Top Old Man Names (100+ Ideas for 2023)

When it comes to old man names, parents have relied on tried-and-true names like William, Jim, Peter, and John. While all those names are appropriate for a kid, character, or even a pet of any age, several legendary names can only be classified as old man baby names.

These are antique names that were so retro that they've shifted back to becoming stylish again — and a few of them have already been grabbing on with today's parents in a big way.

When looking for old man name ideas, try this epic list!

Grumpy old man names 

• Robert: Robert is a traditionally German name that signifies "brilliant fame." It is derived from the ancient German surname Hrodebert. The name consists of two parts: "Hrod," which means renown, and "Beraht," which means light.

• Charles: Charles is derived from the Old English term "ceorl," which means "free man." A free person was distinguished from a bondsman or slave as "thew" and a noble person as "eorl".

• Richard: Richard is an ancient name that comes from Old French and Old Frankish. It is a composite of the words Proto-Germanic which means 'strong in the rule.'

• William: William is a traditional classic name with English roots dating back over a thousand years that continues to be popular today. It derives from Wilhelm, an Old German name that means "resolute guardian" or "strong-willed fighter."

• Donald: Donald is a common name that originates from the Gaelic name Domhnall. This is based upon the Proto-Celtic which means ``world-ruler" or "world-wielder".

• Thomas: The name Thomas is derived from the Hebrew word "ta'om," which means "twin." It was introduced into English through the New Testament in the Holy Bible, where St. Thomas was one of Jesus' 12 apostles.

• Raymond: It is a name of Germanic origin that means "counsellor protector" or "famous protector."

Old man names for dogs

• Jack: Jack is a traditionally masculine name of English origin which means "God is Gracious."

• Walton: Walton is an Old English name for guys, and the meaning of Walton is "walled town."

• Larry: Larry is a male name from the Uk. This name has come to hold on its own as a miniature version of Laurence. Larry, also means Crowned with laurel. 

• Dennis: Dennis is a Greek name for a boy. It is both a surname and a forename that means "Dionysus disciple." Dionysus was the child of Zeus and Semele in Greek mythology, who is the fertility and wine god.

• Ed: Ed is a boy name of British origin, with a sleek modern coolness that contrasts with its noble origins. Ed is a simple version of Edward from the Old English Eadward.

• Jerry: Jerry is a British gender-neutral name. Jerry is both a first name and nickname which means "spear" and is inspired by the names Gerald, Jeremy, and Jerome.

• Bo: The name Bo is a unisex name of Norse origin that means "to live." Bo has a cowboy flair and has a lot of things and meanings contained in only two letters. Bo translates to "wave" in Mandarin Chinese.

Old white man names

• Theodore: The name Theodore is derived from Greek origin which means "God's gift" or "divine gift." The name Theodoros derives from the Greek words Theos (God) and Doron (gift).

• Cyrus: Cyrus is a Persian baby boy's name that means "sun." The name of the Persian Empire's founder is quite famous in the Iranian community.

• Arthur: It is thought to originate from the Greek word "artos," which means "bear." Because scholars disagree on the precise origin of the name, it might also signify "Thor, the eagle" or "powerful man." During the Middle Ages, several families called their sons Arthur after King Arthur of 6th century England.

• Louis: Louis is a boy's name of German and French origin that means "famous warrior" or "famed warrior."

• Archibald: Archibald is a masculine forename derived from the Germanic words erchan (which means "genuine" or "precious") and bald (which means "bold").

• Ralph: The Scandinavian name is derived from the Norse word Rálfr, which means "wolf counsel," and was carried to pre-Middle Ages England, where it evolved into the Old English Raedwulf.

• Hugh: Hugh is a British boy's name that is an English-language variation of German boy names such as Hugo and Uwe. Hugh is an abbreviation for "soul," "mind," and "intellect."

Funny old man names

• Oscar: The name is derived from two components in Irish: Os, which means "deer," and Car, which denotes "loving" or "friend," creating the phrase a "deer-loved one" or "companion of deer."

