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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.

George

Meaning: farmer

Origin:Greek
191
Louis

Meaning: renowned warrior

Origin:German and French
39
Peter

Meaning: rock

Origin:Greek
107
Patrick

Meaning: noble, patrician

Origin:Latin
205
Paul

Meaning: small

Origin:Latin
265
John

Meaning: God is gracious

Origin:Hebrew
299
Richard

Meaning: dominant ruler

Origin:German
359
Jonathan

Meaning: gift of Jehovah

Origin:Hebrew
258
Jonathan

Meaning: gift of Jehovah

Origin:Hebrew
258