Looking for a name for your little one that will stand the test of time? These timeless and historical baby names may be just what you’re in search of.
We’ve gathered a list of names that have been used for centuries, but aren’t quite as well known as say a classic Elizabeth or William. These historical baby names are just as beloved today as they were generations ago, but have fallen from the top 100 so they’ll feel just as unique as modern baby names we see today. Whether you’re a history buff or simply looking for a name that will never go out of style, we’ve got you covered.
Baby Names Inspired by Historical People & Places
These historical baby names are inspired by some of the most famous figures and places (like some famous, historical cities!) throughout history. From artists to past presidents to pioneers of science, these names are notable, but also uncommon.
- Ada
- Alexandria
- Amelia
- Billie
- Cesar
- Clara
- Clarke
- Conrad
- Dean
- Edison
- Ella
- Ellis
- Emilie
- Florence
- Frida
- Grant
- Hamilton
- Harrison
- Henri
- Lewis
- Lincoln
- Martin
- Oscar
- Roman
- Rosa
- Savannah
- Sonny
- Walker
- Walter
- Wright
Timeless Baby Names
These timeless names never go out of style, but you won’t hear them quite as often as some other more common classics. They are unique, but sure to last through the decades.
- Alice
- Alvin
- Antonia
- Arthur
- Beatrice
- Beverly
- Calvin
- Cary
- Cecil
- Conrad
- Eden
- Ernest
- Evelyn
- Finn
- Frances
- Frederic
- Greta
- Gwen
- Harris
- Ines
- Irving
- Jean
- Jude
- Leo
- Ralph
- Sawyer
- Silas
- Stanton
- Sullivan
- Wells
What are your favorite timeless and historical names?
Now here’s where you come in! Do you have any favorite timeless and/or historical baby names!? Let’s hear ’em below!
Cari says
We named our son Arthur and obviously I love it, and I think it fits the bill! Good luck, Lauren!
Liz says
Our son is Arthur too and I love the name and think the meaning, ‘bear’, is super cute. I think it’s a lovely balance of classic and unusual but not unfamiliar? I also love that it is easily understood in different countries and has variants in other languages. And yes, good luck Lauren. Sending love 💕
Lauren says
I am really digging Arthur! Thanks for the suggestion and good wishes!
Rebecca says
Very biased since it’s what we named our son, but we picked Theodore (he goes by Theo). It is getting slightly more popular, but hoping with all the nickname options, he can still feel unique. Best of luck, Lauren!
Jaynie says
Same here! Although we call our Theodore “Teddy”. The nickname possibilities seem endless!
Lauren says
Thank you! Such a timeless name, love Theo as a nickname though, feels very modern.
jane says
know a guy named theo. he and his czech wife have a 12 year old daughter named matilda. they used to call her tildie for short 🙂 btw, not to be nosy, but what did you end up naming your boy?
Lily says
Harrison was the first name that came to mind when I read the description! Glad it’s already on Lauren’s list.
Here’s 16 more ideas:
Avery (so over it for a girl, but love it on a boy!)
Bronson
Callahan
Clay (can you believe Clay has *always* been in the top 1000?)
Dean
Everett
Forrest or Forester
Graham
Grady
Hayes
Huxley
Maxwell (with nickname Wells?)
Preston
Spencer
Walter
Whittaker
My favorites from your current list are Asher, James, Walker and Whitman.
Kelly says
Love all of these!! And Walker is one of my faves from her list as well! =)
Lily says
I know a Walker and it’s just so effortlessly cool.
Lauren says
Ok Wells for Maxwell is beyond. Love that! And who knew Clay had lasting power?! Incredible list and with you on Walker.
Brittany says
Wow, I have a cousin named Grant and his middle name is Hamilton! Guess he passes Lauren’s tests with flying colors 🙂
Lauren says
😂❤️
Nancy M says
My husband’s name is Trenton.. I loved it so much, I knew we’d name our first born son Trenton, too ❤️
JME says
I really love the names Holden, Evan, and Theodore.
Lauren says
Can you imagine brothers with these names!? So chic!
Katie says
We have an Ames Simon and Graham Everett! Love these posts! Congrats Lauren!!
Lauren says
Thanks, Katie!! Such awesome names ❤️
Jennifer Pope says
I had such a hard time coming up with a name for our son. We eventually landed on Conrad. People have heard of it but there aren’t a ton of 4 year old Conrad’s running around. I really thought we would call him Rad but he’s always gone by his full name and loves it.
jessie says
It sounds like we have similar name requirements! Here are some ideas:
1. Arthur
2. Brooks
3. Callum
4. Calvin
5. Cedric
6. Colin
7. Dean
8. Donovan
9. Franklin
10. Frederic
11. George
12. Harrison
13. Harris
14. Hayes
15. Jack
16. Jude
17. Kit
18. Leonard
19. Ellis
20. Sebastian
21. August
22. Meyer
23. Michael
24. Milo
25. Percy
26. Perry
27. Peter
28. Robert
29. Silas
30. Simon
31. Walter
32. Wilfred
33. William
Jen says
A caution on name Jack – it is so popular! Both my nephews (on diff sides of the family) are named Jack and my daughter had FIVE Jack’s in her kindergarten class a few years ago! As a Jennifer, I feel their pain…
jessie says
That is so interesting! It must be a regional thing. I have a two year old and only know one little Jack.
