Non-classic boys names that won’t date...

[AmyD54321]

I have plenty of girls names on my list, but I’m struggling with boys names.

I like names that are a bit ‘different’ without being made-up, and nothing that will date badly. For example, names like Arlo, Ezra, etc (nothing wrong with those!) are quite ‘2020’ so he will probably have several others in his class at school. I’m not keen on the classics, like Tom, Jack, etc, and want something fun but will also suit him as an adult. Can you see why I’m struggling?!

Some girls names I like are - Astrid, Romy, Erin, Lois, etc.

Can you help me with any similar names for boys?

Edward
Edwin
Paul
Gregory
Jerome
Douglas
Marcus
Patrick
Matthew
Reuben
Henry

Leon
Claude
Vaughn
Max
Julian
Tobin
Marius
Huey

Only classics don’t date. The rest will go in and out of fashion.

Surely though a none classic name will date. That’s the reason why a lot of people like classic names because they don’t date.
You can’t have it both ways

I really understand your dilemma as we found choosing our two boys names so difficult. (DH chose Freddie, and I Louis, a family name). other ones considered, (some just for a few minutes other for longer!) : not mentioned earlier : Eugene, Hugh, Hugo, Octavius, Benedict, Fabio, Lorenzo, Enzo, Jason

I'd go international IIWY.

Florian
Sascha
Ferdinand
Leon
Maxim
Jerome
Magnus
Pe(e)r
Jan (pronounced Yan)
Anton

Looking over others' suggetions and Victor is a terrific name. I like Conrad, too.

Some more:
Clement
Varian
Martin
Crispin
Columba
Benedict
Balthasar

Some great suggestions. I also like Victor, Benedict, Quentin and Marcus. All well known old names that aren't overused/fashionable.

Jonathan nn Jonty
Julian
Jago
Daniel
Alistair
Cedric
Adam
Silas
Simon
Edmund
Clovis
Alban
Lionel

Sebastian, Jake, Thaddeus, Frank, Isaac, Casper, Leon, Jasper, Damon, Leo, Bradley, Ricky, Adam, Dean, Harvey, Axel, Junior, Ferrari (artist Ferrari Sheppard), River, Hadley, Lucas, Lawrence, Marcus, Hector, Rhys, Dominic

Sebastian

Classic names can date, or at least fall in and out of favour. I would regard Simon, Andrew, Paul, Peter, Richard, Philip etc all as classic names. They are also all very out of fashion at the moment. And they’ll come back in again at some point, same as Arlo etc will fall out of fashion.

Yet some classic names, like George, William, James and Edward have been consistently popular. But yes, I do think a classic name can also ‘date’ to some extent, depending on baby naming whims and trends.

It's hard to tell what is going to date, but in general I'd avoid anything which looks like it's rising quickly in popularity. I'd really recommend the Dark Greener website where you can type in any name and it will show you on a graph how it's changed in popularity over the past 25ish years. Generally speaking, if a name is on a sharp upward spike in popularity, them it's more likely to date. It's hard to suggest names, but it might be worth looking at the popularity of some of the names that you already like to gauge the popularity. Guessing what is going to date is so subjecting though. Other posters have suggested names which I think will date or are already dated, and I'm sure people will feel the same about these names - but shows how subjective and unpredictable it is:

Amos
Ansel
Basil
Cedric
Henrik
Linus
Moses
Orin
Orlando

River
Hartley
Max
Rory
Atticus

Owen

Simon

Errol
Sidney
Charlie

Toby

Your girls list includes one of my DD’s names so here’s my boy list
Lorcan
Oran
Cillian
Jago
Caspar
Maxim
Jethro
Sebastian
Benedict
Lars
Gilbert
Hendrix

Alexander
Dominic
Joseph
Paul
Sebastian
Timothy

Love most names on this thread!

Particularly these, all 'classics' imo
Christopher
Quentin
Caspar
Raphael
Marius
Cassius
Vincent

Some great suggestions.
But it's funny how regional this must be. I perceive Oscar and Felix as already having become dated. There are several of each in my children's (secondary) school but I haven't come across any younger than about 12.
When my daughter was little we would sometimes visit a friend in Muswell Hill (expensive part of N London) and literally every other child in the park was called Oscar or Felix (or Isla for girls). My friend's son was called Andrew and he was definitely the only one around!

Claude
Edgar
Jonathan
Timothy

I still love Rex. It’s close to, but cooler than Max which is everywhere. Cute on boy, strong on a man.

Also love Sebastian, Rupert, Caspar, Ethan, Dylan.

Heath
Cole
Covey
Coen
Archer