Thanks To The Royal Baby, We May Be Seeing More Of These Baby Names

The bets have been on for months in regard to the newest royal baby name, and now the world is finally in on the secret: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s baby is officially called Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Not only is it an adorable name, but its meaning is perfection too. Archie means “genuinely bold,” which is a great trait for a royal to have — and Harrison means, you guessed it, “son of Harry.” Which is totally the sweetest thing ever, because he’s definitely got a doting dad.

Archie is one of those vintage baby names that’s making the rounds again. According to the baby naming “100-Year Rule,” naming trends follow a pattern, and we can expect to see a baby name come back into popularity approximately 100 years after its peak.

Archie’s peak was in 1907, when it was #98 on the Social Security Administration’s list of the 1000 most popular names, so we’re a smidge past the 100-year mark, but again, that’s just an estimation … not a hard-and-fast rule.

Because of that (and because Archie is no doubt going to experience a super-surge thanks to Baby Mountbatten-Windsor), people will start taking a closer look at some of Archie’s fellows — that is, some of the names that were popular around the same time. And why not? They’re no longer the stodgy old-man names they used to be, as they start resurfacing for a fresh generation.

The top most popular names then were John, William, James, George, Robert, Charles, Edward … basically, the ones that have never gone out of style. But these are some of the boys’ names that were in the top 100 during 1906-07, the years we’ll call “Peak Archie,” that we haven’t seen as much of since then.

1. Everett

It comes from a name meaning “brave as a boar” and has the options of using Rhett, or the trendy Ev or Ever, as a nickname.

2. Jesse

This name hasn’t ever gone completely out of style, probably because it just invokes a classic-cool feel.

3. Oscar

Nobody can be “grouchy” about giving their little guy a name with such vintage appeal.

4. Alvin

It might sound “chipmunk-ish” to some. but consider how well both Simon (#263) and Theodore (#62) have done.

5. Victor

The meaning of this one is pretty clear: he’s gonna like winning. At everything.

6. Eugene

Considering comedian Amy Schumer just gave birth to a baby boy she named Gene (on the same day as the royal baby, no less), this longer version is going to be in the spotlight too.

7. Glenn

Not only does this name have the retro trend going for it, it’s got a clear nature vibe too — a glen is a narrow, gently-sloping valley.

8. Clyde

Clyde was a very popular choice, as high as #50 on the charts at one point, until Clyde Barrow (of Bonnie and Clyde fame) went on his notorious crime spree. But that association isn’t as fresh or valid these days.

9. Morris

This is actually the English version of the French name Maurice, and Morrie (as in Morrie Schwartz, professor/author and subject of the Mitch Albom bestseller Tuesdays with Morrie) is a really cute nickname.

10. Bernard

You can go with the strong-sounding Bernard or the more approachable Bernie on this one; it’s a great transitional name.

11. Elmer

Elmer was once as high as #32 on the popularity charts, and was still within the top 1000 as recently as 2007.

12. Willie

Yes, it’s a diminutive of William, which has never gone out of style. But this shorter version has a less buttoned-up feel than its longer counterpart, and is more playful than Will.

13. Clifford

As a bonus, you’ll have all those “personalized” books about the Big Red Dog to read to your little Clifford!

14. Cecil

This name may be derived from the Latin name Caecilius, which has a less-than-ideal meaning (“blind”); but it may also have come from the influential British Cecil family, which comes from a Welsh name derived from the Latin word for “sixth.”

15. Edwin

Edward has been a mainstay in boys’ names for literally thousands of years — so Edwin is familiar-sounding enough to not fall into the “weird” category, but still unused enough to stand out.

16. Leon

The name Leo has made a huge comeback, so why not Leon? After all, it’s from the same root.

17. Clarence

Ironically, this name is derived from a title given to the British royal family: Clarensis.

18. Frank

Frank Sinatra, Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Zappa, L. Frank Baum … there are so many great Franks. And if you want to use it as a nickname rather than a standalone, you can get to it via the equally-charming Francis or Franklin.

19. Raymond

This has the same long-A sound as much loved names like Aiden and Chase, plus the option of the nickname Ray (which is currently in the top 800 most popular).

20. Stanley

This one has definite potential; after all, “stan” is a hot slang word right now (as in, to be a superfan: i.e., “I stan the royals so hard.”) And there’s the sound connection with “Game of Thrones,” (Stannis Baratheon, anyone?) which is inspiring baby names left and right.

These names may have once gone out of vogue, reminding people of their grandpas — but generations of the future won’t associate them with anything but vintage charm. And if a name from this era is good enough for a royal, any baby can proudly rock a non-modern moniker.

For all the names from trending to timeless, check out the thousands of choices and inspirational lists in the Scary Mommy baby name database!