This list covers 15 old fashioned boy names, running alphabetically from “Ulysses” to “Udell.” Each one carries deep roots in history, myth, or scripture, and many were common choices for kings, saints, and soldiers long before they faded from everyday use. Parents today often revisit names like these when they want something with real weight and meaning behind it, rather than a passing trend.

Old fashioned boy names are given names that were popular generations ago and have since become rare, though they often carry rich linguistic or cultural roots. Many, like “Ulric” and “Ulger,” trace back to Germanic warrior traditions built around words for “wolf,” while others, such as “Uriah” and “Uzziah,” come straight from the Old Testament. Interestingly, “Ugo” and “Ubaldo” show how the same Germanic roots traveled into Italy and took on new forms over centuries.

Below you’ll find the table with each name’s origin, meaning, and description.

Name: the specific old fashioned boy name featured in this entry, listed here so you can scan the full alphabetical set at a glance.

Origin: the language or culture the name developed from, helping you understand its historical background and geographic roots.

Meaning: the literal translation or sense behind the name, useful if you want a name that carries a specific message.

Description: background on how the name was used historically, including notable figures who carried it, so you can see it in context.

Old fashioned boy names

NameOriginMeaning
UlyssesLatin“Wrathful” or “hater”
UrbanLatin“Of the city”
UriahHebrew“God is my light”
UrielHebrew“God is my light”
UlricGermanic“Wolf power” or “noble ruler”
UlfOld Norse“Wolf”
UweGermanic“Heritage” or “inheritance”
UbaldoGermanic (via Italian)“Bold mind” or “brave spirit”
UgoGermanic (via Italian)“Mind” or “spirit”
UmbertoLombardic“Famous warrior”
UptonOld English“Upper town” or “higher settlement”
UsherScottish/Old French“Doorkeeper” or “guard”
UzziahHebrew“God is my strength”
UlgerGermanic“Wolf spear”
UdellOld English“Yew tree valley”

Descriptions

Ulysses
The Latin form of the Greek hero Odysseus, popularized in English by Roman poets and later by U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant.
Urban
A dignified old name borne by several popes, once common among clergy and scholars in medieval Europe.
Uriah
A biblical name best known from Uriah the Hittite, a soldier in the Old Testament story of King David.
Uriel
Shares its root with Uriah and is traditionally the name of one of the archangels in Jewish and Christian lore.
Ulric
An old Germanic and Anglo-Saxon name carried by several medieval saints and nobles.
Ulf
A short, sturdy Scandinavian name from the Viking era, still used as a given name and surname root in Nordic countries.
Uwe
A traditional German pet form of older names beginning with “Od-” or “Uo-“, popular through the early 20th century.
Ubaldo
An old Italian name derived from Germanic elements, borne by a 12th-century Italian saint, Ubaldo Baldassini.
Ugo
The Italian form of Hugo, a name favored by medieval Italian nobility and still used today as a classic choice.
Umberto
A stately Italian royal name, made famous by two Kings of Italy, Umberto I and Umberto II.
Upton
Originally an English place name and surname referring to a farmstead on high ground, later adopted as a given name.
Usher
Derived from an occupational surname for a court or household attendant, occasionally used as a first name in past centuries.
Uzziah
The name of a notable king of Judah in the Old Testament, remembered for his long and prosperous reign.
Ulger
A rare old Germanic warrior name combining elements meaning “wolf” and “spear,” once found among medieval nobility.
Udell
An old English place name turned given name, evoking rural, pastoral origins common to many traditional boys’ names.
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