Old man names are a perennially popular category among parents. There’s something so adorable about the juxtaposition of a fresh-faced baby boy and a vintage—perhaps even slightly dusty—baby name.
The names that qualify as old man names are always changing. As these names rise in popularity, they begin to be shed their old man images and come to been associated with the younger generation. Henry, Jake, and Max were considered old man names not so long ago, but now conjure up images of little boys.
Names like Elliot, Theodore, Gus, and Oscar are moving out of old man territory. At one point, hipster parents may have chosen them for their vintage quirk, but they are starting to feel fresh and youthful again. Parents trying to stay ahead of the curve with old man names have had to move on to older, stodgier names.
These are the new old man names. At the moment they might seem too crusty to bestow on a newborn baby, but in a few years’ time we could see an influx of baby Franks, Humphreys and Seymours.
Alfred
Archibald
Bertram
Casper
Clyde
Ernest
Eugene
Floyd
Frank
Gerald
Harold
Hector
Herbert
Hubert
Hugh
Humphrey
Leander
Lester
Milton
Morris
Ralph
Roger
Seymour
Stanley
Stuart
Victor
Wilbur
Wilford
Wilfred
What do you think? Will this next generation of old man names come back into style anytime soon? And which ones?