20 Vintage Girl Names From the 1930s That Are Making It Big Again

SSA rank in the 1930s: 135
SSA rank today: 521
Year-over-year increase in rank: 94 places
Meaning: "shining light"

Nellie—as in Nellie Tayloe Ross, a former governor of Wyoming who was the first woman to run the U.S. Mint—spent four decades off the SSA list after failing to rank in 1980. But in 2019, Nellie came back in a big way, re-entering the list at No. 863. Now, it's climbed to No. 521, as Western/cowgirl names are making it big.

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SSA rank in the 1930s: 55
SSA rank today: 435
Year-over-year increase in rank: 87 places
Meaning: "flourishing"

In addition to -ie names, place names are really hot right now: Think of all the babies being named Vienna, Brooklyn, Paris, and Phoenix. This bodes well for Florence, as in soprano Florence George. While Florence peaked in 1902, when it was No. 7 on the list, it spent the '30s as a top-100 name. Like Nellie, it fell off the list for a time—it didn't rank between 1981 and 2017—but it's been inching up in the ranks ever since.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 81
SSA rank today: 677
Year-over-year increase in rank: 86 places
Meaning: "laurel"

The 1930s was the decade for Loretta, as in Call of the Wild actress Loretta Young, and the name peaked in 1938 when it was No. 62. It stuck around longer than the other '30s names, only falling off the SSA list in 1991. And it was only gone for a brief time, re-emerging onto the list in 2020, and increasing in popularity every year since.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 169
SSA rank today: 311
Year-over-year increase in rank: 81 places
Meaning: "Rose"

While most people associate the name Rosie with Rosie the Riveter, the name actually peaked much earlier than the World War II era; it reached its highest rank ever in 1910, when it was No. 114. Today Rosie, as in stage actress Rosie Barsony, is not as popular as Rose (No. 115), but it's still been having a tremendous comeback, gaining in popularity every year since 2013.

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SSA rank in the 1930s: 40
SSA rank today: 832
Year-over-year increase in rank: 73 places
Meaning: "praised" or "woman of Judea"

Add the name Judy to Judith in the 1930s, and the name would go up an extra 10 places in rank for the decade. But today, Judy no longer makes the SSA list, while Judith, as in Rebecca actress Judith Anderson, is having a moment, hopping up more than 70 places in rank between last year and the year before.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 113
SSA rank today: 593
Year-over-year increase in rank: 69 places
Meaning: "desired"

Eileen—as in fashion designer Eileen Idare—is a tried-and-true name that never really falls off the SSA list, it just moves up and down. In the '30s, it was a top-200 name, and now it falls somewhere in the middle of the pack, but it seems to always have a place on the list. It's good for families who like classic, trend-proof names.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 76
SSA rank today: 361
Year-over-year increase in rank: 65 places
Meaning: "forest"

In the 1930s, Sylvia, as in suffragette Sylvia Parkhurst, was hitting its stride. The name peaked in 1937, when it was No. 50. It's fallen since then, but the fact that it's increased in popularity every year since 2019 shows it could be staging its big comeback.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 66
SSA rank today: 441
Year-over-year increase in rank: 61 places
Meaning: "beautiful"

Sports fans of the '30s may have heard the name Bonnie in relation to tennis star Bonnie Miller (right)—but, in the decade, the name was more infamous than famous because of the bank robberies of Bonnie and Clyde. The outlaws didn't dampen the popularity of the name, though, and the name kept climbing until it hit its peak until 1950, when it was No. 33.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 15
SSA rank today: 510
Year-over-year increase in rank: 50 places
Meaning: "pure"

Virginia, like author Virginia Woolf, was a little past its prime in the 1930s. The name reached its peak a couple of years before, in 1927, when it was way up at No. 8. Today, it's in the middle of the SSA list, overshadowed by other -ia names, like the ever-popular Olivia and Sophia.

