One boys' name is seeing a surge in popularity - and it's giving 'old gentlemen' vibes.
As any parent knows, choosing a baby name is no easy task. Whatever option you go for, that name will be your child's for life, so the pressure is on to choose one that fits your family just right.
There are so many to pick from, but sometimes the best options are those that have stood the test of time. And as old-fashioned baby names are starting to make a comeback, these previously unpopular baby names are getting more and more traction among new parents.
We've already seen that 'old lady' baby names are on the up, and now it seems that one baby name reminiscent of 'old gentlemen' is coming back into fashion too.
According to Baby Centre, the name 'Abe' has climbed 819 places in the list of popular baby names since 2022, now ranking number 1,734 on the list. A form of 'Abraham', 'Abe' is Hebrew in origin, and means 'father of a multitude'.
Data from Baby Centre shows that the name was a popular choice in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with the number of babies named Abe peaking in 1898, when 546 babies per million were given the name.
Since then, Abe has seen a sharp decline, reaching its lowest usage in 1992 and 1993, when just nine babies per million were given the name each year. Now, however, the old-fashioned moniker is on the up.
The resurgence in popularity seems to be part of a wider trend too, as Baby Centre has revealed that shortened versions of names appear to be taking over their longer counterparts.
Names like Leo (number eight) and Theo (number 20) have risen in popularity, and now out rank the names they were derived from: Leonardo (number 141) and Theodore (number 38).
Meanwhile, Nameberry has picked out the top 'old man names' that have come back into fashion in recent years.
20 'old man' names that are coming back into fashion
- Theodore
- Silas
- Otto
- Cyrus
- Otis
- Arthur
- Louis
- Archie
- Gideon
- Casper
- Harvey
- Ezekiel
- Rueben
- Ignatius
- Calvin
- Rupert
- Bartholomew
- Frederick
- Ralph
- Orson
Looking for more baby name inspiration? Check out these Christmas baby names, our list of 64 millionaire baby names and this huge list of 150 middle names too.
