Classic boy names are classy and time-honored. If you desire your son’s name to be strong and traditional, this list is for you.
Why Choose a Classic Boy Name?
A name falls into the category of classic when it has been popular over a long period of time. Many classic boy names, like David or Jacob, have been around for thousands of years. Recognized as high quality names, many classic names have been prevalent in multiple cultures and languages.
Because of their popularity throughout time and around the globe, classic names are most often the standard in which other names are held against. Picking a classic name for your son will give him a name that is traditional, enduring and timeless.
Top 100 Classic Boy Names
Below you’ll find a carefully selected list of recognizably classic boy names taken from cultured sources like literature and history.
- Noah
- Oliver
- William
- Elijah
- James
- Benjamin
- Lucas
- Mason
- Ethan
- Alexander
- Henry
- Jacob
- Michael
- Daniel
- Logan
- Jackson
- Sebastian
- Jack
- Owen
- Samuel
- Matthew
- Joseph
- Levi
- David
- John
- Wyatt
- Carter
- Julian
- Luke
- Isaac
- Theodore
- Gabriel
- Anthony
- Dylan
- Leo
- Lincoln
- Christopher
- Josiah
- Andrew
- Thomas
- Joshua
- Ezra
- Charles
- Caleb
- Isaiah
- Ryan
- Nathan
- Adrian
- Christian
- Elias
- Aaron
- Eli
- Landon
- Jonathan
- Nolan
- Hunter
- Cameron
- Santiago
- Jeremiah
- Angel
- Roman
- Miles
- Robert
- Nicholas
- Ian
- Carson
- Dominic
- Leonardo
- Austin
- Jordan
- Adam
- Xavier
- Jose
- Everett
- Evan
- Parker
- Wesley
- Weston
- Jason
- Emmett
- Silas
- Bennett
- Brooks
- Micah
- Damian
- Harrison
- Vincent
- George
- Luis
- Chase
- Cole
- Nathaniel
- Zachary
- Gavin
- Tyler
- Diego
- Beau
- Carlos
- Jasper
- Max
Unique Classic Boy Names
Trail off of the beaten path and check out these less common classic boy names that aren’t popular or overused. Selecting one of these unique choices would set your son apart.
- Abraham
- Anderson
- Archie
- Arturo
- August
- Augustus
- Benedict
- Blake
- Bradley
- Calvin
- Chester
- Clayton
- Colton
- Conrad
- Cortez
- Curtis
- Dalton
- Darius
- Davis
- Dexter
- Edgar
- Edison
- Edwin
- Elliott
- Felix
- Fletcher
- Floyd
- Frederick
- Garrett
- Grady
- Grant
- Gus
- Guy
- Harvey
- Hugh
- Hugo
- Israel
- Jamison
- Jefferson
- Jonas
- Jude
- Julius
- Kendrick
- Kent
- Lane
- Leon
- Leonard
- Lewis
- Lucius
- Marcus
- Marshall
- Maximo
- Maxwell
- Milton
- Moses
- Nelson
- Noble
- Porter
- Preston
- Quentin
- Raleigh
- Ralph
- Reed
- Rhett
- Rufus
- Rupert
- Salvador
- Scott
- Solomon
- Stanley
- Stanton
- Sterling
- Taylor
- Thaddeus
- Toby
- Travis
- Truman
- Ulysses
- Wade
- Walker
- Warner
- Wilber
- Willis
- Wilson
- Zachariah
- Zack
- Zane
Cute Classic Boy Names
The names we collected for this list are adorable and classic. These name sound cute, crisp, and clean. Classic names become classics because they are favorable amongst parents across generations.
