Old-fashioned last names are connected with names that were prominent at least 100 years ago. Many old-fashioned last names are associated with historical figures or characters from novels written long ago.
What are Old Last Names?
An old-fashioned last name is considered to have more historical value than other surnames. These aren’t always the oldest last names in history, but in many cases, they became prominent in older eras or have fallen out of use. Old-fashioned last names are typically associated with history and bring to mind surnames prominent in the 1780s, invitation lists from the 1830s, and novel characters from the 1890s. This makes them particularly unique as they can serve as connections to historical figures and are associated with times gone by.
Using old-fashioned last names is a great way to celebrate and remember history. On this page you will find lists of old-fashioned last names sorted by category, keeping your search easy and organized.
Top 100 Old Fashioned Last Names
Here you will find a comprehensive list of the top old-fashioned last names. These names bring to mind simpler times with a sense of old-world charm.
- Hamilton
- Jefferson
- Morris
- Watson
- Wilkes
- Franklin
- Sherman
- Wallace
- Peoples
- Whitman
- Elliott
- Harvey
- Thornton
- Wright
- Wheeler
- Walton
- Barton
- Campbell
- Quinn
- Jarvis
- Norris
- Carlton
- Hilliard
- Phillips
- Morgan
- Sullivan
- Coleman
- Griffin
- Freeman
- Olson
- Dixon
- Warren
- Meyer
- Pierce
- Lawrence
- Jacobs
- Mccoy
- Cortez
- Wade
- Stanley
- Leonard
- Francis
- Harmon
- Newton
- Maxwell
- Brock
- Morton
- Clayton
- Randall
- Kirk
- Bradford
- Bruce
- Vincent
- York
- Wyatt
- Walter
- Preston
- Frederick
- Benjamin
- Felix
- Everett
- Crane
- Hayden
- Maynard
- Whitney
- Albert
- Tillman
- Hilton
- Grace
- Kendrick
- Elmore
- Burrell
- Draper
- Amos
- Otto
- Jarrett
- Winston
- Sherwood
- Hoyt
- Langston
- Isaac
- Ogden
- Rizzo
- Abel
- Ambrose
- Maguire
- Kinsey
- Shipman
- Thurston
- Irving
- Tobias
- Oswald
- Lyle
- Bertrand
- Braxton
- Dewey
- Neville
- Broderick
- Cosgrove
- Jonas
Old Timey Last Names
Old-timey last names combine history with style. If you are looking for a last name with the best qualities of the past, this list is for you. The most ardent of antiquarians will appreciate these old-timey last names.
- Archibald
- Bartholomew
- Bernard
- Bertram
- Cecil
- Chester
- Clarence
- Clement
- Clifford
- Cornelius
- Dale
- Dashiell
- Dudley
- Earl
- Edgar
- Ellsworth
- Elton
- Ernest
- Erwin
- Ferdinand
- Floyd
- Gilbert
- Herbert
- Herman
- Hillary
- Hollis
- Homer
- Houston
- Hubert
- Humphrey
- Joyce
- Leander
- Lester
- Lloyd
- Lysander
- Marion
- May
- Milton
- Montgomery
- Murray
- Norman
- Perry
- Pope
- Pryor
- Rafferty
- Randolph
- Raymond
- Rudolph
- Seymour
- Sheldon
- Shelton
- Sumner
- Sylvester
- Ulysses
- Vernon
- Wilbur
- Willard
- Woodrow
Last Names from the 1800s
These last names were common in the 1800s, a time marked by political change and industrialization. This list is a great resource for everyone from Jane Austen fans to Civil War reenactors.
- Allen
- Arnold
- Baker
- Bennett
- Bess
- Carter
- Christian
- Clark
- Clarke
- Clifton
- Cook
- David
- Davies
- Davis
- Edwards
- Frank
- Griffiths
- Hannah
- Harrison
- Hughes
- Leroy
- Leslie
- Lewis
- Price
- Richard
- Shaw
- Walker
- Wilson
- Wood
Old English Last Names
Old English is older than the English spoken by Shakespeare. This was the language of Beowulf and was largely spoken from the 5th to 11th centuries. These are the oldest of old-fashioned last names.
- Addison
- Ashley
- Bailey
- Beverly
- Blaine
- Brandon
- Brent
- Buckley
- Cady
- Cameron
- Courtney
- Crawford
- Dean
- Douglas
- Duncan
- Elder
- Goldman
- Harlan
- Hawthorne
- Hayes
- Hendrick
- Henley
- Holly
- Hyatt
- Jamieson
- Kim
- King
- Landon
- Layton
- Lee
- Leigh
- Lindsay
- Love
- Manning
- Marlow
- Nash
- Penn
- Pierson
- Raleigh
- Ransom
- Ridley
- Wayne
- Wheaton
- Winslow
See more Old English Last Names
Victorian Last Names
These old-fashioned last names were popular both in use and in novels during the reign of Queen Victoria.
- Allan
- Alton
- Berton
- Bruno
- Cleveland
- Clinton
- Columbus
- Ellis
- Evans
- Glenn
- Grover
- Hampton
- Hendry
- Irvin
- Jose
- Manuel
- Melvin
- Merton
- Milford
- Nevin
- Osmond
- Ray
- Richmond
- Rolland
- Roscoe
- Ross
- Roy
- Temple
- Tom
- Usher
- Verner
- Warner
- Wellington
- Wilford
Vintage Last Names
These old-fashioned last names are vintage, not antique, meaning they were only popularized within the last hundred years. Read on to find a vintage last name that your grandparents would have been familiar with.
