Seth, Keston, Duncan, David

I suppose it depends on how you perceive popularity. There’s the question of popularity now and also in the past. I rule out anything that’s ever been overused unless it’s truly archaic. Because whether it belongs to someone young or old a common name is still a common name. So, I know a large number of grown Davids and Roberts, which would put me right off, even though I only know a handful of baby ones.

Of your latest list I think Saul is most interesting. Elias is nice too but I know quite a few.

Josiah is a very nice sounding name too.
If you are into biblical names.

Love Seth!
What about...
Vincent
Eric
Otto
Clyde
Harold
Howard
Emmet

Edwin
Hugo
Jonathan
Peter
Wesley
Harry
Charles
Dennis
Anthony
Hector
Lewis
Paul
Michael
Richard
James
Franklin
Matthew
Kenneth
Delwyn
Edward
Nigel
Neil
Ivor
Theodore
Maxwell

personally I’m not wild about Edmund, Edmunds in stories are always duplicitous (King Lear and Lion, Witch & Wardrobe area main points of reference here 😂)

Just to help you settle on something other than Keston, they are a famously unreliable brand of boiler. Before we got ours replaced all the local B Gas engineers used to greet me with ”oh you’re the one with the Keston ”…
i think the others are much better choices.

Caleb and Albert are quite popular at the moment I’d say. Especially Albert. Nice names though. I quite like Elias and the nickname Eli. I’m not a fan of Saul Nicholas or Silas

I also like Edward. You’ve mentioned a few biblical names and I also like Jonah Jude Asher Isaac and Elijah if they’re any good

Caleb, Abel and Seth are my favourite names

I like Robert and Duncan. David is fine- none of these names are at all popular round by us. They'll likely be the only one in their school.

Seth is a bit more popular and I dislike the sound of it. Kester is ok - unsure about Keston.

I have a young Duncan, it’s incredibly unusual these days. I’d say 80% love it, 20% hate it. Given how rare it is, the main reference point for children (which we didn’t anticipate) is Dunkin Donuts.

David is nice - very timeless. I just wish there was a nn other than “Dave” which is quite dated. Robert doesn’t have the dated nn problem - well maybe Bob or Bert but Robin, Bobby, Bertie, Rob/Robbie all sound fresher so if you like traditional Robert I say go for it - I think it’s a bit underused now and with all the nn options, not dull at all.

I really like Seth too, and even though it’s an old name, I suppose it does have a bit of a funkier style than Robert (probably because there are few much older Seth’s about). Keston is not my cup of tea, sorry it’s a bit too surname for me (plus autocorrect wants to make it Keaton).

Adam is a similar style to Seth for me? As are names like Caleb, Jared, Asa, Ezra. Or if its the sound of Seth you like, then lesser used Heath or Scottish Laith both sound really cool imo.

Neither have I tbh.... Not such a much used name anymore.

I would have David. A refreshing change these days.
Michael?

David and Robert are great underrated names imo! And not very common currently- highly doubt either of them are top 20 names.

Seth is nice but too American sounding
Duncan makes me think do dairy Lea dunkers
Keston sounds like a random depressing English town

Seths!!!! That was autocorrect, I promise I know how to use an apostrophe! 🙈🙈🙈

Teacher here- I have taught quite a lot of Seth’s but never a David or Robert!

I often think my favourite “our generation” name is Peter. Timeless and I’ve never met a child called Peter!

I love the name Kester.

David is very popular. I teach three at the moment (primary) and have taught several others in recent years.

I have a 20 year old David!

Not many at all, in my opinion it is a solid name, easy to spell and timeless 💙

I might be biased because I have a Robert. I chose it because it is such a versatile name. Robert, Rob, Robbie, Bobbie, Bob, Bert, there are any number of options. Mind you, he has been a Robert all his life ( well, the occasional Bobs, but very rarely!)

Never heard of Keston.

Robert and David are good classic names. Seth has a different vibe to be.

Suggestions-
Peter
Daniel
Samuel
Alexander
Ernest
Herbert
Wilbur
Christopher (Kit)
Wilberforce
Willoughby
Donovan
Aloysius

I don't think there would be too many kids called David these days.
I like the name David because I have one myself.
We, his family call him David.
He prefers Dave and is known as such to all his friends.
I've never liked that diminutive, but it's his name and if he wants to be called Dave, that's his business.
I like the name Seth.
Duncan and Keston not so much.

David and Robert both very good. Classic and dignified. You could have the Scottish short forms 'Davie' and 'Rab' if you don't like other short versions.

Duncan fine also, though for some reason I don't like it very much.

Seth just makes me think of Seth Starkadder in Cold Comfort Farm (where his name is a word-play on 'sex'), but perhaps that's a dated reference. (Still a jolly good read, however.) .

Keston sounds artificial, though maybe it isn't. Behind the Name website says that it's a surname.
All names ending in 'son' invite close consideration of the preceding element of the name. And I'm not at all sure what the 'Kest' might be. Also, unless the baby's father is called 'Kes', why use a name ending in 'son' when that's not the father's name?