While some vintage baby names are perhaps best left to the annals of history, there are others that feel due for a comeback. Names are constantly falling in and out of favor, and sometimes it's surprising which ones start becoming popular in society again. It's always weird when you start seeing babies with names that you only associate with your grandparents' generation, but it's something that happens to nearly all of us. There are some truly beautiful and unique baby names from days gone by, so let's take a look at some vintage baby names that really need to make a comeback.
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00:00There's a fine line between choosing a unique name for your baby and picking one so unusual
00:05no one actually gets it.
00:07No J. Quillen here?
00:10Uh, do you mean Jacqueline?
00:15Okay.
00:16But going vintage could be a great compromise.
00:19These names are tried and true, and since they've become more exclusive lately, your
00:23kid won't have the same name as half their class.
00:25These gorgeous names are just too good not to make a comeback.
00:29Aurelia
00:30Originally from the Latin family name of Aurelius, this name comes from the Latin word aureus,
00:35meaning golden.
00:36Aurelia was the name of Julius Caesar's mother, who was born more than 2,000 years ago.
00:41It has also belonged to the Portuguese painter Aurelia de Sousa, civil rights activist Aurelia
00:46Browder, and poet Sylvia Plath's mother, Aurelia Plath.
00:50Lemuel
00:51The name of a biblical king in the Book of Proverbs, this Hebrew name translates to belonging
00:56to God.
00:57The name Lemuel has not been in common usage since 1976, but was popular through much of
01:01the 20th century.
01:03In fiction, the name is famously used for the hero of Jonathan Swift's novel Gulliver's
01:07Travels.
01:08Several politicians have also rocked this name, including Lemuel Whitman, Lemuel Todd,
01:12and Lemuel Stetson.
01:15Cordelia
01:16Timeless and elegant, Cordelia has strong literary roots.
01:20It is the name of the heroine of Shakespeare's tragic play King Lear.
01:23Other theories point it to being derived from the Welsh name cridolad, or from the
01:26Latin word cores, meaning heart.
01:29Well-known non-fictional Cordelias include writer and psychologist Cordelia Fine and
01:33philanthropist Cordelia Scaife-May.
01:36Lowell
01:37This name was particularly popular in the early 20th century as a masculine name, although
01:42some people are choosing to use it for girls these days.
01:44Canadian singer-songwriter Elizabeth Lowell Boland uses her middle name, Lowell, as her
01:49artist name.
01:50Other famous people who have had this name include investigative reporter Lowell Bergman,
01:58actor Lowell Sherman, and blues guitarist Lowell Fulson.
02:02We've been together so long, babe, to have to separate this way.
02:11Augusta
02:12The feminine form of Augustus, Augusta comes from the Latin word august, which means great
02:17or venerable.
02:18The name was also used as a title for the female rulers of the Roman and Byzantine empires,
02:22and has long been a popular given name of royal babies.
02:25Augusto, sweetheart, save some room for later.
02:30Unlike the more popular calendar-related names of June and Summer, babies named Augusta are
02:34quite rare.
02:35Popularity of the name Augusta peaked in the late 19th century, and all but faded away
02:40by the end of World War II.
02:41Famous people named Augusta include composers Augusta Reed Thomas and Augusta Holmes.
02:47Clement
02:48While this name is quite popular in France and Belgium, it's fallen out of use in the
02:52rest of the world.
02:53Clement is a Latin name, meaning mild or merciful.
02:56It was the name of choice for 14 popes, and was quite popular in Europe.
03:00Clement Clarke Moore is the writer of the popular Christmas poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas.
03:05And there's judge Clement Hainsworth and art critic Clement Greenberg.
03:09Minerva
03:10Minerva gained popularity as the name of the ancient Roman goddess of war and wisdom, but
03:15the name began to be used as an English name after the Renaissance.
03:18There are several places bearing the name of the Roman goddess, including Minerva, Ohio,
03:22and the Minerva Reefs.
03:24But Minerva became recognizable as a name in modern times, as the first name of Professor
03:28McGonagall in J.K.
03:29Rowling's Harry Potter series.
03:32Clarence
03:33This name was used for centuries by the British royal family as a title of nobility, the Duke
03:38of Clarence.
03:39Beginning in the 19th century, Clarence gained popularity as a given name, though it has
03:43been used far less frequently in modern times.
03:46People with this name include Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States
03:49and lawyer Clarence Darrow, known for his role in the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial.
03:55Arnold
03:57The Germanic name Arnold means eagle power.
04:00It's gone in and out of fashion through the centuries, fading into obscurity after the
04:03Middle Ages before being revived in the 19th century and losing popularity again in the
04:07late 20th century.
04:09People named Arnold are in good company, though, as it belongs to legendary golfer Arnold
04:13Palmer and actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.
04:17"...I'll be back."
04:20Vintage names could be the new trend
04:23With so many other vintage trends making a comeback in 2017, why not add vintage names
04:27to the list?
04:28Celebrities are already joining the vintage name revival and turning to popular names
04:33of the past when choosing names for their babies.
04:35Maybe you'll be the next to help breathe new life into a name deserving of a comeback.
04:40We have clearance, Clarence.
04:41Roger, roger.
04:42What's our vector, Victor?