Animal Names for Boys

Abdullah is an alternative transcription of the name Abd Allah, which translates to "servant of Allah". Popular across throughout the Muslim world, it ranks in the Turkish Top 100 and the UK Top 200.
 
Significant in Islamic tradition, Abdullah not only reflects the importance of humility before God but it was also the name of the father of the Prophet Muhammad. Interestingly, the prophet's father died before he was born, which shows the name was already in use in pre-Islamic Arabia. 
 
This could be explained by the fact it is also used by Mirzahi Jews, as a form of the Hebrew Abdiel or Obadiah, both meaning "servant of God".

Abdullah

The seventh most common surname in Scotland, for a time associated only with soup company and the Andy Warhol's iconic painting, Campbell is once again being considered as an accessible but rarer alternative to Cameron in the US. Traditionally given as a masculine first name in the 20th-century — and still used as such in the UK — it is now a unisex choice in the States. In fact, 2025 saw it appear as one of the fastest rising names across the board, climbing 338 places for girls and 159 for boys. 
 
Derived from a Scottish nickname, Campbell means "crooked mouth", though a slightly more favorable spin is "wry mouth" which could imply a sense of dry humor (or a disgusted expression). Still put off by those? In Latin, the name has been represented as de bello campo with the more pleasant and nature-connected meaning "of the fair field".
 
Campbell was a Top 100 choice in Scotland until the mid-1970s, while in England and Wales, it was familiar until the mid-2000s. In the US, it has been appearing in the stats for boys since the 1880s, but wasmore popular for girls in the 2000s, likely thanks to news reporter and journalist, Campbell Brown. In 2024 it re-entered the field as a unisex choice and the latest data saw it split 42:58, making it statistically gender-neutral.
 
With cool-but-gentle nickname Cam, Campbell has a similar feel to Bellamy, Emerson, Finley, or Hollis.

Campbell

Izael was one of the fastest-rising boys' names in the US in 2023, evidencing trends for the letter Z and the angelic-feeling -ael ending.

Pronunciation is like father name Israel, without the R.

Izael

As a Spanish and Portuguese name, Brayan is a variant of the Celtic Brian, familiar in Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Italy and France. As a modern invention, it blends Brayden with Bryan, tying it the to the strong meaning of Brian and the fish-related meaning of Braden. 
 
Whichever origin parents have in mind, Brayan has been in the US Top 1000 since the mid-90s. It peaked in 2006, when it entered the Top 300, and while it has fallen in popularity since then, 2024 did see it rise over 130 places up the charts.

Brayan

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 may also be a variation of Beauden, an elaboration of the French name Beau. The Boden spelling entered the US Top 1000 in 2014 and has been slowly on the rise since then. You might also consider Bowen, Bode, Bodhi, and Bowie if you enjoy the sounds.

Boden

Emmitt is a new spelling spin borne of the popularity of Emmett.

Emmitt

Like Isaiah but looking for a name that's more unique? Asaiah is a name found several times in the Old Testament. Think of it as a blend of Asa and Josiah and a possible substitute for Isaiah. Asaiah entered the Top 1000 in the US for the first time in 2022, and is looking like one of the fresher Biblical choices today.

Asaiah

Harry is the medieval English form of Henry, which derived from the Germanic name Heimrich, meaning "estate ruler." Harry was the nickname of all eight King Henrys; it is also a diminutive of Harold and Harrison.
 
Harry was everyone's elderly uncle until Princess Diana, following British royal tradition, named her son Henry but called him Harry. Then Harry Potter became a rage and Harry Styles of One Direction became the hottest boy bander of the new millennium. Thus, Harry's avuncular image was history. Harry is still much more popular in England, Ireland, and Scotland than it is in the US, but its classic yet unpretentious image makes it a recommended choice.
 
Harry was a Top 20 name in the US from 1880 to 1918, and continued in the Top 100 into the 1950s (hence the song "I'm Just Wild About Harry"), and has countless worthy namesakes, including Truman, Belafonte, and Houdini.
 
Among the celebs who have chosen this good guy name for their sons are David Letterman (it was his father's name), Simon Baker, and Billy Bob Thornton. It's also found in a number of movie titles from The Trouble with Harry to Dirty Harry to When Harry Met Sally.
 
Something to think about when using Harry: how does it sound in your accent? It might sound great, or it could sound a bit to hairy.

Harry

Traditionally written with an accent (Álvaro), this is a well-used Spanish saint's name with a lot of flair that could definitely cross over to more general usage. It reached its peak in the United States in 1985, when it ranked Number 456. In Spain, Álvaro is a Top 20 boys' name.

