Are you expecting a bundle of joy and looking for classic baby names for inspiration? You’ve come to the right place! There are many vintage baby names to choose from for your child. The classic boy names and classic girl names we compiled below are primarily British, French, Gaelic, German, Hebrew, Latin, Greek, and Welsh in origin. You might recognize a few of them from your family tree. (For example, my paternal grandmother’s name, Louise, and her mother’s name, Stella, both made the list. My mother-in-law’s name, Barbara, and her mother’s name, Catherine, also made the cut.)
Classic Baby Names
Classic Boy Names
Are you an outdoor enthusiast? You might like these nature-inspired names, like Irving, which means “green river or sea friend;” Dale, which means “valley;” Glenn, which means “glen;” Lee, which means “pasture or meadow;” Oliver, which means “olive tree;” Peter, which means “rock;” Silas, which means “forest, woods;” Stanley, which means “stony meadow;” or Vernon, which means “alder grove.”
Animal lover? You might consider Arnold, which means “eagle ruler;” Arthur, which means “bear or Thor, the eagle;” Everett, which means “brave as a wild boar;” Jonas, which means “dove;” Leo or Leon, which both mean “lion;” Orson, which means “bear;” or Randall, which means “wolf shield.”
Religious? Try Benedict, which means “blessed;” Caleb, which means “devotion to God;” Elliot, which means “Jehovah is God;” Jack or John, which both mean “God is gracious;” Michael, which means “who resembles God?;” Nathaniel, which means “God has given;” Oswald, which means “God’s power; or Theo or Theodore, which means “gift of God.”
Want to give your son a name befitting a warrior? Consider Earl, which means “nobleman, warrior, prince;” Ernest, which means “serious; a battle to the death;” Frederic, which means “peaceful ruler;” Gerald, which means “spear ruler;” Harold, which means “army ruler;” Harvey, which means “eager for battle; strong, warrior;” Herbert, which means “illustrious warrior;” Luther, which means “soldier of the people;” Oscar, which means “spear of the gods;” William, which means “will-helmet or protection;” or Walter, which means “commander of the army.”
Popular Classic Boy Names
These are the most popular classic boy names in alphabetical order.
1. Albert
2. Alfred
3. Allen
4. Alvin
5. Arnold
6. Arthur
7. Asher
8. Atticus
9. August
10. Basil
11. Benedict
12. Benjamin
13. Bernard
14. Caleb
15. Caspian
16. Cassius
17. Cecil
18. Charles
19. Clarence
20. Clifford
21. Clyd
22. Dale
23. Dennis
24. Donald
25. Earl
26. Edison
27. Edwin
28. Elliot
29. Elmer
30. Ernest
31. Eugene
32. Everett
33. Ezra
34. Felix
35. Finn
36. Floyd
37. Frances or Francis
38. Frederic
39. Gerald
40. Glenn
41. Harold
42. Harvey
43. Henry
44. Herbert
45. Howard
46. Hugo
47. Irving
48. Jack
49. James
50. Jasper
51. Jeffrey
52. John
53. Jonas
54. Jude
55. Kenneth
56. Lawrence
57. Lee
58. Leo or Leon
59. Leonard
60. Lewis or Louis
61. Lloyd
62. Luther
63. Martin
64. Marvin
65. Max
66. Michael
67. Miles
68. Milo
69. Murphy
70. Nathaniel
71. Neil
72. Noah
73. Norman
74. Oliver
75. Orson
76. Oscar
77. Oswald
78. Otis
79. Otto
80. Owen
81. Paul
82. Peter
83. Pierce
84. Quentin
85. Quincy
86. Quinn
87. Ralph
88. Randall
89. Ray or Raymond
90. Robert
91. Roger
92. Ronald
93. Roy
94. Russell
95. Samuel
96. Sebastian
97. Silas
98. Stanley
99. Terrence
100. Theo or Theodore
101. Vernon
102. Victor
103. Vincent
104. Wallace
105. Walter
106. Warren
107. Watson
108. Wayne
109. Wilbur
110. William
111. Winston
Classic Girl Names
These are the most popular classic girl names in alphabetical order.
