Baby name expert reveals her 15 all-time favourite classic girls' names

While baby name trends come and go, sometimes parents want a name that will stand the test of time.

Enter the classic name. Not to be confused with vintage or even Biblical names, the classic name is something you will have certainly heard before, and chances are it's the first or second name of your great aunt or mother.

Now, a US-based baby name expert has put together a list of her 15 favourite classic names for girls – and the reasoning behind why she picked each one.

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Colleen Slagen is a baby name consultant who runs a business called Naming Bebe.

She has a large following on TikTok and Instagram, and is often called upon to discuss the latest baby name trends.

Slagen recently predicted a new trend for boys in 2025, which she calls "my best friend's dad's name", and also said a number of 'outdated' girls' names were about to make a comeback.

Now Slagen has put together a list of her all-time "good, old-fashioned classics" for girls, which she shared on her social media accounts.

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"I keep a long list of classic girl names and I have it categorised by biblical, timeless, traditional, vintage [and] classic," Slagen said.

"This is going to be a mishmash from all those different lists.

"Some are names I really love and some are names that I just think maybe you haven't considered."

The first name on her alphabetical list was Amelia.

"You probably don't want to hear about a name like Amelia because it's a top 10 name," she said. "It's very popular, but I do love it."

While she said she wouldn't use it personally for a first child under her "naming criteria," she might be tempted to use "the more kids I have" if it "fits in with the sibling set."

Next on her list was Annie, which she described as "timeless, adorable [and] not super common."

Cecelia was next. "I think this epitomises familiar, not overly popular, 'nicknameable', timeless," before labelling it a "great name."

Her next picks were Elise and Esther. She noted both were "biblical, classic" names.

She said she liked Esther because it also had a nickname derivative.

"Esty is spunky and cute. Esther is soft and classic," she said.

Her next choice was Frances, which she described as "a stately classic with the very on-trend nickname Frankie."

"I also like the more-unexpected nickname Francie, which feels very vintage and adorable," she said.

Next was Jane, "a true classic," according to Slagen.

She followed this with two classic names with links to the British Royal family.

"Both Elizabeth and Catherine I love. They are names I would probably be afraid to use unless I was willing and ready to have her go by a nickname, because otherwise I think someone would choose one for her," Slagen said.

Her next choice was Margaret. "On its own, it's not my favourite classic name [but] it is growing on me and I think she has some fabulous nicknames," she said.

Next up was Marie. "She unfairly gets labelled as 'just a middle name', which means she's unexpected in the first-name slot in the best possible way," Slagen said, before adding, "This is also my grandma's name, so I do think I am biased with fondness for it."

Slagen said Mary was another favourite.

"I have a good friend named Mary from growing up, so I've always been fond of that name."

Slagen's next pick was Rose. "To me, very comparable to Jane. Classic, simple, beautiful with an adorable nickname," she said.

"I almost forgot Susanna. She's a hidden classic," said Slagen, before revealing her final choice: Virginia.

"I wanted to mention it because I think it has this... stately, classic energy, with trendy nicknames like Vivi and Gigi, or if you're a Harry Potter fan, Ginny."

Colleen Slagen's 15 favourite classic names for girls

• Amelia
• Annie
• Cecelia
• Elise
• Esther
• Frances
• Jane
• Elizabeth
• Catherine
• Margaret
• Marie
• Mary
• Rose
• Susanna
• Virginia

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