- Alexis
- Alvin
- Andy
- Art
- Ashley
- Avery
- Benny
- Bert
- Billy
- Bo
- Bobby
- Brady
- Brandon
- Brice
- Bryce
- Bud
- Buddy
- Byron
- Casey
- Chandler
- Charley
- Charlie
- Chet
- Cleo
- Cody
- Colby
- Cory
- Danny
- Dashiell
- Denver
- Dillon
- Dino
- Eddie
- Elliot
- Ellis
- Elmo
- Elvis
- Forest
- Forrest
- Frankie
- Freddie
- Freddy
- Hank
- Harley
- Harris
- Harry
- Huey
- Ivory
- Jae
- Jaime
- Jake
- Jesse
- Jimmy
- Jody
- Joey
- Junior
- Kasey
- Kory
- Kyle
- Marty
- Mickey
- Milo
- Monte
- Monty
- Moshe
- Murray
- Noel
- Ollie
- Oscar
- Otis
- Otto
- Paris
- Percy
- Perry
- Quincy
- Quinn
- Reid
- Rene
- Ricky
- Riley
- Rory
- Rudy
- Sammy
- Scotty
- Teddy
- Theo
- Tommy
- Tory
- Van
- Wally
- Willard
- Willie
- Willy
- Young
Cool Classic Boy Names
The words cool and classic unite together flawlessly with this list of names. We compiled a list of names that are anything but run-of-the-mill, the sound of each name is smooth and memorable.
- Ariel
- Bode
- Booker
- Bruno
- Buck
- Burton
- Buster
- Chance
- Cleveland
- Cruz
- Curt
- Dante
- Delmar
- Eddy
- Ezequiel
- Garret
- Garrison
- Garth
- German
- Harlan
- Huntley
- Jimmie
- Johnnie
- Kip
- Mack
- Major
- Merritt
- Milan
- Palmer
- Rocky
- Stanford
- Tanner
- Trinidad
- Troy
- Truett
- Ty
- Urban
- Worthy
- Zackary
- Zeke
Unusual Classic Boy Names
How can a name be both unusual and classic? Think vintage, yet distinct. These names still have a nostalgic feel, but aren’t overused or clichéd.
- Abram
- Alec
- Ambrose
- Benton
- Boris
- Burt
- Carlton
- Cecil
- Chad
- Claude
- Cordell
- Cyril
- Deon
- Derrick
- Dirk
- Dudley
- Dwayne
- Earl
- Edmund
- Elmer
- Ferdinand
- Gerard
- Gilbert
- Granville
- Hal
- Herb
- Herbert
- Herman
- Homer
- Horace
- Hubert
- Ignacio
- Ike
- Irving
- Jarvis
- Kirk
- Lowell
- Luther
- Marlon
- Marvin
- Mervin
- Morris
- Morton
- Napoleon
- Neal
- Neville
- Norman
- Orville
- Randolph
- Rolf
- Roscoe
- Ross
- Rudolph
- Seymour
- Sherwood
- Vernon
- Von
- Woodrow
Old Fashioned Classic Boy Names
These names are a wonderful way to honor the generations before you. These names are tried and true. They have a historical charm and bring warm memories to mind.
- Arlie
- Arthur
- Bertram
- Bradford
- Brock
- Broderick
- Bruce
- Cedric
- Clark
- Coleman
- Collin
- Cyrus
- Darren
- Desmond
- Donald
- Edward
- Eldon
- Elton
- Emile
- Eric
- Erwin
- Frank
- Franklin
- Fred
- Garfield
- Gary
- Geoffrey
- Graham
- Gregory
- Harland
- Hector
- Hobart
- Hoyt
- Jarrett
- Javier
- Jeffrey
- Karl
- Kelvin
- Kenneth
- Lamont
- Lance
- Larry
- Leander
- Lester
- Linus
- Louis
- Lucian
- Malachi
- Malcolm
- Martin
- Maurice
- Maximilian
- Maynard
- Mohamed
- Newton
- Norbert
- Orlando
- Paul
- Peter
- Prescott
- Quinton
- Raymond
- Reginald
- Richard
- Rodney
- Roland
- Russell
- Shelton
- Simon
- Sylvan
- Sylvester
- Timothy
- Victor
- Walter
- Warren
- Whitney
- Wilford
- Wilton
See more Old Fashioned Boy Names
Rare Classic Boy Names
These classic names have stood the test of time; however, they aren’t commonly heard. This makes them perfect for a classy young man.