Are you a gardener? You might like Daisy, which means “day’s eye;” Daphne, which means “laurel tree, bay tree;” Florence, which means “flowering or in bloom;” Hazel, which means “the hazelnut tree;” Ivy, which means “ivy plant;” Lillian, which means “lily;” Loretta, which means “laurel;” Marilyn, which means “star of the sea;” Olive, or “olive tree;” Polly, which means “star of the sea;” Rose, which means “rose;” Shirley, which means “bright meadow;” Sylvia, which means “wood or forest;” Sue or Susan, which both mean “lily;” or Violet, which means “purple.”
Or you might like Elaine, Eleanor, or Helen, which all mean “sun ray or shining light;” Lucy, which means “light;” Iris, which means “rainbow;” Phoebe, which means “bright or radiant;” or Stella, which means “star.”
Animal lover? You might like Bernadette, which means “strong, brave bear;” Beverly, which means “beaver stream or meadow;” Tabitha, which means “gazelle;” or Ursula, which means “little she-bear.”
Religious? You might consider Betsy, which means “worshipper of God;” Betty, which means “oath of God;” Elsie, which means “God of plenty;” Joan, which means “God is gracious;” Josephine or Posey, which both mean “Jehovah increases;” Phyllis, which means “greenery;” or Winifred, which means “holy, blessed reconciliation, or joy and peace.”
Want to give your daughter a name befitting a warrior? You might like Geraldine, which means “spear ruler;” Gertrude, which means “strong spear;” Eloise or Louise, which both mean “famous warrior;” or Willa, which means “will-helmet or protection.”
Are you due in the summer? Try these summer names, like June, which means “young,” or Theresa, which means “late summer.”
Popular Classic Girl Names
These are the most popular classic girl names in alphabetical order.
1. Adelaide
2. Adeline
3. Alice
4. Amelia
5. Arlene
6. Aurelia
7. Aurora
8. Barbara or Barbie
9. Beatrice
10. Betsy
11. Betty
12. Beverly
13. Billie
14. Bonnie
15. Carol
16. Catherine, Kate, Katherine, or Kitty
17. Charlotte
18. Clara
19. Constance
20. Cora
21. Daisy
22. Daphne
23. Darlene
24. Dolores
25. Doris, Dorothy, or Dot
26. Edith
27. Edna
28. Elaine, Eleanor, or Helen
29. Eloise or Louise
30. Elsie
31. Esme
32. Esther
33. Evelyn
34. Florence
35. Frances or Francis
36. Freya
37. Gail
38. Genevieve
39. Gloria
40. Grace
41. Hazel
42. Hedy
43. Ida
44. Irene
45. Iris
46. Ivy
47. Joan
48. Josephine or Posey
49. Joyce
50. Judith
51. June
52. Lillian
53. Lois
54. Loretta
55. Lorraine
56. Lucille or Lucy
57. Mabel
58. Margaret
59. Marilyn
60. Marjorie
61. Nanette
62. Nora
63. Norma
64. Octavia
65. Olive
66. Opal
67. Ophelia
68. Patsy
69. Pegg
70. Penelope
71. Phoebe
72. Phyllis
73. Polly
74. Priscilla
75. Prudence
76. Queenie
77. Rhea
78. Rose
79. Rosemary
80. Ruby
81. Ruth
82. Scarlet
83. Shirley
84. Sophia
85. Stella
86. Sue or Susan
87. Sylvia
88. Tabitha
89. Theresa
90. Tilly
91. Ursula
92. Violet
93. Virginia
94. Wanda
95. Willa
96. Wilma
97. Winifred
I hope these ideas give you some vintage inspiration as you choose a name for your child! Tell us your favorite classic baby names in the comments!
Be sure to look at our other baby name lists, like our old-fashioned names, elegant baby names, and Italian baby names. Have fun choosing a beautiful name you love for your baby!
