Cool Midcentury Baby Names

Just like Sam and Ben, Tom could be revived as a simple, well liked name on its own. Tom, just Tom, is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France

The original brief, breezy name is somewhat out of favor now even as a middle name. The Leigh spelling has more substance and is more identifiable as female.

Chet is an old-fashioned short form that, ala Ned and Joe, is starting to sound cool again.

Old-fangled nickname could make dot.com era short form or middle name.

One of the old-school nicknames -- think Ray, Vince, Frank -- that's on the brink of coming back into style. Name him Stanislav or Constantine and he'll have a groovier long form to fall back on.

A straightforward, down-to-earth nickname many Walters, from Whitman to Disney, have chosen to go by.

The cool clipped Des may be the part of the name wave of the future, with midcentury names like Des and Vic and Stan riding back into style on the heels of big brothers Max and Sam and Ray.