19 vintage 1970s baby girl names that are getting popular again

Meaning: "angel" or "messenger of God"

The Rolling Stones were crooning their hit "Angie" over the air waves in 1973, so it's no wonder the name made a big impression on the decade. The name Angie, as in Police Woman star Angie Dickinson, peaked two years later, in 1975. Will it improve on its 1975 rank?

Meaning: "bee"

Deborah, as in Blondie frontwoman Deborah (Debbie) Harry, was way past its peak in the '70s. It actually was the most popular decades before, in 1955, when it was the third most popular name in the USA. Now, Deborah is on the upswing.

Meaning: "supplanter"

amie, like scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, really burst onto the scene in the '70s. It peaked in 1977—one year before Curtis debuted in Halloween. While it's not close to those heights now, it jumped in popularity last year, possibly due to the trend of parents looking for unisex and gender-neutral names.

Meaning: "garden of holly"

Speaking of gender-neutral names, Leslie, as in stage and screen actress Leslie Uggams, was a popular choice for both boys and girls in the '70s. Another gender neutral one that could be coming back.

Meaning: "beautiful"

Bonnie, another name that peaked in the 1950s, hasn't always had the easiest fortunes. It fell in and out of favour over the years. But things have really reversed for Bonnie, as in country singer Bonnie Raitt and it has grown in popularity almost every year since.

Meaning: "manifestation of God"

Unlike the previous names on this list, Tiffany—as in Marcus Welby, M.D. actress Tiffany Bolling—was still on the way up in the '70s. It didn't wind up having its peak until 1988. But being so closely associated with the '70s and '80s made Tiffany fall out of favour, and the name continued to decrease in popularity in the decades since. But perhaps enough time has passed because, since 2022, the name has been slowly rising again.

Meaning: "birthday of the Lord"

Natasha, like actress Natasha Richardson, was a relative newbie in the '70s. It climbed in popularity in 1965 and it kept up its momentum until 1986, when it peaked. Since 2020, the name has been ping-ponging up and down in popularity, but this year is an up year.

Meaning: "pure"

Place names are having a moment right now, and it's not unusual to see babies named Brooklyn, Paris, Savannah, and London. So it makes sense that Virginia—as in Bob Newhart wife Virginia Newhart—is also experiencing a boost. While Virginia experienced its biggest period of popularity way back in the '20s, in the '70s.

Meaning: "from Mount Kynthos"

In addition to place names, names inspired by mythology—think Freya, Athena, Luna and Phoebe—are also a big trend right now. That works in favour for Cynthia, as in Sly and the Family Stone founding member Cynthia Robinson, since it's another name for the goddess Artemis (who was born on Mount Kynthos). In the '70s, it was a top name and recently has been experiencing two years of jumps in popularity. The moon may rise again.

Meaning: "exalted one"

Today, when parents reach for a name of Irish origin, they're likely to go for Harper, Nora, Riley, Maeve, or Quinn, but in the '70s, Bridget outranked them all. But Bridget, as in French actress Bridgette Bardot (with a slightly different spelling), has been gaining in popularity again since 2022, so Harper may have to watch her back. It also fits in with the trend of mythological names, since it's the name of the Celtic goddess of wisdom.

Meaning: Latin name for the River Severn

In the '70s, when anybody mentioned the name Sabrina, everybody's mind jumped to Kate Jackson's character from the Charlie's Angels TV series. But the name's fortunes seem more closely tied to a different on-screen Sabrina: the first time in 1954, the same year as the Billy Wilder film Sabrina, which starred Audrey Hepburn. The name didn't peak until 1997—just two years after a remake of the film came out with Harrison Ford, Greg Kinnear, Julia Ormond. There hasn't been another Sabrina remake since—just a teenage witch—but the name still has been growing in popularity for the past two years.

Meaning: fossilized tree resin

Amber—as in Amber Young, third child of musician Neil Young—hadn't yet hit its peak in the '70s. It continued to rise until 1986, when it was No. 13 in the list, but started falling in popularity after that—and dropping sharply after the "Amber alert" system debuted in the late-'90s. But with all manner of nature names rising in popularity, Amber is staging a resurgence.

Meaning: "holly tree"

It's Audrey Hepburn again who sparked a crazy for Holly, as in The Price Is Right spokesmodel Holly Hallstrom. After she appeared as Holly Gollightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961, the name went on an upward trajectory that didn't stop until 1983. After that peak, it fell back a little, but has been showing up in the past few years in a big way.

Meaning: "honeybee"

Melissa was so prevalent in the 1970s that there were two Melissas starring in the Little House on the Prairie TV series: Melissa Sue Anderson (left) and Melissa Gilbert (middle). It was a decade of Melissa, and the name hit its highest point in 1979, when it was the second most popular name in the country. The name couldn't maintain the hold, though, and it sank in 2023—but bounced back the next year, so it could be coming up again.

Meaning: "shining upon man"

In Greek myth, Cassandra—as in Cassandra Peterson, an actress better known for creating her iconic character Elivira, Mistress of the Dark—was able to see into the future, though her prophecies were never to be believed. So perhaps Cassandra can look ahead and see if the name's jump in rank between last year and the year before is a blip, or the start of a trend. In the '70s, Cassandra was wildly popular, and stayed a top-10 name throughout the decade.

Meaning: "grace"

In 2022, it looked like Nancy, like singer Nancy Sinatra, was going to fall off from public popularity. Instead, Nancy turned its fortunes around and increased in the past two years. That's only fitting for a moniker that was a top name between 1934 and 1955.

Meaning: "bringer of victory"

From legendary girl-group leader Veronica Greenfield (aka Ronnie Spector) to the subject of Elvis Costello's hit song of the same name, Veronica seems to keep working its way into the musical spotlight. The name was rising throughout the '70s and peaked in 1983 (five years before Costello's song was released). Only time will tell if it has the juice to work its way into the limelight again.

Meaning: "song"

Carmen, as in British actress Carmen Munroe, was just starting to dip in the '70s. It hit its peak in 1968 and it's not dramatically different from where it is today— so this is name that has some consistency behind it, as opposed to one that reaches high heights and burns out.

Meaning: "great ruler"

Prior to 1954, the name Meredith, as in actress Meredith Baxter, ranked for both girls and boys. But when the name hit its peak in 1981—it was on the girls' list only. Today, it's not wildly far from its peak, and, after seeing five years of respective growth, it might get back there eventually.