Timeless, Stand Out M and J Names for Girls

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LOOKING FOR TIMELESS M and J NAMES (MAYBE)

Maddie writes:

We are expecting our first child, a daughter.

My husband and I both have very 90s names: Josh and Madison, though I go by Maddie. Neither of us dislikes our names, but we agree that we want our children’s names to be more timeless. We don’t want their names to announce their year of birth, and we don’t want them to be one of three in their class. Ideally, her name will stand out from others, but not in a crazy way.

So far we’re not finding names that really fit that description and we’re not agreeing on anything.

Here is my husband’s list:

• Katherine
• Charlotte
• Audrey
• Marilyn
• Melanie
• Megan
• Elaine

Here is my list:

• Josephine
• Caroline
• Lucy
• Hannah
• Julia
• Maya

In addition, my husband really likes the idea of an M or a J name, because we both share an initial with our dads (Jim and Mike). I don’t object to an M or a J name, but I don’t want to make choosing a name any harder than it already is.

Two other things to know are that our last name sounds like a monarch, so we can’t name her May, or she’d be “making” and I’m worried about that with Josephine. Would she be “joking” even though we wouldn’t plan to call her Jo?

Also we have a dog named Molly, so I do feel like we have a lot of M names already.

Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.

EVALUATING A (KINDA LONG) SHORT LIST

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your new daughter!

Here’s the (hard) thing: sometimes there’s a gap between what we like and what we want. There are times when we push ourselves to choose the more virtuous option – kale salad over a cheeseburger and fries, going to the gym instead of hitting snooze.

Except names don’t really have those kinds of weights attached, do they?

They’re not good or bad. It’s more like choosing between going for a run and taking a yoga class. Both have lots of benefits and maybe some trade-offs, but neither decision is inherently better. That’s true for choosing between, say, Josephine and Melanie, too.

Let’s talk about one more thing before we move on to your list.

TIMELESS OR TRENDY?

Many parents share your concern about finding a name that feels more timeless than trendy.

Tell us that your family includes three generations, and we know immediately that Linda is the grandmother, Jessica is her daughter, and Scarlett? She’s the new baby, of course.

Except the pool of truly timeless names for girls is very, very small. Elizabeth qualifies. Maybe Katherine and Margaret and Anna or Anne. But most names – even traditional favorites – do trend in and out of favor.

Still, a time-tested name like Sarah might’ve been very popular in the 1980s, but it’s not really an 80s name. So a list of classic girl names is a good place to start.

But here’s the thing: you’re probably not going to name your daughter Patricia or Agnes – even though they’re traditional choices.

You’re looking for a balance of timeless qualities with a name that sounds right for a daughter born in 2025.

With that in mind, let’s look at your current lists. I’m going to group your favorite names and your husband’s names together.

CURRENT SHORTLIST

MEGAN, MELANIE, MARILYN, ELAINE

All of these names were far more popular in the past than they are today. Megan and Melanie are 70s and 80s names; Elaine feels more 1940s; and I’d put Marilyn in the 1930s. Could they still wear well in 2025? Absolutely. In fact, the appeal of fast-rising Top 100 names Lainey is causing parents to take a second look at Elaine.

But I don’t think this is what you mean by timeless names. These names feel tied to a generation, but they haven’t quite reached vintage status.

HANNAH, AUDREY

These are still Top 100 names for girls right now, but they’ve been very popular for two decades. That might not matter at all! But a name that has been popular for a long time can sometimes feel more common than one that has recently risen in use. Also: your daughter might be the only girl in her swim class named Hannah, but don’t be surprised if she shares her name with the 20-something teacher.

CHARLOTTE

I’m putting Charlotte in its own category. Of course it is classic! And I’d like to call it timeless. But Charlotte is currently #3 for girls in the US. It’s ranked in the Top Ten since 2014. That means two things: first, yes her name might repeat – at least the odds are higher. More importantly, Charlotte will probably feel a little bit like Emily. Aren’t most Emilys adults right about now – even if the name is undeniably timeless?

MAYA

Again, a name that gets its own category. Maya has only ranked in the US Top 1000 since the 1970s. It’s been in the Top 100 since 2002. I’d call it a new classic, a name with a pan-global vibe that’s easy to wear across cultures and languages. In many ways, I think it fits your description of the kind of name you’d like – but it is not the kind of name you would’ve hear used in the US in the 1960s, much less the 1700s.

LUCY, JOSEPHINE

Two traditional names that are still climbing in use as of 2023, though neither ranks in the Top 25. I was immediately drawn to Josephine for you, except … if your last name would mean your daughter could become Jo K!ng, I feel like that’s not ideal. If it isn’t a much-use, absolute-favorite of a name, I would probably move on.

CAROLINE, JULIA

Two names that strike me as truly timeless. Julia did reach the US Top 50 from 1996 through 2009. But here’s the power of a classic name: it never reached Emily-Charlotte territory, and so it feels familiar, but not really tied to that moment. Likewise, Caroline has been bouncing around the US Top 100 since 1994. It’s not surprising or rare, but it does feel like a traditional, trend-resistant option. It’s easy to find women of distinction from any era in recent history who have answered to these names. (Off the top of my head: Julia Roberts, Julia Child, Julia Ward Howe; Caroline Kennedy, more than one Queen Caroline of England.)

KATHERINE

About as close to classic as a girl’s name gets. Elizabeth is closer, mostly because we agree on a single spelling. Katherine has traded places with Catherine and been rivaled by Kathryn over the decades. The spelling you prefer is most common now, and would absolutely be perceived as timeless and enduring.

TOP SUGGESTIONS

Initially my plan was to give you another handful of suggestions, but I’ve narrowed it to just two, and I’m going to mix in my top choices from your current list. Because I really do think you have some excellent choices already!

CAROLINE

Caroline and Charlotte are both feminine forms of Charles. (Which is originally Carl, in German, then became Carolus in Latin; Carol in English and Charles in French. Caroline comes directly from Carol. Charlotte is from Charles.) But the vibe is a little different. And while Charlotte sits at the tippy-top of the popularity charts, Caroline occupies a more modest, merely familiar, rank. I do think it’s quite timeless, fresh and elegant at once.

JULIA

From the ancient world to Charli XCX’s confident “360,” Julia is a name that has been around. In the best possible way. It fits with Top Ten picks like Sophia, but also rarities like Cordelia.

KATHERINE

An impeccable classic. Once upon a time, every Katherine became Kathy or Kate. Now? The little Katherines I know prefer their name in full.

MARGOT

Originally a French nickname for Margaret, Margot has stood on its own for ages. I wonder if it’s a less common alternative to Charlotte that also gets you the M initial?

MARIE

I know, I know. It’s everybody’s middle name. Except Marie is perfect as a first. Everyone knows it. Nobody is using it. Really! It ranks in the 600s right now. You’re more likely to meet a newborn named Halo, Capri, or Avianna.

But I keep coming back to Julia.

Maybe Julia Katherine, Julia Charlotte, or Julia Elaine, to borrow a middle from your husband’s list?

It’s nicely timeless, and it does give you a J name – which might not be necessary, but since Julia checks every other box? I feel like it’s worth considering.

I also love Margot Katherine or Marie Caroline.

Readers, over to you! What would you suggest for a daughter that’s both timeless and preferably begins with an M or a J?