Timeless & Vintage Boy Names That Are Never Going Out of Style – Even in 2024!

Look, we get it – modern, trendy, and unique baby names are all the rage today. Kai, Chosen, Orion, Phoenix, Caspian, Jaxon – these types of names are popping up everywhere, and we’re totally here for it.

But while modern names are popular, that’s not to say vintage boy names are obsolete or outdated. 

In fact, vintage boy names (like Henry, Arthur, Theodore, Walter, and Franklin) and vintage girl names (like Eleanor, Florence, and Mabel) are making a comeback in 2024 – and the reason why is quite ironic. 

RELATED: Old Lady Names That Are Making a Comeback in 2024

As modern names become more and more common, they’re also becoming less and less unique. And since vintage boy names have been out of style for so long, they’re now just as unique as modern names. 

If you want your son to have the best of both worlds, vintage boy names are the way to go.

They’re well-known and familiar enough that they might not sound unique to most people, but not a lot of babies have vintage boy names today – so, while they might not sound unique, they surprisingly are. 

40 Old-Fashioned & Vintage Boy Names for Your Little Man

Aside from being unique in today’s society, there are a lot of reasons why parents are falling in love with vintage boy names again – and since you’re reading this, we wouldn’t be surprised if you’re one of them!

They’re timeless, old-fashioned, and have a sense of character and personality to them.

In fact, vintage boy names often evoke a sense of nostalgia and connection to past generations, making them appealing to parents who want to honor their family heritage – especially parents and grandparents.

With that said, let’s take a look at 40 of our favorite vintage boy names making a comeback in 2024!

40. Albert

Origin: Germanic

Meaning: Noble, Bright

Nicknames: Al, Bert, Albie, Bertie, Alby

Famous People: Albert Einstein (German-born theoretical physicist), Albert Camus (French philosopher, author, and journalist), Albert Schweitzer (French-German theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary), Albert Brooks (American comedian and actor), Prince Albert (Consort of Queen Victoria of the UK)

39. Alvin

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Noble Friend

Nicknames: Al, Vin, Alvy, Ally, Vinnie

Famous People: Alvin Ailey (American dancer and choreographer), Alvin York (American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient), Alvin Toffler (American writer and futurist), Alvin Plantinga (American philosopher)

38. Archibald

Origin: Germanic

Meaning: Genuine, Bold

Nicknames: Archie, Arch, Baldy, Arlo, Arky

Famous People: Archibald MacLeish (American poet and writer), Archibald Cox (American lawyer and law professor), Archibald Alexander (American Presbyterian theologian), Archibald Primrose (5th Earl of Rosebery and British Prime Minister), Archibald Motler (American visual artist)

37. Arthur

Origin: Celtic

Meaning: The exact meaning is uncertain, but it is often associated with the Celtic word “artos,” meaning “bear.”

Nicknames: Art, Artie, Arty, Arch, Artur

Famous People: King Arthur (legendary British leader), Arthur Conan Doyle (British writer), Arthur Ashe (American pro tennis player), Arthur Miller (American playwright), Arthur C. Clarke (British science fiction writer)

36. Barney

Origin: French and West Germanic

Meaning: Bear, Brave, Hardy

Nicknames: Barn, Barny, Bear, Nardo, Bar

Famous People: Barney Frank (American politician and former Congressman), Barney Ross (American professional boxer), Barney Kessel (American jazz guitarist), Barney Stinson (fictional character from ‘How I Met Mother’), Barney Harwood (British television presenter and actor)

35. Calvin

Origin: French

Meaning: Bald

Nicknames: Cal, Vin, Cally, Vinnie, Al

Famous People: Calvin Coolidge (30th President of the United States), Calvin Klein (American fashion designer), Calvin Harris (Scottish DJ), Calvin Trillin (American journalist, humorist, and food writer), Calvin Johnson (former NFL player)

34. Chester

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Fortress, Walled Town

Nicknames: Chess, Chet, Chesty

Famous People: Chester A. Arthur (21st President of the US), ChesterBennington (American singer), Chester Himes (American writer), Chester Gould (American cartoonist), Chester Carlson (American physicist)

