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150 Old Fashioned Boy Names Make a Stylish Comeback

baby boy in a suit

Old-fashioned boy names are back! They’re timeless options that stand out even today. These vintage monikers may be a thing of the past. Evidently,  they’re quickly gaining popularity. It is why more and more parents are naming their sons after men from myths, classical literature, the Bible, and history. 

We’ve put together 150 old-fashioned boy names to help you with your search. You can find the category that best resonates with you. We made it more interesting by adding their special meaning and history.

Old Fashioned Boy Names from the Bible

baby wrapped in blue cloth

The Bible is brimming with stories of strong and remarkable prophets. Furthermore, the biblical and Hebrew  names below emanate wisdom. They, undoubtedly,  can be perfect for your most precious gift. 

  1. Abraham – This faithful patriarch’s name means “father of many”.
  2. Amos – An Old Testament prophet, its name means “burden” or “load.” 
  3. Asher – The name of Jacob’s son means “blessed” and “happy”. 
  4. Balthazar – A name with Babylonian roots, it signifies “God protect the king”.
  5. Barnaby – This cute and unique choice originates from the German and biblical name Barnabas, meaning “son of the prophet” or “son of encouragement.” 
  6. Bartholomew – The long form of Bart or Tolly means “son of Talmai,” a biblical name signifying “furrowed”.
  7. Christian – This biblical name hails from the Greek name Cristos, which means “anointed.” 
  8. Elias – One of the old-fashioned boy names is a derivation of Elijah, a term for “Yahweh is my God”.
  9. Elijah – The Bible’s miracle worker’s name comes from the Hebrew phrase “My God is Yahweh”.
  10. Ezekiel – An important Old Testament prophet, his name means “God will strengthen,”
  11. Ezra – Ezra, a Hebrew name that means “help,” belongs to a priest and prophet in the Old Testament.
  12. Gabriel – This name is a Hebrew term that says, “God is my strong man”.
  13. Jeremiah – The Hebrew bible’s prophet’s name stands for “Yahweh will exalt.”

More Names From the Bible

Read on for more names from the bible. You’ll find one that resonates with you, without a doubt.  

  1.  Jonah – An old-fashioned Hebrew name originating from Yonah that signifies “dove”.
  2. Josiah – This ancient Hebrew name, meaning “Yahweh supports,” belonged to the king of Judah. 
  3. Joshua – A popular Hebrew name, it means “Yahweh is savior”. 
  4. Malachi – This Old Testament prophet’s name means “my messenger” or “my angel” in Hebrew
  5. Micah – The name of this biblical prophet comes from Micaiah, a Hebrew term that expresses “Who is like Yahweh?”.
  6. Nathaniel – This ancient Hebrew name, which translates to “God has given”, appears in various cultures. 
  7. Noah – This famous ark builder’s name means repose and rest.
  8. Samuel – One of the examples of old-fashioned boy names, it implies God has heard.
  9. Silas – This is a perfect name for parents who love the outdoors since it means “woods” or “forest”.
  10. Solomon – This biblical name is connected to the Hebrew word “shalom”, meaning peace.
  11. Zebedee – This name, an ancient Greek form of Zebadiah, carries the Hebrew meaning “Yahweh has bestowed”.
  12. Zebulon – It is an Old Testament name that means “to dwell” or “gift.” 

Old Fashioned Boys Name with Hebrew Origins

Here are more old-fashioned boy names with Hebrew roots.

  1. Abner – This distinguished-sounding name means “my father is light”. 
  2. Benjamin – A Hebrew name that translates to “the right hand’s son”.
  3. Caleb – An old-fashioned boy’s name that combines “kal” and “lev”, Hebrew words for whole and heart.
  4. Ethan – This adorable name means “enduring,” “solid,” and firm.
  5. Jasper – This name, derived from the Hebrew word “gizbar”, translates to treasurer.
  6. Jethro – This unique vintage moniker is an ancient Hebrew word denoting “abundance.” 
  7. Omar – This royal-sounding name means “speaker” in Hebrew and “populous”, “flourishing” and “life” in Arabic.

Classic Boy Names with French Roots

baby wrapped in yellow blanket

France’s legendary kings and brave warriors are great inspirations for your baby boy’s name. The list below has adventurous and romantic monikers fit for your little prince.

