Old fashioned/vintage boys names that aren't "sissy"?

[bigsweater]

I really like Soames. it is vintage English and goes well with Agatha, which I love!

[elea]

A few thoughts:

Alban
Alistair
Amos
Arlo
Atticus
Conrad
Everett
Ezra
Falco
Fergus
Fletcher
Finian
Fraser
Gideon
Giles
Kilian
Ivo
Jesse
Jonas
Leif
Leon
Malachi
Maxwell
Miles
Ned
Linus
Raphael
Ruan
Silas
Tobin
Vernon
Vincent

[cbuxton]

Titch, you have the exact same criteria for a boy's name as we do (and we're in Australia too). It's a tough one!

We're ruled out traditional but popular names like William, Thomas and Oliver. At the same time we don't want names that are too 'nerdy' like Herbert or Walter.

Names that we've mulled over are -

Arthur (Art or Artie)
Alfred (Alfie)
Felix
Frederic
Solomon
Amos
Abraham (Abe)
August or Augustus (Augie or Gus)
Fergus
Jude
Abel
Julian
Miles
Rory

As I said in response to your last post, Agatha is a fabulous name. I still think Theodore would work well with Agatha but I note that your husband is not a fan. I'm biased of course! Good luck and keep us posted.

[titch]

Thanks Rollo, I’m not keen on shortened names on their own and Julian isn’t my style. Sterling feels a bit “Dynasty” somehow and Barnaby is definitely cute but I can’t imagine it on a thirty year old man somehow.

Caroline it is so hard isn’t it, so much easier with girls’ names of this sort. I like Edmund too and Theodore is already on my list, I like the nn Bertie (I’m crazy about P.G. Wodehouse and Bertie Wooster and Jeeves) but I might prefer Bertram over Bertrand. DH has already vetoed Bartholomew. Some good names on your list but none are THE ONE. Does THE ONE even exist I wonder??

Thank you Mischa for all the suggestions, Felix is one I hadn’t considered and DH really likes it so it’s going on the list! And you have reminded me of a name I considered before we know Agatha was a girl – Benedict. I love it and think my husband might too!

Niteowl it is good to know if other people like a few of the same names, especially with the slightly more unusual ones. Edmund has come up a few times which is interesting. We have discussed Edward and Edwin but not Edmund yet so it’s a definite maybe. I really like Moses but think it might be too “out there” for my DH sadly.

Bigsweater I have never heard of the name Soames. Do you know what it means/where it comes from?

Elea thanks for your list, there are a few standouts for me; Amos and Fraser in particular.

Thanks cbuxton. You understand our dilemma have it exactly! I think Theodore is great and my husband does love Theo so I am sure I could persuade him if need be, although it would be nice if we could both agree on something that really grabbed us. We have many of the same names as you on our list and I really like the others. I especially like Abraham but again my boring, I mean conservative, husband is the sticking point LOL.

[cbuxton]

Ha titch, sounds like we both have boring, I mean conservative, husbands!

[pam]

Titch, it sounds as if you're making some progress and I really appreciate your responsiveness to all these great suggestions. I think Felix, Edmund, Benedict, Amos, and Theo are all fantastic companions with Agatha and definitely fit the vintage-quirky yet masculine and not-too-out-there criteria. I do love Lionel too, which I know someone mentioned, along with Leopold, though they may be more "out there" or sissified than the other choices. These may be too "out there" too, but just to offer a few more options: Montgomery/Monty, Otis, Romulus, Inigo, Homer.

Wanted to comment on Agatha being an Edna name. In the nearly 20 (!!!!!) years since 1994, Agatha has transcended dowdiness and become more chic/stylish, while I'm afraid Edna herself is still back there in a faded housedress. In our original Beyond Jennifer & Jason, which came out in 1988, we grouped Agatha with the Baby Men & Women names -- a grownup-sounding and at the time really "out there" group. But some of those names have become positively trendy: Beatrice, Eleanor, Ella, Eve, Hazel, Imogen, Madeleine, Natalie, and for boys, Gus, Harry, Joseph. Amazing!

[titch]

They are thorns in our cool baby-naming sides cbuxton!

Thank you Pam, I love Nameberry and all the great people who take the time to offer suggestions and make comments; it really helps with the short listing process. Your suggestion of Montgomery/Monty is great and is one for my list I think.

Thanks for the update on the Edna names, I agree that Agatha has moved on, it has a real spark that Edna is missing in my (biased) opinion. Eleanor, Imogen and Beatrice are all on our girls list so that is clearly my style :-)

[lauren-kay]

Casting my votes for Barnaby, Alisdair and Jasper! Love all those names

[titch]

Thanks Lauren-Kay I agree Jasper is great but it's the name of my (long term) ex boyfriend so it would feel a bit weird to use it! Barnaby feels a bit babyish for a man somehow but Alisdair is one I hadn't considered - will put it to DH.

[peppersprout]

Louis
George
Roger
Clarence
Arthur