33. Clifford

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Ford by a Cliff

Nicknames: Cliff, Ford, Cliffy, C

Famous People: Clifford Brown (American jazz trumpeter), Clifford Geertz (American anthropologist), Clifford Odets (American playwright, screenwriter, and director), Clifford Irving (American investigative reporter and novelist), Clifford Robinson (American professional basketball player)

32. Clyde

Origin: Scottish

Meaning: derived from the River Clyde in Scotland

Nicknames: Cly, Clydie, Clide, CC

Famous People: Clyde Barrow (part of the infamous duo Bonnie and Clyde), Clyde Drexler (American former professional basketball player), Clyde Tombaugh (American astronomer, discoverer of Pluto), Clyde McPhatter (American R&B singer), Clyde Simmons (American former professional football player)

31. Conrad

Origin: Germanic

Meaning: Brave Counsel

Nicknames: Con, Connie, Rad, Conny

Famous People: American hotelier and founder of the Hilton Hotels chain), Conrad Aiken (American writer and poet), Conrad Veidt (German actor), Conrad Black (Canadian-born British former newspaper publisher), Joseph Conrad (Polish-British writer)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 30 Exciting Baby Boy Names That Start with X

30. Dwight

Origin: English

Meaning: White, Fair One

Nicknames: Dee, D

Famous People: Dwight De. Eisenhower (34th President of the US), Dwight Howard (American professional basketball player), Dwight Yoakam (American singer-songwriter), Dwight L. Moody (American evangelist and publisher), Dwight Frye (American actor)

29. Edwin

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Rich Friend

Nicknames: Ed, Eddie, Ned, Win, Ted

Famous People: Edwin Hubble (American astronomer), Edwin Land (American scientist and inventor), Edwin McCain (American singer-songwriter), Edwin Moses (American former track and field athlete), Edwin Stanton (American lawyer and politician)

28. Edmund

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Wealthy Protector

Nicknames: Ed, Eddie, Eddy, Mundy

Famous People: Edmund Burke (Irish statesman and philosopher), Edmund Hillary (New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist), Edmund Spenser (English poet), Edmund Husserl (German philosopher), Edmund Wilson (American writer and critic)

27. Franklin

Origin: English

Meaning: Free Landholder

Nicknames: Frank, Frankie, Franky, Franks

Famous People: Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President of the US), Benjamin Franklin (one of the Founding Fathers of the US), Franklin Pierce (14th President of the US), Franklin J. Schaffner (American film and TV director), Franklin Graham (American Christian evangelist and missionary)

26. Frederick

Origin: Germanic

Meaning: Peaceful Ruler

Nicknames: Fred, Freddy, Freddie, Rick, Fritz

Famous People: Frederick Douglas (American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman), Frederick the Great (King of Prussia), Frederick Banting (Canadian medical scientist, physician, and Nobel laureate), Frederick Law Olmsted (American landscape architect, journalist, social critic), Frederick Forsyth (British author)

25. Gerald

Origin: Germanic

Meaning: Rule of the Spear

Nicknames: Gerry, Jerry, Geraldo, Ged

Famous People: Gerald Ford (38th President of the US), Gerald Butler (Scottish actor), Gerald R. Molen (American film producer), Geraldine Chaplin (actress and daughter of Charlie Chaplin), Gerald Durrell (British naturalist, zookeeper, and conservationist)

24. Gilbert

Origin: Germanic

Meaning: Bright Pledge

Nicknames: Gil, Bert, Gib, Gilly, Gibby

Famous People: Gilbert Gottfried (American stand-up comedian), W.S. Gilbert (English dramatist, librettist, poet, and illustrator), Gilbert Stuart (American painter), Gilbert Arenas (American former professional basketball player), Gilbert O’Sullivan (Irish singer-songwriter)

23. Harold

Origin: Old English, Scandinavian

Meaning: Army Ruler, Ruler of the Army

Nicknames: Harry, Hal, Hank, Haroldy

Famous People: Harold Pinter (English playwright), Harold Ramis (American actor, director, and writer), Harold Wilson (British Prime Minister), Harold Lloyd (American film actor and comedian), Harold Bloom (American literary critic)

22. Herschel

Origin: Yiddish

Meaning: Deer, Fawn

Nicknames: Hersh, Hershey, Hershey, Chelly

Famous People: Herschel Walker (American former professional football player), Herschel Grynszpan (German Jewish refugee), Herschel Bernardi (American actor), Herschel Vespasian Johnson (American politician)

