Vintage Boy Names 

Solomon, a name that evokes wisdom and peace, is an Old Testament name that, along with other patriarchal classics, is finally beginning to shed its long white beard and step from the pages of the Old Testament into modern nurseries. 
 Originating from the Hebrew word shalom, meaning peace, Solomon was a favorite of Charles Dickens, who used it for characters in three of his novels.
 Solomon Grundy is a name that moved from a nursery rhyme ("Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday") to a DC Comics character to the name of a California rock group.
 The biblical Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, succeeded his father as king of Israel, and was known for his wisdom ("People came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon."). He is credited with writing the biblical books Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon—the latter also the title of an acclaimed Toni Morrison novel. The biblical Solomon is that reason that, while the name technically means peace, it also counts among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/128/boy-baby-names-that-mean-wise">names that mean wisdom</a>.
 Notable bearers of the name include philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim, for whom the New York museum is named, and singer-songwriter Solomon Burke, sometimes referred to as "King Solomon."

Solomon

Immortal through its association with the ancient Caesar (it was his clan name), Julius may still lag behind Julian, but is definitely starting to make a comeback, and in fact feels more cutting edge, in line with the current trend for Latin -us endings. 
 A common Christian name in Roman times—as in Pope Julius I—it was rarely used in English speaking countries until the nineteenth century.
Some Julius connections: basketball great Julius "Dr. J" Erving, characters in the Artemis Fowl book series and television show Everybody Hates Chris, Groucho Marx's birth name, the comic monkey created by Paul Frank, and the Orange Julius drink.

Julius

Frederick, and friendlier nickname Fred, seemed almost to have disappeared, leaving just the memory of Freds past such as Astaire, Mr. Rogers and Flintstone. But today's parents are beginning to recognize it as a strong classic and one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/341/royal-names-for-boys">royal baby boy names</a>.
 Previously, Frederick had taken on a rather forbidding, foreign, military air, reminiscent of Frederick the Great, the enlightened king of Prussia who laid the foundations of the powerful Prussian empire.
 For African-Americans, Frederick can be seen as a hero name, honoring Frederick Douglass, who rose from slavery to power as a political activist.
 Frederick appears as a character in Shakespeare's As You Like It and the novels of, among others, Jane Austen and Henry James.
The name is often streamlined to Frederic and even Fredric. And if you don't like Fred or Freddie (though we do), another nickname is Fritz.
 Federico is the appealing Italian and Spanish form, as in renowned poet Federico Garcia Lorca.

Frederick

With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, and melodic option. Similar in style to Atlas and Atticus and similar in sound to Arlo, Paolo, Paul, and Ollie, Apollo entered the US Top 1000 back in 2012, and was propelled upwards after it was chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale in 2014.
 
The exact source of the name is contested, though it is believed to have either Indo-European roots, giving it the meaning "strength", or to be adapted from the name of another god, Appaliunas, meaning "father's light". Alternatively, it may come from the Greek apollymi meaning "to destroy".
 
In mythology terms, Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto, and also the twin of the goddess Artemis. Along with the aforementioned poetry, music, and medicine, he was also considered the god of prophecy, law, beauty, wisdom, and the sun. 
 
Other cool associations include NASA's Apollo program, from 1961-72, that succeeded in putting the first humans on the moon when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their lunar module and walked on the moon's surface. There's also the historic Apollo Theatre in Harlem, on whose stage the careers of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Artetha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, the Jackson 5, and countless others were launched.
 
In a recent year, it ranked in the Top 800 in England and Wales, while in the US, it placed just outside the Top 400.

Apollo

Lucian is a sleeker, more sophisticated version of Lucius that is climbing in tandem with other Lu-starting names.
 Historically, the name was made famous by the ancient Greek satirist Lucian of Samosata--sometimes considered the father of science fiction-- and by the third century St. Lucian.
 A modern bearer was Berlin-born British painter Lucian Freud, grandson of Sigmund. In pop culture, Lucian the Lycan is a werewolf in the Underworld movies. 
 Lucian was picked by Indie actor Steve Buscemi. Lucien is the French version. The attractive Italian form is Luciano, as in Pavarotti.

