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Name Help: Classic Boy Names That Aren’t Already Taken

August 13, 2022 By appellationmountain 24 Comments

Name Help: Classic Boy NamesName Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed.

We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight!

Lauren writes:

Help, please!

I’m the youngest of five kids, married to the youngest of four. We’re the last of our siblings to start a family and it feels like they’ve used ALL OF THE GOOD NAMES.

Especially for boys.

If not our families, then our friends have already taken the ones that we could seriously consider using.

Our style is pretty traditional. My favorites are Henry, Theodore, and Charles. My husband likes William and James. These are all already the names of our nephews/cousins/close friends’ kids.

Joseph is a family name on both sides, but it could really only be a middle. (There’s a Joseph III in our new baby’s generation already.)

Names we also like but are already taken: Alexander, August, Benjamin, Daniel, George, Jack, Lucas/Luke, Miles, Nathaniel, Nicholas, Patrick, Ryan, Samuel, Thomas, Zachary.

My husband is Matthew, and we know we don’t want a junior. Also, our last name sounds like Kella-her, but is spelled differently, so Oliver is out, too.

We’re not due until January, but our name list is empty!

Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your new son!

And oh, this is tough. As joyful as big families can be, they do make naming a little more of a puzzle.

Let’s tackle this from two angles.

First, are the classic names you love really off-limits?

I agree that you probably wouldn’t name your son William if your sister or his brother has a two year old named William.

But if it’s his cousin, the one who moved across the country after college and you only see every few years? Or your old college roommate, who you adore, but last saw at a wedding in 2019?

Maybe those names should be on the table. The parents aren’t leaving your life, but the repetition is not likely to cause a problem.

I know good friends who met when they both had toddler boys named Max And extended families where names repeat, but a mix of age and distance means that there’s never really any confusion.

So your first task is this: think about which names it would be really awkward to repeat. Consider the possibility that your family might have, say, a 16 year old Lucas and a baby Luke without any issues.

Second, let’s think about how to broaden your list.

Right now, you’re looking for names that are both current and classic.

By definition, that will always be a tiny, limited list.

But you can turn more than one dial.

In brief, you could choose names that read slightly less classic, but still fit with

STILL CURRENT, NOT QUITE AS CLASSIC BOY NAMES

BENNETT

Does the Benjamin in your lives rule out Bennett? It’s a surname derived from Benedict; any of the three names could easily be shortened to Ben. So it feels traditional, even if surname names tend to be a little more modern.

BLAKE

Because your last name is a little longer, a short, strong first name could be great.

ISAAC

There aren’t a ton of Biblical names on your list, but I think Old Testament Isaac is less in the Nehemiah/Ezekiel camp and closer to Henry/Miles.

JUDE

This New Testament name is rising throughout the English-speaking world, an alternative to Jack with much of the same appeal. Bonus: a built-in lullaby, thanks to The Beatles.

HAYES

Hayes sounds polished and preppy. Like Bennett, it’s a surname name – though it’s even more recently risen in use. It’s an alternative to Miles or Henry.

OWEN

We don’t think of Owen as traditional, necessarily – but it is. The much-married King Henry VIII had a great-grandfather by the name.

REID

Another surname name, Reid feels traditional-ish. It’s also spelled Reed, but the “ei” spelling is more popular. Again, it sounds particularly good with a longer last name like Kella-her.

SILAS

A name with deep roots, New Testament Silas comes from the Latin Silvanus, ultimately from silva – the forest. It’s quite stylish at the moment, a brother for Theo or Will.

STILL CLASSIC, NOT QUITE AS STYLISH BOY NAMES

ANTHONY

Tony is solidly in dad-name territory, but Anthony, used in full, has a very different image.

JESSE

There’s something cuddly about Jesse. It fits right in with casual-cool names like Theo and Jack. If it hadn’t been very popular circa 1980, it would be big now.

JONATHAN

Another name that caught on in the 1980s, Jonathan feels like an alternative to Theodore and Alexander today.

MALCOLM

When it comes to overlooked classics, Malcolm always comes to mind. It’s solid, traditional, and nickname-rich, without needing a nickname at all.

MICHAEL

Nowadays, Mike is somebody’s dad – or maybe grandpa! But Michael? Use it without a nickname, and it feels fresh and modern.

PETER

It’s a storybook name, the boy’s answer to Alice. And it’s a rock solid classic, too – pun intended. That R ending ought to make it fit right in with Carter and Hunter and Asher, too.

SIMON

Simon sounds smart, a little serious, and very traditional, too.

