These 1950s Girl Names Are Making a Huge Comeback

1) Deborah

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 5SSA rank today: 852Year-over-year increase in rank: 116 placesMeaning: "bee"

You can call it a comeback: Deborah peaked in 1955, when it reached No. 2 on the SSA list, and has been on the decline ever since — until last year, when it jumped more than 100 places in rank between last year and the year before. And while Deborah, as in An Affair to Remember actress Deborah Kerr, is on the upswing, its variant Debra, the third most popular name of the 1950s, has not yet seen a boost.

3) Judith

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 34
SSA rank today: 832
Year-over-year increase in rank: 73 places
Meaning: "praised" or "woman of Judea"

Both Judith — as in Judith Balaban, actress and bride of film producer Jay Kanter — and Judy were big names in the '50s. In fact, Judy outranked Judith on the SSA list, coming in at No. 27 to Judith's No. 34. Today, the situation is reversed: Judy fell off the SSA list entirely in 1999, and Judith is steadily climbing from the bottom at No. 832, up 73 places between last year and the year before.

5) Bonnie

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 50
SSA rank today: 441
Year-over-year increase in rank: 61 places
Meaning: "beautiful"

Speaking of -ie names, Bonnie, as in fashion designer Bonnie Cashin, is another '50s throwback making a resurgence. The name had its peak right in 1950 and eventually fell off the SSA list in 2004. But, after a brief interlude, it made its reappearance in 2014 and has been slowly climbing ever since — could it be all the kids who grew up with Toy Story, and the character of Bonnie who took over Andy's toys, are now parents themselves?

6) Virginia

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 63
SSA rank today: 510
Year-over-year increase in rank: 50 places
Meaning: "pure"

It's a surprise that Virginia, as in High Noon actress Virginia Christine, isn't more popular today, given the current fad of -ia names like Olivia, Sophia and Mia taking the SSA's top 10 by storm. But parents may be catching on, since the name took a big, 50-place jump in rank between last year and the year before. It's a good name for parents who want something that sounds both vintage and contemporary, and isn't too overdone.

7) Cynthia

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 11
SSA rank today: 826
Year-over-year increase in rank: 45 places
Meaning: "from Mount Kynthos"

Another -ia name, Cynthia — as in Cynthia Bell, one half of the singing Bell Sisters — had its peak in 1957, when it was No. 7 on the SSA chart. But for the past three years, it's been growing again, so it's possible that the name's best days are ahead of it.

9) Frances

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 86
SSA rank today: 379
Year-over-year increase in rank: 26 places
Meaning: "from France" or "Free man"

Frances, like actress Frances Farmer, is another good choice for parents looking for a versatile name. A unisex moniker, Frances can also go by trendy-sounding nicknames like Francie or Frankie. It's no wonder the name is steadily climbing again.

10) Nancy

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 9
SSA rank today: 921
Year-over-year increase in rank: 21 places
Meaning: "grace"

Nancy, as in jazz singer Nancy Wilson, was a top-10 name from 1935 to 1955. Now, it's barely hanging on to the bottom of the SSA list — but that could be changing, since it took a big, 21-place jump in rank between last year and the year before. This is a good choice for parents who are looking for a name that's not too common, but not at all obscure.

11) Gloria

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 42
SSA rank today: 654
Year-over-year increase in rank: 17 places
Meaning: "glory"

Gloria, the name made glamorous by designer Gloria Vanderbilt, peaked way before the '50s, in 1926. Not even a popular song by Patti Smith in the '70s could boost its popularity, and the name slowly declined ever since. That is, until last year, where it rose in popularity for the first time in decades. Is it just a blip, or are things turning around for Gloria?

12) Barbara

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 6
SSA rank today: 860
Year-over-year increase in rank: 16 places
Meaning: "stranger"

Barbara, as in singer Barbara McNair, is on a three-year streak of climbing the ranks, so there's no question that the name is on the come up. The name hit its peak popularity in 1944, but even then it only made it to the No. 2 spot. Does it have a chance to become a No. 1 name?

13) Ruth

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 69

SSA rank today: 172
Year-over-year increase in rank: 15 places
Meaning: "friend"

Biblical names are having a moment (though possibly for boys more than girls), so it's no surprise that Ruth, as in singer Ruth Brown, is climbing in popularity. The name could also be trending because parent are looking to strong leaders, like the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for name inspiration.

16) Elaine

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 81
SSA rank today: 369
Year-over-year increase in rank: 12 places
Meaning: "shining light"

Millennial parents might think of Seinfeld's Elaine Benes before '50s actress Elaine Shepard, but they are thinking of the name Elaine, since it jumped more than 12 places between last year and the year before — and is up more than 400 places since 2010.

17) Catherine

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 32
SSA rank today: 320
Year-over-year increase in rank: 10 places
Meaning: "pure"

Catherine, as in Umbrellas of Cherbourg star Catherine Deneuve, is a name that's as timeless as they come, and you can find Catherines in stories, myths and history stretching back centuries. Today, the spelling Katherine has overtaken Catherine, and ranks at No. 175 on the SSA list to Catherine's No. 320. Either way, there are plenty of nicknames to use, including Cate/Kate and Cathy/Kathy.

18) Rose

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 66
SSA rank today: 115
Year-over-year increase in rank: 9 places
Meaning: "rose flower"

Rose, as in Rose Kennedy, is another name that has been trending up for a while; it cracked the SSA top 100 for the first time this century in 2014, and has been generally rising ever since (give or take a year or two). Now, at No. 115, it's almost as popular as it was in the '50s, when it hovered between No. 54 and No. 88.

19) Maria

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 70
SSA rank today: 74
Year-over-year increase in rank: 8 places
Meaning: "drop of the sea," "bitter," "beloved"

Maria, on the other hand, is almost exactly as popular now as it was in the '50s — it was No. 70 then, and it's No. 74 now. Maria, as in opera singer Maria Callas, was rising in the '50s, and it didn't hit its peak until 1975, when it was No. 30. It's unclear whether the name can reach that high again during this climb.

20) Martha

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 49
SSA rank today: 667
Year-over-year increase in rank: 7 places
Meaning: "lady"

Today's parents may think of Martha Stewart when they hear the name Martha, but in the '50s it was all about singer Martha Carson, actress Martha Hyer and Broadway performer Martha Wright — a name that seems destined for stardom. No wonder it remained a top-100 name throughout the '50s.

21) Linda

1) Deborah, 3) Judith, 5) Bonnie, 6) Virginia, 7) Cynthia, 9) Frances, 10) Nancy, 11) Gloria, 12) Barbara, 13) Ruth, 16) Elaine, 17) Catherine, 18) Rose, 19) Maria, 20) Martha, 21) Linda

SSA rank in the 1950s: 2
SSA rank today: 835
Year-over-year increase in rank: 6 places
Meaning: "pretty"

Linda — as in Linda Powers, wife of businessman Tyrone Powers — was once a blockbuster name, holding a spot in the top 5 names from 1941 to 1963. For six of those years (1947 to 1952), it was the most popular girls' name in America. Now, it's fallen down to the bottom of the SSA list, but made a small jump between last year and the year before, so Linda's fortunes could be rising again.

Post Related