Forgotten Vintage Gems For Modern Baby Boys

Kids love Bob the Builder, but do they want to be Bob the Builder? Bob and Bobby have been out of style since the 1960s, but as vintage nickname-names -- Fred, Archie -- come back into vogue, Bob may tag along. Charlie Sheen used it for one of his twin sons.

Until recently it was rarely used as a proper name; Buddy Holly, for example, was christened Charles, and Salinger's Buddy Glass was born Webb. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver did name his fourth child Buddy Bear Maurice--a fittingly named brother to Poppy Honey Rosie, Daisy Boo Pamela and Petal Blossom Rainbow, and singer Tom Fletcher has a double-nicknamed Buddy Bob.

Prissy, no matter how you spell it.

An old-fashioned nickname in the Bud/Buzz/Biff mold; this one's kind of belligerent. Michelle Hicks and Jonny Lee Miller moved outside the box when they used it for their son--given the safer middle name of Timothy.

A commanding word name that feels occupational like Miller, Palmer, and Shepherd, while also fitting in with ambitious choices like Legend, King, Major, Maverick, and Saint. Referring to someone who takes the lead and holds influence and responsibility, Captain has links to team sports, the military, seafaring, superheroes, and the police.

Carey is a surname name that works equally well on babies of all genders - Jazz great Carey Bell and motorcross champion Carey Hart are just two examples of how handsome this name can be for a boy.

This name was consistently in the boys' Top 200 until WW2. It's a name with so many dimensions to it: the hyper-masculine meaning, the surname-as-firstname trendiness, and the softer sound and connotation since homophone Carol was favoured in the 1940s and '50s for daughters. We think it's time for a resurgence of Carrolls amongst the boys.

Classic Italian name with celestial vibes.

Retro nickname for Charles that has the potential for revival, a la Hal, Ike, and Gus.

A popular American name in previous centuries in honor of famed Harvard President, Charles Chauncy. This name is burdened by an incredibly pompous sound and best left in the past.

Roman statesman's name with a cool and quirky sound. Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman scholar, orator and lawyer who had an immense impact on the Latin language.

Appealing short form of the stuffy Cleveland, occasionally used on its own.

Cliff is a familiar, timeless short form -- never too popular, yet widely known -- that you might also think of as a geographical name ala Vale or Field.

Associated with comedian Stephen Colbert, who uses the French pronunciation of his name as a bit (the rest of his family of origin use the English pronunciation).

This is a big name, both in heritage and sound. On the right child, this could be inspired, but others may shrink from all the connotations. While your preferred nickname for this option might be Col (or Kit if you're connecting it to Christopher Columbus), you may end up with the slightly more cumbersome "Bus" as the short-form.