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Classic Boy Names

Classic boy names, those that have been well used in the English-speaking world over time, are an elite group. Classic boy names may come from the Bible, be traditional saints' names or royal names, or be names with roots in ancient languages, such as Jacob and Alexander.

Along with Jacob and Alexander, other classic boy names in the US Top 20 include William, James, Benjamin, Michael, Daniel, Matthew, Henry, and Joseph. Some classic names for boys that are not used as often as they used to be include Philip, Francis, Harry, and Hugh.

Most classic boy names have ranked highly for more than a century and have been widely used for hundreds of years. Even so, classic names for boys go through fashion cycles of their own, with new classics such as Felix, Jasper, and Oliver taking over for Old School classic boy names such as Robert and Richard.

The Top 50 classic boy names below are ordered by their current popularity on our website. More unusual classic names are ordered alphabetically at the bottom of the list.

Francis

Meaning: Frenchman or free man

Origin:Latin
240
Benjamin

Meaning: son of the right hand

Origin:Hebrew
149
Raymond

Meaning: wise protector

Origin:German
398
Joseph

Meaning: Jehovah increases

Origin:Hebrew
436
Christian

Meaning: anointed one or follower of Christ

Origin:Greek or English from Latin
441
Mark

Meaning: warlike

Origin:Latin
496
Stephen

Meaning: garland, crown

Origin:Greek
534
Victor

Meaning: conqueror

Origin:Latin
190
Lawrence

Meaning: from Laurentium or bay laurel

Origin:Latin
164
Anthony

Meaning: from Antium

Origin:Latin
186
Robert

Meaning: bright fame

Origin:English from German
542
Abraham

Meaning: father of multitudes

Origin:Hebrew
621
Albert

Meaning: noble, bright

Origin:German
218
Walter

Meaning: army ruler

Origin:German
332
Charles

Meaning: man, free man

Origin:French from German
290
David

Meaning: beloved

Origin:Hebrew
337
Martin

Meaning: warlike

Origin:Latin
378
Max

Meaning: greatest

Origin:English and German diminutive of Maximilian or Maxwell
105
Frank

Meaning: Frenchman or free man

Origin:Diminutive of Francis or Franklin
273
James

Meaning: supplanter

Origin:English variation of Jacob, Hebrew
33