Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Classic but rare baby boy names

135 replies

TheFutureIs · 29/08/2025 09:15

I’m a teacher, so when naming a baby I want something unusual but not weird.
I loved Alastair but unfortunately my partner has a cousin named this
Girl names are so much easier!
Any suggestions of similar names?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
AdaColeman · 29/08/2025 15:39

Rupert
Lorcan
Ptolemy
Darius.....a long time favourite of mine.

AdaColeman · 29/08/2025 15:32

Walt Disney's full name was Walter. As a pp suggested, if you're looking for a classic name, avoid nicknames.
Also be careful of spellings, eg Philip is the classic spelling rather than with the double L in Phillip.

menopausalmare · 29/08/2025 15:14

Peter.

Rosybud88 · 29/08/2025 15:09

I really like Walt, as in Walt Disney. I haven’t ever known a Walt in real life.

MinnieMountain · 29/08/2025 15:01

Edwin is lovely @MyAutumnalCrow . We know one Nicholas. His DB is Adam which I’d say is also a classic.

Mumofgirls2017 · 29/08/2025 15:01

Zachary
vincent
edmund
aaron
marcus
joel
austin
adrian
lawrence
cassian
callum
spencer
robin
magnus
owen
evan
ewan

Iamtarticus · 29/08/2025 12:13

Owen

Tablesandchairs23 · 29/08/2025 12:08

Gabriel

Mum2twoandacockapoo · 29/08/2025 11:46

Tobias
Toby
Joel
Matthew
Stefan

LoudPlumDog · 29/08/2025 11:43

Bradley
Eric
Adam
Leighton
Vance
Phillip
David
Aaron
Andrew
Willem
Anthony
Hamish
Jeremy
Michael
Daniel
Stuart
Allen
Rex

freerangethighs · 29/08/2025 11:40

Adair
Aldous
Ambrose
Andreas
Anselm
Emmett
Everett
Lachlan(n)
Lionel
Niall
Matthias
Raymond
Roland
Rollo
Samson
Thaddeus
Theron
Tristan/Tristram

farmlass · 29/08/2025 11:37

Julian
Alexander (Sandy/Alex)

DorisTheFinkasaurus · 29/08/2025 11:34

Angus
Julian
Linus
Alexander (Alec)
Alaric
Emil
Calvin
Blake
Malcolm
Mallory
Ellis
And just to go all the way: Isambard

mummysmagicmedicine · 29/08/2025 11:27

Wilbur
Edwin
Leonard
Clement
Montgomery
Spencer
Fergus
Rufus
Rupert
Reginald
Phillip
Sullivan
Ralph
Sebastian
Wilfred

ipickedupapen · 29/08/2025 11:26

Griffin
Timothy (Timmy)
Blair
Carl/Karl
Gary
Wayne
David

Chattanoogachoo · 29/08/2025 11:22

Barnaby
Clarence
William
Hilary
Laurie
Clifford
Frederick
Samuel
David

LadybugsAndSunshine · 29/08/2025 11:19

David
Paul
Luke
Christopher
William
Charles
Harry
Alister is a lovely name, having a cousin with that name wouldn’t put me off.

Original poster
TheFutureIs · 29/08/2025 11:18

Maybe classic wasn’t the right word, think I meant don’t want anything too outlandish.
Yes I do have Scottish heritage

OP posts:
Original poster
TheFutureIs · 29/08/2025 11:18

Maybe classic wasn’t the right word, think I meant don’t want anything too outlandish.
Yes I do have Scottish heritage

OP posts:
Astrabees · 29/08/2025 11:16

Laurence, please spell it the classic way. Benedict is another of my favourites.

CremeBruhlee · 29/08/2025 11:14

Gabriel

SlenderRations · 29/08/2025 11:13

Also, if you want classic best probably best to avoid choosing a nickname like Xander or Monty. But the full names would work. I really like Xander as a shortening

Pastaandoranges · 29/08/2025 11:11

Geoffrey
Richard
Dennis
Craig
Stephen
Douglas
Michael
Christopher
Andrew
Alan
David

SlenderRations · 29/08/2025 11:09

TheFutureIs · 29/08/2025 09:32

My current list

Xander
Newton
Emerson
Lando
Monty
Roscoe
Hamish
Murdoch
Indigo
Laurie

If you want classic, I think you mean Inigo, not Indigo - the latter isn’t a name.

In fact, quite a few of those aren’t really classic names. Do you have scottish background for the Hamish?

User6761 · 29/08/2025 11:05

Lawrence
Matthew
Alexander
Timothy
Christopher
Roderick
Wallace
Stuart
Hector
Lenny
Owen
Jonathan

Not rare names in the general population but some of these are not common for children these days.