- Abbott
- Agustin
- Alphonse
- Anders
- Bram
- Cedrick
- Claud
- Claus
- Constantine
- Cristobal
- Danilo
- Dario
- Donte
- Eamon
- Eason
- Eliseo
- Emilio
- Enoch
- Esau
- Faustino
- Grover
- Gulliver
- Horacio
- Ignatius
- Ives
- Joaquin
- Lazarus
- Luciano
- Malik
- Marius
- Marquis
- Myles
- Nestor
- Octavio
- Pascal
- Remus
- Renato
- Roderick
- Silvanus
- Theron
- Werner
- Zacharias
Strong Classic Boy Names
There’s a reason the names on this list have lasted, and will continue to last for years to come. These boy names are strong, well known and powerful.
- Aiden
- Alden
- Andreas
- Anton
- Augustine
- Bart
- Boyd
- Brad
- Brendan
- Brent
- Brenton
- Bryant
- Caesar
- Cesar
- Chadwick
- Clifton
- Clint
- Clinton
- Conan
- Cornell
- Damien
- Damion
- Damon
- Dane
- Dean
- Deandre
- Demarcus
- Deshawn
- Dick
- Dion
- Donovan
- Doyle
- Duane
- Dustin
- Ed
- Eldridge
- Elwood
- Emil
- Ewan
- Ezekiel
- Frederic
- Fritz
- Garett
- Hans
- Hawthorne
- Heath
- Irwin
- Ivan
- Ivor
- Jamieson
- Jared
- Jed
- Jennings
- Jermaine
- Jim
- Joel
- Johnson
- Judd
- Judson
- Justin
- Keenan
- Kenton
- Kurt
- Lazaro
- Leif
- Leland
- Mac
- Malcom
- Marcel
- Marco
- Millard
- Mitch
- Mitchel
- Mitchell
- Omar
- Quintin
- Rayford
- Robby
- Rocco
- Roosevelt
- Russel
- Sanford
- Scot
- Seamus
- Seth
- Thurman
- Trent
- Trenton
- Trevor
- Vance
- Vladimir
- Ward
- Wendell
- Wes
One-Syllable Classic Boy Names
With just one syllable, these boy names are short yet classic. An uncomplicated name will never become outdated.
- Al
- Ben
- Bill
- Bob
- Boyce
- Brant
- Bret
- Burl
- Chas
- Chuck
- Cliff
- Coy
- Craig
- Dan
- Dave
- Del
- Don
- Doug
- Gene
- Gil
- Glen
- Greg
- Gregg
- Jeff
- Joe
- Jon
- Jorge
- Josh
- Keith
- Ken
- Leigh
- Len
- Les
- Marc
- Mark
- Matt
- Mike
- Mose
- Neil
- Nick
- Noe
- Pat
- Pete
- Phil
- Rich
- Rick
- Rob
- Ron
- Russ
- Sal
- Sean
- Shad
- Shaun
- Shayne
- Sid
- Stan
- Steve
- Tad
- Thad
- Tim
- Tod
- Todd
- Tom
- Vince
- Wayne
See more One-Syllable Boy Names
Modern Classic Boy Names
Take a look at these classic boy names with a modern twist. If you’re looking for a classic name with an edge, choose one of these.
