80 Old Hollywood Baby Names That Are Glamorous & Vintage

Vintage is all the rage. Vintage furniture, homes, clothing, and baby names! And nothing is more classic and vintage than glamorous and old-fashioned baby names. Most people would place the golden age of film in the 1920s to 1960s. The first talking films appeared during this era, color was introduced, and big dance numbers and musicals were standard. 

Movies from the Golden Age include The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, and It’s a Wonderful Life, to name a few! Famous names that harken back to the era include Greta, Marylin, Clark, and Charlie. While some of these celebs may not be familiar to younger generations, classic names are classic for a reason!

Related: 75 Celebrity Baby Names You’ll Want to Copy

So if you’re looking for a vintage baby name, look no further than the golden age of Hollywood. Check out our list of classic Hollywood names that covers everything from Disney to Academy Award winners to traditional American names.

Academy Award Winners 

Movie Star Girl Names

1. 1 Bette - Bette Davis is an iconic Hollywood star. She won two Oscars in her lifetime.
2. Claudette - French. Lame. Claudette Colbert won her Oscar for It Happened One Night.
3. Grace - Grace Kelly went from being Hollywood royalty to real-life royalty when she married the Prince of Monaco. She won an Oscar for Dial M for Murder. Grace is a Latin name for charm.
4. Helen - Greek. Light. Helen Hayes won two Oscars during her career. 
5. Ingrid - Old Norse. Ing was the god of earth’s fertility. Ingrid Bergman is the classic actress who won for Casablanca. 
6. Janet - English. God’s gracious gift. Janey Gaynor won the first Academy Award for Best Actress in 1929. 
7. Katharine - Katharine Hepburn is Hollywood royalty. Katharine is a Greek name that means pure. She won four Oscars in her lifetime.
8. Sophia - Greek. Wisdom. Sophia Loren is the stunning star who won in 1962 for La ciociara.
9. Norma - Latin. The standard or normal. Norma Shearer won for The Divorcee.
10. Vivien - Vivien Leigh is the iconic star from Gone With the Wind, for which she won her first Oscar, and she won her second for A Streetcar Named Desire. Vivien is a French name that means alive. 

Movie Star Boy Names 

11. 11 Broderick - Welsh. Son of Rhydderch. Broderick Crawford won his Oscar for All the King’s Men.
12. Clark - Clark Gable was the heartthrob of a generation. Most famous for Gone With the Wind, he won his Oscar for It Happened One Night.
13. Gary - Gary Cooper won an Oscar for High Noon. An Old English name that means spear.
14. Humphrey - German. Peaceful warrior. Humphrey Bogart is the heartthrob who won an Academy Award for Casablanca.
15. Laurence - Laurence Oliver was one of the most famous actors of all time. He won an actor for Sleuth. Latin for man from Laurentum.
16. Lionel - Lion. Young lion. Lionel Barrymore was a famous actor in his own right and part of the famous Hollywood Barrymore family.
17. Marlon  - English/French. Little Hawk. Marlon Brando won two Oscars in his career.
18. Spencer - English/Old French. To weigh or dispense. Spencer Tracey won an Oscar for Judgement at Nuremberg.
19. Victor - Latin. Winner or conqueror. Victor McLaglen won his Academy Award for The Quiet Man.
20. Warner - Old German. Army guard. Warner Baxter won an Oscar for his role in Penthouse.

Dancing & Musical Stars 

Girl Names

21. 21 Audrey - English. Noble strength. Audrey Hepburn was a talented actress and dancer.
22. Barbra - Barbra Streisand is one of the world's most famous singers and stars. Barbara is Latin for a foreign woman. 
23. Eleanor - Eleanor Powell was once titled the World’s Greatest Tap Dancer. Greek. Light.
24. Ginger - English. Pep, liveliness. Ginger Rogers is well known for iconic dance scenes with Fred Astaire in films like Shall We Dance and Top Hat.
25. Josephine - French. Jehovah increases. Josephine Baker was the first African American woman to star in a major motion picture.
26. Judy - Judy Garland sang her way into our hearts in 1939 in the iconic Wizard of Oz and went on to star in countless musical films. Hebrew for a woman from Judea.
27. Julie - Latin. Beautiful, youthful, and vivacious. Julie Andrews was one of the biggest singing stars of the golden age. 
28. Luise - German. Famous warrior. Luise Raynor is known for her role in The Great Ziegfeld.
29. Marilyn - Marilyn Monroe was the symbol of beauty and style. Latin for a star of the sea.
30. Rita - Spanish and Greek. Pearl. Rita Hayworth starred in more than 61 movies during her career.

