1924 Girl Names: Ione, Inez, Lula

1924 girl names blend antique charm with a certain freshness. After a century in style limbo, many of these feel fresh and interesting again.

Or not.

Some 1924 names are still languishing in obscurity. Are we ready for the return of Eunice and Beulah? Maybe not yet.

Other favorites from one hundred years ago are already back. Evelyn, Alice, and Ruby feel just as at-home on a playground today as they would’ve when Calvin Coolidge was in the White House.

But in between the two extremes, a group of names awaits. They’re underused, but undeniably appealing. Just ranking in the US Top 1000 way back then suggests they offer a long history of use. We recognize them, but we aren’t really hearing much of them right now.

For 2024 baby name inspiration, these 1924 girl names might be exactly right.

Read on for some of the most intriguing 1924 girl name ideas, as well as the Top 100 from that year.

RARE and INTERESTING 1924 GIRL NAMES

ALTHEA (#421 then; unranked now)

A name from Greek mythology, Althea ranked in the US Top 1000 from 1880 into the 1970s. We love A names, and Thea has surged in use recently, but Althea remains overlooked.

CLARICE (#280 then; unranked now)

Clara’s longer cousin, Clarice sounds sophisticated and slightly out of time. In The Princess Diaries, Julie Andrews played the royal Clarisse, using the name’s French spelling.

HESTER (#383 then; unranked now)

If Esther feels nicely antique, then Hester is her neglected cousin, shoved a little farther down in the cedar chest and covered up with a blanket or three. English classes still teach The Scarlet Letter, forever marking Hester as a Pilgrim’s name. But in our Harper moment, is Hester really so out there?

INEZ (#144 then; unranked now)

A Spanish form of Agnes, Inez is the second of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ four children. Once a style star, Inez could catch on again, powered by that high value Scrabble letter Z.

IONE (#431 then; unranked now)

A sea nymph from Greek myth, Ione ought to fit right in with Chloe and Penelope and Phoebe.

LULA (#146 then; unranked now)

Take Luna, mix in Lily/Lyla/Lola, and you’ll have this vintage Louise nickname.

MAUDE (#304 then; unranked now)

A medieval gem, revived during the nineteenth century, Maude has been hibernating in recent years. But daring parents like Design Mom blogger Gabrielle Blair have embraced the short, storied name.

PEGGY (#133 then; unranked now)

If Poppy can be a hit in the 2020s, how ’bout retro Peggy? Elisabeth Moss’ Peggy Olson on long-running series Mad Men gave the name plenty of backbone.

ROSELLA (#320 then; unranked now)

Rose names are back. Girls’ names ending with -ella and -elle are mainstream favorites. So why haven’t we embraced this sweet Italian nickname for Rosa?

SALLY (#190 then; unranked now)

Top 100 favorite Sadie started out as a nickname for Sarah. So did Sally – and Sal and Sallie, too. Molly is a modern staple, and we’re wild about Ellie and Millie, so why wouldn’t Sally fit right in?

SYBIL (#305 then; unranked now)

Tailored Sybil might’ve gotten a boost when Downton Abbey gave this name to the youngest sister in the aristocratic Crawley family. But somehow it still didn’t catch on – even as Violet, Cora, and Marigold all enjoyed a bump in the rankings. An ancient name with a restrained sound, Sybil is an early 20th century gem overdue for revival.

ZELMA (#330 then; unranked now)

Strictly speaking, Zelma’s heyday was even earlier in the 1900s. But this name was still going strong in the 1930s. It might be a feminine form of Anselm, but it sounds very 1930s, a decade filled with names like Zola, Zona, Zula, Zella, and yes, Zelma, too.

TOP 100 GIRL NAMES FROM 1924

1. Mary
2. Dorothy
3. Helen
4. Betty*
5. Margaret
6. Ruth
7. Virginia
8. Mildred*
9. Doris*
10. Frances
11. Elizabeth
12. Evelyn
13. Anna
14. Marie
15. Alice
16. Jean*
17. Marjorie*
18. Irene
19. Shirley*
20. Florence
21. Martha
22. Lois*
23. Lillian
24. Louise
25. Rose
26. Ruby
27. Catherine
28. Barbara
29. Eleanor
30. Gladys*
31. Edna*
32. Annie
33. Thelma*
34. Josephine
35. Patricia*
36. Edith
37. Lucille
38. Pauline*
39. Ethel*
40. Norma*
41. Gloria
42. Hazel
43. Grace
44. Phyllis*
45. June
46. Marion*
47. Bernice*
48. Juanita*
49. Rita*
50. Beatrice
51. Esther
52. Lorraine*
53. Jane
54. Sarah
55. Ann*
56. Clara
57. Emma
58. Geraldine*
59. Katherine
60. Gertrude*
61. Elsie
62. Julia
63. Agnes*
64. Marian*
65. Bertha*
66. Eva
67. Wilma*
68. Willie*
69. Nancy
70. Ida*
71. Vivian
72. Laura
73. Elaine
74. Wanda*
75. Dolores*
76. Kathleen*
77. Maxine
78. Pearl
79. Anne
80. Charlotte
81. Kathryn
82. Viola*
83. Joyce*
84. Audrey
85. Vera
86. Bessie*
87. Alma
88. Violet
89. Myrtle*
90. Jeanne*
91. Jessie
92. Nellie*
93. Eileen
94. Ella
95. Joan*
96. Theresa*
97. Lillie
98. Lucy
99. Ellen
100. Minnie*

* Indicates that the name does not rank in the current US Top 1000 for calendar year 2022, as updated in May 2023.

Do you have any favorite girls’ names from 1924?