I just did a little research and it looks like 0.490% of boys in 2019 were named Jack.
Lauren says
Ok! Name trends are fascinating! I think geography absolutely comes into play because some names just have such a vibe.
Maybe we need name heat maps?!
Kalen says
Lauren’s list is quite similar to our list, but here are a few others I have thrown around in the past!
Miller
Graham
Sutton
Hayes
Grady
West
Callahan/Cal
Hutton
Lauren says
If my husband didn’t have a say my list would include so many of these 😂
Belinda says
William, Will for short
Liss maria Myrvang-Øien says
Alfred ❤️
Liz says
Rory, Connor, Eli
Catherine says
Harrison is my youngest son’s name and such a good classic. I’ve also always loved Hayes. How many syllables in your last name? That helps to narrow it down a bit too – like how does it flow when you say them together?
Anna says
I’m loving these names, especially Clarke and Lincoln 😍 Many of them are street names here in Chicago so I’m going to list a few more in that category that I love and have considered myself plus a few others!
Leland
Sawyer
Lawrence
Wilson
Monroe
Adam
Graham
Edison
Larson
Lauren says
I’m from Chicago so this list just *literally* hit home. Such great suggestions❤️
PS, I wanted a little girl Clarke so badly. Feels so fun to me.
Lindsay says
This was pretty much our name criteria for our 3 boys! We have Daniel, Henry, and Elliott. ☺️
Lauren says
So cute! We have a little Elliot in our lives and he’s the best.
Anne says
My son’s name is August. Names in the same category that I also always loved are Oscar, George, Otto and Victor.
Kelly says
George will always be one of my faves!
Erin says
I LOVE August. It’s top of my list, I just have to convince my husband;)
L A says
Our criteria was super similar! Traditional, easy to pronounce and spell, not commonly used. We ended up with Rhett and Tate and they suit them so well. Those one syllable names are having a huge uptick with people we know too! In the last year little Tate has been joined by buddies James, Wells (x2), Jude, and Brooks. 💙
Kelly says
LOVE Wells!!
Lauren says
Love hearing what’s popular! I’m so curious about what his friends will be named. 🧐
Amanda says
Our son is named Ray and we love it! No one ever forgets his name, he was named after his Great-Grandfather so it’s historic but still can cut it with a young boy. P.s if he was a girl he would have also been called Ray.
Kaylyn Mcclaran says
I love that Stanton is on this list. My friend named their son Stanton Roky, but he goes by Roky.
Lauren says
❤️❤️
KirstyAnne Walker says
We named our son “Sonny James” but here are a few traditional favourites…..
Andrew
Blair
Cameron
Edwin
Jack
James
Harris
Lewis
Mark
Martin
Scott
Stephen/Steven
Walker.
Lauren says
Love Lewis!
Saegan says
If we had a boy we were going to name him Soren. But looks like girls rule our house. 🥰
Maggie says
I’m surprised no one has shared this name but I thinks it’s super sweet, classic, historical- Muir! Like John Muir.
Lauren says
So fun! I’ve definitely tossed this around.
Megan says
We have an Arden and a Wells. Timeless, easy to spell and pronounce, and classic but not wildly popular (at least not yet). Our Arden is a girl but it’s traditionally a male name.
Lauren says
You win haha! Wells is my longtime fave, but tricky with our last name, so probably won’t use. And boys names for girls is my ❤️ category.
Amanda says
Jude
Edison
Oliver
Alexander
Winston
Elizabeth Schnabolk says
My boys are Weston and Owen … both of which I think fit this discription!
Lauren says
Totally!
Carrie says
My son’s name is Walker so definitely think that’s the best on the list! I had also wanted classic names, that were easily pronounced and spelled. Our boys are Wyatt (14) and Walker (10)
Carrie Stinton says
I also love the name Vaughan
Elyssa Covieo says
I’m kind of obsessed with the names Heath, Fritz and Windsor right now. And recently heard of Hemingway being used as a first name and was like, *head tilt* “ooooh”.
Gia says
My 15-year-old son’s name is Forrest. Everyone always loves it, though we’ve never met another Forrest. My daughters are Violet and Ginger. We totally thought Ginger was going to be a boy. If she was her name was going to be Bear. I’m done having babies though so maybe we’ll name our future dog Bear someday! 😜
Marie says
Not a historical name but Emery has always been a favorite of mine. It was my Grandfather’s name, my uncles name and my brothers middle name. Clarence is another family name and was on my list too
Lauren says
We have a new Emery in our life – excellent choice!
Carrie Stinton says
Emery was on my list as well but as a girls name. I had never heard that name used before but it was a street name in the small Canadian suburb I grew up in and I loved it.
kate says
We named our son Ryder Wolf 🙂 I’m obsessed with it.
