The Canterbury Tales

Oswold

Oswold is a masculine name of Old English origin, a variant of Oswald, derived from the elements "os" meaning "god" and "weald" meaning "power" or "ruler," thus translating to "divine power" or…

Parson

English occupational name

"clergyman"

The name Parson might have seemed ridiculous even a few years ago, but when Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe named their son Deacon, they opened up a whole new field of ecclesiastical cool.…

Perkin

English

"little Peter"

Perkin sounds a bit Hobbit-ish as a full name, but it might make a good honor name or nickname for a boy called Peter.

Phoebus

Greek

"shining, brilliant"

One of the names of the sun god Apollo, this is better known in its feminine form, Phoebe. Rarely used as a given name, perhaps owing to the clunky end sound, it might work as a unique alternative to…

Reeve

English occupational name

"bailiff, sheriff, local official"

Cool and dignified, sophisticated and modern, Reeve might be seen as alternative to long-familiar Reese. A medieval occupational name, a reeve was an English manor officer responsible for overseeing…

Theseus

Greek mythology name

The name of the Greek mythological hero famous for slaying the Minotaur is also heard in Chaucer and Shakespeare. While Theseus might have sounded pretentious for an American baby a decade ago, today…

Valerian

Latin

"strength, health"

This name of a Roman emperor and of a sedating plant is still used quietly, given to about a dozen baby boys in the US last year. It has a strong, rhythmic sound and could make a modern-feeling honor…