Roaring 20’s Baby Names

The roaring twenties brought us the romance of the Great Gatsby, flappers, and the beginning of art deco. Today I’ve compiled a list of roaring 20’s baby names for both boys and girls.

roaring 20's baby names

What comes your mind when you think of the 1920’s. Some might call to mind speakeasies, women’s suffrage, and art deco. I personally loved both the art deco era which began in the mid 1920’s. Of course, the show Downton Abbey, revived a love for the 1920’s. Honestly, I loved the elegance of that era, although I probably favor Edwardian a tad more.

I personally am not a huge fan of modern names, just my personal preference. I find that vintage names are more charming and elegant. Regardless, I decided to put together a list of names from the twenties from both America and the UK. Some names were popular in both countries, while others were favored in either country.

Older Names Are Making a Come Back

Classic names like William, Charles, and Jack I think will always be stylish and regal. But over the last few years older names have been resurfacing on birth certificates. Classic names like Owen, Olivia, Caleb, Charlotte, Scarlett, and other names have resurfaced. Also recently biblical names which had not really been popular since the 1800’s and turn of the 20th century like Elijah, Josiah, and Micah have all experienced a resurgence over the last 20 years. Vintage names are timeless. That’s why I think you love these roaring 20’s baby names.

Celebrity Names

Before I share the most popular names of the 1920’s, I thought it would be interesting to share some of the most popular celebrities in the 1920’s and their names. The twenties brought with the invention of silent film and so the dawn of Hollywood made stars out of ordinary people. Let’s take a look at some well known people in the 20s.

  • Coco Chanel, fashion designer, owner of Chanel
  • Jack Dempsey, boxer
  • Jospehine Baker, dancer
  • Charles Lindbergh, aviator
  • Gloria Swanson, film star
  • Greta Garbo, actress
  • Georgia O’Keefe, artist
  • George Bernard Shaw, writer
  • F. Scott Fitzgerald, writer
  • Al Jolson, Jazz singer
  • Albert Einstein, scientist
  • Scott Joplin, musician
  • Charlie Chaplin, film star
  • Louis Armstrong, jazz musician
  • Henry Ford, automobile manufacturer
  • John Rockafeller, oil tycoon
  • Duke Ellington , musician
  • Ernest Hemingway, writer
  • Pablo Picasso, artist
  • Al Capone, gangster
  • Salvador Dali, artist
  • Daniel Guggenheim, mining mogul
  • Bessie Smith, blues singer
  • Louise Brooks, entertainer
  • William Morris
  • William Randolph Hearst, newspaper publisher
  • Charles Schwab, steel magnate
  • Andrew Carnagie, steel magnate

Now let’s take a look at some of the most popular names of the decade.

The Top Five

So what were the most popular names of the decade in each respective country. Well in the United States, the top five boy names were: Robert, John, James, William, and Charles. The top five girl names in the US were Mary, Dorothy, Helen, Betty, and Margaret.

Boy Names

  • Robert
  • John
  • James
  • Percy
  • Phineas
  • Forrest
  • Quentin
  • Winston
  • Williams
  • Charles
  • George
  • Joseph
  • Richard
  • Edward
  • Donald
  • Thomas
  • Frank
  • Harold
  • Paul
  • Raymond
  • Walter
  • Jack
  • Henry
  • David
  • Albert
  • Harry
  • Eugene
  • Howard
  • Carl
  • Louis
  • Clarence
  • Earl
  • Francis
  • Lawrence
  • Ernest
  • Alfred
  • Patrick
  • Desmond
  • Christopher
  • Alexander
  • Graham
  • Terence
  • Allan
  • Martin
  • Dennis (and Denis)
  • Anthony
  • Daniel
  • Samuel
  • Gerald
  • Bernard
  • Sydney
  • Ivan
  • Stephen
  • Trevor
roaring 20's baby names
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Girl Names

