Sometimes having an old-fashioned name isn’t a bad thing. Having a throw back name is a great way to honour tradition and these names have all stood the test of time. Not only that, but these names that we have chosen sound particularly lovely and could be modernised with a different spelling or a quirky nick name!
Bernard is an old-fashioned name of German origin. Meaning ‘strong, brave bear’, the name was one of the most popular in the English-speaking world in the early 20th century, however it is far less common in recent years.
Doris was originally a name given to women of the Greek Dorian tribe. ‘Doron’ means ‘gift.’
Esme is a French name, originally unisex but now more commonly given to girls. It is sometimes thought of as a pet form of Esmerelda. The name means ‘respected.’
Frank is an English form of the French name ‘Francois’, from the German tribe ‘the Franks.’ The name was rst derived from the German for ‘spear’ or ‘javelin.’ As an English vocabulary word, Frank also has the meaning of ‘sincere.’
Harold is an Old English name ultimately of Scandinavian origin, from the Old Norse name ‘Haraldr.’ Harold is often shortened to the popular boy’s name Harry.
One of the more old-fashioned female variants of ‘John.’ Predominantly a female name, this can occasionally be found as a male name. It means ‘God is gracious.’
Mabel is a short form of the Latin name Amabel, itself thought to be related to the name Annabel. It means ‘loveable.’
Percy is a name of French origin, meaning ‘pierce valley’. In medieval times, Percy was used as a nickname for Piers or Percival.
Reginald could derive from the German name Reginwald, or from the Latin word ‘regina’, meaning ‘queen.’ It was very popular in the early 20th century but has recently fallen from favour.
An English variation on the Welsh name Gwenfrewi, Winifred was a 7th-century saint. The name means ‘fair’ or ‘blessed.’