Lucian

With the prevailing popularity of Samuel, some parents are considering this more (literally) powerful biblical name, which shares the desirable nickname of Sam.
 Samson was, of course, the supernaturally strong champion of the Israelites against the Philistines who was betrayed by Delilah, as dramatized in more than one technicolor epic. But the more it is used for children today, the more the name is able to move away from that image.
Sampson is a variant spelling--Sampson Brass is a character in the Dickens novel The Old Curiosity Shop, Samzun is the interesting Celtic spelling, Sansone the Italian version.
 The story of Samson has been translated into a number of works of art, including Milton's poetic drama Samson Agonistes, an oratorio by Handel, an opera by Saint-Saens, and paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens.

Samson

Rugged but gentle at the same time, Cassian is a saintly and stylish choice that was derived from the name Cassius. Before 2017, it was an obscure choice, given to a tiny handful of boys each year. As of 2023, however, it's become one of the top ten fastest-rising names in the US, more than doubling in usage since 2022 and edging closer towards the Top 500.
 There are a number of fourth and fifth century St. Cassians, one of whom is the patron saint of stenographers (though he must not get much work these days).John Cassian was a monk and ascetic writer who introduced Eastern monasticism into the West; Cassian Elwes is a British film producer, and Patrick Wilson used the alternate spelling Kassian for his son.
 It is unlikely however, that any of these can be credited for the rise of Cassian. Instead, we must turn to pop culture.
 In 2016, just before Cassian began to climb the charts, the Star Wars Franchise movie, Rogue One, was released and included a character called Cassian Andor, who then went on to feature as the lead in the television spinoff series, Andor. With the sounds of popular Julian, Jasper, and Adrian, like Casper but not too ghostly, Cassian caught people's attention, not just in the US, but in the UK, where it now ranks in the Top 600.
 
But what caused the even bigger leap up the charts in 2023? Again, we must look towards a fictional character. The popular romance-fantasy book series A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas features a Cassian, and the latest novel included a Cassian storyline that likely put the name on people's radar. "ACOTAR" as it gets called is popular on BookTok and BookTube so it's no wonder parents are taking inspiration from it. 
 
Another new pop culture influence: the Star Wars-related TV show Andor, whose main character is named Cassian Andor. Cassian is obviously a timeless name with ancient roots that sounds fresh today -- though maybe not for long.
 Similar to Nameberry favorite Caspian with sounds that are both strong and soft, both ancient and right up to date, Cassian is a hot name right now, and was given to more than 550 babies in 2023.

Cassian

A short but strong biblical name with multicultural appeal, Asa is enjoying new visibility thanks to hot young actor Asa Butterfield of Hugo fame. 
 Asa was the name of an important biblical king of Judah, who reigned for more than forty years. In modern times, the name was long associated with the strong patriarch Asa Buchanan on the soap opera "One Life to Live," but since the character "died" in 2007, this gives the name plenty of room to rejuvenate. Popular with the Puritans, Asa can be found in the novels of James Fenimore Cooper and Theodore Dreiser. 
 A notable real-life namesake is the highly influential botanist Asa Gray, and Asa was the birth name of Al Jolson. Radiohead's Colin Greenwood has a son named Asa. 
 Asa could also be a path to the hip nickname Ace or an alternative to the rapidly rising Asher.

One of the most romantic of appellations, Caspian is a geographical name referring to the large salty sea between Asia and Europe. It's also the name of the hero of C.S. Lewis's beloved Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian. 
 
The name Caspian is ultimately derived from the Latin term Caspii, meaning "white." Caspii was the name of the people of Central Asia who were originally from Caucasus. 
 
Caspian is attracting a lot of attention from cutting-edge parents these days. It fits in with several trends as a name from classic children's literature, a water-related place name, and an ancient name with the trending Cas- beginning, ala Cassius and Cassian.

