Donovan Favorites

Names that are unique, but strong drawn from lists that aren't in the top 200 names in the past handful of years.
  1. Berklee
    • Boden
      • Origin:

        English or German surname
      • Meaning:

        "hill shaped like a bow or floor"
      • Description:

        Boden is most often inspired by the clothing catalog of the same name, and it feels like an appropriate first name for boys because of its stylish two-syllable -n ending rhythm, a la Logan, Mason, Owen, and other trendy choices. While Boden or Bowden is a fairly common English surname, in German it is the everyday name for "floor". Boden entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. You might also consider Bowen, Bode, Bodhi, and Bowie.
    • Brecken
      • Origin:

        Variation of Breccan; Irish
      • Meaning:

        "freckled, speckled"
      • Description:

        Brecken is a fresh, distinctively Irish alternative to similar-sounding (and much more popular) Beckett or Beckham. While Brecken is a spelling variation of the original Breccan, it's the most popular form of the name. By whatever spelling, it's a name we'll likely see rise in popularity.
    • Case
      • Origin:

        Word name
      • Description:

        A brisk and unconventional name that could be a style stand-in for confederates Casey, Chase, Cale, and Cade.
    • Grant
      • Origin:

        Scottish from French
      • Meaning:

        "large"
      • Description:

        One-time beach-boy compadre of Glenn, Greg, and Gary that originated as a nickname for a tall person, Grant has become a no-nonsense, career-oriented grown-up and one that is seeing new appreciation. It was chosen for his son by actor Morris Chestnut. It has cultural cred via artist Grant Wood, whose best known painting is 'American Gothic.'
    • Grey
      • Origin:

        Color name
      • Description:

        The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Grey/Gray is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative—if slightly somber—choice, especially in the middle. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney named their son Leo Grey.
    • Hayes
      • Origin:

        English surname and nature name
      • Meaning:

        "hedged area"
      • Description:

        One of those simple, straightforward English surnames -- and with a presidential pedigree -- that's easy to translate into a first. It was recently chosen by both Kevin Costner and Jessica Alba for their sons, which can likely be credited for its spike in popularity in the past few years. Surname names and nature names like Hayes, which qualifies on both counts, along with occupational names all make up the new generation of stylish English names for boys that go far beyond Harry and Edward.
    • Holden
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "hollow valley"
      • Description:

        Holden is a classic case of a name that jumped out of a book and onto birth certificates--though it took quite a while. Parents who loved J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye are flocking to the name of its hero, Holden Caulfield -- not coincidentally in tune with the Hudson-Hayden-Colton field of names. (Trivia note: Salinger supposedly came up with the name while looking at a movie poster promoting a film starring William Holden and Joan Caulfield, though other sources say he was named after Salinger's friend Holden Bowler.) Another impetus was provided by a soap opera character introduced in 1985.
    • Kaiser
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "Emperor"
      • Description:

        Kaiser, as in roll and Wilhelm, appeared for the first time on the US Top 1000 in 2017. It fits the two-syllable -er ending style that's all the rage, and it lends itself to the short form Kai. But we hope this Germanic version of what is essentially a title rather than a name doesn't keep rising on the charts.
    • Kane
      • Origin:

        Celtic
      • Meaning:

        "warrior"
      • Description:

        A name of multiple identities: a somewhat soap-operatic single-syllable surname, a homonym for the biblical bad boy Cain, and, when found in Japan and Hawaii, it transforms into the two syllable KA-neh. Kane also has multiple meanings: in Welsh, it's "beautiful"; in Japanese, "golden"; and in Hawaiian, "man of the Eastern sky."
    • Kohen
      • Origin:

        Spelling variation of Cohen
      • Description:

        Another name fallen to the plague of the K. Nonetheless, it has risen a bit in the charts since entering the US Top 1000 in 2011.
    • Madden
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "little dog"
      • Description:

        Madden is an Irish surname relative of Madigan rising through the charts thanks to its trendy two-syllable, -en ending sound along with its appeal to Madden Football video game-playing dads. John Madden is a former pro football player who went on to coach the Oakland Raiders and become a popular NFL commentator. Madden is also the surname of groovy Nicole Richie baby daddy Joel Madden.
    • Memphis
      • Origin:

        Greek and Coptic place-name
      • Meaning:

        "Enduring and beautiful"
      • Description:

        A place name with so much history, from Ancient Egypt, where so many pyramids were built, to the US blues southern city. The name also has a great meaning. Although it's being given to babies of both genders, Memphis (unlike most place names) is much more common for boys than girls.
    • Royal
      • Origin:

        English word name
      • Meaning:

        "royal"
      • Description:

        Even less subtle than Duke or Earl, this name shot up the popularity charts in 2013, the same year young Prince George was born and the craze for all things royal (and Royal) began. Today, it's a leading boys' name on Nameberry's own popularity charts.
    • Slate
      • Origin:

        Word name
      • Description:

        One of the more unusual of the current crop of strong, single-syllable boys' names, evoking the images of both old-fashioned blackboards and modern stepping-stones and countertops.
    • Stellan
      • Origin:

        Swedish, meaning unknown, possibly "calm"
      • Meaning:

        "calm"
      • Description:

        Stellan is a strong, attractive, Scandinavian possible up-and-comer, known through actor Stellan Skarsgard, and his namesake, the son of Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany. Its trendy 'an' ending and the similarity in sound to the popular Kellen/Kellan make it all the more accessible.
    • Style
      • Tenley
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "burnt clearing"
        • Description:

          This name is currently best known on The Bachelorette's Tenley Molzahn. In the 1950s, it was attached to the Olympic figure skating champion Tenley Albright, and Jessica Biel played a Tenley in the movie Summer Catch.
      • Trace
        • Origin:

          Diminutive of Tracy
        • Description:

          Undoubtedly inspired by country singer Trace Adkins, it has dropped in recent years.