THOMAS

Theodore is white hot, but Thomas, somehow, we’ve neglected. Say it in full – Thomas – and it fits right in with Miles and James. But Tommy feels delightfully old school and I think Tom still has potential, too. But just like James is no longer automatically Jim, I don’t think you’d have to shorten Thomas – and that’s why it works so well.

So how do you decide where to turn the dial?

There’s a style gap between Simon/Thomas/Michael and Silas/Bennett/Owen. Either set could be a brother for Henry, but Simon doesn’t sound as much like a brother for Bennett, right? (I mean, they could be. But it’s not my immediate thought.)

If you’re stuck, it might help to think about girls’ names.

I know, I know … imagining a future sibling for your firstborn is potentially overwhelming!

But do you find yourself drawn to the most classic of classics for girls – Mary, Elizabeth, Helen, Katherine? (Though I realize you’ll surely have the same repetition problem here.) Or do you find yourself eager to consider slightly more modern/stylish names for girls – Sienna, Autumn, Maeve?

Because if your girls’ name list feels a little more adventurous, I’d suggest you consider the Bennett/Silas category more strongly.

But if you’re Team Mary and Katherine? Then I’d focus on choices like Peter and Thomas.

Readers, over to you – what advice do you have for choosing a classic boys’ name when the most obvious choices are taken?

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Comments

  1. Hannah says

    August 18, 2022 at 4:22 PM

    There are some great suggestions here and in the comments! A few additional ideas (all of which would be nice with Joseph as a middle name and “Kella-her” as a last name):

    Abel
    Anselm
    Edmond
    Ephraim
    Ezra
    Morgan
    Robin
    Stephen
    Stuart

    Reply
  2. Julia says

    August 16, 2022 at 12:44 PM

    Once we got rid of our boy names that were “already taken” (including Charles, Thomas, Theodore), we were left with Calvin and George. I think either could work here!

    Reply
  3. Kirsten says

    August 16, 2022 at 11:20 AM

    I love some of the suggestions of others…My youngest we debated between Julian, Teddy, and Harrison. They all seem classic but have sweet nicknames too.

    Reply
  4. Dutch says

    August 16, 2022 at 11:11 AM

    Roderick
    Leopold
    Nigel
    Garrett
    Harris
    Harold
    Ranulph
    Russel
    Wilfred
    Osmond

    Reply
  5. stefanie says

    August 15, 2022 at 1:52 PM

    Harvey! Harvey Joseph Kella-her. Like Henry, but rarer, cooler and still classic.

    Reply
  6. Susanne says

    August 15, 2022 at 11:23 AM

    My first thoughts before reading the article were Anthony & Malcolm, but I also love your suggestion of Peter. I have a Michael who goes by Michael & it works.
    What about a variation of a classic?
    Alistair instead of Alexander
    Mathias or Matteo instead of Mathew
    Liam or Wilem instead of William
    Or: Josiah
    Harrison
    Paul
    Timothy
    Arthur

    Reply
  7. Lauren says

    August 15, 2022 at 9:44 AM

    Clark!
    Traditional but not overly used. Short to go with your last name.

    Reply
  8. Jules says

    August 15, 2022 at 9:42 AM

    A few for your consideration (with some repeated suggestions):

    Nathan
    Vincent
    Robert
    Gabriel
    Simon
    Lawrence
    Lewis
    Desmond
    Wesley
    Frederick
    Bram
    Isaac
    Joel
    Matthew
    Jonas
    Elias

    Reply
  9. Kerri says

    August 15, 2022 at 9:35 AM

    My first thought when reading the comment was Sebastian.
    Also thought of Leonard (Leo) or Elliott.
    I also liked the suggestion of Malcolm.

    Reply
  10. Maclary says

    August 14, 2022 at 9:14 PM

    A few more ideas: Raphael, Martin, Leon, Emmett or Emil, Alfred, Stanley, Joachim

    Reply
  11. Maclary says

    August 14, 2022 at 7:48 PM

    My first thought was my son’s name, Lewis, but seeing that Lucas is out, I’d caution against it as my Lewis is often mistaken for Lucas.

    Otherwise, how about:

    Alistair
    Graham
    Bernard
    Lachlan
    Magnus
    Atticus
    Fraser
    Walter
    Colin
    Duncan
    Fergus
    Timothy
    Albert
    Grant
    Douglas
    Harry (maybe too close to Henry)
    Callum
    Raymond

    Reply
  12. Lauren says

    August 14, 2022 at 10:31 AM

    I love those suggestions too. Though I noticed that Thomas is on their taken list. Possibly Peter is also out for the same reason as Oliver, ending in ‘er’.