• Gandalf: The name comes from the Old Norse and means "staff-elf." According to the dictionary, this is also "intended to signify 'Staff-man”.

• Santa: Santa is a unisex name of Italian origin that means "Saint, Holy." Santa Claus is often known as a Christmas symbol "St. Nicholas."

• Dudley: Dudley is an English male given name. This name is meant for your ideal British rural lad, which straightly means a "people's field."

• Eugene: Eugene is a title that has gone from Greece through France and over the seas to England. The boy's name signifies "well-born" or "noble," providing it with a distinguished name for your new arrival in the family.

• Wilber: Wilber is connected to the Old German boys' names Wilbert and Wilbur as Wilber translates as "bright will."

• Rolls: The name has Norman and Germanic origins since it is a patronymic variant of the pre-7th century male given the name Roul or Rolf. The historical name 'Hrolf,' which is a fusion of "hrod," which means "notoriety," and "Wulf," which means "wolf," is the original root.

Old man cat names

• Cecil: Cecil is an anagram of the royal Welsh surname Seissylt, which derives from the Latin name Sextilius or Sextus, which means "sixth." It is also derived from the Latin surname Caecilius, which is related to the forename Caecus, which means "blind."

• Grandpa: An amusing nickname for our elderly and sluggish cats, the meaning of which is evident to everyone.

• Boris: It might be originated through one or more Turkic terms such as böri, which means "wolf," bogöri, which means "short," or bars, which means "snow leopard."

• Sam: Sam is a Hebrew name that is frequently used as a nickname for Samuel. It might indicate "told by God" or "God hears."

• Fred: The male Old German and Old French names, inspired the gender-neutral name, Fred. Fred means "peace," but its forefathers also gave it the meanings "elf guidance" and "peaceful ruler."

• Ray: Ray is a generally masculine name. Ray is an Anglification of the French Raimund.

• Jasper: Jasper means "carrier of riches" and is thought to be linked to the same-named gemstone. While Jasper is a generally masculine name, it is also used by certain females. Jasper is of Persian origin and is said to be derived from the word "Ganzabara."

Old man pet’s names

• Hugo: Hugo is a Germanic surname and male-given name that means "mind." Hugh is the English variant of the name, and Ugo is the Italian version.

• Horace: The name Horace is predominantly a masculine Latin name that means "Man of Time."

• Yoda: Yoda is a Sanskrit name for a boy. This term will come as no surprise to the fans of one of the most loved film series of all time, Star Wars. In which Yoda means "hero."

• Buck: Buck is pronounced “buk” as a boy's name. It derives from Old English. The word is frequently used to refer to a male goat or deer. It has, however, been adopted as a nickname to denote a strong and vigorous young man.

• Baxter: Baxter is an Anglo-Saxon & Scottish name driven out from the English occupational surname bakstere and the Old English baecere, both of which imply "baker."

• Max: Max is a Latin term that means "greatest" and is an abbreviation for Maxwell or Maximillian. This name is typically given to dogs with a strong, muscular build.

• Murphy: Murphy is another old man's name that you may give your dog. The name derives from Gaelic and Irish roots which means "sea warrior."

Southern old man names

• Abbot: The name means "father" or "priest" and was formerly an English surname, is an effortlessly attractive boy's name that you can't go wrong with. 

• Derman: The origins of the surname Derman may be traced back to Britain's Anglo-Saxon civilization. It was the name given to a daring or bold guy.

• Sky: The sky; the atmosphere as seen from Earth. The sky is a gender-neutral name with Scandinavian roots that is ever-changing in nature.

• Watt: Wat and Watt, prominent Middle English given names, were pet versions of the name Walter, which means "strong king" or "ruler of the army."

• Duke: Duke is a Latin name for a man that signifies "leader." Duke is a dignified name with regal appeal and refinement that is ideal for first-born males and boys with strong personalities.

• Patton: Patton is an English male name that means "fighter's town." The name is most famously and respectfully linked to George S. Patton, a United States Army commander.

