Animal Names for Boys

Ariam

Ariez

An unusual word name, associated with beginnings and, more literally standing up, parents may be using this with the phrase "He has risen" in mind, in reference to Jesus. As such, it makes a spiritual choice, given to five boys in a recent year. 

Arise

Aristides was an ancient Athenian statesman, nicknamed "the Just" for his honor and integrity. The name has been used in Spanish and Portuguese speaking cultures and has a great meaning for any proud parents. There are several different pronunciations for Aristides, including the classic Greek ah-ree-STEE-dees, the English ah-RIS-tih-deez/em>, and the Portuguese u-reesh-TEE-dish.

Aristides

This Greek form of Aristotle is often used in Greece with nicknames like Aris, Aristos or Telis. Abroad, this  variant could help separate the name from its heavy namesake, while still having a clear connection to it. Good for lovers of philosophy, Ancient Greece, or dramatic boy names.

Aristotelis

Names ending in -ton (meaning "settlement") are white-hot, and Arrington is one of the freshest on the scene.

Arrington

Arvid, a Scandinavian name that's virtually unknown in the US, is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/sweden">top baby names in Sweden</a>. It might make a handsome, unusual choice for a parent in search of an original yet traditional A name.

Arvid

Arwin

Arzen

Asaias

A novel way to get to the nicknames Ash or Ford

Ashford

Asmodeus is a prince of demons and hell according to Judeo-Islamic lore.

Asmodeus

Athens is one of the newer place names, used for both baby boys and girls. The Greek city got its name from Athena, goddess of wisdom and courage.

Athens

An epic sci-fi name, drawn from Frank Herbert's Dune novels, Atreides appeared in the US stats for the first time in 2024, with parents likely drawing inspiration from the recent film adaptions, starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, among many other famous faces.
 
Uses as the surname of one of the central characters in Dune, Brian Herbert, son and biographer of Frank Hebert, has noted that the name was inspired by the mythological Atreus, giving it the meaning "child of Atreus", or, perhaps more poetically, "child of fearlessness".
 
A bold choice, but one with a solid, literary background and ties to mythology, Atreides also benefits from sounding like a number of other names on parents' radar, such as Ares, Atlas, Atticus, and the aforementioned Atreus itself.