Caspian

Leonidas is an ancient name that has started rising again along with centuries-old names such as Augustus and Cato. The original Leonidas was the most famous of Sparta's warriors, sacrificing his life at the Battle of Thermopylae; there is also a saint Leonidas. More stately than Leon, more melodious than Leonard, Leonidas is a leonine name that commands respect. In Greek, the name is pronounced leh-oh-NEE-das, but Americans tend to say lee-oh-NYE-dus.

Leonidas

A Top 10 name from the 1880s until the 1920s, Frank has been falling for decades but last year reversed course for the first time in a century, edging up the popularity list a few notches. And Frank still has a certain warm, friendly real-guy grandpa flavor that could come back into style, like other such choices as Jake and Jack. 
 
Maybe thanks to Sinatra, it's become a new hipster favorite with such couples as Diana Krall and Elvis Costello. Along with Sinatra, Frank has a wide variety of interesting namesakes, including architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry, artist Frank Stella, director Frank Capra, musician Frank Zappa, and Muppeteer/director Frank Oz, to name a few. Musician Frank Ocean was born Christopher Breaux.
 
It's worth noting that despite its long decline, Frank has always remained in the Top 500 for boys. Also, the newly-cool girls' nickname-name Frankie may have given brother Frank a style boost.

Frank

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's choice of this white-bearded Old Testament name helped bring it into the modern age, along with brethren Elijah, Isaiah and Isaac. User-friendly nicknames include Moe and Mose.
 
The biblical story of Moses is, of course, one of the most familiar from the Old Testament -- Moses being found as a baby in the bulrushes, growing up to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and into the Promised Land, then bringing down the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai. 
 
Moshe, as in Israeli statesman Dayan, is the original Hebrew form of the name. In Spanish, it is Moises, and in Yiddish, Moishe.
 
A namesake from the world of sports is NBA Hall of Famer Moses Malone. Mose Allison, meanwhile, is a jazz blues pianist and singer.

Moses

This distinguished name still feels a bit ancient, but with the rise of such former graybeards as Jeremiah and Elijah, it also sounds child-friendly again, as does the Latin-Greek form Zacharias. 
 Zachariah is a name that was in fairly regular use by the Puritans of the sixteenth century, then was eventually and completely overtaken by the more modern sounding Zachary. But strange as it may seem, Zachariah and Zacharias now seem more au courant than Zachary (even though that name remains more popular).
 In the Bible, spelled Zechariah, it is the name of about 30 different personages, one of whom gave his name to the book of Zechariah.
 Zarachiah Hobson is a character in the Thackeray novel, The Newcomes. 
 Zakkai, a Hebrew abbreviation of Zachariah, is another interesting option.

Zachariah

Fletcher is a common surname with a touch of quirkiness; it definitely fits into the So Far Out It's In category--and moving further in all the time along with other occupational names from Parker to Forester.
 One notable historical Fletcher is Fletcher Christian, the British seaman and mutineer portrayed on the screen at various times by Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Marlon Brando and Mel Gibson. A musical namesake is Fletcher Henderson, who was important in the development of big band jazz and swing music.

Fletcher

The long-neglected name of Adam and Eve's third son after Cain and Abel, Seth is appreciated for its gentle, understated presence -- and strong middle-name potential. It reached a high of Number 63 in the year 2000.
 The name was adopted in England in the late Middle ages, then popularized by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation.
 Seth was widely heard in the American old West, as reflected in such vintage TV oaters as Wagon Train, featuring Major Seth Adams. George Eliot and Charles Dickens both created characters named Seth and there is a Twilight werewolf called Seth Clearwater.
 Currently, Seth has taken on a lighter persona via such high-profile comical Seths as talk-show host Seth Meyers, the movies' Seth Rogen and animated-comedy creator Seth MacFarlane.

Seth

Cassius, a Shakespearean name rooted in antiquity, is trending in a major way. It's one of a raft of Cas-starting names for both boys and girls, including Caspian, Cassian, and Cassia, that are enjoying a new moiment in the sun.
 
