Baby name trends change every year. In 2025, the top baby names are Olivia and Noah.
But another big trend in baby naming is the rising popularity of “old people” names. Names that were once considered “old lady” or “old man” names are making a strong comeback.
People on Reddit discussed the old-fashioned baby names that are becoming popular again. Here are 36 old people names that are coming back in style:
Where these old names are popping up
“There are 1 year old twins in my neighborhood, Abigail and Eleanor. Their father is a history teacher.” – User Unknown
“There’s a girl in my grandson’s class named Mildred.” – historiangirl
“I heard a parent call a little girl by her name of Margaret. I had a totally inappropriate giggle when I immediately thought of asking if her middle name was Thatcher.” – Extension-College783
“I never met a Henry my age. They were always my grandparents’ age or older, until recently.” – Nightmare_Gerbil
“When I was a kid, only old people were called ‘Harry’, ‘Jack’ or ‘George’ but now they’re really popular.” – eezgorriseadback
“I have a baby in my life named Jean.” – User Unknown
“Nephew named Malcolm. That was a really unfashionable old man name back when I was little, but there’s a bunch of them now.” – Visible-Proposal-690
“I’m a mid-millennial and my high school cheerleading captain was named Beverly and it was such a gorgeous perfect name for just a wonderfully lovely girl. She went by Bev and it was simply perfect! I love it.” – apsalarmal
“Winston!” – Polishing_My_Grapple
“I recently met a baby Nancy. In my daughter’s preschool class there’s a Dorothy and a Warren. There’s a Horace we see frequently at the park. In my son’s class there’s a Ned and his brother Norman is a grade above.” – ivy-river
“The toddler down the street is Walter, and I love it.” – MoonpieTexas1971
“I just met a baby named Harold.” – another_feminist
“I know of a ten year old Gary.” – SLPcat
“I know a 6-year-old Agnes.” – TheNatureOfTheGame
“I met a Hildegard at the playground the other day, they say they call her Hildy.” – EntertainmentKey8588
“I know a kindergartner Bernadette.” – Lily_Of_The_Valley_6
“I was a little shocked to recently meet a cute little 3yo boy named Clark.” – curious_tangerine_
“I met a toddler named named Martha. She was a very sweet little girl.” – faegold
“I’m also a fan of old people names and just welcomed a Josephine to the world.” – stacksofunreadbooks
“Friend has a toddler named Vera.” – PilotNo312
“My brother in law is a Stanley. I’m used to it now, years on, but meeting a 5 year old Stanley was definitely odd. I’d also add Hettie to this list.” – sprengirl
“Terry. Everyone else has like very old grandma and grandpa names. And then there is Terry I find it absolutely hilarious and adorable.” – User Unknown
“Bill – not William, Just Bill. He’s a really cool kid!” – AMD1811
“Frederick. When I told my mom I was naming my son Frederick she scrunched her face and said, ‘but that’s an old man name!’ I reminded her that every old man named Fred was once a baby named Fred. My son is a tween now and I can’t imagine him being anything but a Fred.” – incredigirl_
“My daughters (currently in college, so this would have been about 10 years ago) had a girl named Phyllis on their elementary school bus.” – jillmh75
“My best friend named her baby girl Florence and I LOVE IT.” – TrashleyGaming
“While I LOVE the name Hazel, I always associate it as an old lady’s name. This might be due to the fact that the only Hazel I have known is my Great Aunt Hazel. But I do think it is a beautiful name.” – Ok-Poem-6188
Every generation borrows from the last
At the end of the day, there’s something a little poetic about a baby named Mildred growing up alongside a baby named Winston. Names are cyclical by nature, the “old lady” and “old man” names of today were once the fresh, popular choices of their own era, and somewhere down the line, today’s Olivias and Noahs will probably sound just as delightfully old-fashioned to someone’s grandchildren.
Maybe that’s the real charm of this trend. Parents aren’t picking these names ironically, they’re recognizing something warm and familiar in them, a little nod to a grandparent or great-aunt who deserves to live on in more than just old photographs. Fred, Agnes, and Winston might just be getting the last laugh.
This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.
