185+ *Totally Dapper* Vintage Boy Names With Meanings (2023)

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Are old-timey, vintage boy names making a comeback in the world of baby names?

I’d say they are – 

and it’s because of this growing trend that I’ve compiled my absolute favorite vintage boy names (old fashioned ones) that are just too sweet to miss!

About a year ago, when my husband and I began our hunt for the perfect baby name, I was naming off a number of baby boys names from our shortlist to my aunt.

She followed up with the polite appreciation and encouragement, and then suggested Henry. 

Henry?

 

I didn’t think twice about it – it seemed so traditional and old-fashioned. 

But then, a funny thing happened.

I kept thinking about the name Henry. 

I loved how classic it was. It gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling. It made me think of going for ice cream with my grandpa on a hot summer night. 

It wasn’t fickle. 

It was established. Ageless. It felt trustworthy and true. 

I loved it. 

And so began my interest in the new trend of vintage boy names for babies.

Related: 65+ Precious Middle Names for Noah That’ll Melt Your Heart  

The Best Vintage Boy Names with Meanings

After scouring 1,000+ baby names, here are the best old-fashioned boys names that I just can’t stop thinking about.

As always, my top picks are marked with a heart.

Here are my absolute favourite vintage boy names:

Jennings

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: diminutive of John, meaning “little” John
  • Popularity: > 1000

Ellsworth

  • Origin: Old English
  • Meaning: Eli’s estate, or from the farm or homestead
  • Nicknames: Eli, Ellzy 
  • Popularity: > 1000

Grady

  • Origin: Irish
  • Meaning: noble
  • Nicknames: Gray
  • Popularity: #428

Roscoe

  • Origin: Germanic, Old Norse
  • Meaning: deer wood
  • Nicknames: Rocky, Rozzy, Roz, Ros, Rossy
  • Popularity: > 1000

Miles

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: soldier
  • Popularity: #54

Emery

  • Origin: Old English
  • Meaning: industrious
  • Popularity: #764 (#89 for girls)

Elias

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: the Lord is my God
  • Popularity: #48

Hollis

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: the holly tree
  • Popularity: > 1000

Rupert

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: bright fame
  • Popularity: > 1000

Noble

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: aristocratic
  • Popularity: > 1000

Dempsey

  • Origin: Irish
  • Meaning: proud
  • Popularity: > 1000

Graham

  • Origin: Old English
  • Meaning: grey home or gravel homestead
  • Popularity: #161

George

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: farmer
  • Nicknames: Georgie, G
  • Popularity: #134

Elmore

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: moore with elm trees
  • Popularity: > 1000

Wilmer

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: desire
  • Meaning: Will, Willy
  • Popularity: > 1000

Oren

  • Origin: Irish
  • Meaning: light and fair, or pine tree
  • Popularity: > 1000

Fletcher

  • Origin: French, English, Scottish, Irish
  • Meaning: arrowsmith 
  • Popularity: #655

Charles ❤️

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: free man
  • Nicknames: Charlie, Chip
  • Popularity: #50

Grover

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: lives near a grove of trees
  • Nicknames: Grovie, Groves, G , Rover
  • Popularity: > 1000

Frank

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: Frenchman or free man
  • Popularity: #444

Woodrow

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: row of houses by the woods
  • Popularity: > 1000

Orest

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: of the mountains
  • Popularity: > 1000

Henry ❤️

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: ruler of the home
  • Popularity: #9

Walter

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: ruler of the army
  • Popularity: #271

Clarence

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: one who lives near the River Clare or bright and clear
  • Popularity: > 1000

Lewis

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: renowned warrior
  • Popularity: #487

Bruno

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: brown
  • Popularity: #664

Peter

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: stone
  • Popularity: #215

Ernest

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: serious
  • Popularity: > 1000

Lloyd

  • Origin: Welsh
  • Meaning: grey
  • Popularity: > 1000

Howard

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: brave heart
  • Popularity: #940

Stanley

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: stony meadow
  • Popularity: #791

