The terms Old Boys and Old Girls are the usual expressions in use in the United Kingdom for former pupils of primary and secondary schools.[1] While these are traditionally associated with independent schools, they are also used for some schools in the state sector. The term is also used for those who attended schools in the Commonwealth realm, a few universities in the UK and, to a lesser extent, schools in Australia, Canada, Republic of Ireland, South Africa and Spain.
The Old Boy form is given a specific identification for each school. Some schools use an adjectival form of the school name, such as "Old Etonian", "Old Harrovian", or "Old Oundelian" (old boys of Eton College, Harrow School, and Oundle School). Some use a Latin form derived from the Latin name of the school or its location as "Old Novaportan" (old boys of Adams' Grammar School, Newport, Shropshire). Some are based on the name of the founder, such as "Old Wykehamist" and "Old Alleynian" (for old boys of Winchester College, founded by William of Wykeham, and Dulwich College, founded by Edward Alleyn). Some are based on the school's location or street, such as "Old Gowers" (for University College School, originally in Gower Street). Many of the schools have histories dating back several hundred years, and the Old Boy forms may have been in use for a hundred years or more. Other more recently established schools have devised Old Boy names that are distinctive to prevent confusion with other schools. The tradition for many girls' schools has been to use the term "Seniors" rather than "Old Girls".
Almost all of these schools have old boy associations that use the official name. Some schools have amalgamated or been renamed through various transformations, but they usually maintain a consistent name for their old boy associations. Many of these schools have teams that compete nationally in sports such as cricket, rugby union, association football, field hockey and golf, and these teams are usually referred to by the standard Old Boy name, although some also have nicknames. In deference to this tradition, the standard "Old Boys" is often used for sporting clubs and used as part of many sporting associations and clubs worldwide. Examples include Argentine football club Newell's Old Boys, New Zealand rugby union club High School Old Boys RFC and Swiss football club BSC Old Boys.
| School | Type | Old Boys/Girls | Derivation | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Cottonians[4] [5] | ||||||
| Doscos[6] [7] | A contraction of "Doon" and "School" | |||||
| Old Edwardians[8] | ||||||
| Old Martinians[9] | ||||||
| Old Mayoites[10] | ||||||
| Old Paulites[11] | ||||||
| Old Rimcollians[12] | From abbreviation of name to "RIM Coll." | |||||
| Old Sanawarians[13] | ||||||
| Old Lawrencians[14] |
| School | Type | Old Boys/Girls | Derivation | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter's College Old Boys Association | ||||||
| Tawa College, Wellington |
| School | Type | Old Boys/Girls | Derivation | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Andreas, Latin for "Andrew" | ||||||
| South African College Schools (SACS) | SACS Old Boys |
| School | Type | Old Boys/Girls | Derivation | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Runnymedians | ||||||
| Old Opusdeists | ||||||
| Old Zionists |
| School | Type | Old Boys/Girls | Derivation | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private day and boarding school | Old Abingdonians[15] | Abingdon-on-Thames | ||||
| Grammar school, Boarding school, Academy | Old Novaportans[16] | From the town in which the school is situated | Newport, Shropshire | |||
| Voluntary-aided | Old Addeyans[17] | From the founder of the Addey School, John Addey[18] | ||||
| Old Aldenhamians[19] | ||||||
| Old Amplefordians[20] | ||||||
| Old Tenisonians[21] | Same foundation | |||||
| Old Ardinians[22] | "Ardinian" refers to Ardingly | |||||
| Old Arnoldians[23] [24] | ||||||
| Old Ashvillians[25] | ||||||
| Prep | ||||||
