Old Fashioned Forgotten Names From The 1800s Thru 1970s
These vintage boys’ names range from old-fashioned to ready for a comeback!
Whether you’re looking for a stereotypical name from a specific era or an old name you’d like to give a fresh start, you’ll find it here!
Forgotten Vintage Boy Names
These forgotten vintage boy names used to be very popular but are rarely used today:
- Dennis
- Harold
- Gerald
- Wayne
- Ralph
- Walter
- Claude
- Clyde
- Luther
- Horace
- Lloyd
- Leroy
- Floyd
- Norman
- Mack
- Wallace
- Melvin
- Clinton
- Nelson
- Lonnie
- Reuben
- Glenn
- Curtis
- Harley
- Jeffrey
- Dale
- Randall
- Russell
- Rodney
- Darrell
- Brent
- Rex
Old fashioned boy names from the 1800s
These old fashioned boy names from the 1800s were popular then but are rarely used today
- Bert
- Eugene
- Frank
- Clarence
- Ernest
- Oscar
- Elmer
- Herbert
- Herman
- Howard
- Grover
- Chester
- Ira
- Homer
- Marion
- Sidney
- Milton
- Lester
- Rufus
- Alvin
- Amos
- Stanley
- Roscoe
- Gilbert
- Willard
- Wilbert
- Cornelius
- Morris
- Hiram
- Sylvester
- Marvin
- Edmund
- Cecil
- Cleveland
- Vernon
- Gordon
- Duane, Dwayne
Related post: go further back in time with these medieval names!
Vintage boys names with nicknames
Bert
Whether the full name is Albert, Gilbert, or Hubert, those are all vintage boy names with a vintage nickname!
Dennis
Whether Dennis goes by Denny or Den, it’s the perfect vintage boy’s name!
Harold
Classic nicknames for Harold include Harry and Roald
Gerald
Gerald can go by Gerry, Ger, or Roald
Walter
Walt and Wally make perfect nicknames for Walter
Leroy
Leroy could easily go by Roy!
Norman
What do you think of Norman who goes by Norm?
Wallace
While someone named Wallace would typically go by Wally, would you ever consider the nickname Ace?
Melvin
Melvin can easily go by Mel
Clinton
Here’s another obvious one- Clint
Curtis
Curtis can go by Curt
Related post: Twin Names for Boys
Jeffrey
Of course, we are all familiar with the nickname Jeff, but Jep is actually a traditional nickname for Jeffrey too!
Randall
Randalls often go by Randy.
Russell
Russ is a great nickname for Russel.
Rodney
Rodney can go by Rod or Roddy.
Darrell
What’s not to love about the vintage boy’s name Darrell with nicknames like Dare and Derry?
Related post: Rare names for boys
What’s an old fashioned name for a boy?
Old-fashioned names for boys include Bert, Eugene, Frank, Herbert, and Ira.
Here are more ideas to consider:
- Clarence
- Ernest
- Elmer
- Herman
- Grover
- Chester
- Ira
- Milton
- Lester
- Rufus
- Alvin
- Amos
- Stanley
- Roscoe
- Gilbert
- Willard
- Wilbert
- Cornelius
- Morris
- Hiram
- Marvin
- Edmund
- Cecil
- Cleveland
- Vernon
- Duane
What’s a good old-timey name for a boy?
Good old-timey names for a boy include Grover, Vernon, Cecil, Hiram, Milton, Chester, and Roscoe.
All of these names were popular in the 1800s or early 1900s but are rarely used today.
More Vintage boy names with meanings
Here are all the vintage and old-fashioned boy names with meanings from this post. Plus a few more vintage and old-fashioned names that have already started making a comeback! We’ve also included facts about their popularity and more!
Kenneth
Kenneth was hugely popular in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, but now it’s not in the top 100 names for boys.
It may mean “handsome” or “respect.”
Ronald
Ronald was super popular from the 1930s through the 1960s but has steadily declined in popularity since. Now it’s the top 500 most popular boys’ names.
Lawrence
Lawrence is a true old- fashioned boy’s name. It’s been in the top 100 boys’ names from 1880 to 1974! Now that it’s dropped down into the top 500 boy names, it’s truly a vintage name due for a comeback.
Laurence or Lawrence mean “crowned with laurels.”
Raymond
After 1994, Raymond fell out of the top 100 and has been steadily declining since the 1950s. It means “advice protector.”
Related post: Find more classic names in our collection of Victorian Names!
Dennis
Dennis fell out of the top 100 in 1985 and is now one of the 600th most common boys’ names.
Until I wrote this post, I didn’t know that Dennis is a form of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.
Gerald
Gerald means “rule of the spear.” Gerald enjoyed popularity until the 1960s. Now it’s not even in the top 1000 baby names in the US.