- Ace
- Adonis
- Apollo
- Archer
- Arlo
- Asher
- Ashton
- Atticus
- Axton
- Baylor
- Beck
- Beckett
- Bentley
- Brantley
- Braxton
- Bridger
- Brody
- Cade
- Carson
- Cohen
- Colson
- Colt
- Connor
- Cooper
- Crew
- Dawson
- Dax
- Daxton
- Deacon
- Declan
- Drew
- Duke
- Easton
- Enzo
- Finnegan
- Ford
- Gabe
- Gideon
- Grayson
- Greyson
- Griffin
- Hayes
- Holden
- Huck
- Hudson
- Huxley
- Jameson
- Jensen
- Kade
- Kaleb
- Kane
- Killian
- Landen
- Lawson
- Liam
- Luca
- Luka
- Maddox
- Malakai
- Marius
- Mathias
- Matias
- Matteo
- Matthias
- Maverick
- Maximiliano
- Maximus
- Memphis
- Nico
- Odin
- Paxton
- Peyton
- Pierce
- Princeton
- Remington
- Ronan
- Ronin
- Rowan
- Sage
- Samson
- Santino
- Sawyer
- Shepherd
- Stetson
- Sullivan
- Tate
- Wells
- Wilder
- Xander
- Zander
Traditional Classic Boy Names
These traditional and classic boy names have stuck around for good reason. They are often passed down from generation to generation and are classics in their own right.
- Abel
- Ahmed
- Ahmir
- Aidan
- Alan
- Alex
- Alistair
- Allen
- Amir
- Arnold
- Barrett
- Barry
- Brian
- Bryan
- Bryson
- Clive
- Colin
- Daren
- Darrell
- Dennis
- Derek
- Douglas
- Duncan
- Edmond
- Emmanuel
- Francis
- Gael
- Gareth
- Garry
- Gordon
- Hamilton
- Hassan
- Hayden
- Ibrahim
- Imran
- Ismael
- Jamal
- Jamie
- Jefferey
- Jeffery
- Jeremy
- Jerome
- Johnathan
- Jonah
- Jonathon
- Juan
- Julien
- Kareem
- Kevin
- Khalid
- Khalil
- Lee
- Leroy
- Lionel
- Louie
- Mathew
- Micheal
- Mohammad
- Mustafa
- Nasir
- Nathanael
- Nathanial
- Nicolas
- Normand
- Patrick
- Philip
- Randy
- Raphael
- Ray
- Rey
- Rodger
- Ronnie
- Ronny
- Sam
- Shane
- Shawn
- Sidney
- Stephen
- Steven
- Terrance
- Tony
- Tristan
- Vaughn
- Vern
- Walt
- Waylon
- Yosef
- Yousef
- Yusuf
See more Traditional Boy Names
Vintage Classic Boy Names
Love a name that has a bit of vintage flare? There are plenty of classic men’s names that are older, and now cool as can be.
- Abe
- Abel
- Albert
- Alfred
- Amos
- Asa
- Barney
- Barton
- Basil
- Bernard
- Carl
- Clarence
- Clement
- Clemente
- Clifford
- Clyde
- Cornelius
- Dale
- Dewey
- Dorsey
- Emory
- Ernest
- Ernesto
- Eugene
- Fabian
- Felton
- Foster
- Freeman
- Garland
- Gerald
- Glenn
- Harold
- Hilton
- Houston
- Howard
- Ira
- Jules
- Kermit
- Laurence
- Lawrence
- Lemuel
- Lenny
- Lionel
- Lloyd
- Melvin
- Modesto
- Norris
- Phillip
- Randall
- Reuben
- Rex
- Roger
- Ronald
- Roy
- Saul
- Sheldon
- Sherman
- Spencer
- Stuart
- Ted
- Virgil
- Waldo
- Wallace
- Walton
- Wilbur
- Wiley
- Wilfred
Posh Classic Boy Names
These refined names are fit for a gentleman. They come across as polished, wealthy, and are the epitome of posh. Your son will stand tall, with such a grand name.
