Old Names for Men: 100 Classic, Vintage, and Historical Choices

Old names for men can range from timeless classics to rare historical choices. Arthur, Henry, Walter, Alfred, Edwin, Samuel, and George are familiar examples, while names such as Athelstan, Ambrose, Percival, and Leofric offer a more unusual old-world feel.

The word “old” can mean different things in naming. Some names are ancient. Others were common in the 18th, 19th, or early 20th centuries and now feel vintage. This guide brings those styles together so you can find a name that fits the period, culture, and character you want.

Table of Contents

100 Old Names for Men

1. Classic, Vintage & Old English Names

#	Name	Style or Historical Association
1	Arthur	Classic, medieval
2	Alfred	Old English, vintage
3	Albert	Germanic, vintage
4	Walter	Germanic, vintage
5	Edwin	Old English, vintage
6	Edmund	Old English
7	Edward	Old English, classic
8	Harold	Old English, vintage
9	Henry	Germanic, classic
10	Frederick	Germanic, vintage
11	George	Greek, classic
12	Charles	Germanic, classic
13	William	Germanic, classic
14	Richard	Germanic, classic
15	Robert	Germanic, classic
16	Thomas	Biblical, traditional
17	Samuel	Biblical, traditional
18	Joseph	Biblical, traditional
19	David	Biblical, traditional
20	Daniel	Biblical, traditional
21	Benjamin	Biblical, traditional
22	Abraham	Biblical, ancient
23	Isaac	Biblical, ancient
24	Amos	Biblical, vintage
25	Tobias	Biblical, traditional
26	Nathaniel	Biblical, traditional
27	Theodore	Greek, classic
28	Benedict	Latin, medieval
29	Ambrose	Greek, vintage
30	Julius	Roman, classical
31	Augustus	Roman, classical
32	Victor	Latin, classic
33	Felix	Latin, classical
34	Marcus	Roman, classical
35	Lucius	Roman, classical

2. Medieval, Old English & Vintage Names

#	Name	Style or Historical Association
36	Titus	Roman, biblical
37	Cornelius	Roman, traditional
38	Horace	Roman, literary
39	Percival	Medieval, literary
40	Geoffrey	Medieval, Germanic
41	Godfrey	Medieval, Germanic
42	Reginald	Medieval, vintage
43	Archibald	Vintage, Scottish
44	Wilfred	Germanic, vintage
45	Rupert	Germanic, vintage
46	Bernard	Germanic, traditional
47	Oswald	Old English
48	Oswin	Old English
49	Athelstan	Old English, medieval
50	Godwin	Old English
51	Leofric	Old English
52	Ethelred	Old English
53	Cedric	Literary, Victorian
54	Ernest	Vintage
55	Franklin	Vintage, English
56	Clarence	Vintage
57	Chester	Vintage, English
58	Clifford	English, vintage
59	Everett	Germanic, vintage
60	Howard	Germanic, vintage
61	Leonard	Germanic, classic
62	Raymond	Germanic, vintage
63	Roland	Germanic, medieval
64	Roger	Germanic, medieval
65	Ralph	Germanic, medieval
66	Stanley	English, vintage
67	Morris	Traditional, vintage
68	Clyde	Vintage, Scottish
69	Cecil	Latin, vintage
70	Clement	Latin, traditional