Harold
Harold has been a classic boy’s name since the 1880s. But in the 1960s, Harold became less and less popular. In the 2020s, fewer than 300 babies receive this name each year. This name means “army leader.”
Wayne
Wayne peaked in the 1950s but now is barely one of the top 1000 baby names. This is definitely a vintage name I’d like to see make a comeback!
No wonder Wayne sounds old fashioned! It used to refer to someone whose job was to make wagons!
Ralph
Ralph has been less and less popular since the 1940s. Now, it’s not even in the top 1000 boys’ names. Ralph actually comes from ancient Norse and means “wolf counsel.”
Eugene
After 1928, Eugene became drastically less popular. Now it’s given to around 200-300 baby boys each year. It means “well born.“
Louis
Definitely a vintage name but still somewhat trendy today. Louis means “famous battle.”
Frank
Frank peaked in popularity in 1890 and has steadily declined since then. It originated in Germany and originally referred to a member of the Germanic tribe, the Franks, who later settled in France.
Walter
The classic name Walter isn’t as common as it was in the 1920s. It was still fairly popular up until the 1960s. It means “ruler of the army.”
Edward
Another classic name, Edward has been slowly but steadily declining in popularity. It means “rich guard.”
Arthur
Arthur certainly has a vintage feel to it, doesn’t it? Its original meaning is uncertain but may come from Old Welsh for bear, man, or king.
Albert
Albert has steadily declined in popularity since the 1880s! It remained in the top 20 boys’ names until the 1920s, but is now given to 400-500 boys per year. Bert is also an uncommon name these days.
Albert means noble and bright.
Clarence
Clarence peaked around 1920 but is virtually unheard of now! It hasn’t even been in the top 1,000 boys’ names since 2010. This name is actually derived from the town of Suffolk in England.
Ernest
Fewer than 200 boys are given this vintage name each year! Ernest comes from an old Germanic word meaning serious.
Oscar
Oscar means “deer friend.” It was extremely popular in the 1800s but isn’t so common nowadays.
Elmer
Elmer is not even in the top 1,000 baby names in the US! It’s given to fewer than 200 children per year. This name means noble and famous.
Herbert
Herbert was among the top 50 boys’ names until it started falling from popularity in the 1930s. Now it’s given to fewer than 150 boys per year.
It means “bright army.”
Herman
Herman hung out in the top 100 baby names through the 1930s. It’s dwindled to obscurity, especially since the 1990s. Meaning: army man
Howard
Howard has slowly gone by the wayside over the last 100 years! Now it’s just squeaking by as one of the top 1,000 boy names- it’s in the 900s!
It may mean shepherd, brave heart, or guardian
Claude
Claude has been virtually unheard of since the 1990s! Fewer than 200 boys receive this name each year.
Francis
After the 1950s, Francis became much less common as a baby name. It’s still used occasionally for both boys and girls.
Francis ultimately derives from the late Latin word Franciscus, meaning Frenchman.
Related post: Rare and Unique Girl Names
Grover
In the late 1800s, President Grover Cleveland brought this name into the limelight. After 1895, Grover disappeared as an American baby name. I love this gorgeous vintage boy name and can’t wait for it to make a comeback!
Grover comes from the Old English word for grove of trees.
Clyde
Clyde has fallen out of popularity since the 1960s. A few hundred boys receive this name each year now. This name originated from the River Clyde in Scotland.
Chester
Chester had its heyday back in 1920. Now this obscure name is hardly used at all in the US. However, it’s seeing some popularity in Wales and England.
This name came from Chester, an old Roman settlement in Britain. It comes from the Latin word for fortress, camp.
Otto
The short, simple, and unique vintage boys’ name Otto is seeing a comeback! It comes from an ancient Germanic word meaning wealth.
Ira
Ira has steadily fallen in popularity since the Social Security Administration started collecting data on names in the 1880s! Today, it’s only given to a handful of baby boys each year.
Ira means watchful in Hebrew.
Luther
Luther has faded away and is virtually unheard of today.
Meaning: army of people
Floyd
Once among the top 100 boys names in the US, Floyd has vanished into obscurity.
Floyd is actually a variation on Lloyd, which means grey.
Homer
Homer was a popular name until the 1940s and now it’s rarely used. Do you think this name is ready to emerge from under the shadow of Mr. Simpson?
Homer means pledge.
August
August hit bottom in the 1980s and is trending in popularity now. Meaning: exalted
Horace
After a long reign as a top 100 boys’ name, Horace has been lost to time.
Speaking of time, this name means “hour, time, season.”
