1926 girl names blend the best of vintage favorites and surprising finds.
We often talk about the 100 Year Rule. Give any name a century or so, and it will fresh again.
In reality, the picture is far more complicated. Many 1926 favorites are already back – Alice and Ruby, Eleanor and Josephine were big then, and they’re Top 100 favorites now.
Other names, though? Dimple, Waneta, and Hildred might be lost to time. It feels too early to say if former Top Ten Doris will make a comeback.
Still, if you’re looking for a vintage charmer that feels storied and perhaps a little surprising now, 1926 girl names are a good place to start.
First up, let’s look at the most popular choices from 100 years ago.
Table of Contents
TOP 100 GIRL NAMES FROM THE YEAR 1926
- Mary
- Dorothy
- Betty
- Helen
- Margaret
- Ruth
- Doris
- Virginia
- Mildred
- Frances
- Elizabeth
- Jean
- Evelyn
- Shirley
- Anna
- Barbara
- Alice
- Marie
- Lois
- Gloria
- Irene
- Marjorie
- Patricia
- Martha
- Rose
- Florence
- Louise
- Lillian
- Norma
- Ruby
- Catherine
- Eleanor
- Phyllis
- Annie
- Gladys
- Thelma
- Josephine
- Edna
- Pauline
- June
- Ethel
- Edith
- Lucille
- Joyce
- Bernice
- Grace
- Marion
- Hazel
- Dolores
- Rita
- Joan
- Juanita
- Lorraine
- Geraldine
- Ann
- Jane
- Nancy
- Beatrice
- Emma
- Audrey
- Clara
- Esther
- Sarah
- Theresa
- Marilyn
- Wanda
- Wilma
- Elaine
- Elsie
- Marian
- Gertrude
- Katherine
- Willie
- Beverly
- Julia
- Bertha
- Agnes
- Charlotte
- Eva
- Vivian
- Laura
- Ida
- Kathleen
- Vera
- Maxine
- Anne
- Kathryn
- Jeanne
- Bessie
- Donna
- Alma
- Eileen
- Jessie
- Violet
- Rosemary
- Pearl
- Viola
- Ella
- Lillie
- Ellen
OVERLOOKED 1926 GIRL NAMES
Plenty of mainstream favorites circa 1926 are overlooked, even forgotten, by 2026 standards.
ADELIA (#952 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
Adelaide meets Amelia for this appealing Addie name.
BELVA (#536 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
Italian surname Belvedere means “beautiful sight.” Belva is a feminine name derived from the same roots. It’s a little bit like Bella with a bonus V sound.
BOBBIE (#218 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
Commonly used as a feminine form of Robert, Bobbie remains stuck in style limbo, even as Billie returns to the popularity charts.
CECILE (#344 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
Cecilia is gaining in use, but sophisticated, quietly French Cecile is among the overlooked 1926 girl names.
FERN (#209 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
A nature name with a history similar to Hazel, Fern is seldom heard today.
LETA (#454 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
While lots of girls’ names end with this sound, Leta might come directly from the Latin leatus – glad. That makes Leta a cousin to Letitia, though with a sleeker appeal.
LUCINDA (#556 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
Elaborate like Isabella, and a cousin to Top 100 Lucy and Lucia, too, it’s almost shocking that Lucinda remains outside of the current US Top 1000.
MINNIE (#111 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
Sparky, high-energy Minnie is the name of a world-famous Mouse, yes. But it’s also a vintage choice with
PRUDENCE (#923 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
It’s a virtue name that hits a little like a fusty Pilgrim pick. But it’s also a dreamy Beatles song, putting Prudence – potentially – in the company of favorites like Lucy and Jude.
SOCORRO (#568 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
Socorro sounds powerful, and it offers an appropriate meaning – relief. It’s a traditional Spanish name from a title associated with the Virgin Mary, but thanks to the O ending, sounds thoroughly modern, too.
TWILA (#515 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
Pretty night sky name with a vintage vibe. Schitt’s Creek included a character named Twila, affectionately called “Twye” by Alexis.
VERONA (#901 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
Italy city name, made famous by Romeo and Julia. If Vienna ranks in the current US Top 1000, why not Verona?
VESTA (#561 in 1926; unranked as of 2024)
The Roman goddess of the hearth, the equivalent of the Greek Hestia, Vesta’s name has been overlooked even as parents have embraced goddess names like Aurora and Athena.