  1. Algernon – This Norman French name means “has a mustache.”
  2. Amis – A medieval term derived from the French “Amice”, meaning “friend.”
  3. Claude – This name traces its roots to French culture and is derived from Claudius, meaning “crippled”.
  4. Cassian – A stand-out option among old-fashioned boy names, it derives from Cassius, meaning “vain” or “empty.” 
  5. Gaston – Popularized by a character in Beauty and the Beast, this name means “guest” or “stranger”. 
  6. Maurice – This French name with Roman origins translates to “dark-skinned” and “Moorish.” 
  7. Orson – A name that means “bear” in French. 
  8. Pascal – A dignified French name with Latin roots that implies “relating to Easter”
  9. Rainier – This unique French name originates from Rayner, signifying “advice” and “army.”
  10. Sacha – A French version of Sasha, this Russian nickname for Aleksandr (Alexander), means “defending men” in Greek.
  11. Remy – A modern English moniker from Rémy, a French name signifying “oarsman” or “rower.”

Germanic Old Fashioned Boy Names

baby wrapped in red blanket

Ancient Germany is rich in culture and history. As a result,  it became a treasure trove of baby boy names, like the ones below. 

  1. Ansel – A name from the Germanic moniker Anselm, which stands for “protection” and “God”.
  2. Archie – A shortened term for Archibald, Archie is a Germanic word that means “bold” and “genuine.”
  3. Bernard – This name, made famous in the early 20th century, has Germanic origins, meaning “brave bear.”  
  4. Bertrand – An Ancient Germanic name that means “bright” or “wise.”
  5. Frederick – A gentlemanly name from Germanic origins, meaning “peaceful ruler”.
  6. Henry – A moniker originating from Heimrich, a Germanic name for “ruler of the home”.
  7. Hugh – This is a noble name that signifies “mind”, “spirit”, and “body” in German.
  8. Leopold – This name, crafted from two Germanic words, means ‘people’ and ‘bold.
  9. Miles – Originally the Germanic ‘Milo, this moniker has Norman origins. 
  10. Norbert – An Ancient Germanic moniker that stands for “north bright.” 
  11. Oliver – In the Germanic language, this name means “olive tree”.
  12. Randolf – This strong-sounding name comes from Germanic elements that signify “rin of a shield” and “wolf.” 

Old Fashioned Boy Names from Other European Countries

Are you looking for more regal and charming name options? Read on to see more old fashioned boy names from Greece, Russia, Italy, and Ireland.

  1. Atticus – This unique moniker is a Latinized Greek name meaning “from Attica.
  2. Clarence – This regal name, originally an adjective for residents of Clare is often associated with a type of early 19th-century carriage called a “clarence”.
  3. Cyrus – A Greek name meaning “young” or “far-sighted”
  4. Edwin – A Dutch name meaning “wealthy friend”, famously associated with astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
  5. Ivan – This name stems from Russian and Slavic cultures and conveys the meaning, “God is gracious”.
  6. Linus – This name comes from the Greek word for  flax.
  7. Laurence – A name from Roman Laurentius, it means “from Laurentum,” an ancient Italian city. 
  8. Myron – In ancient Greek, this name means “sweet oil” or “perfume.” 
  9. Otis – Originally a last name, it traces back to the medieval first name Ode, which means “wealth” or “fortune.” 
  10. Quincy – This vintage moniker connects to the Roman name’ Quintus,’ signifying fifth. 
  11. René – Renatusis, an ancient Roman name meaning “born again”, is the origin of this name.
  12. Robin – This unisex name originates from the medieval name ‘Robert,’ meaning ‘bright fame.’
  13. Sebastian – This well-loved European name hails from the Greek word that stands for “venerable”.
  14. Socrates – A rare and unique name, Socrates, has ancient Greek elements meaning “whole,” “unwounded,” “safe,” and “power.” 
  15. Theodore – Theodoros, a Greek term that says “a gift of God,” is the source of this stately name. 
  16. Titus – This ancient Roman name means “title of honor”.
  17. Tobias – A Greek form of Tobiah, it means “Yahweh is good”.
  18. Wilfred – Popular nicknames like Wil, Willie, and Fred came out of this name that means “desiring peace”.
  19. Wyatt – A dashing name that stands for “hardy” or “brave”, 

Old Fashioned Boys Names from the UK

baby boy sitting on the sand

The United Kingdom gave birth to several distinguished names fit for royalty. Read on to find more options for your own tiny royal. 

