Unusual old-fashioned boys’ names
160. Bramwell
161. Dashiell
162. Fitzgerald
163. Gregor
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Vigilant
164. Gulliver
Origin: English, Irish
Meaning: Glutton
165. Hadrian
166. Ignatius
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Fiery
167. Irvine
Origin: Old English, Scottish Gaelic, Old Norse
Meaning: Green river or sea friend
168. Mungo
Origin: Scottish
Meaning: Dear friend
169. Tobiah
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Yahweh is good
170. Wilbert
Origin: German
Meaning: Bright will
What Mumsnetters say about unusual old-fashioned boys’ names
“Love Ignatius (Iggy for short).” - Mumsnet user, PurBal
What is a vintage boy name?
A vintage boy name is a classic name which is never super fashionable but has stayed consistently popular over the years. A good example is William, which is at number 24 in the latest ONS stats (for 2022, released May 2024). It’s been in the top 100 for decades and has famous namesakes going back centuries, including William the Conqueror and William Shakespeare. It also provides great nickname potential such as Bill, Billy, Will and Liam, which are also all standalone names in their own right.
In fact, just like the trend for old-fashioned girl nicknames, names which were traditional old-fashioned shortenings for longer, more formal names which have now become standalone names in their own right. The nickname trend is just as strong for boys. Think Artie (Arthur), Bertie (Albert), Barney (Barnaby/ Barnabus). Some ‘shortenings’ are a tad confusing too, such as Harry, which you may or may not know is a traditional nickname for Henry. Hey, if it works for Prince Harry (whose birth name is Henry) then it’s fine by us.
Royal names offer a wealth of inspiration for old-fashioned names from regal figures of the past and today: Charles, Edward, Philip, George and Louie are all popular classic choices.
Speaking of posh names, the cool ‘old money’ aristo name trend probably accounts for the name Rupert’s dramatic ascension up the popularity charts in recent years. It’s currently at number 84 in the ONS chart for 2022, having fallen almost completely out of favour at the turn of the 21st century. Only 20 boys in England and Wales were given the name Rupert in 2004.
Looking at specific periods of history, going way back to ancient times you’ll see lots of biblical names which sound anything but fusty to our modern ears. Flick through the Old Testament and you could be reading from a primary school class register in 2025: Noah, Jacob, Elijah, Joseph, Isaac… see what we mean?
Traditional Victorian and Edwardian names (1837 to 1910) started to resurge in popularity about a decade ago and they’re still going strong. Examples are Albert, Arthur and Arthur (A names are also a big naming trend). Now it’s time for mid-century names to have the spotlight and they read like the ‘who’s who’ of 1960s pop culture - David (Hockney and Bowie), Paul (McCartney) and John (Lennon), we’re looking at you.
How to choose an old-fashioned boy name
Check the latest baby names lists for popular traditional boy names. Look at ONS for baby girl names and baby boy names in England and Wales, Central Statistics Office and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency for Irish names and the National Records of Scotland for Scottish names.
Read around the subject with our other baby names articles including old-fashioned baby names,
Ask other parents about your name ideas in our Baby Names forum, where you can read other Mumsnetters’ threads for name inspo too.
Read a Bible - yes, really! Old and New Testament biblical names offer lots of ideas for names which will fit in just fine in the playground today. Hello, Moses, Joseph, Cain and Abel.
Choose a Victorian era name. Prince Albert was Queen Victoria’s beloved husband and remains a popular choice today. Or think about more unusual names from that era - how about Cornelius or Titus for some Victorian grandeur for your little boy?
Leap on the mid-century name trend with names which might have belonged to your grandparents but are now back on the up, with a fresh new vibe, such as David, Mark and Paul.
Choose a old school nickname which is now considered a standalone name, such as Alfie (Alfred), Bertie (Albert) or Kit (Christopher)
Grab your crown and consider royal names and posh names for a classy vintage vibe (what-ho, Rupert and Mungo!)
Look at classic literature for naming inspiration - how about David Copperfield and Oliver by Charles Dickens or absolutely anything by the Bard himself, Mr William Shakespeare?
About the author
Louise Baty writes parenting content for Mumsnet, producing product round-ups, travel guides and baby name articles. She’s also written content for Mumsnet’s sister site, Gransnet.
Originally from West Yorkshire and now based in Nottinghamshire, Louise has worked as a features writer for consumer magazines and national newspapers for 20 years. She specialises in parenting and lifestyle features and emotional true life first-person interviews and has authored four non-fiction books on parenting and grandparenting.
Mum to two tweenagers, Louise’s own baby name choosing days may be long gone. However, she admits to having spent a LONG time deciding on her DCs’ names, together with her DP.
For this reason, Louise has a particular interest in baby names. She understands how difficult it can be to narrow down a short list from your long list of baby names, either during pregnancy or during the sleep-deprived days following the birth of your baby. By compiling comprehensive and easy-to-follow baby name round-ups for Mumsnet, she hopes to provide inspiration and support to parents-to-be who are looking for the perfect name for their baby.