• Tucker: Tucker and Tooker are English occupational surnames derived from the Old English pre-7th Century verb Italian, which means "to punish."

• Dural: Dural is said to be an Aboriginal term spoken by the Dharug language community that means 'gully' or 'valley.'

Awful old man names

• Ulysses: Ulysses is a name for a male that means "Wrathful." It is the Latin form of Odysseus, the Greek name that is derived from the word "Odyssey," which means "epic trip" or "adventure."

• Mortimer: Mortimer seems like a classic old man's name since it hasn't been popular in the United States since the 1920s. Mortimer is an English variation version of Moses. The name translates as "dead sea." 

• Cassian: This is an unusual, old-fashioned boy name derived from Cassius, which means "vain" or "empty." Although you most likely do not want those terms to characterise your child.

• Homer: Homer is a grandfather's name of greek origin which means “security”, which evolved first from an ancient Greek author. Homer went out of popularity within the 1980s and is now rarely used by new parents. 

• Mercer: Johnny Mercer was a gifted and endearing songwriter-singer who composed the words to over 1500 songs, including "Moon River." The surname Mercer is a French professional surname that means "merchant." Since 1881.

• Sacha: It's the French equivalent of Sasha, a Russian nickname for Aleksandr (or Alexander). Alexander is a common old-fashioned male name that means "defending men" in Greek.

Cute old man names

• Noah: Noah meant "rest" and "repose" in ancient Hebrew. Noah was the famed builder of the ark in the Bible account that enabled all species of animals to escape the Great Flood.

• Lucas: The name Lucas is based on the name Luke, which means "from Lucania," a southern Italian area. It's another name found across European culture, as well as in the Bible. Luke, according to legend, went with both the apostle Paul and penned one of the four gospels.

• Ethan: Ethan is a Hebrew name that translates to "strong," "enduring," and "solid." It was popularized in the United States (then known as the United Colonies) mostly by revolutionary Ethan Allen. He located the Green Mountain Boys after the legendary Lexington and Concord battle and achieved the American Continental Army's first victory of the Revolutionary War.

• Asher: Asher is yet another Hebrew name that means "fortunate" and "happy." Asher was the child of Jacob and Zilpah in the Old Testament.

• Leo: The name Leon originates from the Latin word "lion." Leo has been a popular name throughout history, with emperors, bishops, popes, and monarchs all having the same name.

• Levi: This name has indeed been rising in popularity and does not appear to be losing momentum. It means "connected" and "attached" in Hebrew and alludes to the biblical child of Jacob and Leah.

Old man Baby names

• Aulus: Although most commonly used as a shortened form of Alfred, Alf bears Old Norse roots and means "elf" or "elf advice." It can also be abbreviated as Adolf, which means "noble," or as a variant of the moniker Alfie.

• Maximilian: It is lengthier than its original name, Maximilian is derived from the Latin word Maximus, which means "greatest." In German-speaking areas and the United Kingdom, it is a rather popular name. Despite a brief popularity boom in the 2010s, it remains uncommon in the United States.

• Solomon: Solomon is related to the popular Hebrew term shalom, which means "peace." Solomon was Israel's king in the Old Testament and was renowned for his wisdom. Although not particularly uncommon, the name is distinctive and uncommon.

• Wilfred: Despite the variations of the name Wilfred's nicknames, like Wil (or Will), Willie, and Fred, are all extremely common. Wilfred means "desire for peace," and its adoption peaked in 1917.

• Rainier: Rainier is a rare French name derived from the term Rayner, which means "counsel" and "army." It's also one of the Cascade Mountain Range's active volcanoes, called Mt. Rainier after one British naval officer.

• Alf: Even though most commonly used as a shortened form of Alfred, Alf has Old Norse roots and means "elf" or "elf advice." It can also be abbreviated as Adolf, which means "noble," or as a variant of the moniker Alfie.

Ugly old man names

• Grodga: Grodga resembles a green witch or a green toad. Certainly not the finest name for your child. Except for the parent naming their child this name, this name has no unique significance or narrative behind it.

