Movie Credits

Interesting names found in the credits of old movies.
  1. Annabella
    • Origin:

      Latin variation of Annabel
    • Meaning:

      "loving"
    • Description:

      With the ascent of all names -ella, and even -bella, we predict that Annabella will rise as an alternative for such favorites as Isabella and Angelina. It's possible to spell the name Anabella. Annabel -- along with Anabel, Annabelle, Anabelle, and Annabell -- are potential alternatives.
  2. Barnett
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "place cleared by burning"
    • Description:

      Has some creative credibility via abstract painter Barnett Newman, but we'd prefer his nickname, Barney.
  3. Billie
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Wilhelmina, Wilma
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

      Billie is a tomboy nickname name, part of the growing trend for using boyish nicknames for girls and now destined for stardom along with its most famous contemporary bearer, music sensation Billie Eilish.
  4. Bonita
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "pretty"
    • Description:

      Like Benita, had some popularity in the fifties.
  5. Burgess
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "inhabitant of a fortified town"
    • Description:

      Related to the word bourgeois; actor Burgess Meredith put this surname in first place.
  6. Claudette
    • Origin:

      French, feminine variation of Claude
    • Meaning:

      "lame; enclosure"
    • Description:

      Once seen as a dated French Claudette-Colbert feminization, along with Annette and Paulette, we can see Claudette moving into a more plausible Colette-Cosette arena. While some may be put off by the common "lame" meaning, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise-appealing name.
  7. Devi
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "divine"
    • Description:

      This Hindu goddess name has a powerful heritage plus lively sound with a devilish edge. If you're enchanted by goddess names but want to set your little girl apart from all the Lunas and Athenas in the playground, consider Devi.
  8. Elisha
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my salvation"
    • Description:

      Creative name whose only limitation is that it looks like it would be pronounced akin to Alicia and Elissa — although as a Biblical boys’ name, it is traditionally pronounced ee-LIE-shah.
  9. Ern
    • Erna
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "to know"
      • Description:

        That er sound -- as in Myrna, Myrtle, and Bernice -- sounds terminally dated.
    • Eily
      • Emeric
        • Finlay
          • Origin:

            Irish and Scottish
          • Meaning:

            "fair-haired hero"
          • Description:

            Finlay is a Scottish royal name: it belonged to Macbeth's father, Finlay MacRory--or Findlaech mac Ruaidri--that has a bit of a split personality. It has two acceptable spellings--Finlay and Finley, the first more popular in its native Scotland, where it ranks in the Top 10, the second in the US. It is also becoming more and more unisex in the States, with the Finley spelling now split between girls and boys.
        • Ginger
          • Origin:

            English diminutive
          • Description:

            Originally a unisex nickname for a redhead -- red hair is called "ginger" in Britain -- or for the name Virginia, Ginger perennially wears pink gingham and spike heels.
        • Glynis
          • Origin:

            Welsh
          • Meaning:

            "small glen, valley"
          • Description:

            The feminine version of the common Welsh name Glyn became somewhat known in this country via the charming Welsh actress Glynis Johns. Variations include Glenys and Glynys. With other Welsh names--Gwyneth, Bronwyn, Bryn, Griffith--now on the American table, Glynis could make a distinctive tribute to an Uncle Glenn.
        • Greer
          • Origin:

            Scottish, contraction of surname Gregor; Latin
          • Meaning:

            "alert, watchful"
          • Description:

            This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson--Greer was her Irish mother's maiden name). Greer was chosen much more recently by Kelsey Grammer for his daughter and by Brooke Shields in the Grier form. As a surname, it's associated with feminist writer/activist Germaine Greer.
        • Harro
          • Hermine
            • Origin:

              Feminine form of Herman, German
            • Meaning:

              "army man"
            • Description:

              Hermine and Hermina once ranked in the US Top 1000 for girls, but the First World War put an end to the popularity of these and many other German names. Now, both names are extinct though father name Herman is sometimes found.
          • Hume
            • Origin:

              Scottish variation of Holmes
            • Description:

              Distinguished actor Hume Cronyn (who shared his father's name) put this unusual choice in the lexicon.
          • Jobyna