Old Man Names Back in Style

Ozzie

Diminutive of Osmond, Oswald, or Oscar

"divine; deer"

Ozzy has been on the rise in recent years and currently sits in the Top 1000 in the UK and the US. The Ozzie spelling has yet to catch up, but has nevertheless gained more attention thanks to its…

Rufus

Latin

"red-head"

Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.…

Lloyd

Welsh

"gray"

This Welsh surname was taken up as a first in the English-speaking world in the early twentieth century, originally as a nickname for someone gray-haired. The original Welsh nickname was Llwyd,…

Luther

German

"army people"

Once restricted to evangelical Protestants honoring the ecclesiastical reformer and theologian Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant revolution. In more recent times it has been favored by parents…

Clem

, English, diminutive of Clement

Laid-back and humble, with a distinctive down-home charm.

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,…

Rudolph

German

"famous wolf"

Sure, he'd probably get a certain amount of red-nosed teasing around the holiday, but a boy named Rudolph could probably take it. Besides, he's got other, more distinguished namesakes -- the great…

Jules

French form of Latin Julius

"youthful; soft, downy"

Though Jules hasn't been on the US popularity list in fifty years, it is a current hit in its native France—where it's currently in the Top 10—and we can definitely see it making a comeback here,…

Gus

Diminutive of Augustus, Angus, Gustave, Augustin, Augusten, Augustine, August

Gus is a homey grandpa nickname name that can work as a short form for any of the above or stand on its own as a cutting-edge replacement for Max and Jake--though it was off the Top 1000 from 1978…

Murray

Scottish

"settlement by the sea"

Murray, you may be surprised to discover, is a Scottish surname name --that of an ancient noble clan--with a sea-swept meaning, and just could be in the next wave of reevaluated grandpa names.…

Basil

Greek

"royal"

Although Greek in origin--in the fourth century, a bishop by that name established the principles of the Greek Orthodox Church--Basil for years took on the aura of aquiline-nosed upper-class…

Zacharias

Greek form of Hebrew Zachariah

"the Lord has remembered"

One of several more venerable names that get to the nickname Zack if you're tired of Zachary. In the New Testament, Zacharias was the husband of Elizabeth and father of John the Baptist.

Osgood

Teutonic

"divine creator"

This name seems to foresee a future CFO. Not a bad thing. Osgood Perkins is the name of both the father and son of actor Anthony. Oz is the enlivening nickname.

Whitman

English

"white man"

Whitman, a namesake surname for poet Walt, would be much more suited to a boy, probably because of that "man" part. Whit or Witt makes an uplifting short form which can be used on its own.

Prescott

English

"priest's cottage"

Prescott is one of several distinguished, upper-crusty surnames beginning with P. There are several historical surnamed Prescotts, including William, a Massachusetts Minuteman and commander at the…

Cy

Diminutive of Cyrus, Persian

"sun"

This evocative short name is suddenly chic — it was recently chosen by Jennifer Lawrence for her baby boy. JLaw's son's name honors Cy Twombly, the influential mid-century American artist. Born Edwin…