- Alastair
- Alfie
- Angus
- Archibald
- Aston
- Barnabas
- Barnaby
- Bartholomew
- Bertie
- Caspar
- Cuthbert
- Darcy
- Digby
- Elbert
- Giles
- Hamish
- Horatio
- Humphrey
- Jonty
- Kingsley
- Louie
- Marmaduke
- Montague
- Montgomery
- Peregrine
- Piers
- Rafferty
- Rudyard
- St.John
- Tarquin
- Tudor
- Wilbert
- Wills
- Wolfgang
Classic Boy Names from Literature
Perfect for book lovers, these names are derived from classic novels. Classic boy names from literature will never go out of style. Principle male characters in literature throughout all of time are easily identified. Known for valor, strength or heroism, names from a classic novel or story will keep your boy’s name timeless. Whether you’re looking for inspiration like Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy or Romeo, pulling a name from a literary classic can be one of the best ways to pick a name for your son. Pay homage to your favorite author or character with names from this list.
- Achilles
- Admiral
- Ajax
- Bail
- Baron
- Bear
- Bond
- Bucky
- Cash
- Caspian
- Cassius
- Cato
- Dallas
- Fox
- Hannibal
- Jay
- Johnny
- Kenyon
- King
- Leopold
- Lysander
- Marin
- Maxim
- Merlin
- Ned
- Nero
- Octavius
- Orson
- Phineas
- Prince
- Rip
- Romeo
- Rusty
- Saint
- Sampson
- Sir
- Thor
- Titus
- Tobias
- Usher
- Vito
- Watson
- Winston
- Wolf
Romantic Classic Boy Names
If you like classic boy names but want something just a touch different, see the list below. There are plenty of classic boy names with just a simple twist to make them stand out. For example, Edward can become Eduardo, Alexander can become Alejandro, and Tristan can become Tristano.
- Alberto
- Aldo
- Alfonso
- Alfonzo
- Alfredo
- Alonso
- Alonzo
- Alphonso
- Andres
- Antoine
- Arnoldo
- Benicio
- Benito
- Caeser
- Carlo
- Carmelo
- Claudio
- Deangelo
- Demetrius
- Domingo
- Edmundo
- Edwardo
- Emanuel
- Esteban
- Federico
- Felipe
- Florencio
- Florentino
- Francesco
- Fredrick
- Gerardo
- Gilberto
- Gregorio
- Guillermo
- Gustavo
- Humberto
- Jacques
- Juan
- Kristopher
- Leandro
- Leopoldo
- Manuel
- Marcelino
- Marcos
- Markus
- Mauricio
- Moises
- Pasquale
- Pedro
- Ramiro
- Raymundo
- Renaldo
- Reynaldo
- Ricardo
- Roberto
- Rodolfo
- Rodrigo
- Rolando
- Ruben
- Rueben
- Teodoro
- Timmy
- Ulrich
- Vicente
- Wilhelm
Exotic Classic International Boy Names
Stand out amongst the crowd with the names that have stood the test of time in other parts of the world. These international names add a twist to classic boy names.
- Alvaro
- Andre
- Angelo
- Antonio
- Armando
- Aurelio
- Balthazar
- Bernardo
- Emmanuel
- Enrique
- Fernando
- Francisco
- Fredric
- Galen
- Gaston
- Geraldo
- Gino
- Giovanni
- Giuseppe
- Hiram
- Isaias
- Julio
- Leonel
- Lorenzo
- Lucien
- Luigi
- Marcelo
- Mariano
- Mario
- Miguel
- Nickolas
- Oren
- Pablo
- Pierre
- Rafael
- Rico
- Salvatore
- Santos
- Sergio
- Stefan
- Tomas
- Valentin
- Vincenzo
- Willem
76 Classic Boy Names with Cute Nicknames
If you like the formality of a classic name but need something different to call your son on a daily basis. Pick one of these classic boy names with a cute nickname.