Marion
The French name Marion was among the top 200 boys’ names until the 1940s. This vintage name certainly would make a unique choice today. It’s a masculine form of Maria or Mary and means “beloved.”
Warren
Classic name Warren hit its peak in the 1920s. It’s maintained a small but steady following since then.
It likely comes from the name of the town La Varenne in Normandy.
Leroy
Leroy came from a French nickname meaning “the king.” It’s been popular up until the 1940s. But now it’s only given to a few hundred babies per year.
Sidney
Sidney was popular for American boys until it started dwindling in popularity in the 1910s. It’s practically unheard of for both boys and girls now. Although alternative spelling Sydney was popular for girls in the 1990s.
Meaning: wide island
Milton
Another old fashioned name, Milton has declined in popularity since the 1910s. Now it’s given to fewer than 200 boys per year. It means mill town
Lester
Did you know this name actually comes from the English town Leicester? Lester grew in popularity until the 1920s and has now fallen into obscurity.
Everett
Vintage boy’s name Everett was popular in the 1910s and 20s. And since 2010, it’s soared in popularity. No wonder, this unique name still manages to sound modern. It actually comes from the ancient Germanic name Everard, meaning brave boar.
Rufus
The name Rufus actually originated thousands of years ago! It means “red-haired” in Latin. It eased off in popularity since the 1900s and is hardly used at all today!
Alvin
Did you know Alvin roughly translates to “elf friend?” It peaked in popularity in the 1960s and is now only given to a few hundred boys per year!
Lloyd
The old fashioned name Lloyd is a name of Welsh origin and means gray. It was one of the most popular boy’s names until the 1930s. But now it’s practically unheard of! I think this soft but distinctive name is due for a comeback!
Calvin
Calvin has always been a popular name, and it still is! Does it sound like a vintage boy’s name to you? Or just normal?
Norman
Norman comes from an old Germanic name meaning “northman,” which referred to Vikings, and what is now Normandy, France. Norman was popular as a boy’s name until 1940. So the average Norman is likely someone you’d consider vintage!
Amos
The Hebrew name Amos means load or burden. It’s fairly uncommon and only given to fewer than 500 boys each year.
Mack
Unusually, Mack was consistently popular from the 1880s through the 1980s! It fell from popularity for just a few decades before it surged in popularity in the 2010s. That being said, only around 600 boys receive this name each year in the US.
It comes from shortening surnames starting with Mc or Mac.
Wallace
The vintage name Wallace was used consistently from 1880 through the 1960s! But now it’s definitely obscure!
It came from the Norman French word for foreigner, Welshman.
Otis
Otis was a popular boy’s name until the 1950s, and now it’s a little-used name. It comes from an Old German word meaning wealth or fortune. And it’s a distant relative of the name Otto!
Stanley
While Stanley has fallen from common use in the United States, it’s currently pretty popular in England and Wales.
Stanley means “stone clearing” or “stone meadow.”
Roscoe
Here’s an old fashioned boy’s name if there ever was one! Roscoe, meaning roebuck forest, was uncommon in the 1880s and has become even rarer since!
Maurice
I thought Maurice sounded like an old fashioned male name, but it turns out it’s been consistently popular from 1910 to 1990! It’s starting to fall by the wayside but isn’t unheard of these days.
It’s related to the name Mauritius and Maurus, and means North African, moorish.
Melvin
Similar to Marvin and Alvin, Melvin has become synonymous with old fashioned names. It’s been in steady decline since the 1940s. It’s typically given to only 300-400 boys each year recently.
Gilbert
Gilbert, meaning “bright pledge,” was popular as a baby name until the 1930s. It’s fallen into obscurity and isn’t even one of the top 1,000 baby names these days!
Willard
This old-fashioned name meaning “brave will” spiked in popularity in 1915. Practically no one has used this name at all since the 1990s. Willard has truly been lost to time!
Wilbert
Wilbert, like its cousin Willard, was insanely popular in the 1915-1920 timeframe. However, its use dwindled and since the 1990s, it is rarely used. Wilbert means “bright will.”
Cornelius
Cornelius was in the top 200 boy’s names from 1880 through 1910 and remained popular through the 1990s. This vintage name is rarely used since!
Morris
Morris is a form of Maurice! After 1920, this name dropped in popularity. Now it’s given to fewer than 200 baby boys each year.
Clinton
With the great nickname potential of Clint, have you considered this name? It was in the top 300 baby boy names through 1992 and is now not even in the top 1,000 after the Clinton presidency! Is 1992 long enough ago to make Clinton a vintage name yet?
Nelson
Although names like Mason and Grayson are starting to sound modern, Nelson has dropped in use since its heydays from 1880 to 1990! Now it’s only given to 300-400 baby boys per year.
