Ultimate Old Fashioned, Classic Names
- Dexter
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"dyer, right-handed"Description:
The jazzy, ultra-cool Dexter, like most names with an "x," has a lot of energy and dynamism.
- Diggory
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"Lost one"Description:
This buoyant name has the same bouncy rhythm as Rafferty and Barnaby, but is virtually unused. It has plenty of literary cred, too: characters in The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native have all borne the name.
- Dilbert
- Donald
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"proud chief"Description:
Donald has been used for centuries in Scotland, where the Macdonald clan is one of the most ancient and where there have been six early Scottish kings by that name. Donald was a Top 20 name throughout most of the early twentieth century. But first there was the quacking Donald Duck, introduced in 1934, to affect its image, and then there was The Donald Trump, leaving it drained of much baby appeal. Trump's surprising run to the presidency didn't save Donald's decline on the baby name charts; it fell 47 spots between 2015 and 2016, from 441 to 488, and is now a less popular name than it's been since records have been kept.
- Dorian
Origin:
Greek, name of a tribeDescription:
The Dorians were an ancient Greek tribe, one of the three major pre-Spartan tribes. It literally means "of Doris," a Greek district, or "of Doros," referring to the son of Helen of Sparta. Dorian derives from the Greek doron, meaning "gift," along with related names such as Dorothy and Dora.
- Douglas
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"black water"Description:
Douglas, and more particularly its nickname, Doug, had a real romantic swagger in the 1950s and 1960s dating back to swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks, but today is more likely to conjure up your mom's prom date. Originally a Celtic river name, it became attached to a powerful Scottish clan, renowned for their strength and courage. In its earliest incarnation, Douglas was used equally for girls and boys.
- Edgar
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"wealthy spearman"Description:
Edgar is an Old English name historically associated with the tenth century English king known as Edgar the Peaceful. There was also a King Edgar of Scotland.
- Edmund
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fortunate protector"Description:
The sophisticated Edmund and its nearly-identical French twin Edmond are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name.
- Edward
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"wealthy guardian"Description:
Unlike perennials William, John and James, Edward is a classic that moves in and out of fashion. This royal Anglo-Saxon standard has benefited in recent years from the popularity of the hot hero of the vampire sensation Twilight — Edward Cullen — who has given his name a new infusion of cool.
- Edwin
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"wealthy friend"Description:
Some might be surprised to learn that Edwin has been a consistent presence on the popular names list since statistics have become available.
- Eldon
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"sacred hill"Description:
Popular in the 1920s, Eldon is a retro name that's waiting to be rediscovered. It has a similar placename/surname appeal to current Top 1000 names Alden and Holden. Several towns in the US and UK bear the name.
- Eli
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"ascended, uplifted, high"Description:
With its sharp, succinct sounds and cool, laidback style, Eli is a popular choice among parents today. Compact and punchy, it is a Biblical name with plenty of charm.
- Elias
Origin:
Greek variation of Elijah, HebrewMeaning:
"Yahweh is God"Description:
Strong, charismatic, and sleek, Elias has followed in the footsteps of Elijah and Eli to become a popular choice among parents today.
- Elliot
Origin:
Anglicization of Elijah or EliasMeaning:
"Jehovah is God"Description:
Elliot (which boasts several spellings depending upon how many 'l's or 't's you want to use) is a winner -- it has the ideal quality of being neither too common nor weirdly unique. Elliot had a style boost back in the early 1980s via the young hero of the movie E.T. , who was named Elliott. Since then there have been Elliots on Law & Order: SVU and Mad Men.
- Ephraim
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"fruitful, fertile, productive"Description:
Ephraim is an Old Testament name we would place high on the list of neglected Biblical possibilities, solid but not solemn.
- Eric
Origin:
Old NorseMeaning:
"eternal ruler"Description:
Eric is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr, from the components ei, meaning "ever," and ríkr, "rule." It was adopted by English speakers in the mid-nineteenth century, who were already familiar with the exploits of the tenth century Viking navigator and discoverer of Greenland, Eric the Red. Erik is an alternate spelling and the preferred form of the name across much of Europe.
- Ernest
Origin:
English from GermanMeaning:
"serious, resolute"Description:
Ernest is one of those sober, so-far-out-they're-beginning-to-be-reconsidered Great Uncle names. Ernest recently received a big style boost when Britain's Princess Eugenie chose it for her second son.
- Eugene
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"wellborn, noble"Description:
Eugene is a classic that has rather lost its way. On the one hand, it's a grandpa, even great-grandpa name that hasn't been one of the cool kids recently—or to quote Jim Carrey, who bears this name in the middle spot, "You can never get too cool with a name like Eugene." The hero of Disney's Tangled felt the same way, when he changed his birth name of Eugene to the more romantic Flynn.
- Eustace
Origin:
English from GreekMeaning:
"stable"Description:
Eustace was originally popularized by St. Eustace, who was born a Norman nobleman and is said to have been converted to Christianity by seeing a crucifix between the antlers of the deer he was hunting. It was introduced to England by the Normans, and can be found in medieval legend. In literature the name appears in the person of Eustace Clarence Scrubb in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia.
The image of Eustace today is as sedate and stuffy as the monocled Eustace Tilly character on The New Yorker magazine covers. Its diminutive Stacy became a unisex hit.
- Evander
Origin:
Scottish; GreekMeaning:
"bow warrior; strong man"Description:
Evander is a name that could build on the popularity of shorter form Evan, and could work and play well with schoolmates like Zander and Xander.