There’s an old saying: money talks, but wealth whispers. Essentially, it insinuates that folks with “new money” (i.e., the nouveau riche) are flashy and ostentatious with their wealth, sporting extravagant jewelry, flashy cars, and prominent designer labels so that everybody is well aware of their lofty financial status. But “old money” — the families who have been unimaginably rich for generations — don’t feel the need to flaunt it because, well, everybody already knows. And lately, social media (especially TikTok) has been blowing up with the “old money” aesthetic, sometimes known as “quiet luxury.”
While baby names like Dior or Mercedes are giving in-your-face extravagance, old money baby names are more subtle; they sound more prestigious than pretentious. The old money/quiet luxury aesthetic is less “look at my Louis Vuitton” and more “my parents pay $75K a year for my private elementary school tuition.” Old money baby names convey high class and high status, not so much trendy as steeped in tradition. Think of the Vanderbilts, the Astors, the Rockefellers, the Carnegies: old money baby names give a distinctive “this museum/university/library is named after my great-grandfather” vibe.
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There are no cutesy or “kreatyve” spellings with old money baby names, either; these are solid and timeless classics that will fit as well on a monogrammed school uniform as they will on the nameplate of an oil tycoon. However, many of them do lend themselves well to less formal-sounding nicknames in case your offspring desires a more casual vibe. Want even more formality? Combine two for the first and middle — like Brighton Conrad or Victoria Greer!
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Babies with these old money baby names were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but they don’t need to tell you that; if you know, you know. It’s obvious, anyway — from the way they carry themselves, to their impeccable social graces, to the company they keep. Because kids from old money know that it’s not the label that matters: it’s the legacy.
Read on for some of our favorite old money baby names with that distinctively luxurious “rich kid” vibe.
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Preston
Image Credit: SheKnows Preston is a surname-turned-given-name, which always seem to have an air of prestige! It’s comprised of the Old English elements preost and tun, meaning “priest town.”
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Imogen
Image Credit: SheKnows The story behind the name Imogen is a fascinating one. Sources say it likely springs from the name Innogen, which itself comes from the Gaelic inghean, meaning “maiden.” But when medieval printing presses were reproducing Shakespeare’s play Cymbeline, the name of the king’s daughter — Innogen — was incorrectly printed as Imogen, and never corrected.
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Chauncey
Image Credit: SheKnows Sources agree that Chauncey is a surname of Norman origin, but its meaning is unknown. One of its diminutives, Chance, is associated with the word “chance” which means luck or fate, so one could argue that Chauncey means the same.
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Meredith
Image Credit: SheKnows Meredith is derived from a Welsh name, which is probably rooted in the Old Welsh words mawredd and iudd, meaning “magnificent lord” (as in the noble title). It was once used for boys, but now — in the U.S., at least — is used almost exclusively for girls.
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Grant
Image Credit: SheKnows Grant is derived from a Norman French surname meaning “grand,” “great,” or “large.” And speaking of old money — the $50 bill bears the likeness of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States.
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Charlotte
Image Credit: SheKnows Classic and elegant Charlotte is proof that a dignified name stands the test of time. The French feminine form of Charles, meaning “man,” has been used for literally centuries. In the United States, it hasn’t left the top 1000 most popular baby names, not even once, since at least 1900 when the Social Security Administration’s data starts. Not only that, it hasn’t been lower than #308 … and as of the most recent data, it’s currently the #3 most popular girl name.
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Winston
Image Credit: SheKnows Winston is occasionally seen as a surname these days, but it originates from the Old English given name Wynnstan — which is comprised of elements meaning “joy” and “stone.”
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Morgan
Image Credit: SheKnows Derived from an Old Welsh name, Morcant, Morgan is thought to mean “comes from the sea.” But it also brings with it a strong association to the powerful female figure Morgan Le Fay in Arthurian legend. And the famous Morgan horse breed lends a link to the upscale equestrian show world as well!
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Camden
Image Credit: SheKnows Camden comes from an English surname meaning “from the winding valley.” As with most surnames-turned-first-names, it carries a more formal feel.
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Corinne
Image Credit: SheKnows Corinne is the elegant-sounding French form of Corinna, which itself stems from the Greek word κόρη, meaning “maiden.”
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Marshall
Image Credit: SheKnows An English surname, Marshall is from the Latin mariscalcus, meaning “horse servant” — i.e., a marshal, which is a law officer (in the olden days, on horseback). It’s also the surname of aristocratic oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall, who was famously married to Anna Nicole Smith.
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Schuyler
Image Credit: SheKnows We could lean on the more phonetic spelling of this name — Skyler — but we’re going old-school for this old money baby name. It’s derived from a Dutch surname meaning “scholar,” so it carries an air of prestige, especially with its more-traditional spelling.
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Brighton
This English place name was transferred to a surname, which now has become used as a first name — and a distinguished-sounding one, at that.
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Tierney
Image Credit: SheKnows This Celtic-leaning name is the Anglicized version of the Old Irish name Tighearnach, meaning “lord” or “regal.” But even without knowing its prestigious meaning, Tierney just sounds upper-class — and could be a good choice for either boys or girls.
