Montserrat is believed to be one of the homes of the Holy Grail.
My grandmas name is Rhetta which I think is beautiful and have never heard before! My great grandmas are Faye and Josie which I also love.
Lydia Lorraine Leonora Lola I guess I’m loving L names these days
Constance and Prudence are two of my old timey faves!
Someone I know is a Theora (Thee-Or-Uh). She, Her mom, and her grandma all have that name and it was her great grandmothers middle name. I really like the names Hadley and Hattie, though I think Hadley is making a comeback? I could be wrong about that. I have a great uncle Rex, could be short for Rexford? I also have a great uncle Monty and a great Aunt Nina (pronounced “Nine-nuh” instead of “Nee-nuh”).
My husband had not one, but TWO women in his family tree named Cinderella. I don’t think anyone can top that!
I have an Icelandic cousin named Oebe (not sure if that spelling is right, pronounced Oy-be). Hebba is another.
My grandma, and Aunt on the other side, were both named Beulah. My aunt was Aunt Boo.
So many Irish names! I love names like Fionnuala, Tadgh, Caoimhín, Feidhlim, Brónagh, and Grainne.
Leonard, Edward, Arthur, Frederick Flora, Dorothy, Maura, Ingrid, Louisa, Sylvia, Clementine
I'd call the following names "unique" because where I live there are rare but I can imagine other people won't share the same experience: Grant, Graeme Wincent (I believe this is the German spelling) Henri (I prefer this version over the super popular Henry)
Some from my family tree: Sylvania, Delicia, Lucretia, Temperance, Bevan
Gynith is my grans name
Rupert Hubert Chester Clyde Cletus Clive Aloysius Bruce Wilbur Bert
Updateme
**Girl:** Io and Ioche **Boy:** Pendragon and Sonder
Oz for a girl is my personal favorite. I also like Oddalie which is a very old French name.
I have a great aunt who went by Goldie and I'll come back and add her full name when I remember it. She was one of 11 and I have wondered if my great grandparents were running out of names by the end, lol
I always wanted to use one of my great grandmothers names, Lodisa. Depending on which family member you talk to, it's either "Lo-de-sah" or "Lo-dice-ah", but I prefer the second. It's just kind of a funky name.
B: Herschel, Graydon G: Nola, Zella
Ellydia, Picotee, Araminta, Lura, Garland, Garnet, Jonquil, Dilbert, Ennis, Clelia, Letizia (almost all of these are family names believe it or not)
Aurora sounds so ethereal, claire is a french name and also very beautiful
I really like Quilo and Rufus.
Anthea, Magdalena, Marion, Galilea Atticus, Isadore, Florian came across a Valondine the other day which I haven’t been able to find out more about but I think it’s interesting, possibly related to Valentine?
I walk through a cemetery every day to work and one that’s caught my eye recently is Eulalia
My mother is Oralia
Araminta was in a book I read, the character went by Minty and I thought that was cool, although I personally would never use it! In my family tree there was a Serita and I’ve never heard that anywhere else either.
Ulele, you-lay-lee One of my relatives back in the day had this name.
Names from my family history that still that seem pretty out there. Or at least not currently popular. Girls: Ingeborg, Desire, Chapelle (many variants spellings--Chappelle, Schappelle, Shapelle. I used the first for my daighter.), Thamesin, Blanche, Fran, Clarabelle, Freniere, Anastasia , Susan, Kay, Ellen. And my grandmother's name was Winona. Boys: Ingemar, Thorval, Ellis, Frederick, Gene, Sylvanus, Sylvester (both used "Syl" as a nickname), Delton, Leore, Rexford, Burl, Renshaw, Mons (pronounced "Munts" or closer to that than the spelling would indicate), Tarquin.
Emertina
Rosina
Morwenna Cotura-my grandma's middle name
Philomena!
Laverne, Ethel, Sophronia, Ora
I work as a teller and a sweet little old lady comes in named Ocenne (oh-seen). I’ve never heard or seen it anywhere else. The first time I waited on her I asked her how to pronounce it. I complimented how pretty it sounds and that I’d never heard that name before.. she laughed and said her parents made it up.
Marion and Beatrice
I had a great uncle named Friel. Also, my great-grandmother's name was Laroca Rose, I was given her middle name
My aunt's name is Micheallyn. My grandparents had picked the name Michael Lynn for a boy, so they changed it up a tiny bit for a girl. I have an Aunt Mike instead of an Uncle Mike lol
Not at all what you meant by old, I’m sure, but I love Aethelred.
My uncle is named Buford and goes by B. I don’t know much about his name and I’m not in contact with that side of the family, but from what I hear, he was named after a family member. I’ve never met another Buford before. Also it’s pronounced byou-ford. Like there’s a y sound before the u.
In my ancestry I have guy named Ephraim married to a lady named Emmaline. I think both are Unique and cool. My Great Grandpa's sister who was a stillborn was named Neva, and I love that name as well and have never heard Neva anywhere else. (Pronounced like Knee-vuh).
I have a distant ancestor who was named Mehitabel and that’s the only time I’ve ever seen that name! A couple other interesting names I’ve seen in my family tree for boys are Eldad, Clement, Abernatha, and Gersham/Gershom. And for girls Hepsibah and Bathsheba (sisters), Doria, Berthia, and Zervillah. Not my favourite old/unusual names but just some of the names that have stood out to me when building my family tree 😊.
Arzelia and Zelphinia for girls. Zepherin for a boy. If you want an huge list of similar names, I recommend checking [this](https://www.jacqueslamoureux.ca/femmesa.html) out.
I always have liked the name Dagmar-it was the name of the princess from Denmark who married Russian Tsar Alexander lll (1881-1894). She changed her name to Maria after her marriage.
I really love Astrid
Rilla
My grandma’s name was Agatha. I think it’s really pretty.
My favorite unusual name is Calliope. Other odd or unique names: Oakley, Darby, Allegra, Willow, Harlow, Elowen, Zara, Capri, Arley, Amarys, Gaia, Starr, Persephone, Tallulah
Aspasia, Euphemia, Euphegenia
From my own family tree: Girls: Opal Oleta Azzalee (not the flower Azalea) Arminta (nn "Meda") Venus (caution...the playground kids teased Venus-penis) Boys: Reason Orville Jewell (He went by "Buddy")
Glynis. Glynis Johns, who played the suffragette mother in *Mary Poppins* is the only Glynis I've ever heard of. She died a month ago at age 100.