• Kaizyle: Kaizyle is not only strange as heck but also difficult to pronounce. Because this name has no meaning, it was just chosen to rhyme with Paisley.

• Dusk: Given that it is prone to regional accents, we thought Dawn was the strangest, but it is at least upbeat. Dusk, in contrast, on hand, might be anything, although it seems more common with dust.

• Satan: We assumed that no one would even consider naming their kid, although we were mistaken. Yet, many parents had the guts to give their children this horrible name. It simply goes to show how insane people nowadays are.

• Denim: These unappealing baby boy names, such as Suede, Poly-Blend, and Polyester Denim, are just inappropriate for children. The term simply describes a common sort of fabric in today's world.

Rich old man names

• Mark: Mark is a popular male-given name that is based on the Latin name Mars. It implies "to be devoted to the deity Mars," but it might also mean "God of battle" or "to be warlike." For Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. He was the country's youngest self-made billionaire.

• Warren: Warren is a French and English boy's name that means "park guardian." Warren is one of the earliest documented English surnames and is supposed to have originated with the Norman line de Warenne. Warren Buffet was the first businessman to surpass Bill Gates after becoming the world's wealthiest man in 1995.

• Cornelius: Cornelius is an Irish name that means "strong-willed or wise."Cornelius Vanderbilt, among the wealthiest men in American history, also helped in building Vanderbilt University.

• Andrew: Andrew is a Greek name that stands for "manly and sturdy." It is a spelling variation of the Greek name Andreas, which originated from the word aner, which means "man." In the early 1900s, Andrew Carnegie was a steel tycoon and philanthropist.

• Elon: Elon is a gender-neutral Hebrew name that means "oak tree." The masculine Elon, a famous judge in Israel and a member of the Zebulun tribe, was the first person to have this biblical name in the Old Testament. Elon Musk is a renowned innovator who is a regular on the rankings of the wealthiest individuals.

Weird old man names

• Miles: Miles is a Norman name derived from the Germanic name Milo. Whereas the meaning of the word is uncertain, many people believe it is linked to the Latin term with the same derivation as "soldier," or the Slavic name milu, which means "gracious."

•  Quincy: Quincy, a traditional male name in the United States, is also a forename in the Netherlands. It may be related to the Roman name Quintus, which means "fifth" in Latin, and/or to the French town of Cuinchy.

• Zebedee: Zebedee, the ancient Greek version of Zebadiah from the New Testament, means "Yahweh hath bestowed" in Hebrew.

• Guy: Guy! It's a spelling variant of Gai, which means "valley" or "ravine" in Hebrew. However, it is also the Norman French variant of the ancient Germanic name Wido, which means "wood" or "broad."

• Lou: The name Lou is derived from the German name Ludwig, which means "great fight." Ludwig von Beethoven, a German composer, was arguably the most famous holder of the name.

• Remy: Remy is a contemporary English name derived from the French surname Rémy, which means "oarsman" or "rower." However, it may also be used as an abbreviated version of the English unisex name Remington, which refers to a region in England.

British old man names

• Franklin: Franklin indicated "freeman" when used as an English surname used by the two most notable bearers. The name's appeal rose in 1933 but it has yet to recover, making it a one-of-a-kind jewel at the time.

• Orson: Orson is a rare male given name with French and Latin provenance which means "bear cub." The Norman nickname Orson, originated from the phrase ors, meaning "bear."

Best old man names and their meaning

• Laurence: This name is derived from the Roman Laurentius, which means "from Laurentum," an old Italian city. It was a popular English name in the Middle Ages but has yet to make a reappearance in the United States.

• Xavier: Xavier is an Arabic name that means "new house" and "bright." Saint Francis Xavier was given this name to honour his birthplace, a Spanish-Basque hamlet. In the Catholic religion, this is a highly frequent name.

• Byron: The meaning of the English baby boy name Byron is "cow barn." Due to its significant association with the poet Lord Byron, who served as the inspiration for its usage as a first name, this name has for many years had a romantic, windswept connotation.