Feminist Vintage Baby Names From The 1960s

If you've got a wee one on the way, you're likely brainstorming names to give them. You want something special, inspiring, meaningful, and empowering. A terrific place to start looking is feminist vintage baby names from the 1960s. While the names might be a bit older, there are still women with these memorable monikers today. These are women — in the fields of politics, entertainment, activism, you name it — that have helped their fellow ladies (and, indeed, the world) grow tremendously as equal human beings. They shed light on important issues that would otherwise go undiscussed, and fearlessly stand up for what they know is right when others might be having a hard time finding their voices. You can't go wrong when you're passing along to your offspring the name of powerful feminist figure.

While names like Sophia, Emma, and Isabella have been some of the most popular over the last five years (and for a good reason — they're beautiful!), there's something heartwarming about going back in time for a name that's perhaps less common. Couple that we the fact that some of these names are shared by the following 10 women, and you've already got a great list of possibly baby names. These baby names were all popular in the '60s according to the Social Security Administration's baby name data — and they're definitely all feminist winners.

1. Gloria

Gloria Steinem — perhaps one of the most famous feminists of all. This writer and activist has been speaking out on behalf on women since the 1960s, and she's still making headlines to this day. 38,583 Glorias were born in the '60s.

2. Michelle

Even regardless of where people stand with her husband, First Lady Michelle Obama has fans all over the place. She has helped in providing equal education for girls, improve the health of families, and, oh yeah, she's a lawyer, too. Just, you know, in case you forgot. "Michelle" was the ninth post popular name in the '60s.

3. Amy

Don't think this gal is all fun and games — Amy Schumer has also taught us a thing or two about a woman's right to be funny, sarcastic, and sexual. Plus, she's not afraid to confront body shamers head on. You go girl! The '60s said hello to 116,794 Amys.

4. Susan

Although she sadly passed away in 2004, the work of Susan Sontag — legendary journalist, women's rights activist, and anti-war activist — lives on. While some of her work brought much controversy, she's overall viewed as pivotal to the women's rights movement. Susan was the number three most popular name during the 1960s.

5. Cynthia

It wasn't just Cynthia Nixon's brilliant portrayal of Miranda on Sex and the City that put her in the spotlight (although she is one of the most talented actresses). Between finding love with a woman and battling cancer (both of which she has openly shared), Nixon has become a role model for her strength, grace and kind approach to everything in life. Cynthia just cracked the top 10 most popular names in the 1960s.

6. Mary

Mary Wollstonecraft was a scholar and women's rights activist who fought for women's equality, publishing the book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which argued for educational reform. (Yes, I realize she was around long before the '60s; however, it's nice to know that the name was still popular during that decade, as well. The second most popular, in fact.)

7. Jean

Jean Kilbourne is largely known for her work on how women are represented in marketing and advertising — an oft-debated topic of conversation. 37,284 sets of parents named their kids Jean in the '60s.

8. Barbara

You might know Barbara Corcoran as one of the judges on the reality TV show Shark Tank. Know how she got there? She might've started as a straight D student in high school and a job-hopper, but a $1,000 loan was her first step to starting her own business. That business has since become the largest real estate company in New York. 159,750 came into the world during the decade of the flower children.

9. Jennifer

We don't love her just for her award-winning skills on the big screen — Jennifer Lawrence has also become a heroine to girls everywhere. Her outgoing approach to life has opened numerous discussions on body image and equal pay for women, just to name a couple. Jennifer comes in at number 20 in terms of popularity for the '60s.

10. Julie

Julie Bindel has made quite a name for herself in the push for equality. This political activist and journalist founded Justice for Women and his written extensively on violence against women, rape, prostitution, trafficking, and stalking. 166,151 babies from the '60s bear this name.

Images: Wikimedia Commons