genuinely old English girls names?

[utopian99]

Looking for true old English not just 'vintagey' sounding. We have loads of good boys options but really struggle with girls. Our ds has a name we decided years before he was conceived which then turned out to be in the top ten that year which will irk me forever, so less common is better...

At least half of the names given here are french, but I suppose you can cite norman influences.

Old english isnt really meaningful, how old do you actually mean?

ViviPru nearly every other 34 year old bloke I know seems to be called Chaim or Coy, I'm sure it's got to be accurate?

Ingrid
Mathilda
Johanna
Hilda
Ismay
Marjorie
Hester (I love this one!)

Been looking at tenth and eleventh century English history this afternoon, and the following women's names came up.

Edith
Avina
Emma
Mabel
Maud
Sybil
Juliana
Margaret
Judith
Ealdgifu
Aethelgifu
Aeffe
Aelfgifu
Christiana
Gunnhild
Beatrice
Hawisa
Lufu
Deorwyn
Deorswyth
Golde
Tate
Lulle
Hwite
Dudde
Dunne
Buhe
Aethelwen
Eadugu
Aethelgyth

Try a book called Bring Back Beatrice - sounds perfect for you! It was my best friend when choosing our list of names.

I have a copy of Entinck's dictionary, published 1806, which contains lists of commonly used men's and women's names of the day.

The list of girls' names includes (amongst others):

Abigail
Alice
Amelia
Amy
Beatrice
Bridget
Cassandra
Catharine
Charlotte
Christiana
Cicely
Clarissa
Clementina
Damaris
Diana
Dorothy
Edith
Eleanor
Elizabeth
Emma
Esther
Eunice
Faith
Felicia
Flora
Florence
Frances
Gillian
Grace
Hannah
Harriot
Helen
Hester
Isabel
Isabella
Jane
Jemima
Jennet
Judith
Julia
Juliana
Leah
Leonora
Lettice
Lydia
Magdalena
Margaret
Martha
Mary
Maud
Matilda
Millicent
Mildred
Nancy
Naomi
Patience
Penelope
Phillippa
Phoebe
Phillis
Priscilla
Prudence
Rachel
Rebecca
Rosamund
Rose
Ruth
Salome
Sarah
Sibyl
Sisera
Sophia
Sophronia
Stella
Susanna
Tabitha
Thomasin
Ursula
Winifred
Zenebia

Many of these names are still popular 200 years later and can rightly be called classic English names. Others might perhaps be due a revival- Damaris and Sisera both struck me as rather beautiful.

Lettice nn Lettie really due a comeback. Very pretty.

If you want something time honoured but not ancient there are some simple classics like

Jane
Caroline
Sarah
Elizabeth
Mary
Ruth
Catherine
Janet
Lydia
Susan/Susannah
Anne
Rebecca
Rachel
Judith
Helen
Rosamund

I would add Frances to that gorgeous list.

Lavender

Rosalind

Isobel

Eda
Alesia
Isolda
Clara
Anastasia
Ema
Minna
Sabina
Yda
Alba
Elinora
Juliana
Madelina
Anabel
Ida
Elvina
Merewen
Adelina

I went to school with a girl named Lilias and she was nickname Billy which suited her a lot more than Lilias, she was a bit of a tomboy!

I never used to like it when I was young but it's sort of grown on me now that I think of it and could be shortened to Lil or Lily.

Noises where it originates.

Lorelie
I've never heard it before or since (and I'm a teacher!) but apparently it's a very old English name?

Its

Its lo

Lorelei even.

Lilias is Scottish.

Lorelei is German - name of water-maiden who sat on rocks in the Rhine and lured sailors to their doom.Inspired German poetry/songs.

I think you should just use Genevieve as her first name.

Lena Genevieve