17 Painfully Retro Baby Names Worth Bringing Back

Because sometimes a new baby comes with an old soul.

1. Ida

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Forget Ava and Eden! Ida, the 10th most popular name of 1915, is going to make you one hell of a noodle kugel.

2. Chester

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Chester hit the top 100 list in the 1880s and last appeared there in 1929. Thanks to that orange Cheetos-slinging cheetah, this name now oozes mischievous cool and is ready to make its comeback.

3. Florence

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Florence hasn't cracked the U.S. top 1,000 list since 1981. But can't you just see baby Flo in her little monogrammed sweater?

4. Barth

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Barth (short for Bartholomew, also the given name of Bart Simpson) has never really had its moment in the spotlight. Why not 2015?

5. Dolores

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Finding Lola overused? Not brave enough to go for Lolita? Bring Dolores back — she hasn't been on a top baby names list since 1930!

6. Herman

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Nothing says "fun-loving superstar" like Herman, a name which has basically never been popular, ever. That's what makes it cool.

7. Ernest

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Ernest was a top 40 name at the turn of the 20th century, around the time Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest hit the stage. Double retro bonus? Ernie is an awesome nickname.

8. Jaundice

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OK, this was never a name, but maybe it should be. Color names are in, and it's kind of pretty, isn't it?

9. Edna

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Edna nearly cracked the top 10 in the late 1800s and has been ripe for a comeback ever since.

10. Oedipus

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Oedipus' popularity as a name dates back to the fifth century and almost never gets any play anymore. What's hipper than a name that triggers nearly everyone who meets its bearer?

11. Samson

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Let that kiddo know who's boss right from the start with this biblical moniker. (Hint: It's not him.)

[Disclosure: I named my own child Delilah.]

12. Maurice

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With a cute nickname like Maury or Mo, it's kind of shocking Maurice hit its popularity peak back in the 1870s.

13. Louella

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What's better than one old-timey name? Combining TWO old-timey names!

Louise + Ella = Louella! The ultimate in retro naming!

14. Cain

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While we're feeling biblical, the world's first murderer makes for a memorable namesake. Height of popularity? Genesis.

15. Bernice

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Bernice was all the rage in the first third of the 20th century. Give her a bob and make her in the image of the F. Scott Fitzgerald character.

16. Norman

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Norman's popularity peaked in 1936. Bring it back and everyone can just call your baby "Normie."

17. Adolph

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Hitler freakin' ruins everything.

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