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Sabine
Image Credit: SheKnows The smooth, elegant sound of Sabine puts it firmly into our category of old money baby names. It’s the French feminine form of the Latin sabinus, which means “a Sabine” — in reference to the Sabines, an ancient people who lived in the mountainous regions of central Italy.
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Hudson
Image Credit: SheKnows This surname has been popularized as a first name, and means “son of Hudde.” Hudde itself is thought to be a medieval-era diminutive (i.e., a nickname) of Hugh, meaning “thought” or “mind”. You could also switch it up and go with Judson, though that leans a little more toward the neo-cowboy baby names trend.
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Claire
Image Credit: SheKnows The French form of almost any name just sounds more sophisticated by default, and Claire is no different. It’s the French version of Clara, which is from the Latin clarus meaning “clear” or “bright.”
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Parker
Image Credit: SheKnows Another surname baby name, this one means — no surprise — “keeper of the park.” But as popular as it is for boys (#94 of the U.S. Social Security Administration’s top 1000 as of 2022), it’s almost equally popular for girls (#116 on the girls’ name chart).
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Sloane
Image Credit: SheKnows Sloane is another great example of a unisex old money baby name. It comes from the Irish word sluaghadh, meaning “mobilization” — hence, many sources say it means “fighter” in the sense of mobilizing troops.
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Forbes
Even though the name Forbes is Scottish in origin (it means “field”), it is practically synonymous with wealth in the U.S. thanks to Forbes magazine and its Forbes 400 list, which consists of the richest people in the United States.
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Conrad
Image Credit: SheKnows This Old German name meaning “brave counsel” has been around since the Middle Ages, and has been borne by kings, dukes, and saints. But what gives Conrad its modern-day association with wealth? Famed hotelier Conrad Hilton, that’s what (or, more accurately, who!).
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Penelope
Image Credit: SheKnows The jury is out on the exact meaning of this refined-sounding name; it comes from Greek, either a type of duck called penelops or a combo of two words — πήνη (pene) and ὄψ (ops), loosely translating to “weaver.” Either way, Penelope was famous in Greek mythology as the wife of the hero Odysseus from The Odyssey. And if this ancient name is a bit too much on the formal side, it comes with a ton of possible nickname: Pen or Penny, Nell or Nellie, Pip or Pippa, even Pepper!
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Gregory
Image Credit: SheKnows Gregory is derived from the Greek γρήγορος (gregoros), meaning “watchful” or “alert” — and has been used by a number of saints throughout history, as well as 16 popes. Despite its long and rich history, though, Gregory doesn’t sound dated; it fits right into this category of old money baby names.
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Warren
Image Credit: SheKnows Warren is an English surname that gets it roots from the Norman French word warrene, meaning a park or enclosure for animals. It’s also the name of famous financier Warren Buffett, which lends a prestigious association. Warrick or Warwick are two possible alternatives that share a similar vibe.
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Margot
Image Credit: SheKnows The lovely Margot (remember, don’t pronounce the T!) is the French short form of another classy name: Margaret. It’s an old name that was popular in the 1930s, nearly dropped off the charts for about 50 years, and is now experiencing a huge surge in popularity; from 2013 to now, it has gone from #943 on the list of most popular baby names to #193.
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Pierce
Image Credit: SheKnows In America, we favor Pierce; in British, it’s more typically seen as Piers. Regardless, this strong name comes from the Medieval form of Peter, meaning “rock.”
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Katherine
Image Credit: SheKnows An aristocratic and refined choice, Katherine — most often associated with the Greek καθαρός (katharos), meaning “pure” — has the advantage of multiple nicknames to fit whatever personality your Katherine turns out to have. Kat, Katy, Kathy, Kath, Kate … or you could soften its presence a bit by spelling it with a C, as in Catherine.
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Phillip
Whether it’s spelled with one L or two, Phillip is derived from the Greek Φίλιππος (Philippos), and it has a very unique meaning: friend of (or fond of) horses. It has been used widely throughout history by Macedonian, French, and Spanish kings, and most recently showed up in British royalty by way of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Its deep roots give it a strong, formal feel.
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Whitney
Image Credit: SheKnows While Whitney skews mostly female these days, it can be — and has been — used as a male or a female name. It comes from the Old English phrase for “white island,” and carries an association with the famous Whitney Museum of American Art, founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.
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Victoria
Image Credit: SheKnows If you’re looking for a feminine name with a strong and regal feel, you absolutely cannot go wrong with Victoria. Its meaning (victory, of course!) is clear, and its royal, upper-crust association is unmistakable thanks to the long reign of Queen Victoria.
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Old Money Baby Names: Greer
Image Credit: SheKnows Greer just sounds sophisticated, like someone you’d meet at a posh boarding school favored by the who’s-who. Surprisingly, it has the same meaning as Gregory — alert or watchful — because it stems from the same root name Γρηγόριος (Gregorios). That transferred into the Scottish surname Gregor, which then morphed into Greer. The more you know! Since it’s a surname, it can be used for any gender, but tends to lean feminine in the present day.
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