3. Biblical, Historical & European Names

#	Name	Style or Historical Association
71	Bertram	Germanic, vintage
72	Cyrus	Persian, biblical
73	Solomon	Biblical, ancient
74	Ezekiel	Biblical, ancient
75	Bartholomew	Biblical, traditional
76	Ebenezer	Biblical, vintage
77	Thaddeus	Biblical, traditional
78	Matthias	Biblical, traditional
79	Gideon	Biblical, traditional
80	Barnabas	Biblical, traditional
81	Jeremiah	Biblical, traditional
82	Ephraim	Biblical, ancient
83	Casimir	Slavic, historical
84	Leopold	Germanic, historical
85	Maximilian	Latin, European
86	Constantine	Greek, Roman
87	Dominic	Latin, traditional
88	Ignatius	Latin, historical
89	Basil	Greek, traditional
90	Hugh	Germanic, medieval
91	Lionel	Medieval, literary
92	Lancelot	Arthurian, literary
93	Goddard	Germanic, medieval
94	Alaric	Germanic, historical
95	Anselm	Germanic, medieval
96	Conrad	Germanic, historical
97	Gilbert	Germanic, medieval
98	Osbert	Old English
99	Wilbur	Germanic, vintage
100	Wendell	Germanic, vintage

Old-Fashioned Names for Men

Some names have a clear vintage character because they were widely familiar in earlier generations.

Examples include:

Alfred
Albert
Walter
Edwin
Harold
Clarence
Chester
Ernest
Wilfred
Stanley
Clyde
Bertram
Archibald
Wilbur

Modern naming references use terms such as old-fashioned, vintage, and old-school for many of these styles. Current name lists include choices such as Ambrose, Walter, Edwin, Julius, Clyde, and Amos among old-fashioned male names.

Classic Old Names That Still Feel Familiar

Not every traditional name sounds dated.

Henry, Arthur, William, George, Charles, Edward, Thomas, Joseph, Samuel, and Theodore have long histories but remain easy to recognize.

Historical U.S. data also shows the staying power of several traditional names. The Social Security Administration’s 1926–2025 data includes James, John, Robert, William, David, Joseph, Thomas, and Charles among the most frequently recorded male names over that century.

That makes these names useful when you want an old name that still feels familiar.

Old English Names for Men

Old English names can give a strong Anglo-Saxon or early English atmosphere.

Some examples are:

Alfred
Athelstan
Edmund
Edwin
Edward
Ethelred
Godwin
Harold
Leofric
Oswald
Oswin
Osbert

These names are especially useful for historical writing because their forms are connected with Old English naming traditions.

For genuinely medieval research, the Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources is especially useful. It documents given names recorded in European sources from 500 to 1600.

Medieval Names for Men

If you want a name with a medieval atmosphere, consider:

Athelstan, Anselm, Benedict, Geoffrey, Godfrey, Hugh, Percival, Reginald, Roland, Roger, and Gilbert.

However, a medieval-sounding name is not automatically medieval. Some names commonly presented as historical today have literary or later developments.

For example, Cedric has a particularly interesting history. It was created by Sir Walter Scott for his 1819 novel Ivanhoe, rather than being a straightforward surviving Old English personal name.

For historically accurate character naming, the name should match the character’s region and period, not just the desired aesthetic.

Vintage Names for Men

Vintage names often refer to names associated with earlier generations rather than names from one specific historical period.

Some strong vintage choices include:

Albert
Arthur
Clarence
Chester
Ernest
Franklin
Harold
Howard
Raymond
Stanley
Walter
Wilbur
Wilfred

These names can work especially well for characters set in the 19th or early 20th century.

The U.S. Social Security Administration maintains historical naming records dating back to the late 19th century, making it possible to check if a name actually appeared in American birth data rather than relying only on modern impressions.

Old Biblical Names for Men

Biblical names have remained in use for centuries and often have a strong traditional feel.

Some choices include:

Abraham
Amos
Benjamin
Daniel
David
Ezekiel
Gideon
Isaac
Jeremiah
Joseph
Samuel
Solomon
Tobias

Biblical does not necessarily mean uniquely ancient. Similarly, many biblical names continued through later European and American naming traditions.

Rare Old Names for Men

However, if you want something less familiar, consider:

Athelstan, Oswin, Leofric, Anselm, Goddard, Osbert, Ambrose, Bertram, Ebenezer, Ignatius, Casimir, and Alaric.

