Boy Names Lists · Historic and Vintage Names · Name Image
Old Man Names Back in Style
Across 8 pages
of 8
Wallace
Scottish
"foreigner, stranger"
Wallace is so square could almost be ripe for a turnaround, especially with the hipness imparted by the British Claymation series Wallace & Gromit . And Wally makes an adorable Leave it to Beaver…
Quentin
Latin
"fifth"
Quentin, an offbeat name with lots of character, relates to the Latin for the number five and is by far the subtlest and most usable of the Latin birth-order names, masculine as well as stylish and…
Ephraim
Hebrew
"fruitful, fertile, productive"
Ephraim is an Old Testament name we would place high on the list of neglected Biblical possibilities, solid but not solemn. In Genesis, Ephraim is the second son of Joseph, and founder of one of the…
Harold
Scandinavian
"army ruler"
The name of the last Anglo-Saxon king of England before the Norman conquest, and a name that's long been associated with a pipe-smoking, bespectacled grandpa or uncle. After years in style limbo,…
Hal
Diminutive of Harold or Henry, English, Scandinavian, German
"army ruler or estate ruler"
Could Hal be the Jack, Max, or Gus of the future? It just might happen in the new nickname environment, especially with Cal and Cy feeling cool, and with the interest in vintage, cowboy-esque…
Herbert
German
"bright army"
Names ending in bert have long been in limbo, but with the return of Albert, maybe there's hope for Herbert. who could share the Bertie nickname. Herbert is a name that's been used by English…
Herman
German
"soldier, warrior"
It's hard to believe now that Herman was once, at the turn of the last century, a Top 50 name, remaining in the Top 100 until 1935, and even harder to imagine it making a comeback. But then again,…
Hiram
Hebrew
"brother of the exalted one"
Hiram is the kind of forgotten biblical name that adventurous parents who wish to move beyond David and Daniel are beginning to reconsider--even though it has bits of its old stiff-collared image…
Homer
Greek
"security, hostage, pledge"
Homer is a name of two halves, associated with the ancient Greek poet of the epic Odyssey and with the (often) doltish patriarch of The Simpsons . So does that make Homer a classic and scholarly…
Horace
Latin clan name
"timekeeper"
The ancient name Horace sounds fustily fuddy-duddy, and yet, with the resurrection of Homer, and the new interest in old Roman names...who knows. Its early popularity--it was in the Top 100 at the…
Howard
German, English
"high guardian; brave heart"
Howard, once hugely popular in the Top 50 from the 1870s to early 1950s, hitting Number 24 in 1920 -- has been stuck in Dad-Grandad limbo for decades, but is showing some signs of stirring back to…
Hubert
German
"bright, shining intellect"
A name that sounds so old-fashioned some parents out there might conceivably find it quirky enough for a comeback, along with other one-time fuddie-duddies like Oscar and Homer. Along with other…
Humphrey
German
"peaceful warrior"
Humphrey is an old name that might have faded completely were it not for that Bogie flair. A royal name in Britain, where it's used somewhat more frequently, Humphrey might just have some life beyond…
Ignatius
Latin
"fiery"
The striking Ignatius is making a truly surprising comeback, sparked by its selection by not one but two celebrities — Cate Blanchett and Julianne Nicholson. With its fiery qualities and magical…
Isidore
Greek
"gift of Isis"
Isabel, Theodore, and Isadora are back: could it now be time for a more widespread revival of Isidore? Yet to see any big moves up the charts, Isidore was given to more than 30 boys in a recent year:…
Isadore
Variation of Isidore, Greek
"gift of Isis"
A classic variation of the name Isidore, both Isadore and Isidore were equally popular at their peak in the 1910s. They were historically used among Jewish families — Isidore and Isadore were often…
Jerome
Greek
"sacred name"
Jerome has a bespectacled, serious, studious image, just like its namesake saint, who was a brilliant scholar. St. Jerome is the patron saint of students, librarians, and archaeologists. Musical…
Jules
French form of Julius, Latin
"youthful; soft, downy; sky father"
Though Jules hasn't been on the US popularity list in fifty years, it remains a hit in its native France where it's currently in the Top 10 — and has been in the Top 500 nearly every year since the…
Larry
Diminutive of Lawrence, English from Latin
"from Laurentium or bay laurel"
Your friendly next-door neighbor...not your baby. Although Larry was once one of the most popular boys' names starting with L , that title now belongs to Liam.
Leander
Greek
"lion-man"
Leander was once an almost unknown name, however, with the popularity of Leo and the rise of Leandro, it now feels like a perfectly accessible alternative to Leon or Alexander. In Greek legend,…