Carlton

Derived from an Old English place name meaning the settlement or estate of the freemen, from ceorl and tun. It migrated from an English surname to a standard American given name during the nineteenth century, establishing a durable presence across the South and mid-Atlantic.

The name suggests an individual who knows how to tie a bow tie and has never once panicked during a seating arrangement dispute. It peaked in 1957 without ever crowding the classrooms, keeping its reputation politely distinct from the legions of contemporary Bobs and Garys. A television sitcom character permanently tied the name to argyle sweaters in the 1990s, yet the typical bearer remains an actual adult in his mid-fifties.