Moreover, these names can create a stronger historical or literary impression than familiar classics.

Before choosing a rare historical name, check its spelling and pronunciation. Older names often have regional forms and modern variants.

Old Man Names With Short Nicknames

A long traditional name can also provide a shorter everyday form.

Traditional Name	Possible Short Form
Alfred	Alf, Alfie
Archibald	Archie
Augustus	Gus, Auggie
Benedict	Ben, Benny
Charles	Charlie
Edward	Ed, Eddie
Frederick	Fred, Freddie
Henry	Hank
Theodore	Theo, Ted
William	Will, Billy
Albert	Al, Bert
Samuel	Sam
Benjamin	Ben
Joseph	Joe
Nicholas	Nick

Nicknames vary by language, country, family, and historical period, so not every short form was used everywhere.

Old Names for Men by Style

Strong and Traditional

Arthur, Henry, William, Charles, Edward, Richard, Robert, and George have a familiar classic style.

Rare and Historical

Athelstan, Leofric, Oswin, Anselm, Osbert, Goddard, and Alaric feel more unusual.

Biblical

Abraham, Isaac, Samuel, Joseph, Daniel, Solomon, Gideon, and Ezekiel have biblical associations.

Victorian and Vintage

Albert, Walter, Ernest, Clarence, Chester, Stanley, Wilfred, and Franklin have a stronger vintage character.

Classical

Julius, Augustus, Marcus, Lucius, Titus, Felix, and Constantine connect to Greek or Roman traditions.

How to Choose an Old Name for a Man

Start with the feeling you want.

Classic choices include Henry, Arthur, William, and George.

If you prefer an Old English feel, names such as Alfred, Athelstan, Edwin, and Leofric are worth considering.

Biblical-inspired choices include Samuel, Abraham, Isaac, and Solomon.

For a Victorian feel, try Albert, Walter, Ernest, or Clarence.

For a rare historical character, names such as Oswin, Anselm, Osbert, or Goddard may work well.

If the name is for a real person, also say it with the surname. A name that looks appealing on a list may sound very different when spoken as a full name.

Are Old Names Becoming Popular Again?

Some older names have clearly remained part of modern naming culture, while others remain uncommon.

In the United States, the SSA’s 2025 data includes Theodore, Henry, William, James, and Oliver among the top 10 boy names. This shows that some names with long histories are still widely used today.

Current naming publications also continue to feature vintage and old-fashioned names, suggesting that the category remains relevant to modern name searches.

Popularity is highly regional, though. A name may be common in one country and unusual in another, so U.S. data should not automatically be treated as global naming evidence.

FAQ

What is a very old male name?

Arthur, Alfred, Edmund, Harold, and Athelstan are examples of very old male names with strong historical roots.

What is a classic old person’s name?

Classic names such as George, Henry, Walter, Charles, and Edward have a timeless, traditional feel.

What are the top 100 old man names?

Popular old-fashioned choices include Arthur, Henry, Alfred, Walter, Edward, George, Harold, William, and many other classic names.

What is a 1920s male name?

Common vintage-style male names associated with the 1920s include Charles, Harold, Walter, Robert, George, and Ernest.

What is a classy male name?

Arthur, Theodore, Edward, Frederick, Henry, and Charles can give a name a refined and classic feel.

What is a vintage name?

A vintage name is an older name that has a traditional, historical, or nostalgic feel, such as Alfred, Ernest, Clarence, or Walter.

Conclusion

Old names for men cover much more than one naming style. You can choose from Old English, medieval, biblical, Roman, Victorian, vintage, and classic traditions.

Classic choices include Arthur, Henry, William, George, and Edward. Names with a stronger historical feel include Athelstan, Leofric, Oswin, Anselm, and Osbert. Biblical traditions offer established options such as Samuel, Abraham, Isaac, and Solomon.

The most useful approach is to match the name with the period, culture, pronunciation, and purpose behind your choice.