Elizabeth says
Love the name Brooks!
Ashley Pike says
I love looking at names too! I get such a kick out of looking at different lists. Here are some suggestions:
Cordell
Harlan
Wyatt
Cary
Gene
Elroy
Leroy
Samuel
Norman
Nathaniel
Francis
Gideon
Ethan
Dean
Julius
Wayne
Rhodes
Parker
Russell
Lourdes Vidal says
I love Grant, Lincoln, James (NOT Jim) and Harrison (maybe Harris?)💙
Ryann says
I have always loved the name Grady, but I could never get my husband on board.
Lauren says
My friend had the best rule, she carried the baby for 9 months so she got 90 percent of the say. It’s not shaking out that way here 😂 but goals!
Wens says
Hi! How about Ernest or Frederick!? I love Freddie for short.
So exciting for your friend and you!
Mary Hanlon says
Tommy! So many options, like Thomas, Tom, or even wee Tam, when in Scotland. It was a favourite family name for me, but I’m pretty sure it was Tommy Shelby that convinced my partner it was a cool name 🙂
BUNNII BUGLIONE says
I’m not sure if historical and biblical are one and the same in the world of baby names, but I’ve always loved Abram!
In the Bible, Abram was Abraham’s name before his covenant with God. It’s often used by Hindu families as a boys name but gets spelled AbRam, the capital R a nod to Ram or Rama, who is the Hindu deity associated with chivalry and virtue.
I love that it’s a strong, name with tons of history, but also sounds delicate and looks pretty on paper.
Lauren says
Love the multicultural element. Name meanings is one of my favorite internet rabbit holes ❤️
Kate says
We wanted something classic but not common so 11months ago we welcomed Humphrey Milo to the family.
Meryl says
I have Ford, Ansel, and Ambrose on my list 🙂
Katie says
I’ve loved the name Graham lately! It feels very dapper. Also, cute baby nicknames galore – your little graham cracker!
Lauren says
Also every Graham I know is a cutie!
Nicole says
We just had a little boy and named him Julian. It’s a family name that I’ve always loved. Very uncommon and somehow feels both timeless and modern. My opinion anyway 🙂
Lauren says
Totally! People can say and spell it, but won’t have 6 in a class. So cute!
Brittany Westerman says
I’m going to throw out Griffin. It’s timeless and strong, but not popular.
Alyssa says
I have a Reeve and he’s perfect 🙂
Steph Mackler says
I like Ford and Peyton.
Lauren says
❤️❤️
Ali says
Chiming in to add:
Ashland
Cyrus
Hartford (Hart or Ford for short)
Knoll
Malone
Maceo
Ulysses
Lauren says
Did my husband contact you to write this list!?
Ali says
Haha! Nope! These are off my own list. Is one of his favorites on there? I’m from Oregon (hence Ashland) so I feel like Birkenstock’s are naturally part of my DNA. We’ve got a Montgomery (girl) that goes by Monty and a boy named Memphis. Everyone assumes we’re from the South. Congratulations and would love if you do an update once you decide and feel ready to share with the world. We’ve got a third (another girl) due in late July. I’m changing it up and steering AWAY from the southern names for this one.
Amanda says
Hi there! Adorable names! We named our son Blaine to fit many of these same criteria. I loved that it felt fresh and modern but was actually most popular in the 30s-50s. If you’re a Disney fan, we were inspired by Blaine Gibson (if you’re interested and don’t already know, you should look him up he has an incredible Disney history). We originally saw his name in the animation credits for Alice in Wonderland and it stuck. Love that it’s simple, easy, nowhere near popular, old but feels modern, and also feels like it could fit so many personalities. Don’t tell, but of our 4 kids, his is my fav name!
Alex says
Darcy
or
Theodore, but I would use Teddy for short.
Emily H says
Clyde
Danielle says
My two boys are Clifford and August! Cliff and Gus. August is a bit more popular now, but it’s definitely timeless, strong, and historical. Clifford is great because it’s familiar to everyone, but not at all common, and I love the strength and simplicity of the nickname Cliff! Same vibe as Cash and Crew, but more timeless.
Swan says
Congratulations! Realize I’m late to this party, but had so much fun compiling a hopefully helpful list.
(For the Birkenstock aspect)
Lucian: light
Alden, Alder, Rowan: Trees
Marshall: horse keeper (Thurgood Marshall)
(For the Historical aspect)
(and Birkenstock aspect) Thoreau : How awesome would Thor be as a nickname?
Walden… naturally
Thanks so much for the chance to chime in with suggestions. Good luck!
Sarah says
Very biased because it’s the name we chose for our daughter but I love the name Alma. I love that it’s beautiful and (relatively) uncommon but also so many people seem to connect with it because it means different things in different languages. I’ve been wondering if Abuela Alma in Encanto will have a positive or negative impact on the popularity of it! Time will tell!
Swan says
Girls: Corinne, Lydia, Grace, Faith, Hope, Sonia, Elora
Boys: Still love Jovan and Lucian. Will add Bryan, Alden, and Gage.
Happy weekend!