- Baxter
- Beckett
- Brogan
- Bronson
- Clay
- Cole
- Corbin
- Dorsey
- Ervin
- Jay
- Luther
- Mack
- Mitchell
- Newell
- Noble
- Nolan
- Obadiah
- Piper
- Prescott
- Reid
- Riley
- Roland
- Sage
- Saul
- Sinclair
- Tate
- Travis
- Tyler
- Winter
- Wylie
- Zane
Rare Old-fashioned Last Names
The old-fashioned names on this list are noteworthy in that they are used by very few people or have fallen out of use.
- Augustine
- Branson
- Buford
- Butler
- Byron
- Carleton
- Carlisle
- Cochran
- Cockrell
- Corbett
- Curley
- Delaney
- Edison
- Emmett
- Etienne
- Fabian
- Farley
- Felton
- Fenton
- Fulton
- Furman
- Giles
- Ginsberg
- Glover
- Godfrey
- Godwin
- Hester
- Hoover
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamont
- Livingstone
- Llewellyn
- Milburn
- Montague
- Morrissey
- Murry
- Myles
- Nelson
- Overton
- Pendleton
- Peyton
- Pollack
- Pollard
- Ritchie
- Roderick
- Roe
- Rowland
- Sanders
- Shannon
- Spencer
- Terrell
- Windsor
- Worth
- Wynn
Powerful Old-fashioned Last Names
There is a great deal of vigor left in the bones of these old-fashioned last names. Powerful old-fashioned last names are so because of their history and their meaning, and their power may extend to those who use them again.
- Ackley
- Barlow
- Barnes
- Barney
- Beasley
- Brigham
- Burch
- Burley
- Clarkson
- Dewitt
- Doherty
- Dougherty
- Garfield
- Gervase
- Halen
- Hardin
- Harding
- Hartman
- Haskell
- Hayward
- Haywood
- Hitchcock
- Hobson
- Howell
- Hyman
- Lambert
- Levy
- Loyd
- Ludwig
- Lyman
- MacLean
- Moreland
- Mortimer
- Ralston
- Ratcliff
- Raynor
- Redman
- Reinhardt
- Rubin
- Stafford
- Thane
- Webster
- Wilburn
Cool Old-fashioned Last Names
Out of time does not mean out of style. Take a look at this list of cool old-fashioned last names.
- Armstrong
- Beck
- Benedict
- Blake
- Booker
- Bradley
- Brewster
- Buck
- Burton
- Cade
- Calvin
- Conrad
- Curtis
- Dalton
- Dayton
- Dexter
- Easton
- Elias
- Elliot
- Fletcher
- Foster
- Garrett
- Gunnar
- Harley
- Hawk
- Hudson
- Huxley
- Kent
- Lawson
- Leon
- Lincoln
- Lucas
- Madison
- Marcus
- Marshall
- Matias
- McKinley
- Mercer
- Palmer
- Ralph
- Rider
- Ripley
- Roman
- Samson
- Solomon
- Sterling
- Stetson
- Troy
- Truman
- Urban
- Wesley
- West
- Weston
- Wiley
- Willis
Cute Old-fashioned Last Names
This list of cute old-fashioned last names proves that old-fashioned doesn’t mean outmoded. These are the most adorable old last names.
- Abrahams
- Alba
- Ashby
- Asher
- Birch
- Brady
- Chandler
- Christy
- Clemency
- Cooper
- Corey
- Dickens
- Edmonds
- Emerson
- Ferguson
- Finley
- Finn
- Hadley
- Harper
- Harris
- Hope
- Huey
- Jameson
- Lacy
- Lane
- Layne
- Lilly
- Lovelace
- Macy
- Mason
- Maya
- McKenzie
- Meredith
- Meriwether
- Moses
- Noel
- Oakley
- Oliver
- Paige
- Park
- Parker
- Porter
- Presley
- Quincy
- Quinton
- Ramon
- Ramsay
- Reed
- Robinson
- Rose
- Ruby
- Taft
- Taylor
- Usborn
- Virgil
- Willoughby
More Lists:
Famous People with Old Fashioned Last Names
Thomas Jefferson was born in Virginia in 1743. He is one of America’s founding fathers and is considered to be the author of the Declaration of Independence. He was a renowned statesman, architect, and philosopher. The old-fashioned surname Jefferson comes from England and means ‘son of Geffrey’, which means ‘peace’.
Alexander Hamilton was born in St. Kitts and Nevis around 1756. His story as a founding father, founder of the US Coast Guard, and creator of the US financial system was commemorated in the hit musical Hamilton. Hamilton is an old-fashioned geographic last name referring to people born in a village near Glasgow, Scotland.
Herbert James Draper was born in the UK in 1863. He was an award-winning painter, and unlike many tragic artists, he was a popular and renowned artist during his lifetime. The old-fashioned last name Draper is quite old, originating as an Old English surname in the 1300s. It means ‘cloth dealer’.
Thomas Cromwell was born in England around 1485. He was a lawyer and advisor to King Henry VIII, and helped the King obtain an annulment for his marriage to Katherine of Aragon and later a divorce for his marriage to Anne Boleyn. Cromwell is an old-fashioned English surname meaning ‘crooked spring stream’.
Benjamin Franklin was born in Massachusetts in 1706. He is a founding father of America, was a prominent statesman, writer, and philosopher, and is noted for his experiments with electricity. The family name Franklin originated in England and in Middle English means ‘freeman landowner of not-noble birth’.
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