Old money baby names are trending – experts share their top picks

Laura Hampson
Updated ·3-min read
Close up of parents with baby as expert reveals best old money baby names. (Getty Images)
An expert has revealed the top old money baby names. (Getty Images)

Whether it’s due to the return of Succession, or our perennial obsession with Britain's many aristocrats, old money baby names are having a moment.

“Old money names conjure up the aspirational lifestyle provided by generational wealth – elite country clubs, prep schools and holidays in the countryside,” Nameberry expert Sophie Kihm says.

Read more: How to choose a baby name, from banned options to the top choices

“Old money names serve as connectors to past generations. This can be in a literal sense, through family surnames or handing down notable first names to descendants. It can also be more ephemeral, through the old money style.”

Nameberry has done its research and found the top boy and girl old money baby names, along with the top old money last names (that can be used as first names), old money family names and old money nicknames.

A baby sleeps on her mother's shoulder
Allegra, Rosamund and Cressida are among the top old money girl baby names. (Getty Images)

Several of the top old money girl names include monikers with literary connections, such as Antigone and Cressida, or names that were initially more masculine such as Bryce and Schuyler.

The top 15 old money girl names

  • Allegra

  • Antigone

  • Araminta

  • Calista

  • Cressida

  • Bryce

  • Darby

  • Emeline

  • Georgina

  • Honora

  • India

  • Pandora

  • Rosamund

  • Schuyler

  • Viola

When it comes to old money boy names, last names such as Sinclair and Sumner are popular, as are Penn, Warn, Orlando and Archibald.

Read more: Scientists reveal most beautiful baby names - and why they're deemed attractive

The top 15 old money boy names

  • Alistair

  • Archibald

  • Aubrey

  • Benson

  • Conrad

  • Forrest

  • Hutton

  • Marshall

  • Orlando

  • Penn

  • Piers

  • Sinclair

  • Sumner

  • Ward

  • Warren

Last names as first names is already a big trend when it comes to baby names, but you could kick it up a notch with one of these old money last names.

The top 15 old money last names

  • Astor

  • Baldwin

  • Dupont

  • Emmons

  • Ewing

  • Field

  • Hearst

  • Larimer

  • Mellon

  • Prentice

  • Randolph

  • Stuyvesant

  • Vanderbilt

  • Wharton

  • Winthrop

Old money family names are more on the obscure side, usually only in circulation among certain families –but this doesn’t mean you can’t use them too.

Mother and child smile
Giles and Wheelock are among some of the more obscure baby names. (Getty Images)

The top 15 old money family names

  • Adlai

  • Algernon

  • Almeric

  • Alta

  • Arminda

  • Candida

  • Corliss

  • Denham

  • Fidelia

  • Giles

  • Hassler

  • Ogden

  • Parrish

  • Sargent

  • Wheelock

With many wealthy families tending to name their children after themselves, there are only so many roman numerals you can put after their names – which is why some resort to nicknames instead.

Read more: As unusual baby names surge, 10 unique options for your child

The top 15 old money nicknames

  • Babe

  • Bunty

  • Chip

  • Dooley

  • Fairy

  • Flip

  • Fritz

  • Happy

  • Muffy

  • Nan

  • Slim

  • Tad

  • Tippi

  • Topper

  • Trey

So could there be a baby Slim or Muffy on the horizon? Who knows, but we are certainly inspired.

Watch: Unusual celebrity baby names you'll want to steal

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