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SSA rank in the 1930s: 41
SSA rank today: 540
Year-over-year increase in rank: 45 places
Meaning: "famous warrior"

Louise—which was the name of my grandmother, who was married to my grandfather, named Louis!—was on a steady decline in the 1930s. The name had peaked way back in 1914, and, while it hung on as a top-100 name in the '30s, it slipped until eventually falling off the list in 1992. But Louise, as in bob-haired actress Louise Brooks, returned in 2018, and has been a stalwart on the SSA list ever since, steadily rising since its re-emergence.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 191
SSA rank today: 826
Year-over-year increase in rank: 45 places
Meaning: "from Mount Kynthos"

Cynthia—as in stage actress Cynthia Rogers, pictured here with Sterling Holloway, the voice of Winnie the Pooh!—was on its way up in the '30s. It spent the decade as a top-300 name, but it didn't peak until much later, in 1957, when it was all the way up at No. 7. Today, it's not as popular as it was even in the '30s, but its upward trajectory since 2022 shows it could make it all the way back up again.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 49
SSA rank today: 638
Year-over-year increase in rank: 37 places
Meaning: "peace"

The name Irene, as in Cimarron actress Irene Dunne, peaked in 1919, but the 1933 song "Goodnight, Irene" gave it a moment in the spotlight during the '30s. Today, Irene is still behind the similar-sounding Eileen, but is quietly steady in the middle of the SSA list.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 199
SSA rank today: 76
Year-over-year increase in rank: 34 places
Meaning: "day's eye" or flower name

Daisy Bell, an 1892 song begs, "Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do," might explain why the name was more popular at the very beginning of the 20th century, when it was a top-100 name, than in the 1930s, when it was a top-300 name. But the year when the name Daisy—as in Harper's Bazaar editor, author, and fashion icon Daisy Fellowes—was most popular? It's actually 2024, when it was No. 76.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 6
SSA rank today: 431
Year-over-year increase in rank: 31 places
Meaning: "gift of God"

There was an extremely famous Dorothy everyone knew in 1939, telling everyone that there was no place like home from the big, silver screen. But the name Dorothy, as in singer Dorothy Maynor, was a hit even before the 30s; the name spent eight straight years as the No. 2 name in the country, ending its streak in 1927. Today, movie fans may be more excited about Wicked than The Wizard of Oz, but Dorothy still makes the SSA list.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 150
SSA rank today: 488
Year-over-year increase in rank: 30 places
Meaning: "lioness"

Leona, as in violinist Leona Flood, is another extremely early favorite, peaking in 1905 at No. 69. The name eventually fell off the list in 1982, but came back in 2009, a couple of years after Leona Lewis won The X Factor and brought the name back into the spotlight.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 19
SSA rank today: 379
Year-over-year increase in rank: 26 places
Meaning: "from France" or "Free man"

Parents who are into unisex and gender-neutral names (or at least homophones of them) are flocking to Frances, which has more than doubled in popularity since 2010. And while it's tremendously successful today, Frances, as in Yankee Doodle Dandy actress Frances Langford, was even more popular in the 1930s, when it spent the decade as a top-30 name.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 186
SSA rank today: 772
Year-over-year increase in rank: 22 places
Meaning: "wise protector"

Ramona—as in singer Ramona Davies (who just went by the mononym Ramona)—peaked just before the start of the '30s, landing at No. 117 in 1928. It's another one that lost its way in the '80s, and didn't appear on the SSA list at all between 1989 and 2015. But then Ramona returned, and has increased 180 places since 2016, so it's safe to say its comeback is assured.

SSA rank in the 1930s: 79
SSA rank today: 78
Year-over-year increase in rank: 20 places
Meaning: "bright" or "clear"

Clara, as in actress and "It" girl Clara Bow, is about as popular now as it was in the '30s. It ranked 79 then, it ranks 78 now—so the '30s really are happening all over again when it comes to baby names.