I grew up reading my mom’s childhood favorite books, and some of those date to decades before she was born. So I kind of crush on some fairly old names, including some that may sound unattractive to ears used to [name_u]Tyler[/name_u]/Kyler and [name_u]Aiden[/name_u]/Jaden/Braden.
I’m talking about some that I am fairly certain are unusable anymore, like [name_m]Elmer[/name_m] (glue) or [name_m]Casper[/name_m] (ghost). But what about [name_u]Howard[/name_u], or [name_m]Walter[/name_m], or [name_m]Stuart[/name_m], or [name_m]Norman[/name_m]? Are they too fuddy duddy to be usable, or are they just ahead of the curve? I must confess to absolutely adoring both [name_u]Howard[/name_u] and [name_m]Walter[/name_m]!
I like both [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m] and [name_m]Edgar[/name_m], too! When I see [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m], I think of the cute guy on “Survivor” or “[name_m]Malcolm[/name_m] in the Middle”.
I hate [name_u]Howard[/name_u], but I love [name_m]Walter[/name_m] and [name_m]Norman[/name_m]! I know a guy named [name_m]Walter[/name_m] (He’s 13) and no one thinks it’s weird or anything. Use it if you like it!
AWWWW I love [name_m]Elmer[/name_m] sooooo much! (probably cause of [name_m]Elmer[/name_m] and the dragon!! I loved that series!) I don’t associate it with glue at all and think it is super usable.
I don’t care for walter, it sounds like wall, wallflower, and water.
[name_m]Norman[/name_m] is pretty nice!
[name_m]Casper[/name_m] - I just don’t like the sound at all.
“ugly” or “old man” names I love are:
[name_m]Elmer[/name_m]
[name_u]Percy[/name_u]
[name_m]Wilbur[/name_m] (OH I LOVE HIM! So soft!)
HARRISON!!!
Garrett!
[name_m]Francisco[/name_m]. ([name_m]Cisco[/name_m]!!)
[name_m]Sylvester[/name_m]
[name_m]Benedict[/name_m] (oh my little [name_m]Ned[/name_m]!!!)
[name_m]Chester[/name_m] (almost nobody likes him )
[name_m]Clarence[/name_m]/Clancy
[name_m]Humphrey[/name_m] (oh so cuteeeeeee )
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] (even though edmund in [name_f]Narnia[/name_f] isn’t that good but St. [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_u]Campion[/name_u] is amazing!)
[name_u]Stanley[/name_u]
[name_u]Sterling[/name_u]!!
[name_u]Laurence[/name_u]!
[name_m]Ambrose[/name_m]!!!
[name_m]Henry[/name_m]
[name_m]Rudolph[/name_m]!
[name_u]Randy[/name_u] (though sadly it’s not usable cause of the bad term in [name_f]England[/name_f])
Ones I don’t like:
[name_m]Christopher[/name_m] (UGH so popular and just boring to me like [name_f]Christina[/name_f] sorry!)
[name_m]Edgar[/name_m]
[name_u]Alfie[/name_u] (I just think of alfalfa and algae)
[name_u]Michael[/name_u] (I know wayyyyyyy to many michaels of EVERY age)
[name_m]Paul[/name_m]
[name_m]Carl[/name_m] (ew) (sorry)
I LOVE names in this category. I’ve also worked at a nursing home so I feel like I’m in this weird gray area where I can’t use a lot of names like this because I associate them with residents and patients I’ve had, but I think the style’s also grown on me because of it.
I say use them, names seem like they come back in fashion after a while once they’ve become vintage/timeless. I also like [name_m]Alvin[/name_m], [name_m]Hershel[/name_m] and [name_m]Adlai[/name_m], which I think fall into this style.
[name_u]Love[/name_u] old man names, my favourite category. I have a little [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] and many more on the list!
[name_m]Elmer[/name_m] and [name_m]Walter[/name_m]
Others:
[name_m]Ernest[/name_m]
[name_m]Calvin[/name_m]
[name_u]Sidney[/name_u]
[name_m]Morris[/name_m]
[name_m]Bernard[/name_m]
[name_m]Franklin[/name_m]
[name_m]Vincent[/name_m]
[name_m]Wilfred[/name_m]
I think [name_u]Howard[/name_u] is really sweet! I don’t love [name_m]Stuart[/name_m], [name_m]Walter[/name_m] and [name_m]Norman[/name_m]. They don’t sound very handsome to me personally but I do know someone in their early twenties named [name_m]Walter[/name_m] so I definitely think its usuable.