  • Edith
  • Dorothy
  • Helen
  • Mary
  • Catherine
  • Kathleen
  • Virginia
  • Ruth
  • Margaret
  • Gwendoline
  • Freda
  • Jane
  • Rosemary
  • Betty
  • Doris
  • Mildred
  • Opal
  • Grace
  • Mavis
  • Elsie
  • Daisy
  • Lucy
  • Janet
  • Norah
  • Agnes
  • Daphne
  • Pauline
  • Bridget
  • Vera
  • Dinah
  • Winifred
  • Nellie
  • Rosalie
  • Ivy
  • Maxine
  • Frances
  • Anna
  • Marie
  • Constance
  • Lillian
  • May
  • Evelyn
  • Alice
  • Jean
  • Shirley
  • Barbara
  • Irene
  • Marjorie
  • Florence
  • Lois
  • Martha
  • Rose
  • Louise
  • Ruby
  • Eleanor
  • Gladys
  • Patricia
  • Josephine
  • Edna
  • Gloria
  • Ethel
  • Phyllis
  • June
  • Hazel
  • Bernice
  • Rita
  • Lorraine
  • Marion

Looking for More Baby Names

Before you leave, be sure to visit some of my other blog posts like, Biblical Baby Girl Names, Biblical Baby Boy Names, Strong Baby Boy Names and Preppy Baby Names.

Preppy Baby Boy Names

Ivy League schools. New England coastlines. Sailing. Nantucket. Martha’s Vineyard. Plaid. These are just some of the things I think about when I think about preppy kids. If that’s your vibe, I’ve got some cute preppy baby boy names that have Ivy League written all over them.

Preppy baby boy names
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Oh, the joy of naming a baby. I don’t know about you, but I found it hard to name my kiddos. Also, I never realized that I only had girl names picked out, so naturally, I had only boys! I actually fretted quite a bit when I was choosing the names for my boys. Admittedly, I also never expected to get pushback from family members and friends on names I was considering. I have a friend who was even pressured into giving her son a family name. It happens friend and the best advice I can give is to just brush it off and do your thing.

One of the lists I made when choosing a name was preppy baby boy names. I admit I love this style of names so I thought I’d share the list I compiled with you. I’ve also tried to give you some basic meanings when available. When I hear preppy names I kind of think about Ivy League universities and New England coastlines. I think upper-class and clout.

Before you scroll down the list, I know that you’ve got lots to do before baby arrives. That’s why I’ve created the Baby Registry Checklist to help get you started on your registry shopping list. You may also want to check out my post 10 Things You Don’t Need On Your Baby Registry.

