If you picture your baby girl or baby boy attending a prestigious Ivy League school, playing polo or lacrosse and always dressed to the nines in Ralph Lauren or J.Crew, then a preppy baby name is for you! These names are all-American and classic, with an east coast slant. Check out our picks for the top preppy girl names and preppy boy names.
Preppy baby names are classic, but not necessarily mainstream. You probably won’t find many of these names at the top of the popular name lists. They are sophisticated and have an upper class sensibility to them.
Preppy baby names have a well-educated vibe to them and are sure to make a good first impression when applying to that prep school or high-level position out in the work force.
Preppy Names for Girls
- Kennedy
- Jules
- Beatrice
- Gwyneth
- Alexandria
- Heather
- Gwendolyn
- Caroline
- Victoria
- Hanna
- Serena
- Abigail
- Delilah
- Blair
- Scarlett
- Olive
- Stella
- Blythe
Preppy Names for Boys
- Kipton
- Alistair
- Asher
- Chauncey
- Keating
- Barrington
- Sumner
- Sutton
- Jennings
- Mills
- Blake
- Brennan
- Sebastian
- Julian
- Laird
- Hamilton
- Chip
- Dexter
- Dashiell
- Graham
Preppy or Ivy League names from pop culture
For more inspiration, check out the character names in preppy books or movies. For instance, the movie Dead Poets Society has a great preppy name — Knox. Gossip Girl is full of terrific preppy names, including Serena, Blair, Nate, Lily, Rufus and Eric. John Hughes’ hit movie from the 80’s, Pretty in Pink, has two ultimate preppy names — Steff and Blane.
Finding preppy baby names
Some names that previously were considered preppy are now becoming too mainstream and trendy. Some names that have turned from preppy to trendy and should be avoided if you want a truly preppy name include Addison, Weston, Grayson, Avery, Brooklyn, Easton, Jackson and Harper. In fact, try to avoid all names on the Top 50 or Top 100 baby name lists.
Preppy names do not have unique spellings (such as Jaxon instead of Jackson), so stick to the traditional spelling and avoid “made up” names.
For more ideas, search out the roster list at prep schools or Ivy League schools and check or check out the Forbes Wealthiest American list. Look for cool last names to use as preppy first names, such as Smith, Harrison or Nixon.
More baby name ideas
- Baby names from classic books
- Old fashioned baby names: Classic and cultured
- Traditional American baby names
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