Herman

  • Origin: German 
  • Meaning: soldier
  • Popularity: > 1000

Luther

  • Origin: German 
  • Meaning: soldier of the people
  • Popularity: > 1000

Ellis

  • Origin: Welsh 
  • Meaning: the Lord is my God
  • Popularity: #321

Joseph

  • Origin: Hebrew 
  • Meaning: he will add
  • Popularity: #28

Ira

  • Origin: Hebrew 
  • Meaning: watchful one
  • Popularity: #810

Odin

  • Origin: Old Norse 
  • Meaning: frenzied; a reference from Norse mythology
  • Popularity: #327

Clifford

  • Origin: Old English
  • Meaning: fjord by the cliff
  • Popularity: > 1000

Burton

  • Origin: Old English
  • Meaning: fort settlement, or a name referring to someone from northern England
  • Popularity: > 1000

Bernard

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: brave, hardy
  • Popularity: > 1000

Mack

  • Origin: Latin, Gaelic
  • Meaning: greatest (a derivative of Maximillian)
  • Popularity: #470

Dale

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: from the valley
  • Popularity: > 1000

Franklin

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: a free man
  • Popularity: #395

Willie

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: short for William; meaning the determined protector 
  • Popularity: > 1000

Alfred

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: one who counsels the elves
  • Popularity: #900

Woodson

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: from Woodsome, a town in England
  • Popularity: > 1000

Grover

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: from the grove of trees
  • Popularity: > 1000

Charlie

  • Origin: English/German
  • Meaning: short for Charles; one who is manly and strong, a free man
  • Popularity: #189 (#127 for girls)

Harrison

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: the son of Harry
  • Popularity: #120

Weldon

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: from the hill near a spring
  • Popularity: > 1000

Ansel

  • Origin: French
  • Meaning: one who follows nobility; protection from God
  • Popularity: > 1000

Hayes

  • Origin: Scottish
  • Meaning: from the stockade
  • Popularity: #229

Arden

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: great forest
  • Popularity: > 1000 

Thatcher

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: roof maker
  • Popularity: #831

Alfie

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: short for Alfred; one who counsels the elves
  • Popularity: > 1000

Theodore

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: a gift from God
  • Popularity: #10

Leo

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: resembling a lion
  • Popularity: #31

Wilfred

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: one who wishes for peace
  • Popularity: > 1000

Oswald

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: the power of God, also the name of a modern font
  • Popularity: > 1000
  •  

Arthur

  • Origin: Celtic
  • Meaning: as strong as a bear; a hero
  • Popularity: #155

Clancy

  • Origin: Gaelic
  • Meaning: red-haired warrior
  • Popularity: > 1000

James

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: supplanter
  • Popularity: #5

Otto

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: wealth, prosperity
  • Popularity: #336

Emmett

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: desire
  • Popularity: #103

Chester

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: a fortress, camp
  • Popularity: > 1000

William

  • Origin: German 
  • Meaning: with gilded helmet
  • Popularity: #6

Earnest

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: diligent, truthful
  • Popularity: > 1000

Percy

  • Origin: origin
  • Meaning: short for Percival; meaning one who pierces the valley
  • Popularity: > 1000

Julius

  • Origin: Roman, Greek
  • Meaning: youthful, or downy-bearded
  • Popularity: #319

Franklin

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: free landholder
  • Popularity: #395

Maynard

  • Origin: German 
  • Meaning: brave, strong
  • Popularity: > 1000

Gordon

  • Origin: Scottish 
  • Meaning: great hill
  • Popularity: #925

Orville

  • Origin: Old French 
  • Meaning: gold town
  • Popularity: > 1000

Terrence

  • Origin: Latin 
  • Meaning: smooth
  • Popularity: > 1000

Melford

  • Origin: Old English 
  • Meaning: from the ford by the hill
  • Popularity: > 1000

Roy

  • Origin: French 
  • Meaning: king
  • Popularity: #551

Earl

  • Origin: Old English 
  • Meaning: nobleman, warrior or prince
  • Popularity: > 1000

Lester

  • Origin: Old English 
  • Meaning: someone from the English county town of Leicestershire
  • Popularity: > 1000

Everett

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: brave
  • Popularity: #82

Francis

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: brave
  • Popularity: #466