  1. Alaric – A unique option among old-fashioned boy names that signifies “ruler of all”.  
  2. Angus – This Scottish name is an Anglicized version of Aonghus, meaning “one strength”. 
  3. Baldric – An English name with medieval roots that stands for “brave”, “bold”, “ruler”, and “mighty.” 
  4. Cuthbert – An English name, meaning “famous and bright”, is linked to a hermit on the island of Lindisfarne.
  5. Douglas – Originally a place name, it’s an Anglicized form of the Scottish name Dubhghlas, meaning “dark river”.
  6. Edgar – A name popularized by a 10th-century English king, meaning “spear”, “wealth,” and “fortune”.
  7. Edmund – Featured in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, this English name means “rich protection”. 
  8. Evan – The Welsh version of John, means “Yahweh is gracious”. 
  9. Elmer – This moniker originated from Old English elements “æðel” (noble) and “mær” (famous), forming the rare name Æðelmær. 
  10. Franklin – This historical name is originally an English surname which meant “freeman”.
  11. Gael – Initially referring to Gaelic speakers, this name gained modern popularity as a first name in Spanish and English.

More Names from the UK

If you want more options for adorable British names, check out the list below.

  1. Jack – The roaring 20s saw the rise of this English name that means “to be gracious”.
  2. Lloyd – Common in the early twentieth century, this name originates from the Welsh word “llwyd,” meaning “gray”.
  3. Maël – Pronounced MA-EHL, this charming old-fashioned boy name stems from the Celtic word for “prince” or “chieftain.”
  4. Maxwell – A distinguished name that has Scandinavian and Scottish roots that mean “great”. 
  5. Mortimer – This English name means “still water”, while its French version, “morte mare”, signifies “dead water”.
  6. Oscar – This old English name stands for “God’s spear”, while an alternative meaning means “friend of deer” in Irish. 
  7. Oswald – Hailing from Anglo-Saxon roots, it means “God’s power” or “ruler”.
  8. Owen – This name has ties to the Scottish name Eoin, which means “youth”.
  9. Percival – This Welsh name means “hard spears”, it gets its influence from an old French phrase, “percer val” which means piercing the valley.
  10. Tristan – Famous among royalty, it originated from the Celtic word “drest”, meaning “riot” or “tumult.” 

Old Fashioned Boy Names with Spanish Origins

baby lying on a blue blanket

You may be looking for a name with an international flair or to honor a relative with Spanish roots. Whatever the reason, you’ve come to the right place!

  1. Adelardo – A Spanish and Italian version of Adalhard, it stands for “brave,” “hardy”, and “noble”.  
  2. Aurelius – An ancient Roman name that comes from the Latin “aureus”, meaning “golden” and “gilded.”
  3. Faustino – A rare beauty among old-fashioned Spanish names, it comes from Roman Faustus, meaning “auspicious” or “lucky.” 
  4. Ferdinand – This moniker traces back to the Iberian Peninsula and means “brave”, “daring”, and “journey”.
  5. Hugo – Hugh’s Latin version, represents spirit, body, and mind.
  6. Ignacio – This Spanish form of the Roman Ignatius symbolizes “fire”. 
  7. Lorencio – An old Spanish form of Laurence that means “from Laurentum”, an ancient Italian city. 
  8. Manu – A short form of the classic Spanish name Emmanuel, means “God is with us”. 
  9. Nestor – A popular Spanish name that means “returner” or “homecomer”. 
  10. Raúl – This Spanish version of Ralph traces back to Old Norse Ráðúlfr, combining “counsel” and “wolf”. 
  11. Rosendo – Popular in the Galicia region, this name combines elements meaning “fame” and “path”.
  12. Sancho – Possibly rooted in the old Iberia name, the name translates to “saintly” and “holy”. 
  13. Santiago – This name combines “santo” (saint) and the Old Spanish name for James (Yago), and the result translates to “Saint James”.
  14. Xavier – “Etxeberria,” this name’s Basque origin means “the new house” in French and Spanish.

Old Fashioned Boy Names with Latin Roots

Check out this list if you can’t get enough of Spanish old fashioned boy names. Here are some options with Latin origins. 

