Retro Baby Names Totally Work for a Very Modern Family

When you’re picking a baby name for a boy or a girl, you want something that will stand the test of time. Sure, trendy names are fun, but vintage names are the way to go if you want something that will hold up.

Check out our picks for the best retro baby names for girls and boys from the Bible, old Hollywood and more.

Our list of the top retro boys’ names:

Biblical baby names have dominated the charts from the 1800’s to modern times.

1. Hubert
2. Clayton
3. Wilson
4. Harley
5. Curtis
6. Cleveland
7. Cecil
8. Eli
9. Wiley
10. Nicholas
11. Reuben
12. Owen
13. Max
14. Silas
15. Fredrick
16. Sylvester
17. Marshall
18. Emmett
19. Ross
20. Levi
21. Otis
22. Wallace
23. Russell
24. Gus
25. Everett

More:These Twin Baby Boy Names Complement Each Other Perfectly

Here are our top picks for retro baby names for girls:

These retro girl names, straight from the list of top baby girl names from the 1800’s, are full of classic, yet surprisingly modern sounding, baby names.

1. Mary
2. Elizabeth
3. Margaret
4. Ida
5. Clara
6. Alicia
7. Florence
8. Ethel
9. Nellie
10. Mabel
11. Cora
12. Helen
13. Lilian
14. Gertrude
15. Rose
16. Pearl
17. Edith
18. Hattie
19. Mattie
20. Julia
21. Maggie
22. Rosa
23. Daisy
24. Nettie
25. Lizzie

More:These Greek Baby Names Are Perfect for Your Little God or Goddess

Old Hollywood boy names

We can also find great retro baby names by looking at the popular celebrities in the 1930’s. Some standouts include:

• Fred (Astaire)
• Charlie (Chaplin)
• Errol (Flynn)
• Clark (Gable)
• William (Powell)
• Charles (Laughton)
• Thomas (Mitchell)

Girl names:

• Greta (Garbo)
• Myrna (Loy)
• Ginger (Rogers)
• Shirley (Temple)
• Mae (West)
• Hattie (McDaniel)
• Claudette (Colbert)

Baby Names from Literature

Take a look back at classic books and the character names for some wonderful names with a retro feel. Names such as Atticus (To Kill a Mockingbird), Gatsby (The Great Gatsby), Holden (The Catcher in the Rye) and Phineas (A Separate Peace) for boys. For girls, consider Jane (Jane Austen), Ophelia (Shakespeare), Portia (Shakespeare), Lily (The House of Mirth) or Hester (The Scarlett Letter).

You can also take a look back at your own family tree. Not only may these names have a wonderful retro sound to them, but passing on a family name is a wonderful way to stay connected to the past while moving toward the future.

Originally published December 2015. Updated August 2017.