175 old-fashioned baby names that are ready for a refresh

Emily Sher
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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

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