This 'Old Lady' Baby Name Looks Set To Make A Comeback In 2024

Natasha Hinde

8 December 2023 at 2:00 am·2-min read

A whole host of vintage names are making a comeback as parents look for unique monikers for their little ones.

But one baby name in particular that experts think is set for a resurgence in 2024 is admittedly not something we had on our radar...

According to a report from Good To Know, which looked at data from BabyCenter, the name Nellie (sometimes spelled Nelly) has been steadily creeping up the popularity ranks since 2022, moving up 117 places.

It has ties to other names like Ellen, Eleanor and Helen, according to the site, and can also be shortened to Nell.

Nelly stems from the Latin name Cornelia and means “horn” or “sun ray”, according to The Bump.

It was most popular in the late 1800s but is being picked up again by parents seeking a more vintage vibe when naming their newborns.

While it’s admittedly not flying in popularity – for example, it doesn’t rank in the top 100 names in the US or UK – BabyCenter predicts it’s due a revival, alongside other retro-chic classics like Annabel, Bonnie and Elsie.

The name is steadily rising in popularity in the US. According to Social Security data, it ranked at #742 in 2021 and rose to #663 in 2022.

Nellie is also one of the top girl names in Sweden, according to Nameberry.

If the name doesn’t float your boat, similar monikers include Millie, Winnie, Lottie, Minnie, Nancy and Polly.

Earlier this year, BabyNames.com founder Jennifer Moss said the trend for old-school names isn’t going anywhere, as people are researching their ancestry online and “finding these cool names that sound fresh because they haven’t been heard for so long”.

What’s more, the baby names expert told Today.com that period dramas such as Bridgerton and Downton Abbey are likely behind the rise in parents choosing olden day names for their little ones.

Thinking of opting for a classic name for your new arrival? Here are 38 vintage girls’ names to try:

Ada
Adelaide
Agatha
Beatrice
Betty
Celia
Cordelia
Dorothy
Edna
Edith
Eleanor
Elsie
Evelyn
Estelle
Etta
Flora
Florence
Frances
Henrietta
Irene
Ivy
Lois
Mabel
Margaret
Martha
Matilda
Maude
Minnie
Nellie
Olive
Ophelia
Pearl
Penny
Ruby
Sadie
Sylvia
Vera
Winnie

And here are 38 retro names for boys:

August
Arthur
Archie
Benjamin
Bertie
Bernard
Charles
Earl
Edward
Edwin
Eric
Ezra
Felix
Francis
Frederick
Grant
Hank
Harris
Henry
Hugo
Isaac
Jack
Jasper
James
Leo
Louis
Lucian
Oliver
Otis
Percy
Ralph
Ronald
Roy
Rudolph
Theodore
Vincent
Victor
Walter

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Thinking of opting for a classic name for your new arrival? Here are 38 vintage girls’ names to try:

And here are 38 retro names for boys:

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