Names for Names Sake: Classic Names

Genre: Classic Names

    What names comes to mind when you think classic? Are they oldie-but-goodie names or are they so well known that multiple kings and queens have been named after them? Today we will go over classic names that have withstood the test of time. Let's get some inspiration brewing! 

Today's Rundown: 

• Female Names & Meanings
• Male Names & Meanings
• Unisex Names & Meanings
• Honorable Mentions 

Female Names & Meanings

1.) Anne/Anna

Origin: French/Hebrew 

Meaning: Grace

Famous People: Anne Boleyn (King Henry VIII's 2nd wife), Anne Frank, Anne of Austria, and as a more current pop culture reference, Anne Hathaway. 

Nicknames/Variations: Hannah, Annie, Annamaria, Annabeth 

2.) Elizabeth

Origin: Hebrew 

Meaning: God is my Oath

Famous People: Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth II, Elizabeth Taylor

Nicknames/Variations: Elizaveta, Elizabeta, Lisabette, Eliza, Lizzy 

3.) Mary

Origin: Hebrew 

Meaning: Of Beloved, Bitter, Rebellious 

Famous People: Mary I of England (Bloody Mary), Mary Queen of Scots, Mary Crown Princess of Denmark 

Nicknames/Variations: Maria, Miriam, and Marie 

4.)  Alice

Origin: German 

Meaning: Nobel, Exalted 

Famous People: Alice Roosevelt Longsworth, Princess Alice o the United Kingdom, Alice Walker of the United Kingdom

Nicknames/Variations: Allison, Alissa, Alyce, Alitha. 

5.) Beatrice

Origin: Denmark, Germany, France, and England 

Meaning: Delivers joy and blessed travelers 

Famous People: Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, Princess Beatrice of York, and Bea Miller

Nicknames/Variations: Bea, Beata, Beatricia 

6.) Charlotte

Origin: French

Meaning: Free man or Petite 

Famous People: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Charlotte of Prussia, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge

Nicknames/Variations: Lola, Carlotta, Carla, Carly, Charlie 

7.) Lucile

Origin: French

Meaning: Light, illumination 

Famous People: Lucille Ball, Lucille Bliss, Lucille Starr

Nicknames/Variations: Lucy, Lucinda, Luisa, Latricia, Lucille

8.) Margaret

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Pearl 

Famous People: Margaret Thatcher, Margaret Atwood, Princess Margaret Countess of Snowdon

Nicknames/Variations: Maggie, Marge, Madge, Marjorie, Peggy, Greta, Gretchen 

9.) Ophelia

Origin: Greek 

Meaning: Benefit, aid 

Famous People: Ophelia Dahl, Ophelia (in Hamlet) 

Nicknames/Variations: Filia, Ovalia, Ovelia, Phelia, Ophelya 

10.) Penelope

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Weaver

Famous People: Penelope Cruz, Penelope Blount Countess of Devonshire 

Nicknames/Variations: Penny, Poppy, Pelcia, Nelly, Pepper, Nell

Male Names & Meanings:

1.) George

Origin: Greece

Meaning: Farmer, earth worker

Famous People: Lord Byron, George Washington, George Eliot, George Bush 

Nicknames/Variations: Geo, Georgie, Joe, Gordy 

2.) Henry

Origin: French, German 

Meaning: House Ruler 

Famous People: King Henry VIII, Henry Ford, Henry David Thoreau 

Nicknames/Variations: Hank, Hal, Harry, Huck, Ry, Rye, Hon 

3.) Charles/Charlie

Origin: Old English, Germanic, French

Meaning: Free Man

Famous People: Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, King Charles III 

Nicknames/Variations: Charlie, Chuckey, Charl, Chaz, Chuck

4.) Francis

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Frenchman, Frank, free man 

Famous People: Francis I of France, Francis Bacon, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Francis Drake

