Updated October 2026
Across 273 pages
of 273
Dutch
"peace"
A lovely meaning and sound -- if you're fluent in Dutch.
Dutch diminutive of Joseph
Joe is certainly easier, but this is quite fun to say.
"victory"
It's not every day you see a name that begins with the letters "SJ"!
Dutch form of Christopher or English word name
This Dutch nickname has been in use for hundreds of years in the Netherlands, and is as energetic as they come. Of course, the jokes practically write themselves.
Dutch, Norwegian
"wild"
An intriguingly wild alternative to Sven.
Diminutive of Willem, contracted form of Wilhelm, Dutch, German
"resolute protector"
With a sound that brings to mind at once "whim," "vim," and "win," this is one Dutch boys' name with serious potential for use in the English-speaking world. Film director Wim Wenders brought this to…
Moose is an unconventional masculine name derived from the North American mammal. As a given name, it emerged from nickname usage, typically assigned to individuals with large, strong builds or…
Diminutive of Reinhold
The extremely unusual, hard-to-pronounce first name of Donald Trump's first Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus, is apparently intended as a catchy nickname to the uber-Teutonic Reinhold. Just say nein.
English word name
The part of the ship that gives it stability. A short, sweet, Old Englishy type name that has gone almost completely unused so far.
Variation of Laertes
Laertes, Ophelia's headstrong brother in Hamlet , has long been an intriguing namesake; Shakespeare got his name from the name of Odysseus' father in Greek mythology. But the ending "-es" feels a…
An abbreviated, more modern-sounding version of Shakespearean and Ancient Greek name Laertes. If the "ae" is too confusing for you, Leart is another option.
Hindu
"victorious"
Jayant is the name of the son of the Hindu God Indra. Its meaning is derived from the Sanskrit word Jaya, meaning victory.
Chinese fictional name
"peaceful soaring"
The name of the main protagonist of Avatar: The Last Airbender was coined for the movie from Chinese characters meaning "peaceful" and "rise; raise". Aang is also used as a given name in Indonesia,…
Welsh
"white, fair, blessed"
Yet another member of the Gwyn/Gwen/Finn family of names ultimately deriving from a Celtic element meaning "white", Guin gets rare use in England and Wales; a notable bearer is Olympic- medal winning…
English nickname for names beginning in Jul-
Jules may be hot in France, but the Jools spelling is almost as familiar in the UK and US, thanks to celebrity bearers Jools Holland and Jools Oliver. Jools is a unisex name.
Norwegian
"great"
Variation of Magni or Magnus, popular throughout modern Scandinavia. In mythology, Magni was a son of Thor.
Literary name
The name and story of Shakespeare’s King Lear is based on that of Leir — a legendary king of the Britons, who supposedly reigned around the 8th century BC. According to 12th-century historian,…
Swedish diminutive of Emmanuel
This common Swedish name gains science connections from bearer Manne Siegbahn who won the Nobel prize for his work on X-ray spectroscopy.
Danish
"ancestor"
An awkward name for English speakers - we suggest the Old Norse version, Aki, might work better with modern names. One notable bearer was Nobel laureate Aage Bohr.
Norway
"swallow (bird) or cool/fresh"
In Norway, Svale is also used as a short form of the rare name Svalaug/Svanlaug, meaning "swan oath". Svale is also a more modern form of Svali, meaning "cool, fresh".