Welcome to our list of the 50 most popular Victorian Girl's names. Each name has a short explanation of its meaning along with a cool fact about the name.
This list is perfect for:
The following popular Victorian baby names are still prevalent in contemporary English-speaking societies:
Ada: A beautiful name for a newborn daughter, Ada was one of the top 200 most popular names in England and Wales in 1880. More specifically, it ranked in 11th place.
Agnes: Agnes translates to "pure" and "virginal" in ancient Greek. In Latin, the name pertains to "holy purity". In 1880, Agnes was the fifth most frequently-used name in England and Wales.
Alice: Another classical and elegant title, Alice ranked in third place in 1880.
Annie: The name Annie's meaning and origin go back to the Hebrew word for "gracious one". In 1880, it was the fifth most common name in England and Wales.
Beatrice: Beatrice is one the popular Victorian names among royals and aristocratic families. Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, named one of their daughters Beatrice.
Charlotte: The female form of 'Charles', Charlotte ranked in 35th place in terms of prevalence during 1880.
Clara: The meaning, origin, and history of the name Clara are unique. It is a contemporary version of 'Clarus', a Late Latin title that refers to a "bright", "clear", and "famous" individual.
Edith: This classic yet modern name was among the top 10 titles in 1880 England and Wales.
Eliza: Eliza means "joyous" in its original Hebrew format.
Elizabeth: Another royal title, the meaning of Elizabeth is "pledged to God".
Ellen: Ellen was the 9th most popular name in 1880.
Emily: Meanwhile, Emily ranked in 10th place.
Ethel: Defined as "noble" and "righteous".
Florence: A royal name and the sixth most favored title across England and Wales in 1880.
Hannah: The first name Hannah is derived from 'Channah', a Hebrew word for "favor" or "grace".
Harriet: A great title for celebrating an aristocratic and noble baby girl, Harriet suggests that your daughter will be a "home ruler".
Helen: An admired title among British royals and the public during the Victorian era.
Isabella: Isabella is an Italian and Spanish variant of 'Elizabeth', and it translates to "pledged to God" in Hebrew. Lady Isabella Macdonald is one of the most famous holders of this name in history.
Lilian: Frequency and usage wise, Lilian ranked in 33rd place in 1880.
Louisa: A royal title and one of the top 20 names in the Victorian era.
Margaret: Margaret is a baby name that goes back to Greek roots. It means "pearl".
Marie/Mary: Defined as "bitter" in Hebrew, Marie/Mary are particularly popular versions of the same name among Christian parents due its biblical connotations. During the last two decades of the 19th century, Mary was the number one name for newborn girls in both the UK and US.
Rose: Simply put, Rose pertains to the rose flower.
Many Victorian female nicknames went on to become first names, in their own right, over time. Emma, Ivey, Jenny, and Lilly are some noteworthy contemporary examples.
Here are a few prominent modern-day titles that were originally shortened versions of longer names:
Clara: Initially, Clara was used as a nickname for girls called 'Clarissa', 'Clarice', 'Claire', and others.
Corie, Cory, Corry, Corrie: A shorter form of 'Corrine', 'Cornella', 'Corrina', 'Corra', 'Coral', 'Coraline', and 'Corrissa'.
Emma: Another way of saying 'Emily' and 'Lou'.
Eva: Derived from 'Evelyn', 'Eve', and 'Evette', Eva is a Victorian-era nickname with a biblical reference.
Flora/Flo/Florrie: Short for 'Florence'.
Hallie: This contemporary and popular title was initially used as a nickname for Victorian names for girls that are no longer prevalent today. Examples include 'Mahala', 'Mahella', and 'Mahaley'.
Hazel: A sobriquet for 'Hazeltine' and 'Hazeltina'.
Ida: While this is a shorter form of 'Idalie', 'Idalin', 'Idalu', and 'Idell', Victorian families began to give their daughters the title 'Ida' as a first name in the 1880s. Over the decades, it became a prominent female name across the English-speaking world.
Ivey/Ivy: Girls who were called 'Ivanilla' were nicknamed 'Ivey' or 'Ivy'
Jane: Short for 'Virginia', an originally-Latin word for "maiden".
Jennie/Jenny: This was a nickname for various titles, such as 'Jennette', 'Jennet', 'Genevieve', 'Jane', 'Jennifer', 'Genna', 'Jenni', and 'Johanna'.
Jerrie/Jerry: A shortened version of 'Jerusha'.
Jo/Josey/Josie/Fina: These are other forms of 'Josephine/Josephin' and 'Josephina/Josefina'.
Lillie/Lilly: This nickname pertains to the lily flower and is used as a nickname for 'Lillian', 'Lilith', 'Lila', 'Lilyan', and 'Lila'.
Lucy: A briefer variant of 'Lucella', 'Luciana', 'Lucile', 'Lucinda', and other names that were common during Victorian times.
Maggie/Maggy: The short form for 'Magdelina/Magdalena', 'Magda', 'Margaret', 'Margaretta', 'Magnolia', and 'Madeline'.
Nora: A nickname for 'Elnora', 'Eleanor', 'Leonora', and the Scottish first name of 'Norman'.
Susie: Susie was given as a nickname for girls who were called 'Sue', 'Susan', 'Suzanne', 'Susannah', and 'Suzette'.
Abilene: This unique and lovely title was mentioned in the book of Luke.
Adah: A particularly favored biblical name among Victorian-era nobles and royalty.
Anna: Saint Anna (spelled as 'Saint Anne' in English) was the Virgin Mary's mother. In the New Testament, a prophetess who saw Jesus as the Messiah was called Anna.
Felix: As a biblical title, Felix is defined as a "happy" and "prosperous" person. It is also the title of an Anglo-Saxon saint.
Jaala: The meaning of the name Jaala is "little goat who is ascending".
Kerenhappuck, Kerenhappuch, Keren Happuch: These are three variations of the name that was given to one of Jacob's daughters.
Martha: This biblical title was one of the 20 most common names in England and Wales during 1880.
Ruth: Ruth is a biblical figure and a royal Victorian name for girls.
Sarah: The name of a character in the Bible and the 6th most popular title in 1880.
Alexandrina: Queen Victoria's original name was 'Alexandrina Victoria'.
Bexley: Bexley is an Old English name that translates to "woodland cleaning".
Gertrude: Meaning "strength of spear".
At this point, you should have a brief shortlist of potential Latin names for your baby girl. Next, you may want to think about whether you want to give her a title that showcases modernity or one that retains the elegance and historical uniqueness of the Victorian era.