Nicknames/Variations: Frank, Franz 

5.) Howard

Origin: Germanic

Meaning: Brave Heart

Famous People: Howard Stern, Howard Wolowitz 

Nicknames/Variations: Howie, Ward

6.) Andrew

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Strong, manly

Famous People: Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson

Nicknames/Variations: Andre, Drew, Andrea 

7.) Oscar

Origin: Gaelic

Meaning: God speer, deer lover, champion warrior

Famous People: Oscar Wilde, Oscar II of Sweden, Oscar I of Sweden 

Nicknames/Variations: Ossie, Ozzy, Oskar 

8.) Louis

Origin: French

Meaning: Famous warrior

Famous People: Louis Tomlinson, Louis IV Holy Roman Emperor, Louis XIV of France 

Nicknames/Variations: Lu, Lewis, Luay, Ludwig, Ludwik, Luigi

9.) Adam

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Son of red earth 

Famous People: Adam West, Adam Lambert, Adam Levine, Adam Scott

Nicknames/Variations: Addis, Adham, Aiden 

10.) Silas

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Forest

Famous People: Silas Deane, Silas Wright, Silas Carson

Nicknames/Variations: Si, Cy, Sil 

Unisex Names

1.) Alex

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Defender of Humankind 

Famous People: Alex Kingston, Alex Gonzaga, Alex Gardner 

Nicknames/Variations: Alexander, Alexandra, Alexandrina, Alexei, Alexis 

2.) Ali

Origin: Arabic

Meaning: High, exalted

Famous People: Prince Ali (Aladin), Ali Benjamin, Ali Bryan 

Nicknames/Variations: Allison, Alley, Alexander, Alexandra, Alexandria, Alexandrina, Alexei, Aladin 

3.) Ash

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Happy, ash tree

Famous People: Ashton Kutcher, Ash Ketchum (Pokemon) 

Nicknames/Variations: Ashton, Asher, Ashley, Ashleigh

4.) Danny

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: God is my Judge

Famous People: Danny Devito, Danny Glover, Danny Trejo 

Nicknames/Variations: Daniel, Danielle, Daniella, Danika, Dana, Danni 

5.) Ellis

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: Kind, benevolent 

Famous People: Ellis Burks, Ellis Grey (Grey's Anatomy) 

Nicknames/Variations: Ellie, Eilene, Elaina, Ellen, Lestor 

6.) Jesse

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: The Lord exsists 

Famous People: Jesse James, Jesse Eisenburg  

Nicknames/Variations: Jessie, Jessica, Jethro, Josiah, Jessalyn, Jessa 

7.) Jo 

Origin: Latin

Meaning: God is gracious 

Famous People: Jo Stafford, JoJo Siwa 

Nicknames/Variations: Joanne, Joseph, Joan, Josephine, John, Jonah, Joanna, Jodie, JoJo, Jonathan

8.) Max 

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Greatest

Famous People: Max Scherzer, Max Planck 

Nicknames/Variations: Maxwell, Maximillian, Maxine, Milian, Magnus, Maksym 

9.) Reese/Rhys

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: Enthusiasm, fire

Famous People: Reese Witherspoon, Johnathan Rhys Meyers 

Nicknames/Variations: Russ, Rys, Raja, Reece, Ross, Rossa 

10.) Winter

Origin: Old English 

Meaning: Time of water

Famous People: Winter Anderson (American Horror Stories) 

Nicknames/Variations: Winnie, Wren 

Honorable Mentions to names I left Out: 

Ada, Victoria, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Robert, Everette, Aura, Aurora, May, June, Kelley, Aja, Edith, Eden, Aaron, Franklin, Richard, Nora, and Christopher 

Source: JotterPad (Image 1), lolitawardrobe.com (Image 2), countryliving.com (Image 3),  Pinterest (Image 4), mudwerks.tumblr.com (Image 5), sammyvintage.com (Image 6), buzzfeed.com (Image 7), www.thebump.com (names and meanings), wellfamily.com (name meanings), momlovesbest.com (name information), playback.fm (famous names),verywellfamily.com (vintage name list), mykidstime.com (unisex names), ranker.com (famous names), wikipedia.org (information about famous people named Alex)