| From the school's main benefactor, Thomas Wheatley | ||||||
| Old Badmintonians[26] | ||||||
| Old Bancroftians[27] | ||||||
| "Bately" is an alternative spelling of Batley | ||||||
| Old Bedalians[28] | ||||||
| Old Bedfordians[29] [30] | ||||||
| Old Bedford Modernians[31] | ||||||
| Closed 1989 | ||||||
| "Seniors" avoids the term "old girls" | ||||||
| Old Berkhamstedians[32] | ||||||
| Old Stortfordians[33] | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| Castra is Latin for castle | Closed 1891 | |||||
| From the school motto Sanctas Clavis Hic Fores Aperit (c. 1570) | ||||||
| From the Carthusian Order, which founded the Charterhouses | ||||||
| From the former name of Warehousemen and Clerks' Orphan Schools (WaCO) | ||||||
| Cheltenham changed to Chelton- | ||||||
| "Citizen" originally referred to one belonging to a city | ||||||
| Prep | ||||||
| Decanus is Latin for Dean | ||||||
| Rowspan=2 | Closed 1989 | |||||
| Adopted name of former school's old boys by permission of Old Derbeian Association | ||||||
| Dinnington High School | Comprehensive | Old Dinnonians | Sheffield, Yorkshire | |||
| From Douai's medieval English name Doway (compare Norwegian) | Paris (1615-1789); Douai (1818-1903); Woolhampton, Berkshire 1903-1999 | Closed 1999 | ||||
| From Latin pharos, lighthouse, referring to the Roman lighthouses for which Dover was once famous. | ||||||
| Avoids term "old girls" | ||||||
| Grammar School | Taken from the schools Latin Motto, "Floreat Dunum" | Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland | ||||
| Founded by Gregorian Order | ||||||
| Guernsey | ||||||
| Established on a Dominican Friary (1557) | ||||||
| "Barrovian" refers to the Barrow of Barrow-in-Furness | ||||||
| Abbreviation of Godolphin | ||||||
| Ind | ||||||
| Comp | After original site in Gayton Road | |||||
| Prep | ||||||
| Formerly St John's College, Hurstpierpoint | ||||||
| From former name Park Higher Grade School | ||||||
| Name "King's College" was given in honour of King Alfred, and "Aluredian" refers to him | ||||||
| Chester | ||||||
| Canterbury | ||||||
| Latin Vigorniensis, of Worcester | ||||||
| Southampton | ||||||
| King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon | Old Edwardians | Stratford-upon-Avon | ||||
| Sheffield | ||||||
| King Edward's School, Bath | Old Edwardians | Bath | ||||
| Birmingham | ||||||
| Kingston upon Thames | ||||||
| Bath | ||||||
| Refers to the Iceni who once occupied the locality | ||||||
| Ludovicus, the Latin version of the name 'Lewis' | ||||||
| previously Lycée Français de Londres | ||||||
| Mancunia, a Latin name for Manchester | ||||||
| Old Ashfordians[34] | From Ashford Grammar School, the previous name of the school | |||||
| From Norvic, Latin name of Norwich | ||||||
| Old Oswestrians[35] | ||||||
| After one of founders Thomas Saville (1591) | ||||||
| From Novocastria, Latin name of Newcastle | ||||||
| "Sennock", a local pronunciation of "Sevenoaks" | ||||||
| From Witton, an ancient name for Northwich | ||||||
| Solihull demonym | ||||||
| St Ambrose College | Grammar school | Old Ambrosians | ||||
| Prep | ||||||
| From school's original name, Ealing Priory School | ||||||
| St Albans | ||||||
| Fides, fidelis Latin for "faith" | ||||||
| Weybridge | ||||||
| Harpenden | ||||||
| Per Laborem Ad Honorem | Southsea, Portsmouth | |||||
| Leatherhead | ||||||
| Avoids term old boys | ||||||
| "Stopfordian" means 'of Stockport' | ||||||
| Abbreviation | ||||||
| From Tridentum, the Latin name of Trent | ||||||
| Why Mid-? | The original name of Trinity School was Whitgift Middle School | |||||
| After Gower Street, where it was located | ||||||
| From Latin palus, a slough. See also | ||||||
| William Camden's identification of the Roman town of Verlucio with Warminster[36] | ||||||
| Old Wellensians[37] | ||||||
| Closed 1988 | ||||||
| Old Westhillians[38] | ||||||
| Wulfrunia, Latin for Wolverhampton | ||||||
| After founder William of Wykeham (1382) | ||||||
| After the Viking name for Yarm, Yarum |