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Baby name trends run in cycles, and right now the cycle is pointing firmly backward. Names that were common a century ago — the kind you'd find on a great-grandparent — are showing up again on birth certificates, often reframed as fresh rather than old-fashioned.
Why vintage names are trending
Naming trends tend to skip a generation or two before circling back, and names that felt dated to parents choosing names in the 1980s and 90s now sound distinctive to today's parents, precisely because they haven't been common in decades. Nostalgia, period-drama TV shows, and family-tree research (thanks to DNA and genealogy sites) have all played a part in the revival.
Vintage girl names on the rise
- Eleanor
- Josephine
- Cecilia
- Beatrice
- Florence
- Agnes
- Edith
- Mabel
Vintage boy names on the rise
- Theodore
- August
- Walter
- Arthur
- Oliver
- Frederick
- Wilbur
- Elliot
How to make a vintage name feel current
Many parents pair a vintage first name with a more modern nickname (Theodore who goes by Theo, Eleanor who goes by Nora) to get a name that works formally and casually. Vintage names also tend to pair well with simpler, shorter middle names, since they carry a bit more weight on their own.
A word on very unusual revivals
Not every vintage name has made a comeback — some (like Bertha or Cuthbert) remain rare for a reason, often tied to sound or association rather than age alone. If you're drawn to a name that still feels genuinely unusual today, it's worth saying it out loud a few times and picturing it on an adult, not just a baby, before committing.
