By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 755 pages
of 755
Literature
"king"
The name of the King of Rohan in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings , supposedly a translation of Rohirric Tûrac ("king"). Tolkien based the Rohirric language on Old English.
Variation of Tyler, English
"maker of tiles"
A contemporary reconfiguration of Tyler, although perhaps too close to Tylenol to warrant greater popularity. It nevertheless grew in popularity in 2023 and has been borne by actor Tylen James…
Urdu
"wish, desire"
A meaningful name for a long-awaited child.
English and French surname
"worker of the granary; farmer"
If you're seeking a solid but underused occupational name with a warm, friendly sound, and an earthy feel, Granger is one to consider. Associated with faming, grain, and the outdoors, it fits in with…
German diminutive of Hans
"God is gracious"
Those "Where's Gretel?" jokes will get old pretty fast.
Hebrew
"brother of the exalted one"
Hiram is the kind of forgotten biblical name that adventurous parents who wish to move beyond David and Daniel are beginning to reconsider--even though it has bits of its old stiff-collared image…
Modern invented name
Jyaire is a modern masculine name that exemplifies contemporary naming trends with its unique spelling and melodic sound. Likely a creative variation of names like Jair (Hebrew for 'he enlightens')…
Variation of Lester, English
"military camp by the river Ligore"
A popular choice in the US in the early 20th-century, Lester made the Top 100 consistently for 46 years between 1886 and 1931. It then remained in the Top 500 until the mid-80s before dropping out of…
Variation of Lincoln, English
"town by the pool"
A variation of the presidential surname, likely inspired by the band Linkin Park, this rock and roll name joins the likes of Bowie, Mercury, Jagger, Hendrix, Buddy, Cash, Guthrie, Lennon, and…
The name of a warrior and dragonrider in the Game of Thrones universe, played by Matt Smith in the HBO prequel House of the Dragon . The word daemon also features in the His Dark Materials trilogy by…
Irish variation of Edmund
"wealthy protector"
Eamon is one of the traditional Irish names that has not yet emigrated to the US. This Irish name pronounced ay-mon was popularized by early president of the independent republic Eamon de Valera…
English
"noble friend"
Elvin had his peak in the 1920s — which was when jazz musician Elvin Jones was born — but parents are still using it for over 100 boys a year. That's less than Kelvin, but more than Delvin.
Armenian, variation of Leon
"lion"
Levon, an unusual alternative to Levi. has two musical associations: it's the title of an Elton John song, inspired by late, great drummer for The Band, Levon Helm--whose birth name was Mark. Uma…
Greek
"fragrant, an aromatic shrub, myrrh"
One of many M names -- including Murray, Melvin, Morton, Milton, and Marvin -- given to first-generation Jewish boys to replace the old-fashioned Moses. Now we'd pick Moses over any of them. Myron…
"row of houses by a wood"
Aside from President Wilson (born Thomas), most Woodrows, including Herman, Guthrie, and Harrelson, have chosen to be known as Woody, which says it all.
Variation of Bennett, English form of Benedict, Latin
"blessed"
This spelling of Bennett is typically seen as a surname, but gets moderate use as a first name for baby boys and girls.
Spanish surname
"courteous"
The craze for surname names is now moving beyond the English and Irish to include worldly Spanish names for boys like this historic one currently in the Top 1000.
Variation of Erwin, German
"respected friend"
Ervin is an old-school great-grandpa name, like Irving and Ernest, that may just be ready for revival. It's also a well-known name in Hungary and elsewhere in central and eastern Europe. As a…
Johnpaul is a masculine given name formed by combining the traditional names John and Paul. This compound name has Christian roots, as both John and Paul were important apostles in the New Testament.…
American invented name, variation of Shawn
Classically, the De- prefix indicates "son of," so any variation of this name could work for the child of a dad named Shawn or Sean. DeShawn Stevenson is a former professional basketball player.