preppy baby boy names

Preppy Baby Boy Names

  • Alexander – though most well known for the Greek emperor Alexander the Great, Alexander is popular in many European countries
  • Anders – A Norse / Scandanavian version of Andrew, it was also the name of a notable physicist
  • August – A shortened version of Augustine, August graced three Polish Kings and also Augustus an emperor of Rome
  • Anderson – A more formal take on the name Andrew
  • Asher – A biblical name, Asher is the son of Jacob and also means happy and blessed in Hebrew
  • Aston – A rare name, it means East Town in Old English
  • Ashton – An Old English version of “Ash Tree Town”
  • Basil – Originally a Greek name, Saint Basil the Great was an early doctor of the church
  • Bastian – A suffix shortening of the name Sebastian meaning “venerable”
  • Beau – pronounced “Bo,” it means “beautiful” in French and has become a unisex name
  • Bernard – A Germanic name meaning “brave” or “bear”
  • Blake – An Old English name meaning “black” or “pale”
  • Blaine – Originally a Scottish surname meaning “yellow”
  • Brett – An Old English name to describe a Briton.
  • Brooks – Originally the English surname “Brook” it was used literally to describe someone who lived near a brook.
  • Bryce (or Brice) – A French name that also graced a saint
  • Camden – An Old English name that was originally used to describe a place like a valley.
  • Carlton – This is actually a variant of Charlton, meaning “settlement of free men”
  • Casey – Originally an Irish surname, It was also the name of hero Casey Jones, (1863-1900) who gave his life to save train passengers
  • Cecil – An ancient Roman name
  • Chauncey – A Norman surname of unknown meaning
  • Charles – A classic name, it is actually a derivation of the Germanic, Karl
  • Chase – English surname meaning ” huntsman”
  • Chett – A short form of Chester
  • Chip – Often a nickname for Charles or Christopher, this name is also occasionally used on it’s own.
  • Clarke – An English surname that was used to describe a cleric or scribe
  • Colin – Believe it or not, this is actually a shortened form of Nicolas.
  • Davis – A derivative of Davis
  • Desmond – An Irish surname describing the region from which they came
  • Drake – Old English surname meaning dragon or serpent
  • Drew – Shortened form of Andrew
  • Easton – English surname
  • Edmond – French form of Edmund. The famous bearer is Edmon Halley for whom Halley’s comment is named.
  • Ellis – A surname that derived from Elijah
  • Ferris – British surname
  • Forrest – English surname for someone who lived near the forest. Saw a resurgence with the movie Forrest Gump
  • Franklin – An English surname meaning “freeman” it was notably the name of American Statesman Benjamin Franklin president Frankling Roosevelt
  • Francois – The French form of Frank
  • George – Also considered an aristocratic name because many kings have donned the name
  • Graham – A Scottish surname that eventually developed into a Scottish given name
  • Granville – An English surname named after a place in Normandy
  • Hamilton – Originally an English surname meaning “crooked”
  • Harris – A name that derived from Harry
  • Harrison – A name meaning son of Harry
  • Horatio – most commonly associated with British Admiral Horatio Nelson who defeated Napolean at the Battle of Trafalgar
  • Hugh – Popular among French nobility
  • Hyde – An English surname used to describe someone who lived on about 100 acres
  • Jack – a derivation of John. In the middle ages, it was slang for “man” in the same way we use “guy” today which is why it is common in fairy tales
  • James – Originally a Hebrew name and used in England from the 13th century
  • Keaton – An English surname
  • Miles – Originally derived from Milo, it is a Germanic name with uncertain origins.
  • Montgomery – An English surname named after a mountain
  • Nicholas – a Greek name meaning “victory for the people”
  • Parker – An English surname meaning “keeper of the park”
  • Patton – English name deriving from Patrick
  • Pierce – a medieval form of Peter
  • Prescott – An English surname meaning “priest’s cottage”
  • Price – Welsh surname from Rhys
  • Quincy – English surname
  • Reid / Reed – Old English surname meaning “red”
  • Rhodes – Old English name meaning “cleared lands”
  • Royce – Medieval name meaning “rose”
  • Rupert – German form of Robert
  • Sebastian – Greek name meaning “venerable”
  • Spencer – Middle English for pantry or “dispenser of provisions”
  • Sutton – English surname meaning “south town”
  • Sumner – Middle English surname for someone who had to summon witnesses to court
  • Tanner – English occupational surname
  • Tate – Derived from the English name Tata
  • Trey – name meaning “three”
  • Warren – a Norman name meaning “animal enclosure”
  • William – A Germanic name meaning “helmet” it has graced many Kings in history
  • Winston – An Old English place name

Other Baby Names

By the way, if you enjoyed this name round up, you should see some of my other posts such as Strong Baby Boy Names, Biblical Baby Boy Names and Biblical Baby Girl Names. I’d love it if you subscribed to my blog for future posts and don’t forget to PIN this post for later.

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Strong Baby Boy Names

Looking for a strong, spirited name for your little guy? I’ve compiled a list of strong baby boy names that have toughness written all over them complete with meanings and a printable list.

strong baby boy names

Oh the joy of naming your little one. I can recall when we named our boys. We had such an array of different names. From biblical to family names, it’s hard to narrow down the perfect name. After all, the name your give your child will follow them forever. When it came to naming our second son, I was really undecided. Even names that were still on our list from our first son, didn’t totally appeal to me this time. It was strange. I definitely kept leaning towards stronger names.

My oldest son is so gentle and meek. He’s very obedient and tenderhearted. It seems only natural that his name is a diminutive form of John. But what to name my youngest. As it happens, my youngest son ended up being true to his namesake. He is very bold, loud and willful. His own grandmother calls him “a storm” and my husband and I tend to measure our days in hurricane categories. “How was Tristan today, honey,” my husband will ask. “He was a CAT 4! Part of the roof is missing. Our sofa is down two blocks away on the street and water and debris are everywhere.” Ha!

