Old Man Names Get a New Lease of Life
Old man names are the new old lady names.
They’re the next frontier of vintage baby names, that is. Old-fashioned girl names – from sweet Alice and Violet to sparky Beatrix and Zelda – have felt almost unilaterally cool for several years now.
But old man names have traditionally found it harder to break back into favor. A few, like Sydney and Aubrey, have seen a surprise early revival for girls over the past two decades. Others, like Theodore, Ezra and Jasper, now rank higher than they did at their historical peak.
But we think now’s the time to take a fresh look at the full range of old man names out there. We’ve split them into three tiers, depending on where you want to shoot for on the cool-clunky continuum.
Read on for our pick of the 20+ best in each category!
Cool Old Man Names
These are the early adopted grandpa names, already back in fashion and now paving the way for their crustier counterparts.
Although they still retain an air of old-school cool, these choices are rapidly losing their “old man” credentials. We now picture cute little kindergarteners when we hear these names, and you’ve probably met at least one or two of them!
Abel Arthur August Calvin Charlie Cyrus Ellis Everett Ezra Felix Franklin Gideon Hugo Jasper Louis Maxwell Milo Oscar Silas Theodore Walter Wesley
Next Wave Old Man Names
These are our top contenders for next vintage comeback kid. They still feel old-fashioned, or even a little fusty – but charmingly so.
Several of these names are already popular elsewhere in the English-speaking world. In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s recent choice of Wilfred is a Top 150 pick, joining other old man names like Reggie, Albert, Stanley, Ralph and Chester near the top of the popularity charts.
Alfred Amos Basil Chester Enoch Forrest Gus Ira Leonard Linus Lyle Monty Otis Otto Percy Ralph Roscoe Rufus Stanley Truman Valentine Winston
Edgy Old Man Names
These are the boldest of the grandpa names: the choices that still make a strong “old man” style statement.
Not that they’re unusable for a baby boy born in the 2020s – in fact, we’ve deliberately chosen ones we think work – but they’re not for everyone.
Clunky-cool or just plain clunky? Your call.
Abner Aloysius Archibald Bartholomew Bernard Cecil Clement Cornelius Cyril Elmer Ephraim Ernest Eugene Gilbert Godfrey Grover Herbert Hiram Homer Horace Humphrey Ignatius Jerome Jethro Leopold Melvin Mortimer Norman Orville Oswald Reginald Roderick Seymour Sidney Sylvester Ulysses Vernon Woodrow
Which of these categories best fits your old man name style? What are your favorite grandpa names for babies? Tell us below!