Meaning: Neil’s son
Lonnie
Did you know that Lonnie actually originated as a nickname for names like Alonzo? But now it’s become a name in its own right for boys and girls. It was popular in the 1960s and isn’t common at all now. That’s definitely a vintage name to add to your list!
Hiram
The old-fashioned name Hiram means “exalted brother.” It was common in the 1880s but quickly declined into obscurity since then.
Sylvester
This gorgeous antique name meaning “from the forest” peaked in 1910. Now it’s hardly given to any children. The most common nickname is Sly.
Irvine
Irvine, a variation of Irving, saw a handful of uses before 1910, and has been unheard of since then.
Irving
Irving comes from old Scottish words meaning “green waters.” It was very popular in 1910 but has rarely been used since the 1940s. It’s certainly an uncommon and unique choice today!
Silas
This old-fashioned boy’s name has already come back into style! From 2000 to 2021, Silas skyrocketed to be one of the top 100 boy’s names and its popularity is still growing! Its origin is unknown.
Reuben
Reuben was a popular name until the 1940s when it started fading away. These days, about 200-300 boys receive this name each year.
Related post: Short exotic names for boys
Glenn
Glenn means “valley.” This vintage boy’s name was popular from the 1910s and peaked in the 1960s, likely for astronaut John Glenn. It’s rarely used now, only given to 200-300 boys per year.
Marvin
Like the similar-sounding name Melvin, Marvin hit its peak in the early 1930s. It’s barely on the radar now and only 400-500 boys are named Marvin each year.
It may mean “noble sea,” “desire of the sea,” or “famous friend.”
Edmund
Edmund reached its peak in 1915. Its use has declined since then, and it’s not a top 1,000 name now.
Meaning: rich protection
Cecil
The vintage boy’s name Cecil reached its highest usage in 1900! After the year 2000, it fell below the top 1,000 boys’ names and has been rarely seen since then! In the US, it’s typically pronounced SEE-sill. In England, it’s usually SESS-sull.
Cleveland
Cleveland comes from Old English and means “cliff land.” It was pretty popular in 1884 and lurked as a name until 1990, when it completely faded away.
Curtis
Curtis was among the top 200 baby names from 1880 until 2000, when it dropped away. These days, it’s given to around 300 boys each year.
Harley
Harley has been a common boy’s name since 1880! It’s been in the top 1000 boy’s names ever since. However, it’s being used more frequently as a girl’s name now.
Vernon
Vernon comes from the Gaul word for alder tree. Mothers frequently gave this name to their baby boys in 1918. But now, it’s given to fewer than 100 boys per year.
Jeffrey
Jeffrey, the American form of Geoffrey, was unheard of until the 1940s. It quickly fell in popularity after the 1970s, making it the perfect vintage boy’s name.
Gerald
Gerald hit its stride in 1940. Now parents rarely use it for their babies.
Dale
Dale, meaning “valley,” rose in popularity from 1910 onwards and was all the rage until 1960. It quickly faded away again afterwards.
Randall
Randall, the perfect vintage baby name! It was extremely trendy from 1950-1965 but is considered out of the ordinary now.
Russell
Russell is another great example of a vintage name. This name was common throughout the English-speaking world for most of the 20th century, though in the 1960s it began a slow decline in most places.
Rodney
The name Rodney soared in popularity from 1930 to its height in 1965. After reaching its zenith, it is seldom used today!
Darrell
Darrell was moderately popular from the 1930s to the 1970s, but it dropped off the American top 1000 rankings in 2018.
Gordon
Gordon was fairly popular and peaked in both the United Kingdom and United States in the 1930s. Since then, it has disappeared from most of the popularity charts.
Duane
Duane and Dwayne started being used in the US in the 1930s. They’re barely hanging on these days and are quite uncommon.
Wesley
This gorgeous name means “west meadow.” Surprisingly, it’s been one of the top 200 baby boy names since 1880! These days, it’s given to 2,000-3,000 boys each year.
Carlos
This form of Charles consistently caught on and was in vogue from 1970 to 2008. It’s beginning to fade away but is not uncommon.
Brent
Brent comes from the Celtic word for hill. It was first used in the US in the 1930s, was a trendy name in the 1970s, and is unheard of as a baby name now!
Rex
Interestingly, Rex is catching on in England and Wales! In America, it was used steadily from 1930 to 1960 and is occasionally used today. Meaning: king
Resources
I use the Social Security Administration’s name database to look into name popularity over time
Behindthename.com is a great resource for name meaning, history, and other fun facts.
Wrap Up- Vintage Boy Names
We hope you’ve enjoyed these vintage boy names with meanings. We dug up everything, from what’s been consistently popular in the 1800s until now, and what used to be popular but is now rare.