Seriously, I love my little guy but parenting a strong-willed child is harder than I ever imagined. I am, however, really glad we named him Tristan. It fits him perfectly. So if you are looking for a strong name for your little man, I’ve got a good list for you. Some are straight-up bad boy names, others are strong names of prophets. Yet, others have strong meanings like war, battle, and defender.

How to Choose the Perfect Name

Consider Trends

Some names are currently trendy, but in a few years they may seem very dated. On the other hand, consider that very popular names may result in having your child share the name with multiple classmates. There is nothing wrong with picking a popular name, but those issues may be problematic to you. So make sure you talk it over with your partner.

Consider It as a Middle Name

Sometimes if you and your partner disagree on a name, consider perhaps using it as a middle name instead. Sometimes names have a better ring when paired with another name

Consider Cultural and Spiritual Origins

If it is important to you, you may consider whether or not the name has spiritual or religious origins. Many names found in the Bible mean some sort of blessing from God, for example. Also, names and derivatives can be found across different cultures with different spellings and pronunciations. Take my name, Mary which is Hebrew. In Spanish it is Maria and in French, Marie. But there are also derives like Mariam, Marian and Marilyn.

Will It Be A Family Name

Sometimes it’s nice to include a name as a tribute to a family member, living or deceased. Johnny is a common family name for my family, but since my sister-in-law had also married a John, I didn’t want to trample on her ability to name her child John too. So we chose a derivative of John, Jackson.

Say The Child’s Full Name Out Loud

Say the name out loud. I had a friend who had the name Harrison picked out for her son only to realize later that the name was going to be Harry Carey which is also a name for an act of suicide! There are lots of unfortunate incidents where someone’s name also has a double meaning. Take a look at these ill-fated mishaps if you want a good laugh. Then double-check your child’s name!

Will It Be Shortened

Some names have a shortened version or nickname attached to it. My brother Matthew really disliked when people called him Matt. He always corrected people and told them it was Matthew. My poor brother has been correcting people ever since he was little. When you choose a name you may decide against it because of nicknames or shortened versions of it, so maybe be mindful about that.

baby boy

Strong Baby Boy Names

  • Abraham (father of nations)
  • Ace (expert)
  • Anders (manly, virile)
  • Alexander (defender of the people)
  • Apollo (destroyer)
  • Arne (pronounced Arn-uh) (eagle)
  • Asger (spear of God)
  • Atticus (of Attica)
  • Axel (father of peace)
  • August (to increase)
  • Austin (exalted)
  • Blaze (flame)
  • Caleb (dog)
  • Cash (maker of chests)
  • Constantine (steadfast)
  • Dash (from the ash)
  • Destin (determined, destiny)
  • Diesel (people, race)
  • Dustin (Thor’s stone)
  • Gunnar (army)
  • Gunner (bold warrior)
  • Gustav (staff of the God’s)
  • Houston (intelligent)
  • Hunter (one who hunts)
  • Idris (prince)
  • Indiana (land of the Indians)
  • Isaiah (to save, salvation)
  • Ivan (God is gracious)
  • Jarl (chieftain)
  • Jeremiah (God will uplift)
  • Jett (black)
  • Joshua (God is my salvation)
  • Justice (Doing right by the law)
  • Kylo (sky)
  • Maddox (welsh surname)
  • Magnus (big, great)
  • Maverick (independent)
  • Maximus (great)
  • Montana (from a hilly land)
  • Nash (ash tree)
  • Odin (fury)
  • Osmond (divine protection)
  • Phoenix (dark red)
  • Ranger (forest guardian)
  • Rock (stone)
  • Rocco (rest)
  • Ryder (mounted warrior)
  • Thor (god of thunder)
  • Tristan (sad, bold, loud)
  • Viggo (battle)
  • Wilder (to cause to lose one’s way)
  • Zane (gift from God)

I’ve also provided a printable version of this list to help you. You can download it below.

I hope you enjoyed my list of strong baby, boy names. Before you go, take a look at my other post, Biblical Baby Boy Names and Biblical Baby Girl Names. Thanks so much for reading and congratulations on your pregnancy. In the comments, I’d love to hear about your own name. Do you love it or hate it? Do you go buy a nickname? Let me know!