There were two notable Ancient Roman figures named Cassius. Cassius Dio wrote an 80-volume history of Rome. Gaius Cassius Longinus, a senator who led the assassination plot against Julius Caesar, is the main figure in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. 

 In more modern times, Cassius Clay was an abolitionist and also the birth name of boxer Muhammad Ali. It was chosen for their sons by singer Bobby Brown and Getty heir/actor Balthazar Getty. Vanessa Marcil and Brian Austin Green used the nouveau Kassius spelling for theirs. With these namesakes, it's no surprise this name has become popular in recent years. 

 Americans tend to pronounce the name CASH-us while Europeans, including the British, say CASS-ee-us. Cass and Cash are both accessible nicknames.

Cassius

Jonas has a slightly more grandfatherly image than the English version of his name, but that only adds to its retro appeal. And though it may lag behind Jonah in this country, Jonas is riding a huge wave of popularity in Europe, where it ranks highly in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Norway.
 Over time, it has been associated with Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the anti-polio vaccine, and tween fave group the Jonas Brothers. Charles Dickens used the name for a character in Martin Chuzzlewit.

Jonas

Albert has acquired a new gloss as one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/341/royal-names-for-boys">royal baby boy names</a>, a considerable upgrade from its serious, studious image (think Einstein, Schweitzer). 

Albert became popular in Britain following the 1840 marriage of Queen Victoria to the German Prince Albert and remained in vogue for 80 years. In the US, it's been on a downward slide for a century, though it's always ranked in the US Top 1000 and is a Top 100 name in England and Denmark.

Along with such stalwarts as Walter and George, it could now make a distinctive yet classic choice. Enlivening nickname Bertie is popular on its own in the UK.

Albert

Amias is a friendly and attractive sounding name, with a lovely meaning and knightly feel. Though it might sound like a Biblical name, similar as it is to Amos and Ozias, it is in fact a Latin name, ultimately from the elements amicus or amo meaning "friend" and "love" respectively. 
 
Originally spelled as Amyas and used as a surname, it may have derived as a form of Amis or Amice, Medieval French and English names meaning "friend". Alternative theories are that it could have been used for someone from the French city of Amiens ("city of the Ambiani, those all around"), as a derivative of Amadeus ("love of God"), or as a masculine form of Amée or Amy ("beloved").
 The Amyas version became known via the hero of the mega-popular 1855 Charles Kingsley novel, Westward Ho!, Captain Sir Amyas Leigh, but it is the Amias spelling that is currently in favor, ranking in the Top 700 in the US in a recent year.

Amias

Otis has real appeal for parents attracted to its catchy O initial and combination of strength and spunk. The appealing hero of the British TV show Sex Education has done much to propel Otis into the forefront of cool names.
 Otis originally came into use as a tribute to the Revolutionary hero James Otis, and would be familiar to kids via the Disney film The Adventures of Milo and Otis. 
 Though well used at the turn of the last century, Otis was off the charts for two decades from 1995 to 2014, and now sounds like a fresh choice. Tobey Maguire used the name back in 2009. More recently, and possibly contributing to Otis's return to the Top 1000 in 2015, Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis gave the name to their son.

Otis

are back in a major way, combining traditional roots with the fresh style of names that haven't been heard for decades. While not all antique 

or old male names make the fashion grade — sorry, Herbert and Melvin — new old choices such as Cassius and Leopold are being added to the roster all the time.

 include Abel, Arthur, Elias, Finn, Henry, Jasper, Miles, and Xavier. 

on the rise include Linus, Caspian, Ned, and Ambrose.

A vintage name can give your son a good measure of history and heft to rely on. 

 tend to come connected to many worthy namesakes along with heroes of literature and myth.

for your son, our complete list of stylish vintage baby boy names is below.

Vintage boy names including old fashioned baby boy names and retro boy names with meanings, origins, and popularity. (Page 4)