Willis

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: resolute protector

Bernard

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: brave
  • Popularity: > 1000

Jasper

  • Origin: Persian
  • Meaning: bringer of treasure
  • Popularity: #128

Wallace

  • Origin: Scottish, French
  • Meaning: Welshman
  • Popularity: #897

Otis

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: wealth
  • Popularity: #647

Jack

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: God is gracious
  • Popularity: #11

Samuel

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: God has heard
  • Popularity: #23

Hartley

  • Origin: British
  • Meaning: deer meadow
  • Popularity: > 1000

Harvey

  • Origin: Celtic
  • Meaning: battle worthy
  • Popularity: #420

Cover

  • Origin: English, French
  • Meaning: a resident of the Cove region in Suffolk (UK), or to cover
  • Popularity: > 1000

Hatfield

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: from the town of Hertfordshire, Essex, Worcestershire or Yorkshire (UK)
  • Popularity: > 1000

Morris 

  • Origin: English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
  • Meaning: dark-skinned
  • Popularity: #11

Cecil

  • Origin: Welsh
  • Meaning: sixth
  • Popularity: > 1000

Harold

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: army ruler
  • Popularity: #962

Herbert

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: illustrious warrior, or famous warrior
  • Popularity: > 1000

Marshall

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: one who loves horses
  • Popularity: #379

Ezra

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: helper
  • Popularity: #37

Clement

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: merciful
  • Popularity: > 1000

Lowell

  • Origin: Old French
  • Meaning: young wolf
  • Popularity: > 1000

Rex

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: king
  • Popularity: #696

Rudy

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: famous wolf
  • Popularity: #819

Clifton

  • Origin: Old English
  • Meaning: town by the cliff
  • Popularity: > 1000

Ralph

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: wolf counsel
  • Popularity: > 1000

Thomas

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: twin
  • Popularity: #46

Wilson

  • Origin: Scottish, English
  • Meaning: desire
  • Popularity: #714

Clyde

  • Origin: Scottish
  • Meaning: warm, friendly
  • Popularity: #733

Albert

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: noble
  • Popularity: #564

Willard

  • Origin: Old English
  • Meaning: strong desire
  • Popularity: > 1000

Reuben

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: behold, a son
  • Popularity: #883

Robert

  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: bright fame
  • Popularity: #79

Alexander

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: defender of men
  • Popularity: #13

Fred

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: peaceful ruler
  • Popularity: > 100

Donald

  • Origin: Celtic
  • Meaning: world ruler
  • Popularity: #592

Perkin

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: rock
  • Popularity: > 1000

Rolland

  • Origin: French
  • Meaning: renowned in the land
  • Popularity: > 1000

Harry

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: home ruler
  • Popularity: #722

Floyd

  • Origin: Welsh
  • Meaning: grey or grey-haired
  • Popularity: > 1000

 

Leroy

  • Origin: French
  • Meaning: the king
  • Popularity: #905

Hugh

  • Origin: British
  • Meaning: intellect
  • Popularity: #746

Leonard

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: lion
  • Popularity: #649

Johnnie

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: God is gracious
  • Popularity: > 1000

Kenneth

  • Origin: Gaelic
  • Meaning: handsome
  • Popularity: #258

Byron

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: one who works with cattle
  • Popularity: #751

Archie

  • Origin: brave, genuine
  • Meaning: Scottish, English
  • Popularity: > 1000

Leon

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: lion
  • Popularity: > 1000

Levi

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: joined
  • Popularity: #12

Leland

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: meadow land
  • Popularity: > 1000

Vance

  • Origin: British
  • Meaning: marshland
  • Popularity: #943

Louis

  • Origin: famous warrior
  • Meaning: French
  • Popularity: #251

Silas

  • Origin: Greek, Latin
  • Meaning: wood, forest
  • Popularity: #91

Milo

  • Origin: German, Latin, Greek
  • Meaning: soldier, or merciful
  • Popularity: #127

Ronald

  • Origin: Scandinavian
  • Meaning: mighty counselor
  • Popularity: #563

Lawrence

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: bright one, shining one
  • Popularity: #578

