Rose

Granny-chic names are back in style for girls — and when you have a vintage baby name that also happens to be a gorgeous (and fragrant) flower name, well… could it be any more sweet? Not when we’re talking about the name Rose!

The name Rose comes from the Latin word "rosa" which means "rose, a flower." It has been a symbol of love and beauty for centuries and is often associated with the Virgin Mary. The name Rose has been used as a given name since the Middle Ages; it’s also a popular middle name for girls. Variations and diminutives include Rosa, Rosie, Rosy, and Rosalie, to name a few.

Rose has had a lengthy run on the Social Security Administration’s Top 1000 baby names list, earning a spot every year since 1900, when it ranked number 18. It reached peak popularity in 1913, when it was number 14. And while it has fallen over the years, it’s never been lower than number 392, and more recently — thanks to that vintage granny baby name trend we mentioned — has climbed again. In 2022 it was number 120.

You’ll find plenty of famous women named Rose, too — from actresses Rose Byrne, Rose Leslie, and Rose McGowan to political matriarch Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. When we’re not looking strictly at first names, there’s also model Amber Rose and actress Ruby Rose. And speaking of middle names, Rose is an incredibly popular choice among celebrity parents, with Nicole Kidman, Kelly Clarkson, Carson Daly, and more A-listers choosing it for their daughters. Giving the name some gender-neutral cred, Rihanna and ASAP Rocky even chose it as the middle name for their son Riot.

Rose has also been used for fictional characters — perhaps most famously in ‘Titanic’ with Kate Winslet playing Rose DeWitt Bukater. Rose was also the name of Betty White’s character on ‘The Golden Girls.’