    Reply
    • appellationmountain says

      August 14, 2022 at 3:19 PM

      Oh gosh, you’re right!!

      Reply
  13. Iris says

    August 14, 2022 at 5:51 AM

    Completely agree with Abby on Peter, Simon and Thomas!
    A few others:
    Leo
    Gabriel
    and my favorite:
    Edmund!
    So classic and so underused!

    Reply
  14. Andrea says

    August 13, 2022 at 11:29 PM

    Alan, Brian, Christopher, David, Edmund, Edgar, Eric, Francis, Frank, Frederick, Geoffrey, Gregory, Guy, Howard, Ian, Joel, Kirk, Lawrence, Louis, Mark, Max, Michael, Neal, Oscar, Paul, Philip, Quentin, Ralph, Richard, Robert, Roland, Roman, Stephen, Thaddeus, Tobias, Victor, Vincent, Warren,

    Reply
  15. Nea says

    August 13, 2022 at 5:58 PM

    Maybe you haven’t yet considered
    John
    Hugo
    Felix
    Jacob
    David
    Jonah
    Aaron
    Elias
    Louis/Lewis
    Levi

    Reply
  16. Anna says

    August 13, 2022 at 5:37 PM

    I agree with the comments that repeating names may work in many instances – since classic names are often really rich in nickname options, there’s a lot less confusion if a name is used more than once. However, I totally understand wanting a name that hasn’t yet been taken!

    If you’re still looking for more options, here are a few classic names on my own list that I don’t think were mentioned yet:

    Leo
    Max
    Vincent
    Beau
    Cameron
    Robert
    Roman
    Adrian
    Everett
    Frederick
    Milo
    Hugh / Hugo
    Lewis / Louis

    Reply
  17. Janelle says

    August 13, 2022 at 5:09 PM

    Very similar situation… husband has 3 brothers and there are about 20 boys in our kids generation.

    We have a Charles and August. Names I liked but didn’t use (and you haven’t listed as unable to use:

    More modern:

    – Archer
    – Deacon
    – Hudson
    – Wesley

    More traditional:
    – Arthur
    – Gabriel
    – Malcolm
    – Simon

    Reply
  18. Cece says

    August 13, 2022 at 4:54 PM

    My favourite classic but not overused boy names:

    Julian
    Francis (Frank or Frankie?)
    Laurence
    Edward (if you like Theodore, would you like Teddy?)
    Tobias/Toby

    Reply
  19. ab says

    August 13, 2022 at 3:15 PM

    Many repeats in my suggestions:

    Adam
    Andrew
    David/Davis
    Edward
    Elliot
    Ethan
    Jacob
    Jameson
    Jonathan
    Joshua
    Kyle
    Marcus
    Michael
    Peter
    Scott
    Simon
    Stephen
    Wesley

    Reply
  20. Renee says

    August 13, 2022 at 11:27 AM

    Great advice. It’s really all your comfort level with re-using a name – and yes giving a different nickname, or keep looking amongst the classics or cast a wider net. I love Conrad, Ivan, Declan, Byron, Scott, Oscar. Maybe surnames would be your style too? Harrison, Davis, Jameson, Calloway!

    Reply
  21. Em says

    August 13, 2022 at 11:27 AM

    What about…
    Benson
    Julian
    Clark

    Reply
  22. Patricia says

    August 13, 2022 at 10:03 AM

    I have a large family with many grandsons, all named in the style you prefer, seven of the names you mentioned among them. But there are other fine traditional names you might consider:

    Aidan (spelled that way, like St. Aidan)
    Ethan
    Andrew
    Christopher
    David
    Jonathan
    Gavin
    Isaac
    Malcolm

    These young men/boys range in age from 21 down to 2.5 years.

    Reply
  23. Marisa says

    August 13, 2022 at 8:03 AM

    My sister and my cousin are both Elizabeths but one is Liz and the other Elise. I could easily picture that arrangement working for two Williams (Will & Liam or Billy), two Henrys (Henry & Hank), two Thomases (Thomas and Tommy), two Theodores (Ted and Theo), two Augusts (August & Gus)… you get the picture. So I’d say it’s ok to use a name you love, especially if you expect to pick a different nickname. I also like Abby’s suggestion to consider girl names and what fits.

    But if you’re still looking, what about Arthur, Xavier, Noah, Gabriel, Ambrose, Christopher, Gregory, or Sebastian?

    Reply

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