Alvaro

Former teen idol name, now middle-aged. This name has been on a steady decline since the early-1990s.

Corey

The newest cowboy-cool kid on the block is Dutton, introduced by the hit Western drama series Yellowstone. It's seen as a surname in the series, which follows the Dutton family on their ranch. But Americans' affinity towards surname names and the similarities to Sutton have inspired fans of the show to use Dutton for their sons — so much so that Dutton took the title as the fastest-rising name in 2022, jumping a whopping 986 spots. 
 
Dutton is still relatively uncommon as a given name, but it is definitely one to watch and could become a mainstream favorite in no time. Country singer Chris Lane and wife Lauren Bushnell chose it for their son, Dutton Walker.
 
Dutton is an English habitational surname with two origins. The first derives from the Old English dun, meaning "hill," and tun, "settlement," while the second comes from the surname Dodd, which may have originally been bestowed on people who were considered round.

Dutton

Originally a form of the saint's name Blaise, though now more likely to be a hot word name used for both sexes, though heavily weighted toward the boys. It has been in the boys' Top 1000 since the year 2000. On the pop culture side of things, Blaze Bayley is a singer and musician who has been connected to the bands Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden.

Blaze

Alonso is the Spanish and Portuguese diminutive version of Alfonso, itself deriving from an old Germanic name "Adalfuns" meaning "noble and ready." Although the Italian spelling Alonzo is more popular in the US, Alonso has its own strong history. 


Alonso Quijano was the real name of Don Quixote — and the name of two characters in the Judy Garland musical Meet Me in St. Louis. It is also the surname of star Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso.

Alonso

Darius is a historic name via Emperor Darius the Great, a key figure in ancient Persian history, and several other Persian kings. His name today has an appealingly artistic image, which might well be found on a concert program or gallery announcement. 
 Among its cultural inspirations is composer Darius Milhaud. Journalist Christiane Amanpour, who was raised in Tehran, named her son Darius.

Darius

Creative name whose only limitation is that it looks like it would be pronounced akin to Alicia and Elissa — although as a Biblical <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a>, it is traditionally pronounced ee-LIE-shah. 

 With Elijah a Top 10 choice, Elisha seems like a natural alternative for those preferring a slightly more unusual – but still super traditional – boy name. In fact, in the Old Testament, Elisha was a prophet and disciple of similarly named Elijah.

Elisha

Names of royal ranks -- King, Prince, and yes, Baron -- have become more widely used in recent years, though they're outlawed in several countries. This spelling, the same as that of the financial publication Barrons, was used by Donald and Melania Trump for their son.

Barron

As a member of two trendy name categories, animal and occupational, this name broke into the Top 1000 in 2004 and would make a nice tribute to an angler Grandpa.
 The best known bearer, Fisher Stevens, pulled a switcheroo on his birth name Steven Fisher while Fischer Black was a distinguished economist.
 Fisher is a fairly common surname, whose bearers include the family of Eddie, Carrie, and Joely; actress Isla; food writer M.F.K. Fisher; and two legendary cartoonists: Bud Fisher, creator of "Mutt 'n' Jeff," and Ham Fisher, who invented Joe Palooka.

Fisher

An alternative form of Hazael, a King in the Old Testament, or a diminutive of Jahaziel, a Levite prophet, this quietly used Biblical name shares sounds with rising choices such as Azrael, Aziel, and Jaziel. There's also a hint of the vintage and nature-inspired Hazel, which may appeal to those who enjoy softer feeling names for boys.
 
Also used as the name of the guardian angel of mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation in astrology, Haziel is nearly five times more popular than it was in 2020, and made its debut in the US Top 1000 in 2025 when it was one of the fastest rising names of the year.

Haziel

This twist on the popular Everett takes it to lofty heights and gives it a geographical and nature-inspired link. The snow-capped Everest could make a name that stands out without feeling too out there, and it may be seen more often in the classroom (that is, outside of the textbooks) in coming years.
 
Mount Everest is named after George Everest, a British surveyor, whose surname means "from Évreux", a place in Normandy. As a given name, it entered the Top 1000 in 2020, though it has been used sporadically since the beginning of the 20th century. Chosen for 290 American boys in 2024, it is a unisex option, also given to 80 girls.

Everest

Crew x True = Crue. This on-trend name — short and punchy with popular sounds —is rising for a reason. Crue entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, following in the footsteps of trendy Crew and Cruz. It continued to be a fast rising choice in 2023,when it was given to around 360 babies, making it roughly three times less popular than Crew, but also three times more popular than it was a decade ago. 