21. Lionel

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Young Lion

Nicknames: Lio, Leo, Leon, Lion

Famous People: Lionel Messi (Argentine professional footballer), Lionel Richie (American singer, songwriter, and record producer), Lionel Barrymore (American actor), Lionel Hampton (American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist), Lionel Trilling (American literary critic, author, and teacher)

RELATED: Prediction: These Old Lady & Old Man Names Are Primed for a Comeback

20. Marshall

Origin: Old French

Meaning: Caretaker of Horses, Horse Servant

Nicknames: Marsh, Marty, Mar, Mars

Famous People: Marshall McLuhan (Canadian philosopher), Marshall Faulk (American former professional football player), Thurgood Marshall (First African American Supreme Court Justice), Marshall Mathers (American rapper, also known as Eminem), Marshall Field (American entrepreneur)

19. Milton

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Mill Town, Settlement With a Mill

Nicknames: Milt, Miltie, Milty, Ton, Millie

Famous People: Milton Friedman (American economist), Milton Berle (American comedian and actor), John Milton (English poet and intellectual), Milton Bradley (American game pioneer), Milton Glaser (American graphic designer, co-founder of New York Magazine)

18. Ned

Origin: English

Meaning: Wealthy Guardian, Wealthy Protector

Nicknames: Ed, Eddy, Eddie, Neddy, Neddo

Famous People: Ned Kelly (Australian outlaw and folk hero), Ned Beatty (American actor), Ned Stark (fictional character from ‘Game of Thrones’), Ned Rorem (American composer and diarist), Ned Vizzini (American author)

17. Orville

Origin: French

Meaning: Gold Town, Golden City

Nicknames: Orv, Orvy, Ville, Orly, Villy

Famous People: Orville Wright (American aviation pioneer), Orville Redenbacher (American businessman), Orville Gibson (founder of the Gibson Guitar Corporation), Orville Harrold (American operatic tenor), Orville Freeman (American politician and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture)

16. Otis

Origin: German

Meaning: Wealth, Prosperity

Nicknames: O, Oz, Otie

Famous People: Otis Redding (American singer and songwriter), Otis Chandler (publisher of the Los Angeles Times), Otis Rush (American blues guitarist and singer), Otis Williams (founding member of The Temptations), Otis Nixon (former MLB player)

15. Percy

Origin: French

Meaning: Pierces the Valley

Nicknames: Perc, Perse, Per, Perk

Famous People: Percy Bysshe Shelley (English Romantic poet), Percy Sledge (American R&B, soul, and gospel singer), Percy Lavon Julian (African American research chemist and pioneer), Percy Harvin (American former professional football player), Percy Faith (Canadian bandleader and composer)

14. Quincy

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Fifth, Estate of the Fifth Son

Nicknames: Quin, Quinn, Q, Quinny, Quince

Famous People: Quincy Jones (American record producer, musician, and composer), Quincy Carter (American former professional football player), Quincy Enunwa (American football wide receiver), Quincy Brown (American actor and singer), Quincy Watts (American former sprinter and Olympic gold medalist)

13. Ralph

Origin: Old Norse

Meaning: Wolf Counsel

Nicknames: Ralf, Ralphy, Ralphie, Raffy

Famous People: Ralph Waldo Emerson (American essayist, lecturer, and philosopher), Ralph Lauren (American fashion designer), Ralph Fiennes (English actor), Ralph Nader (American political activist), Ralph Ellison (American novelist, literary critic, and scholar)

12. Rutherford

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Cattle Ford

Nicknames: Rudd, Ruth, Ford, Rudy, Rud

Famous People: Rutherford B. Hayes (19th President of the US), Ernest Rutherford (New Zealand-born British physicist), Mark Rutherford (pseudonym of British novelist William Hale White), Rutherford Platt (American author), Rutherford Cravens (American actor)

11. Stanley

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Stone Clearing, Stony Meadow

Nicknames: Stan, Lee, Stanny, Stane

Famous People: Stanley Kubrick (American film director and producer), Stan Lee (American comic book writer), Stanley Tucci (American actor, writer, and film director), Stanley Baldwin (British statesmen, former Prime Minister of the UK)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 25 Vintage Boy Names for Baby Boys That Are Positively Grandpa-Chic

