If there's one thing we know that both fashion and baby names have in common it's that vintage is almost always better. In fashion, we know that things go in cycles. That perfect dress that was cool when our parents were our age might just came back in style now that we're old enough to finally wear them. And the same is true with baby names. Sometimes a name that was super hot back in the day might have a resurgence — often due to pop culture or simply the fact that people like what's familiar — and sometimes, just like certain silhouettes, some names never go out of style. But what's the best way to figure out which baby names are going to go the distance? It all comes down to looking back to the right decade. And in our mind there's no time that mixed sophistication, style, and a chic, modern eye towards the future like the 1960s.
Because the '60s were almost an exact turning point between the old guard and youth culture, many cultural touchstones from the time have that perfect balance between the traditional and the modern — and that's especially reflected in the baby names that were popular throughout the decade. Using the data from the Social Security office, we were able to accurately pull the top 20 most popular girls names throughout the '60s. Some of these names have fallen out of fashion — like Lisa and Deborah — while others are just as cool today as they were in the past — say Elizabeth and Jennifer. But just because a name is sort of out, it doesn't mean that it couldn't have a roaring comeback. This is all to say that the '60s are ripe for some baby name inspiration. All parents need to do is take a look at our list and see if it sparks any ideas or dreams for the future.
LISA
The first name on our list might have been popularized by an 8-year-old girl from Springfield, but throughout the '60s, Lisa was a totally hip name. Originally, the name was the shortened form of Elizabeth and means "God is my oath."
MARY
Mary is a baby name that will most likely never go out of style thanks in part to its biblical roots. The name is the Anglicized form of Maria, which is taken from the Hebrew Miriam, meaning "sea of bitterness, sea of sorrow."
SUSAN
Another goodie, Susan is the typical name we think of when we think of the swinging '60s. Originally, Susan was the English form of the name Susannah, which is derived from the Hebrew Soshana and means "a lily, a rose."
KAREN
Another name that got a makeover when it crossed borders, Karen is the Dutch form of Katherine a version of the Greek Aikaterinē, which loosely means "pure" or "unsullied." Other cute variations are Caren, Carin, Karen, Karena, Karrin, or Karyn.
KIMBERLY
There a few different origins for the name Kimberly, one of which is the borrowing of a South African city and diamond-mining center. While others believe it comes from Lord Kimberley, whose name is a composite, of a personal name of unknown meaning and leah, which means "wood, clearing, meadow, enclosure."
PATRICIA
A name all too familiar, Patricia is often shortened to Pat or Tricia. A lesser known fact is that Patricia is the feminine form of Patrick, which comes from the Latin patrician, meaning "nobleman, an aristocrat."
LINDA
We all have at least one aunt named Linda — but there's a good reason. Linda is practically the most definitive '60s name and comes from the Spanish linda, which means "beautiful" or "pretty."
DONNA
Donna isn't quite as popular as it once was, but has definitely had an image makeover by the likes of That 70s Show and the rock band The Donnas. The name is the feminine form of Donald, which means "world ruler" and a borrowing from the Italian donna, which means "lady."
MICHELLE
If there is one Michelle we can all turn to for inspiration — it's former first lady Michelle Obama. Originated as the feminine form of the French Michel, the name is a version of Michael and means "Who is like God?"
CYNTHIA
Not just a name that is a blast of the past, we could totally see Cynthia making a comeback in the 2020s. Taken from the Latin and Greek Kynthia, she was the mythological goddess of the moon and hunting.
SANDRA
Popular the world over, Sandra is a name that dominated the mid-20th century. As one could possibly guess, Sandra is the shortened form of Cassandra or Alexandra, but now is a popular name in its own right.
DEBORAH
Deborah has biblical connections — although some people might already know that. It's a name that is derived from the Hebrew dēvōrah, which means "a bee" or worse, "a swarm of bees." That some good buzz to us.
TAMMY
Tammy took a backseat toward the later half of the 20th century — but we could see similar sounding names Tammie and Tamara being a current baby name hit. Originally it was a pet name of Tamara, which is taken from the Hebrew Tamar and means "date palm, a palm tree."
PAMELA
This name has quite the history and can be seen all the way back in the 1500s when English poet and statesman Sir Philip Sydney coined the name for his pastoral Arcadia. Other variations on Pamela are Pam, Pammie, Pamala, or Pamella.
LORI
L-names always have been, and always will be, extremely popular. The name Lori is no exception. In fact, the name was created as a pet name of several L-names; Lorelei, Laura, or Lorraine and then stuck as its own name.
LAURA
Speaking of Laura, it was also a big hit in the 1960s. Taken from the Latin laurus, it means "laurel," which was an evergreen shrub or tree whose leaves were woven into wreaths and worn on the heads of the ancient Greeks.
ELIZABETH
Liz, Eliza, and Beth are all popular girls' names — but that's all due to the name they come from, Elizabeth. Like so many names from that time, Elizabeth has biblical origins and comes from the Hebrew elīsheba', meaning "God is my oath."
JULIE
A name that is sweet and still popular today, Julie is a great choice for a little one. It shouldn't be a surprise that Julie is a French version of Julia and both names mean "downy-bearded" and "youth."
BRENDA
Unfortunately, Brenda is a name of uncertain origin and meaning — but it's thought to be of Celtic origins, specifically the Shetland Islands. It's thought to be taken from the word brandr, which means "the blade of a sword."
JENNIFER
Jennifer is a baby name that absolutely dominated the later half of the 20th century and still remains a popular baby name. It's a Cornish derivation of Guinevere, which in turn was taken from the Welsh Gwenhwyfar and means "fair lady."