Van

  • Origin: British
  • Meaning: marshland or marsh
  • Popularity: #873

Joseph

  • Origin: Greek, Latin
  • Meaning: God will give
  • Popularity: #28

Edward

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: wealth or fortune
  • Popularity: #217

Anderson

  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: son of Ander
  • Popularity: #328

Oscar

  • Origin: Scandinavian
  • Meaning: spear of the gods
  • Popularity: #226

 Russell

  • Origin: Old Norse, French
  • Meaning: red-haired
  • Popularity: #352

Clyde

  • Origin: Scottish
  • Meaning: warm, friendly
  • Popularity: #733
  • Popularity: > 1000
  •  

Wallace

  • Origin: Scottish, English
  • Meaning: Welshman or foreigner
  • Popularity: #897

Amos

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: carried by God
  • Popularity: #603

Douglas

  • Origin: Gaelic
  • Meaning: dark stream
  • Popularity: #739

Emmanuel

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: God with us
  • Popularity: #191

Nolan

  • Origin: Gaelic
  • Meaning: noble, famous
  • Popularity: #60

Jefferson

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: son of Jeffrey
  • Popularity: #723

Forrest

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: of the woods
  • Popularity: #414

Odin

  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: raging, poetic fury
  • Popularity: #327

Dean

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: valley
  • Popularity: #165

August

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: to increase
  • Popularity: #121

Graham

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: gravel homestead of grey home
  • Popularity: #161

Harding

  • Origin: Scottish
  • Meaning: hard working person
  • Popularity: > 1000

Elmer

  • Origin: British
  • Meaning: noble, famous
  • Popularity: > 1000

Milton

  • Origin: British
  • Meaning: mill town
  • Popularity: > 1000

Willard

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: strong desire
  • Popularity: > 1000

Rufus

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: red-haired
  • Popularity: > 1000

Boyd

  • Origin: Scottish, Gaelic
  • Meaning: blonde
  • Popularity: > 1000

Emil

  • Origin: Latin, French
  • Meaning: to excel, or eager
  • Popularity: > 1000

Gus

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: majestic, exalted
  • Popularity: > 1000

Ollie

  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: olive tree
  • Popularity: > 1000

Coy

  • Origin: British
  • Meaning: quiet, calm or clever
  • Popularity: > 1000

Doyle

  • Origin: Gaelic
  • Meaning: dark foreigner
  • Popularity: > 1000

Garland

  • Origin: English, French
  • Meaning: land of the spear
  • Popularity: > 1000

Linwood

  • Origin: British
  • Meaning: linden tree valley
  • Popularity: > 1000

Warner

  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: army guard
  • Popularity: > 1000

Wilford

  • Origin: Old English
  • Meaning: willow ford
  • Popularity: > 1000

Randall

  • Origin: Germanic, Old Norse
  • Meaning: wolf shield
  • Popularity: > 1000

Elmore

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: lives at the elm tree moor
  • Popularity: > 1000

Cleo

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: glory
  • Popularity: > 1000 (#804 for girls)

Wendell

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: wanderer, traveler
  • Popularity: > 1000

Fritz

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: peaceful ruler
  • Popularity: > 1000

Oren

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Meaning: pine

Sanford

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: sandy ford
  • Popularity: > 1000

Foster

  • Origin: Engilsh
  • Meaning: one who keeps the forest
  • Popularity: > 1000

Herbert

  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: shining warrior
  • Popularity: > 1000

Elwood

  • Origin: British
  • Meaning: elder tree forest

Eldon

  • Origin: English
  • Meaning: sacred hill
  • Popularity: > 1000

Elmer

  • Origin: British
  • Meaning: noble, famous
  • Popularity: > 1000

Teddy

  • Origin: French
  • Meaning: wealthy protector
  • Popularity: > 1000

Alton

  • Origin: British
  • Meaning: old town
  • Popularity: > 1000

Vintage Boy Names – TL;DR

And there we have it. A collection of the most sweet, truly vintage names for boys that you can actually use.

Did any of these names stir up a warm, fuzzy memory for you? Are you any closer to finding the name that makes your heart go pitter patter?

Read Next: 

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