I’m starting to love the name [name]Wilbur[/name]. My problem is, my husband (who’s 14 years older) says it just makes him think of a horse. I’m in my 30s but I know the show and [name]Wilbur[/name] wasn’t the horse’s name! The horse was Mr. [name]Ed[/name] and that hasn’t stopped anyone from giving their child the name [name]Edward[/name], or any other variation of [name]Ed[/name] for that matter.
We’re having this problem with a few other older names I like as well…[name]Conan[/name] (the Barbarian), [name]Elmer[/name] (Fudd…and recently the glue), [name]Walt[/name] (Disney), and [name]Orson[/name] (Welles). This is what he thinks of.
My question is…are these names, especially [name]Wilbur[/name], usable or are we still thinking of these references? Also, any other clunky old man name suggestions would be great. Thanks!
I don’t know the association you mentioned, but I do think of the pig in [name]Charlotte[/name]'s [name]Web[/name]. However, once people get to know the boy, they would forget all about those associations anyway. Other names that might be similar:
[name]Arthur[/name]
[name]Luther[/name]
I think [name]Wilbur[/name] is actually very cute. It was grandfather’s name, though he went by “[name]Tom[/name]”. I think [name]Wilbur[/name] will always be associated with the pig from “[name]Charlotte[/name]'s [name]Web[/name]”. [name]Wilbur[/name] does have the common nickname “[name]Will[/name]” though, which I think makes it more usable.
[name]Conan[/name] is not a name I am fond of, neither is [name]Elmer[/name]. [name]Walt[/name] I think is sweet, as a nickname for [name]Walter[/name], and I like [name]Orson[/name] a lot.
A lot of the associations your husband brings up I think aren’t just because his age, I think most people have these associations too, regardless of how old they are.
Other suggestions:
[name]Howard[/name]
[name]Barnaby[/name]
[name]Vernon[/name]
[name]Gordon[/name]
[name]Wallace[/name]
[name]Chauncey[/name]
[name]Cyril[/name]
[name]Morris[/name]
[name]Elvis[/name]
[name]Thaddeus[/name]
HTH!
I think [name]Wilbur[/name] is cute, but I think of the pig from [name]Charlotte[/name]'s [name]Web[/name]. Of the others, I make all the same associations, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. I love [name]Orson[/name] and [name]Orson[/name] Welles. I also like [name]Ed[/name] despite Mr. [name]Ed[/name] 
Here’s some other old man names:
[name]Abraham[/name] nn [name]Abe[/name]
[name]Alfred[/name]
[name]Arthur[/name]*
[name]Calvin[/name]
[name]Edmund[/name]*
[name]Edwin[/name]*
[name]Eugene[/name]
[name]Frank[/name]
[name]Frederick[/name]
[name]Gilbert[/name]
[name]Gus[/name] or [name]August[/name] nn [name]Gus[/name]*
[name]Harold[/name]
[name]Harry[/name]
[name]Harvey[/name]
[name]Henry[/name]
[name]Homer[/name]*
[name]Howard[/name]
[name]Julius[/name]*
[name]Louis[/name] or [name]Lewis[/name]
[name]Martin[/name]
[name]Milton[/name]*
[name]Mortimer[/name]
[name]Oscar[/name]
[name]Ralph[/name]
[name]Raymond[/name]
[name]Seymour[/name]
[name]Silas[/name]
[name]Stanley[/name]
[name]Theodore[/name]
[name]Victor[/name]
[name]Walter[/name]
[name]Bernard[/name]*
[name]Floyd[/name]
[name]Herman[/name]
[name]Montgomery[/name] or [name]Monty[/name]
[name]Morris[/name]
[name]Otis[/name]
[name]Otto[/name]
[name]Percy[/name]
[name]Stuart[/name]
[name]Waldo[/name]
[name]Lawrence[/name]
[name]Amos[/name]
[name]Herb[/name]
[name]Do[/name] you like any of these?
[name]Walter[/name]
[name]George[/name]
[name]Terence[/name]
Wolfram
[name]Wilfred[/name]
[name]Alfred[/name]
[name]Winston[/name]
[name]Cyril[/name]
[name]Ambrose[/name]
[name]Bertram[/name]
[name]Tristram[/name]
[name]Archibald[/name]
[name]Barnabas[/name]
[name]Caedmon[/name]
[name]Tavish[/name]
[name]Gregory[/name]
[name]Vincent[/name]
[name]Clement[/name]
[name]Godfrey[/name]
[name]Frederick[/name]
[name]Jerome[/name]
[name]Percival[/name]
[name]Sylvester[/name]
[name]Theobald[/name]
I love [name]Wilbur[/name]. I’d never have the guts to use [name]Wilbur[/name] though… so I made him a character in the story I’m writing. He’s an adorable little boy that goes by Wilbie.