Boys names with a historical/classical leaning

[Salacia]

Starting to think about potential baby names now I’m in my second trimester (had a difficult time getting here so it doesn’t quite seem real yet! Trying to be cautiously optimistic).

DH and I both share a love of history (pretty much any period but particularly Ancient Rome and medieval Europe) and I’ve always thought it would be a bit of a source of inspiration for names.

Girls names aren’t an issue - lots of ideas (Livia, Julia, Theodora, Octavia, Joan, Matilda, Eleanor, Rosalind, Emmeline etc etc) but for boys names the names are either rather generic (Henry, William, John etc) or a bit too out there (especially as DH went to a public school and is very keen to avoid any of the stereotypically posh classical names - certainly no Ptolemy (we’re both in agreement there!)).

I like Felix, Rufus, Marcus, Alban - any other suggestions for names in a similar style?

I like Leofric - would love to know what other names from that period you had on your list!

Edwin, Edgar, Edmund, Cedric, Dunstan, Godwin, Osbert/Oswin, Siward (Shakespearean rather than Saxon), Swithin, Wulfstan, Wulfric, Wyndham

I also like Clement, Ludovic, Gregory, Jervis/Jarvis/Gervase, Roland, Tancred, Fabian, Corentin, Alban, Anselm, Ferdinand, Augustin, Bertrand/Bertram....

Raiden
Constantine

Ptolemy (Tolly) I know one just in his teens now never been teased as far as I know. I also know a Hereward with a sister called Elfrida.

loads of great suggestions. A few extra.. (apologies for any repeats)

Roman (very literal!)
Basil (massively underused IMO)
Augustus
Jovian
Atticus
Rufus
Florian

Alban is a stand out from your list.

Merlin
Josslin
Tristan
Edmund
Hercules
Julian
Hadrian
Hagrid
Anthony
Alexander
Osrick
Gawain

Ceolwulf? Offa?

A lot of the Saxon names are not very attractive written down, but they sound a lot nicer than they look.

Aelthred will just get called 'Ethel' for short.

I loved the name Percy James for our son but my husband said no, so we went with Ezekiel James instead, Octavia was our girls name too!

Roman is an increasingly popular boys name.
There's Julius, Augustus, Troy...
Alexander (the great), Jude (Judas), Arthur (Sword in Stone)....

Adam

Fellow classicist here! My son is called Rex, always my favourite boys name, strong and easy to spell! He loves it. I also liked Magnus (Gus for shirt). My husband wouldn't consider Augustus!!

I used to know someone called Kentigern which having just looked it up, seems like it’s old Celtic with links to Glasgow but shortens easily to Ken or Kent or Tig.
I’ve also known a Warwick he’d probably be in his 60s now and was always known as Warwick, his name never seemed to be shortened.
Also know a much younger Atticus - there seem to be a few of them around now, think it’s a lovely name and Atti is a cute nickname.
I loved Ptolemy (nn Tolli or Pete) but dh wouldn’t let me!
Horatio, Benedict and Magnus are others that I like from your list/similar to it.

good luck finding a few names you love - and be prepared for meeting your new little boy and instantly knowing that [previously chosen name] isn’t right for him and that you need something completely different!

Kentigern was known as Mungo

Roland, Thaddeus x

Leopold
Nelson
Napoleon
Confucius
Homer
Merlin
Leviticus

or male forms of the female names that you like, e.g. Jonas, Theodore, Octavius.

I have known boys and men called

Warwick
Tiberius (nn Tibbi)
Dimitri
Magnus
Lysander
Loris
Thorsten

And my dad wanted to call my brother Themistocles.

Oh and

Caspian

Thanks so much everyone!

I guess the problem is I have so many women in history who I admire that the name inspiration just comes naturally. With men I struggle a bit more!

Lots of great historic Saints names with amazing stories if you look for them.

My baby is called Lorenzo. People refer to
him as ‘Il Magnifico’ when we’re over in Italy where his dad is from. As in Lorenzo de' Medici.

Telemachus is interesting (son of Odysseus). Maybe too out there though.

Gaius
Julian
Justus
Urban
Virgil
Aidan
Wilfred (nice Northumbrian connection)
Bede
Wulfric / Wulfstan
Alfric
Ralph (we have a Ralph pronounced rafe)
Hadrian/Adrian
Magnus
Hector
Blaise (St Blaise)
Rocco (St Roche)

I never know how to pronounce Alban — is it as in St Albans or as in Albert and Alfred?

Like St Alban.

We've got a young Marcus and we love it. Haven't met any other young ones (know a 60 year old one) so not particularly popular but easy to pronounce and spell. Careful though as one of the meanings is 'war like' and ours is as stubborn as hell 😂

Also love Atticus, Jethro, Jonah and Anthony.

Good luck choosing.