There is a world of difference between choosing one of…
Welcome Princess Charlotte And The Return Of Old Fashioned Names
Congratulations! You’re about to have a baby! It’s now the moment your friends and family have all been waiting for – the time you choose a name they all approve of! Ha! And while you know that’s actually an impossible ask, it’s important to take the decision-making process slow so you don’t cause yourself a lifetime of regret and your child a lifetime of angst.
You don’t have to be fourth in line to the throne to appreciate being given a good name. And Charlotte is one of the best old fashioned names there is, with its popularity last year making it the 17th most popular baby name.
GOOD NAME: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
Charlotte means ‘petite’ and ‘feminine’ and is actually the feminine form of Charles, a nod to Charlotte’s grandfather. The name Charlotte has been in use since the 17th century. Now that’s what I call an old fashioned name!
Other well known Charlottes include novelist Charlotte Brontë; Wilbur’s spider friend in Charlotte’s Web and the character in Sex and the City. But it’s not just one of those ye old English names – Bill and Hillary Clinton’s granddaughter, born last year, also enjoys the name Charlotte.
Charlotte is a classic name that, with the birth of Princess Charlotte, will no doubt soar in popularity with the same level of soaring popularity for and interest in the modern young royal family Kate Middleton and Prince William.
When it comes to celebrity baby names, so many pale in comparison to the incredibly solid choice the British Royal Family have made. When you see other celebrity baby names – Kal-El, Pilot Inspektor, Fifi Trixibelle, Apple, Kyd, Sage Moonblood, Destry, Blanket, Blue Angel, Audio Science, Moon Unit, Tu Morrow and Moxie Crimefighter – Charlotte really is an excellent choice as an old fashioned female name. It therefore makes sense, when you’re choosing a baby name, to look back at other old names that deserve a revival.
APPLE: Something you eat or, for Gwyneth Paltrow, what you decide to call your baby.
Here’s a list of Victorian names from the 1880s and the baby name meanings associated with that name. They just sound so solid, don’t they? As in, if you choose one of these cool baby names you kind of get the feeling that your kid will never get teased for having it.
Well, Clarence and Ernest may require a bit of hard defence in the playground (future sports star?) and some girls may struggle with Ethel or Maude so they may need a great sense of humour to carry those ones off (future comedian?).
What do you think? Do you think some of these will become popular baby names all over again?
Traditional Girls Names And Their Meanings
1. Alice
Noble, Kind, Truth.
2. Anna
Gracious
3. Annie
Blessed with grace
4. Bessie
Consecrated to God
5. Bertha
Bright
SHINE ON: Bertha means ‘bright’
6. Clara
Clear, bright
7. Carrie
Melody, song
8. Cora
Heart, maiden
9. Mary
Bitter
10. Emma
Universal
11. Ethel
Noble
12. Florence
Prosperous, flowering
13. Grace
Grace of God
14. Helen
Light
15. Ida
Hardworking
16. Laura
Laurel crowned
CROWNED: Princess Laura?
17. Mabel
My beautiful one
18. Margaret
A pearl
19. Martha
Lady
20. Maude
High tower (From the name Madeline)
21. Minnie
Bitter
POOR BITTER MINNIE: She finds the outside world overwhelming.
22. Nellie
Light (from the name Helen)
23. Sarah
Princess
Traditional Boys Names And Their Meanings
1. Albert
Noble, bright
2. Arthur
Strong as a bear
STRONG: Arthur the bear.
3. Charles
Manly, farmer
4. Charlie
Manly, farmer (Nickname for Charles, Charlotte. Can be a name for either gender)
5. Clarence
Clear, luminous
6. David
Beloved
7. Edward
Wealthy guardian
8. Ernest
Truth
9. Fred
Peaceful ruler
PEACEFUL: Welcome Fred the ruler!
10. Frank
Free
11. George
Farmer
12. Harry
Army ruler (From the name Harold)
13. Henry
Ruler of the home
14. John
God is gracious, merciful
15. William
Protector
16. James
Supplanter
17. Joe
God will increase (From the name Joseph)
18. Joseph
God will increase
19. Louis
Famous warrior
20. Richard
Powerful, rich ruler
21. Robert
Bright fame
22. Thomas
A twin
23. Roy
King
ROYAL: Hail King Roy!
24. Samuel
God’s word
25. Walter
Army general
Once your bundle of joy has arrived, why not celebrate their beautiful name with a custom canvas print? Afterall, they’re going to be way cuter than Charlotte. You know it.