| Classic Boy Name | Cute Boy Nickname |
|---|---|
| Albert | Albie, Alby, Bert, Bertie, Al |
| Alexander | Alex, Sasha, Xander, Xan, Al, Alec, Sandy, Lexi, Lex, Zander |
| Andrew | Andy, Drew |
| Anthony | Ant, Tony |
| Arnold | Arnie |
| Arthur | Art, Artie |
| Benjamin | Ben, Benny, Benji, Jamie |
| Charles | Charlie, Cal |
| Christian | Chris |
| Christopher | Chris, Topher, Kit, Kip, Christo |
| Clifford | Cliff |
| Daniel | Dan, Danny |
| David | Dave, Davy |
| Desmond | Des |
| Dominic | Dom |
| Donald | Don |
| Douglas | Dougie, Doug |
| Edward | Eddie, Eddy, Teddy, Ed, Ned, Ted |
| Francis | Frank |
| Frederick | Fred, Freddy |
| Geoffery | Geoff |
| George | Geordie |
| Gerard | Jed |
| Gilbert | Gil |
| Gordon | Gordy |
| Gregory | Greg, Rory |
| Harold | Harry |
| Henry | Harry |
| James | Jim, Jimmy, Jamie, Jem |
| Jefferey | Jeff |
| Jeremy | Jerry, Jem, Remy, Jem, Jez |
| Johnathan | Johnny, John, Johnnie, Joe, Nathan, Nat, Nate |
| Jonathan | Jonny, Jon, Joe, Nathan, Jonty |
| Joseph | Joe |
| Julian | Jules |
| Kenneth | Ken |
| Laurence | Laurie, Larry, Lance |
| Leonard | Leo, Lenny, Len |
| Lewis | Lew, Lou, Lewie, Lewy, Louie |
| Louis | Lou |
| Malcolm | Mal |
| Martin | Marty |
| Matthew | Matt, Matty |
| Maurice | Morrie |
| Mervin | Merv |
| Michael | Mick, Mickey, Mike, Mikey, Mitch |
| Miles | Milo |
| Mohamed | Mo |
| Morris | Moss, Mo, Morrie, Maurie, Mosh |
| Nathanael | Nat, Nate, Nathan, Nath, Thanio |
| Nicholas | Nick, Nic, Cole, Nico, Nicky, Noc, Klas |
| Nicolas | Nico |
| Nigel | Nige |
| Oliver | Ol, Olly, Ollie |
| Patrick | Pat, Patty, Paddy, Patch, Patser, Ricky, Rick |
| Peter | Pete, Pedro |
| Phillip, Philip | Phil, Pip, Flip |
| Randall | Rans |
| Raymond | Ray |
| Reginald | Reggie |
| Richard | Rich, Rick, Ricky, Richie |
| Robert | Rob, Robert, Bert, Bertie, Bob, Bobby |
| Robin | Rob, Robby |
| Ronald | Ron |
| Russell | Rusty, Russ |
| Ryan | Ry |
| Samuel | Sammy, Sam |
| Stephen | Steve |
| Steven | Steve |
| Stewart | Stu, Stewie |
| Thomas | Tom, Tommy |
| Timothy | Tim, Timmy |
| Vincent | Vin, Vinny, Vinnie, Vince |
| Wallace | Wally |
| Walter | Walt |
| William | Will, Bill, Billy, Liam |
Random Baby Name Generator
Our baby name generator will give you lots of ideas for boy names. Add your last name, and select a theme to find a baby name.
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Famous Celebrity Boys with Classic Names
Like a breath of fresh air, the edgy and avant-garde Hollywood crowd has been trending back towards classic baby boy names.
AJ Calloway & Dionne Walker choose the stately classic name of Albert for their son. While George & Amal Clooney chose the strong male name of Alexander for their boy.
Oscar Isaac & Elvira Lind opted for Eugene. Derick Dillard & Jill Duggar Dillard decided on the classic yet cute name of Samuel. Katherine Heigl & Josh Kelley chose Joshua for their boy.
These classy names almost sound like the characters in a historical drama or period-piece movie.
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