Boy Names Lists · Historic and Vintage Names
Colonial Names for Boys | 1700s Names
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Con
Diminutive of Cornelius, Conrad, Latin, German
"horn; brave counsel"
Back in the day, Con was a nickname for Cornelius and Conrad. Today it feels like a pet form of Connor.
Constant
French from Latin
"steadfast"
A traditional French male name that could, with American pronunciation, become an admirable word name.
Cornelius
Latin
"horn"
Cornelius, the New Testament name of a third century Pope and saint, is one of those venerable Latin names on the edge of consideration, despite the corny nickname alert. Cornelius has some magical…
Cotton
Word name
A name heard in Puritan times -- Cotton Mather was a minister involved in the Salem witchcraft trials -- which really deserves modern consideration as it blends nature and softness into a really…
Cuddy
Diminutive of Cuthbert
"famous, brilliant"
Cuthbert is unlikely to make a comeback anytime soon, so Cuddy too may be lost to history.
Cuthbert
English
"famous, brilliant"
Years ago we might have said that this name was unthinkable, but with clunky, old-fashioned names being so popular right now — consider Augustus, Stanley, Wilfred, etc — what's to stop Cuthbert from…
Dirch
Diminutive of Derrick, English
"the people's ruler"
An old-timey nickname for Derrick that has since been forgotten.
Dob
Diminutive of Robert, English
"bright fame"
Along with Dobbin, Dob was medieval nickname for Robert.
Dobbin
Diminutive of Robert, English from German
"bright fame"
Ancient nickname that sounds cuter than its modern alternatives -- but be aware that in the days of the horse and buggy, it was most often used for the horse.
Ebenezer
Hebrew
"stone of help"
Ebenezer is the name of a biblical place --the stone set up by Samuel to mark his victory over the Philistines--rather than a person. It was adopted by the British Puritans as a first name and then…
Elbridge
English
"old bridge"
Elbridge is an uncommon last name used as first. It sounds rather forbidding, but Bridge would be a cute, modern nickname.
Eleazar
Hebrew
"God helps"
Eleazar is a distinguished Biblical name--in which it appears several times-- ripe for the picking following the stardom of Eli, Elijah, and other similar names. Eleazar is also a Twilight name,…
Eliab
Hebrew
"God is father"
Prince of the tribe of Zebulon in the Exodus, everyone will misunderstand this as Elias, with a stuffed nose.
Eliakim
Hebrew
"God will raise up"
Little-used name borne by several biblical figures including a king. It would make an unexpected way to get the nickname Eli - or Kim.
Elihu
Hebrew
"Jehovah is God"
Rarely used in the last two centuries, but might be worth dusting off and holding up to the light.
Eliphalet
Hebrew
"God has judged"
A bit too elephantine for a modern child.
Experience
English word name
Experience is a word name used by the New England Puritans but probably too joke-worthy for a modern child...or teenager. It does not have as direct a biblical reference as most Puritan names.
Fate
Short form of Lafayette, French, English word name
"faith; predestined, destiny, chance"
Briefly in the US Top 1000 in the late 19th century, Fate likely emerged as a short form for the old French name, Lafayette. In the contemporary landscape however, it may well be perceived as a word…
Finney
Diminutive of Phineas, English
"the Nubian"
These days Finney is most likely a pet form of Finn, but it was once a standard nickname for the biblical Phineas.
Gene
Diminutive of Eugene, Greek
"wellborn, noble"
Like Ray, a formerly funky nickname name that is newly cool. Comedian Amy Schumer used it for her son. While technically Gene is short for Eugene, it can certainly be used on its own as an honor name…