175 old-fashioned baby names that are ready for a refresh
Everything old becomes new again, and that is certainly the case when it comes to old-fashioned baby names.
Even the most vintage name can start to sound like a “baby name” when it is used enough, Pamela Redmond, creator of Nameberry, tells TODAY.com. For example, traditional baby girl names Eleanor and Amelia have started to sound less like old lady names these days.
“They now sound fresher and more baby-like,” Redmond says.
Historically, boys names don’t come in and out of fashion in the same way that girls names have.
“If you look back at any given period, it’s going to be John, William and James,” Laura Wattenberg, creator of Namerology, tells TODAY.com.
Parents who are set on reviving an old-fashioned baby names but want unique options should take heart — there are still plenty of historical names that feel fresh and modern.
“Names today are all about sound,” Wattenberg explains. “It’s a very smooth, light and vowel-driven sound. That’s why you see so many Amelias and Olivias and so few Gertrudes and Mildreds.”
Another great source for unique baby names? Look up names from your family tree, Wattenberg suggests.
Old-Fashioned Baby Names
Whether you’re looking for vintage names because you love classic monikers or because you want to revive a forgotten favorite, here are 175 old-fashioned baby names to try.
100 Old-Fashioned Girl Names
One rising trend are nature baby names, such as Hazel, Iris, Ivy, Olive, Pearl, Ruby and Violet, Redmond says. As for common patterns, “v” has become a familiar internal letter, seen with Eve, Evelyn and Vivian.
Ophelia
Aurelia
Hazel
Amelia
Iris
Clara
Violet
Eleanor
Evelyn
Josephine
Mabel
Ada
Beatrice
Stella
Mae
Elsie
Cordelia
Florence
Celeste
Sadie
Grace
Lydia
Olive
Margot
Audrey
Edith
Flora
Jane
Esther
Clover
Vera
Lena
Millie
Etta
Faye
Molly
Winnie
Frances
Birdie
Harriet
Sylvie
Helena
Odette
Georgia
June
Winifred
Estelle
Bonnie
Pearl
Hattie
Agnes
Rosalie
Odessa
Ruth
Isadora
Alma
Lillian
Louise
Irene
Rosemary
Ida
Maude
Sybil
Celia
Elaine
Vivian
Louisa
Annie
Effie
Zelda
Dolores
Rhea
Billie
Opal
Wilhelmina
Goldie
Constance
Helen
Sylvia
Dorothy
Nancy
Rosie
Viola
Priscilla
Jacqueline
Ramona
Mavis
Agatha
Lucille
Polly
Fern
Callie
Sally
Dorothea
Bernadette
Inez
Minnie
Lois
Betty
Imogene
75 Old-Fashioned Boys Names
The top names for boys in the early 20th century included John, William, James, George, Robert and Richard. In 2021, the name Mac rose in popularity 260 spots and Harold and Arthur secured the top-100 ranking.
Wattenberg, author of the “Baby Name Wizard,” notes that big groups of voiced consonants will help your baby name stand out.
“For instance, Conrad will stand out in a sea of names rhyming with Aiden," she says.
Albert
Alvin
Amos
Archibald
Archie
Arthur
Barney
Beau
Bertram
Buck
Calvin
Cecil
Chester
Clifford
Clyde
Conrad
Cyril
Cyrus
Desmond
Duane
Dwight
Edmund
Edwin
Ernest
Franklin
Frederick
Gerald
Gideon
Gilbert
Gus
Grady
Hardy
Harlan
Harold
Harris
Herschel
Jules
Lionel
Lloyd
Luther
Mack
Marshall
Martin
Melvin
Milton
Ned
Orson
Orville
Otis
Oscar
Otto
Palmer
Percy
Prescott
Quincy
Ralph
Roland
Roy
Rudy
Rupert
Rutherford
Silas
Stanley
Stanton
Sylvester
Theodore
Thomas
Vernon
Wallace
Walton
Ward
Warren
Wilbur
Winfield
Woodrow
This article was originally published on TODAY.com