Elmo is unusable to me thanks to [name_f]Sesame[/name_f] [name_f]Street[/name_f], but I do like it.
I love:
[name_m]Phillip[/name_m]
[name_u]Stanley[/name_u] (I know one in his late 20s)
[name_m]Clarence[/name_m]
[name_u]Clancy[/name_u]
[name_u]Curtis[/name_u]
[name_m]Stuart[/name_m] ( but not [name_m]Stewart[/name_m])
[name_m]Humphrey[/name_m]
[name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] or [name_u]Laurence[/name_u]
[name_m]Arthur[/name_m]
[name_u]George[/name_u]
[name_m]Ambrose[/name_m] (I know a 5 year old [name_m]Ambrose[/name_m]!)
[name_m]Henry[/name_m]
[name_m]Edgar[/name_m]
[name_m]Paul[/name_m] (my mom’s name crush)
[name_m]Alfred[/name_m] (and [name_u]Alfie[/name_u]!!)
[name_m]Calvin[/name_m]
[name_m]Wilbur[/name_m]
[name_m]Vincent[/name_m] (my best friend’s brother, totally gorgeous!)
I don’t love:
[name_m]Donald[/name_m]
[name_m]Ronald[/name_m]
[name_u]Terry[/name_u]
[name_m]Eugene[/name_m]
[name_m]Herman[/name_m]
[name_m]Chester[/name_m]
[name_m]Carl[/name_m]
[name_u]Randy[/name_u] (although I do like [name_m]Randolph[/name_m])
Others not mentioned before…I love [name_m]Edmond[/name_m] and [name_m]Franklin[/name_m].
[name_f]My[/name_f] favorites are still [name_u]Howard[/name_u] and [name_m]Walter[/name_m], but I’m also loving [name_m]Alfred[/name_m]/Alfie, [name_m]Wilbur[/name_m], and [name_m]Clarence[/name_m].
Okay I love love love [name_m]Walter[/name_m]!
But my only problem with it is I have a chicken named that!
[name_m]Norman[/name_m] is a bit of a dud and [name_m]Stuart[/name_m] is not my favourite. [name_u]Howard[/name_u] though would be completely useable! And [name_m]Casper[/name_m] doesn’t make me think of the ghost( maybe I’m not the right generation!) It actually reminds me of [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], just a shorter form.
I know a boy (6 year old) named [name_m]Walter[/name_m]! His sister is [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] and his new little brother is [name_m]Henry[/name_m]!
I think they’re totally usable. I mean you can’t go wrong with a classic, traditional name. Maybe a more modern nickname would make it seem more wearable?
I don’t think [name_m]Casper[/name_m] is still usable even though most people will think of the ghost. It’s not like [name_m]Casper[/name_m] was a mean ghost . [name_m]Elmer[/name_m] on the other hand is wayyyy too connected to the glue brand for me, since in ever classroom their use [name_m]Elmer[/name_m]’s glue, I would be hesitant to name my kid that.
I like [name_m]Rupert[/name_m], [name_u]Rudy[/name_u] (just added this to my list!), [name_m]Clifford[/name_m], [name_u]Amos[/name_u], [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], and [name_m]Wilbur[/name_m] (I still like it even though it’s connect to the pig in [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]’s [name_m]Web[/name_m]).
Elmer: sounds awkward to me
[name_m]Casper[/name_m]: SO handsome. I am reminded of the ghost but I don’t care, I would still use it
[name_u]Howard[/name_u]: I dislike but absolutely love [name_m]Howie[/name_m]
[name_m]Walter[/name_m]: I would find nice with the right middle or first name paired with it
[name_m]Stuart[/name_m]: the mouse is too strong an association for me
[name_m]Norman[/name_m]: I love it. it’s so perfectly nerdy. would love to meet a little [name_m]Norman[/name_m]
I find a lot of old names super handsome… [name_m]Edmund[/name_m], [name_m]Ambrose[/name_m], [name_m]Warren[/name_m], [name_m]Simon[/name_m], [name_m]Silas[/name_m], [name_m]Calvin[/name_m], [name_m]Vincent[/name_m], [name_m]Henry[/name_m], [name_u]Lawrence[/name_u], [name_m]Phillip[/name_m], [name_m]Louis[/name_m], [name_m]Russell[/name_m] and [name_u]George[/name_u] for example
)
. [name_m]Elmer[/name_m] on the other hand is wayyyy too connected to the glue brand for me, since in ever classroom their use [name_m]Elmer[/name_m]’s glue, I would be hesitant to name my kid that.