Boy Names

31. 31 Bing - German. A hollow shape like a pot. Bing Crosby is well known for his singing and dancing roles in Hollywood.
32. Charlie - Charlie Chaplain was one of the original song and dance men transitioning from silent films to talkies. Charlie is a nickname for Charles, which means free man. 
33. Donald - Scottish. World leader. Donald O’Conner is best known for his role in Singin in the Rain.
34. Fred - Few names are more synonymous with dancing and Hollywood than Fred Astaire. German for a peaceful ruler. 
35. Gene - English. Wellborn. Gene Kelly was the quintessential Hollywood dancer!
36. George - Greek. Farmer. George Chakiris is best known for his portrayal of Bernardo in the original West Side Story.
37. Grover - English. From the grove. Grover Dale was a dancer, actor, director, and choreographer.
38. James - James Cagney started dancing on stage and only knew one dance step! James is a Hebrew name that means supplanter.
39. Russ - Old French/Old English. Red. Russ Tamblyn was a talented Hollywood dancer in the 1950s. 
40. Samuel - Hebrew. Name of God. Sammy Davis Jr. was one of Hollywood's biggest musical stars. 

Classic Hollywood Names for Your Little Girl 

If you’re searching for a classic baby girl name that won’t likely go out of style, then consider a classic Hollywood star as your name inspiration. Right or wrong, many golden age Hollywood stars changed their name to be more appealing, easier to pronounce, or to sound more American. As a result, some of these classic names have stood the test of time while others offer a fun, alternative flare.

41. Ava - Persian/Latin. Voice or sound. Few golden age stars are more memorable than Ava Gardner. 
42. Carole - German. Free man. It is the feminine version of Carl.
43. Clara - Latin. Bright or famous. 
44. Deborah - A Hebrew name meaning bee. 
45. Elizabeth - Hebrew. God is my oath. Elizabeth Taylor was the quintessential movie star.
46. Greta - A classic star name with Greek origins that means pearl. Greta Garbo was an actress who personified glam. 
47. Hedy - Greek and Latin origins it means delightful and sweet. 
48. Lana - Slavic. Light.
49. Lauren - French. Wisdom or the laurel plant. 
50. Lillian - Latin. Lilly.
51. Mae - Mae is a name with English origins that means bitter or pearl.
52. Marlene - German form of Mary or Margaret. Marlene Dietrich, whose career spanned seven decades.
53. Olivia - English/Latin. Peace.
54. Shirley - Old English. Bright meadow. Shirley Temple was the original kid star!
55. Tallulah - Irish. Lady of Abundance. 

Golden Age Director Names for Your Little Boy 

While Hollywood is trying to catch up with the times, there are more and more female writers and directors; male directors dominated the golden age of Hollywood. So if you’re looking for a classic Hollywood name for your baby boy, consider one of these vintage names courtesy of those behind the camera. 

56. Alfred - Old English. Elf counsel. Alfred Hitchcock is perhaps one of the most famous filmmakers in history. 
57. Buster - American. Tough guy. Buster is probably a better nickname or middle name, but Buster Keaton was Hollywood royalty. 
58. Cecil - Latin/Old Welsh. Blind or sixth. 
59. Elia - Hebrew. Jehovah is God. 
60. Fritz - German. A diminutive form of Frederick, it means calm monarch.
61. Griffith - Welsh. Griffin Lord. D.W. Griffith was one of the earliest Hollywood directors. 
62. John - Hebrew. God is gracious. 
63. Joseph - Hebrew. God will add. 
64. King - American. Ruler. 
65. Howard - English. Heart, brave. The perfect name for any little boy.
66. Orson - Latin. Bear. Orson Welles was known for acting and directing. 
67. Otto - German. Wealth. 
68. Preston - English. The priest’s estate. Preston was n the rise as a popular name again, peaking in 2007 but has started to decline again. 
69. Raoul - French. Wolf counsel.
70. Stanley - English. Near the stony counsel. 

Gender-Neutral Vintage Hollywood Names

71. Billie - Billie Holiday was an icon, and parents can use her name for boys or girls.
72. Blake - Old English. A nickname for someone with dark hair or skin. An old-fashioned yet also a hip name for your little one. 
73. Cyd - Greek. A public hill. It is also an English name that means wide island.
74. Frances - Latin. Frenchman. Also spelled Francis. 
75. Greer - Scottish. Watchful guardian. 
76. Harlow - English. Army hill. 
77. Jean - Hebrew. God is gracious. Jean Harlow was an iconic Hollywood star who acted in over forty films. 
78. Jules - French. Youthful and downy. This moniker works for boys, girls, and middle names.
79. Rene - French. Reborn. The feminine form is usually spelled, Renee. 
80. Sandy - Creek. A variation of Alexander, it means defender of mankind. This unisex name was popular in the Hollywood golden age thanks to Sandy Davis. 

For more baby name inspiration check out our Baby Name Center.