Looking for creative alternatives to these names has been a fun experiment. And, just in case you haven't read the intro of Part 1, I feel the need to say that though these names are used less today and some may be considered outdated, I'd never say they are unattractive. I love many of them! So here's my last installment of a fresh look at the nifty names of the fifties. I hope you enjoy!
Before | After |
|---|---|
| Peggy | Pearl ~ The spirited name Peggy comes from Margaret, which means pearl. This gemstone-family name is a lovely choice that could be used to honor a Peggy in a roundabout way. |
| Perry | Phoenix ~ I love the fact that Perry is a short form of Peregrine, a word that means traveller and the name of a falcon. Phoenix, the name of a mythical bird with spiritual symbolism, was my favorite attempt at a makeover. Names ending in "erry" often sound a little out of date or land in girls' territory, so finding a male counterpart to Perry was a challenge! |
| Peter | Parker ~ I absolutely love the name Peter. But if I had to make it over with a different name (and I do! I gave myself this assignment and there's no going back now!), I couldn't help but go with Parker. Stan Lee, a fan of alliteration and namer extraordinaire, chose Peter Parker for Spiderman. Parker sits at #80 in the top names for boys. |
| Randall | Xander ~ Though they are pretty different, these two names have an "and" sound in common. Randall is a form of Randolph that experienced its heyday in the 50s, while Xander is a variation of Alexander now ranked at #216. |
| Richard | Alaric ~ Both Richard and Alaric are Germanic and have the same "ric" element, meaning "strong". Alaric sounds a bit more current (in an old-fashioned way) and flowing, and it was used for a character on The Vampire Diaries. There's just one problem with this makeover—Richard is an enduring classic still found in the top 200 names, while Alaric is rare. |
| Sheila | Shiloh ~ Sheila may remind us of slang for "girl" in Australia, but it's actually an Irish form of Cecily. Neither one is doing very well in terms of popularity these days, so I looked to the Hebrew name Shiloh for an alternative. It has similar sounds to Sheila and is a little more favored today. |
| Steven or Stephen | Sullivan ~ Steven is another classic name that is still popular after hitting a peak in the 50s. If you want an alternative, though, I think the sounds in the Irish surname Sullivan are a pretty good match. Sullivan is gaining momentum and a better position in the name charts each year. It's currently in the top 500 names for boys. |
| Susan | Lily ~ Susan comes from the Hebrew Susanna, which means lily. Susan always strikes me as a floral name, first because of black-eyed Susans, and then because of its connection to lilies and, in modern Hebrew, roses. Susan was a top-10 name for girls in the 50s, and today Lily is in the top 20. |
| Terry | Theodore ~ Terry is an independent name as well as a nickname for Terence. In its place Theo and Teddy, nicknames for Theodore, are great alternatives. |
| Theresa | Tessa ~ Theresa may not be as fashionable as it once was, but the short form Tessa has a pretty sound and sits in the top 300. |
| Vicki or Vicky | Victoria ~ The short forms Tori and Toria are keeping the classic name Victoria in style, while Vicky is used less and less. |
| Wayne | Wyatt ~ Two cowboy names come to mind when I think of a Wayne makeover: the rhyming Zane, and Wyatt, a name that has some matching letters. Both are appropriate, as John Wayne gives the original a little bit of a western feel as well. In the end, Wyatt won the duel. |
More name makeovers are on the way. I can't wait to share them with you! In the meantime, let me know what you think—would you have picked a different "after" for some of them? What are your favorites?
Name Makeovers of the 1950s series:
Fading Names of the 1950s Part 1
Fading Names of the 1950s, Part 2
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