New parents often try to find unique and rare names for their babies. One of the trends that has resurfaced recently is picking vintage names that have died out in recent years.
Nameberry used both US and UK data for their list and said: “Along with Henry and Samuel, other Old Man Names in the US Top 500 include Arthur, Cyrus, Theodore, Otto, Silas, Harvey, Victor, and Frederick. Old-fashioned boy names more common in the UK than in the US include Albert, Ralph, Stanley, and Wilfred.”
The top 10 retro boy names on Nameberry are below.
Silas
Silas means ‘of the forest’ or ‘prayed for’ and has roots in Latin and Greek. This classic name has recently crept into the top 100 names in the US and has roots in both mysticism and the bible.
Theodore
Greek in origin,Theodore means ‘of God’ and is ranked highly in name charts across the world including the UK, New Zealand, Canada and the US.
Arthur
This Celtic name means bear and was chosen as the middle name of Prince Louis, son of William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales.
Otto
Meaning ‘wealthy’ and with German origins, this old school name is making a comeback. It’s simple and classy – perfect for someone who wants a name with distinction that’s not a nightmare to spell.
Cyrus
Cyrus has always ranked among the Top 1,000 boy names in the US. On an upward trend since the mid-90s, Cyrus is Persian in origin and means ’sun’.
Harvey
French in origin and meaning ‘battle worthy’, Harvey, was a top 100 name in the UK between 1997 and 2021, but the most recent data has seen it fall in popularity slightly. This makes it a good name for someone looking for something different.
Louis
This name was chosen by the Prince and Princess of Wales for their son in 2018. It has German and French origins and means ‘renowned warrior’.
Calvin
This name means ‘bald’ but despite this, it’s always been popular in the US. Quirky but cosy, Calvin also has a high fashion edge thanks to Calvin Klein. Nameberry reports it has been steadily on the popularity list since records were kept, never lower than Number 250, peaking in the 1920s, the era of the Calvin (originally John Calvin ) Coolidge presidency.
Casper
Once synonymous with ghosts, Casper is now popular across Scandinavia and the Netherlands. It means ‘bringer of treasure’.
Archie
Short for Archibald, this charming vintage name was the choice of name for the newborn royal baby, son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex aka Harry and Meghan.