Names That Mean Raven

Corbin, the name of the castle where the Holy Grail was said to be hidden, came to the fore in the 1980s via actor Corbin Bernsen when he was the high profile star of LA Law, but its use is only now escalating as part of the mania for two-syllable names starting with c or k, as well as from the more youthful image of Corbin Bleu, the attractive actor-model-dancer-singer who was one of the stars of the Disney hit High School Musical.

Branson is a fairly recent addition to the Top 1000, first breaking in at Number 988 in 1995. While it may not be a common sighting yet, it fits the trend of more popular cousins Mason, Grayson, Hudson, and Carson.

This is an attractive Celtic mythological name, popular in Wales and a cousin of the better known Bronwyn. In Welsh mythology, Branwen was turned into a bird.

In Irish legend Fiachra was one of the four children of Lir who were turned into swans for 900 years. St Fiachra is the patron saint of gardeners.

Corvina sounds too much like a car model.

This powerful old name can actually be traced back to two distinct sources. As an Old German name, Wolfram (borne by the medieval poet Wolfram von Eschenbach) derives from a combination of wolf + hraben "raven".

Old Norman name last current in the 1930s, and firmly in our 'so far out it will always be out' category – despite its appearance as a Hogwarts student in Harry Potter. This is the full first name of P.G. Wodehouse's inimitable Bertie Wooster.

This ancient Viking-era name is a fresh alternative to Raven.

Cormorant is definitely one of the most unusual of the newly fashionable animal names, and one of the rare bird names for boys.

Idiosyncratic Hebrew choice.

This British surname has a somewhat aristocratic air, which ties in to its association with the early American boxing champ "Gentleman Jim" Corbett. CORBIN, which has the same meaning, is slightly more user friendly.

Branigan, also spelled Branagan or Brannigan, is an Irish name full of energy and cheer. It was the title of a 1975 John Wayne movie, and Zapp Brannigan is the antihero of the animated sitcom "Futurama." Branigan fans might also want to consider such related Irish names as Brennan and Breccan, Rafferty and Finnegan.

A name from Irish history and legend, deriving from the Gaelic word for the raven. Uncommon in contemporary Ireland, although the related name Fiachra is a Top 250 choice there.

Feeny and its alternative spelling Feeney have several origins in Irish. They are anglicised forms of the surnames Ó Fiannaidhe (descendant of Fiannaidhe, meaning warrior), and Ó Fidhne (descendant of Fidhne, from the word for tree or wood). Feeny is also a place name in Northern Ireland, meaning "the woods. Although many Irish surnames are in style, like Keegan and Sullivan, this is one you've probably never met on a person before.

This was a popular name in early Ireland, borne by both saints and kings. In Celtic mythology, Fiacra was the name of one of the three children of the sea god Lir, who was changed into a swan by his stepmother Aoife. Saint Fiachra of Meaux, a 7th century Irish hermit who settled in France, is a patron saint of travelers and of gardeners because of his skill in growing vegetables in his garden. The name is still well used in Ireland; Fiacre is the French spelling, Feary is an Anglicized form.

Trivia tidbit: Hotel Saint-Fiacre in Paris was named after him, and taxis operating outside it came to be called fiacres, a name later given to cabs in general.

Rising boys' name could cross the gender line.

The raven was a holy bird in Norse mythology, giving this choice some resonance beyond other Bart variations.

Bold Irish surname, full of energy and cheer.

Ramund is a sleeker variant or close relative of Raymond, borne by the eponymous hero of a Danish folk song dating back to the Middle Ages.

The suffix Bran is familiar as raven-related since Game of Thrones, and the -ley suffix has been popular since the 1990s heyday of Ashley.