  1. Agapito – Originally Agapitus in Latin, this rare name transforms into “beloved”.
  2. Ambrose – This vintage Latin name means “immortal”.
  3. Aulus – Coming from the Latin “avulus”, this name means “little grandfather”.
  4. Benedict – This moniker stems from Benedictus, a Latin name that signifies “blessed”.  
  5. Chester – Another adorable pick from old-fashioned boy names; it means “fortress” or “camp” in Latin. 
  6. Clement – Derived from the Latin name “Clemens”, it means “merciful” and “gentle”. 
  7. Dexter – This name stems from a Latin word meaning “right-handed” and “skilled”. 
  8. Felix – The Latin words for “successful” and “lucky” are the origins of this famous name for popes. 
  9. Maximilian – This name comes from Maximus, a Latin word meaning “greatest”.
  10. Peregrine – Known for a famous water brand, this name comes from the late Latin word, meaning “traveler”.
  11. Rufus – This moniker, signifying “red-haired” in Latin, was favored by English and Welsh parents. 
  12. Silvester – Like Silas, this name means “of the forest” and comes from the Latin words for “woods” or “forest.”

Old Fashioned Boy Names from Mythology

baby with white bonnet

If you’re a Greek or Roman Mythology fan, you’re in for a treat. We’ve provided a list of old-fashioned boy names from ancient lore and breathtaking stories of adventure. 

  1. Alexander – A notable fixture in Greek mythology, this name means defending men.
  2. Apollo – This Greek name hails from the God of music, poetry, and light. 
  3. Atlas – Meaning “to endure”, this name also originated from a Titan in Greek mythology.
  4. Cadmus – This Greek mythology character’s name means “one who excels”.
  5. Demetrius – A male version of the Greek goddess Demeter, the goddess of harvest.
  6. Evander – This famous boxer’s name reflects the meaning, “the good man”.
  7. Homer – The Iliad writer’s name means “pledge” in Greek. 
  8. Julian – Jupiter, a Roman God, is the inspiration for this name. 
  9. Leander – A strong name that emanates strength means “lion man”. 
  10. Linus – Made famous by a Peanuts character, it means “blond or flaxen hair”. 
  11. Marcel – This diminutive of Marcus is linked to the Roman God Mars and signifies “male” in Latin.
  12. Olympus – Athletic parents would love this name based on the Greek mythology mountain.
  13. Philip – This gentlemanly name comes from the Greek word “friends of horses”.
  14. Xanthe – This traditional girl’s name means yellow or gold. 
  15. Xerxes – This Persian warrior’s name means “king of heroes”.

Short But Sweet Boy Names

baby and bubbles

Names with one or two syllables are surprisingly making a comeback. They may be short, but they’re unquestionably a classy choice for your sweet baby boy. 

  1. Ahab – This “Moby Dick” character’s name is a Latin word meaning “uncle.”
  2. Alf – Often a shortened version of Alfred, it’s an Old Norse term for “elf” or “elf counsel.” 
  3. Beau – This short but cool name stands for “beautiful” in French. 
  4. Carl – It is a classic name with Germanic roots that means “man” and “warrior.” 
  5. Cole – Traditionally a surname, this moniker means “people’s victory”.
  6. Eli – This short moniker conveys the meaning of “ascension” in Hebrew.
  7. Finn – Finn, a favored choice in the U.S., Ireland, and Germany, originated from the Old Irish “Fionn,” meaning “fair” or “white”. 
  8. Gil – This short but sweet name stands for joy or happiness in Hebrew. 
  9. Guy -The Hebrew word “gai” or valley, is the origin of this cool name. 
  10. Ian – Known as a classic Scottish name that stands for “The Lord is gracious”. 
  11. Leo – This fierce-sounding name originated from the Latin word for lion.
  12. Levi – The son of biblical characters Leah and Jacob, Levi is a Hebrew word denoting “attached” and “joined”.
  13. Luke – This Latin name means “giving light” in the similar fashion as Lucas.
  14. Saul – A Hebrew name from the Old Testament, means “asked for” or “prayed for”. 

Choosing the Best Name for your Baby Boy

Choosing a name for your son is a daunting yet exciting task, given the variety of choices. One tip would be to pick one that celebrates your family history or cultural heritage. Perhaps you’re hunting for a name with an international flair or one that pays homage to dear old Grandpa. It is important to know that the vintage names featured in this article have got you covered. If you are looking for more ideas, check out our baby names inspired by nature

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