10. Sylvester

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Wooded, Wild

Nicknames: Sly, Syl, Vester, Sylvie, Les

Famous People: Sylvester Stallone (American actor), Sylvester McCoy (Scottish actor), Sylvester Graham (American dietary reformer), Sylvester Turner (American attorney), Sylvester Williams (American professional football player)

9. Theodore

Origin: Greek

Meaning: Gift of God

Nicknames: Theo, Ted, Teddy, Dory, T

Famous People: Theodore Roosevelt (26th President of the US), Theodore Dreiser (American novelist and journalist), Theodore Maiman (American physicist, inventor of the laser), Theodore Bikel (Austrian-American actor)

8. Vernon

Origin: Old French

Meaning: Place of Alders, Alder Grove

Nicknames: Vern, V, Ver, Vernie, Verny

Famous People: Vernon Davis (American former professional football player), Vernon Wells (American former professional baseball player), Vernon Reid (British-American guitarist and songwriter), Vernon Jordan (American business executive), Vernon Dalhart (American country music singer and songwriter)

7. Wallace

Origin: Old French

Meaning: Foreigner, Stranger

Nicknames: Wally, Wall, Ace, Wallie, Walt

Famous People: Wallace Stevens (American modernist poet), Wallace Shawn (American actor and voice actor), Wallace Beery (American actor), George Wallace (American politician and Governor of Alabama), Wallace Carothers (American chemist and inventor)

6. Walton

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Fortified Town

Nicknames: Walt, Wally, Wal, Tony, Ton

Famous People: Sam Walton (American businessman, founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club), Bill Walton (American former basketball player), Izaak Walton (English writer), Kimberley Walton (fictional character from ‘The Holiday’), Ernest Walton (Irish physicist and Nobel laureate)

5. Wilber

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Resolute, Brilliant

Nicknames: Wil, Will, Willy, Bert, Wib

Famous People: Wilberforce Eames (American bibliographer), Wilber Hardee (American businessman), Wilber Pan (Taiwanese-American singer and songwriter), Wilber Scoville (American pharmacist), Wilber Smith (South African novelist)

4. Woodrow

Origin: Old English

Meaning: Row of Houses By a Wood

Nicknames: Woody, Wood, Row, W, Woodie

Famous People: Woodrow Wilson (28th President of the US), Woodrow Dantzler (American former professional football player), Woodrow Wyatt (British politician), Woodrow Hamilton (American football defensive tackle), Woodrow Borah (American historian of colonial Mexico)

3. Clarence

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Bright, Clear

Nicknames: Clare, Claire, Clancy, Ren, Clary

Famous People: Clarence Darrow (American lawyer), Clarence Thomas (Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US), Clarence Clemons (American saxophonist), Clarence Seedorf (Dutch professional football manager and former player), Clarence Brown (American film director)

2. Bernard

Origin: Germanic

Meaning: Brave as a Bear

Nicknames: Bernie, Bern, Bennie, Nard, Barney

Famous People: Bernard Shaw (Irish playwright and critic), Bernard Montgomery (British army officer), Bernard Arnault (French billionaire businessman), Bernard Hopkins (American former professional boxer), Bernard Herrmann (American composer)

1. Bartholomew

Origin: Aramaic

Meaning: Son of Talmai, Son of the Furrows

Nicknames: Bart, Barty, Barry, Tolly, Bat

Famous People: Saint Bartholomew (one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ), Bartholomew Roberts (Welsh pirate), Bartholomew Gosnold (English lawyer, explorer, and privateer), Bartholomew Kuma (fictional character from the anime One Piece), Bartholomew I (Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople)

Have You Shortlisted Any of These Vintage Boy Names?

Vintage boy names often come with rich histories and meaningful stories – and many parents are electing to go with them for their depth, familiarity, feeling of nostalgia, and the positive qualities they represent.

If you’re one of those parents, then we applaud you – because we love vintage boy names!

And since so many celebrities are following along with this trend, we wouldn’t be surprised if vintage boy names continue to grow in popularity – meaning we’ll be seeing a lot more of this trend in the future. 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 50 Old Lady and Vintage Boy Names for National Grandparents Day on September 10

Whether you’re drawn to timeless classics, modern trends, or unique and whimsical names, naming your baby is a special adventure for you and your significant other – so make the most out of it while it lasts!