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Biblical Baby Girl Names

Gift your little princess with a special and blessed name. Here are biblical baby girl names, complete with meanings.

biblical baby girl names
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Having a baby is such a joyous event and choosing a name is such a fun experience. The name you give your child is the first blessing they receive that’s why I think it’s so important to consider the meaning of names. The list below is from both the Old and New Testament and I’ve included the meanings to help you.

My husband and I were very much in love with the name Hannah when we were trying to get pregnant and we had it selected if we ever had a baby girl. But after two very traumatic births and two miscarriages, we felt it was time to stop having kids. Especially since I’d be over 40 when we tried again. Honestly, I was heartbroken at the thought of only having two children and no living daughters. But God was good. My sister-in-law got blessed with an unexpected pregnancy and they named their baby girl Hannah. So I still got to have a Hannah in my life! God is so good. We named the baby girl we lost after our two aunts who were barren and were very close to us, Daphne Guadalupe.

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favor rather than silver and gold.

Proverbs 22:1

Tips for Choosing a Name

As I mentioned in my Biblical baby Boy Names post here are some tips that I found helped us during the naming process.

  • Be flexible 
  • Consider if any family members should be honored
  • For names that are loved by one spouse and not by the other, consider using it as a middle name instead as
  • Consider if the name will be shortened (example: Candace = Candy / Elizabeth = Liz) and whether you want or like that
  • You may want to consider omitting the names of exes
  • Say names in full, out loud, to hear how it sounds.

A Word of Advice

I mentioned this in my Biblical baby boy names post as well because I think it’s important to remember, especially for first time mamas. Everyone is going to have an opinion about what name you choose for your child. Some people will hate the name you choose. Others will love it. Just remember that their opinion doesn’t matter. The choice is yours to make an no one else has a say-so. Don’t let other people’s opinions steal your joy from this happy moment.

Biblical Baby Girl Names

  • Abigail (my father’s joy)
  • Abijah (my father is Yahweh)
  • Abital (my father is the night dew)
  • Adina (slender & delicate)
  • Adah (adornment)
  • Agrippa (horse)
  • Ahna (answer)
  • Anne (favor, grace)
  • Apphia (increasing)
  • Aquila (eagle)
  • Ariel (lion of God)
  • Atarah (crown)
  • Athaliah (Yahweh is exhausted)
  • Bathsheba (daughter of the oath)
  • Bernice / Berenice (bringing victory)
  • Beulah (married)
  • Candace (queen mother)
  • Chloe (green shoot)
  • Claudia (Lame, crippled, female version of Claudius)
  • Deborah (bee)
  • Delilah (delicate, weak, languishing)
  • Diklah (Palm grove)
  • Dinah (judged)
  • Dorcas (gazelle)
  • Drusilla (female version of Dresus, strong)
  • Edna (pleasure)
  • Elisabeth/Elizabeth (my God is an oath)
  • Esther (star)
  • Eunice (good victory)
  • Eve (to breathe, to live)
  • Gomer (complete)
  • Hagar (flight)
  • Hannah (favor, grace)
  • Hosanna (deliver us)
  • Jael (mountain goat)
  • Jemima (dove)
  • Joanna (female version of John, Yahweh is gracious)
  • Judith (jewish woman)
  • Julia (female version of Julius, downy-bearded)
  • Keturah (incense)
  • Keziah (cinnamon)
  • Leah (weary)
  • Lois (more desirable, better)
  • Lydia (unknown meaning)
  • Magdalena (tower)
  • Mara (bitter)
  • Martha (the lady, mistress)
  • Mary (bitter)
  • Michal (brook)
  • Miriam (bitter)
  • Naomi (pleasantness)
  • Orpah (back of the neck)
  • Phoebe (bright, pure)
  • Priscilla (ancient)
  • Rachel (join, tie, snare)
  • Rhoda (rose)
  • Ruth (friend)
  • Salome (peace)
  • Sapphira (sapphire)
  • Sarah (lady, princess, noble woman)
  • Shiloh (tranquil)
  • Suzannah/Suzanna (common fate)
  • Tabitha (gazelle)
  • Tamar (date palm)
  • Tryphena (delicacy)
  • Zipporah (bird)

Biblical Baby Boy Names

Be sure to check out my other post with Biblical baby boy names, complete with meanings.

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