By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 755 pages
of 755
Latin
"from the Adriatic; dark-haired"
Most parents would find this old Roman name pretentious compared to the more accessible Adrian, but some history buffs just might want to commemorate the enlightened emperor.
Heitor is a Portuguese and Spanish form of the ancient Greek name Hector. In Greek mythology, Hector was a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War, symbolizing courage and…
Dutch and Scandinavian variation of Henry
A bit stiff and formal for American use.
Mayan
"gift of God"
Itzae is an ancient Mayan name showing signs of revival in our modern world.
Greek, Hebrew
"God enlightens"
The Greek form of the Hebrew Jair, Jairus appears in the Bible as the father of a girl resurrected by Jesus. Though it is the original, its Spanish variation Jairo is more popular.
Arabic
"friend"
Kahlil, spelled in various ways, was first brought into the American consciousness by the poet Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet.
Persian or Urdu
"prosperous or successful"
Kamran is one of the most easily-translated boys' names from a Middle Eastern to a Western culture, sounding nearly identical to the stylish English name Cameron. While it is not an Islamic name,…
English surname
A preppy English surname that leads to the cute nickname Kip.
Larson originated as a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Lars' in Scandinavian cultures, particularly Swedish and Norwegian. Lars itself is a Scandinavian form of Lawrence, derived from the Latin…
Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak variation of Mark, Latin
"warlike"
A wearable update to the New Testament classic.
Arabic, “rain clouds”
A weather-related option, Mazin has a cool and zippy sound, with a connection to nature. The feminine forms are Mazni and Mazina.
Diminutive of Michael, Hebrew
"who is like God"
An Old school short form with a certain vintage charm, Mikey might fit in with choices such as Ronnie, Reggie, Monty, and Scottie. Currently in the latter end of the Top 1000 in England and Wales,…
Scottish
"settlement by the sea"
Murray, you may be surprised to discover, is a Scottish surname name --that of an ancient noble clan--with a sea-swept meaning, and just could be in the next wave of reevaluated grandpa names.…
Modern invented name
Nahmir may combine elements from Arabic naming traditions, with 'Nah' possibly relating to concepts of rising or elevation, and 'mir' potentially connecting to the Arabic 'amir' meaning prince or…
Persian, Indonesian, and Bengali form of Rida, Arabic
"satisfaction, contentment"
A popular Persian name, Reza stems from the Arabic word ridan which translates to "satisfaction, approval", though more figuratively, it may refer to being content with God's will and therefore…
Swedish surname
"woodland clearing"
This trendy-sounding name emerged from the era of Aiden and Jayden and Ryder and Ryker. Many parents may have come to it on their own, but Ryden has ancient roots as a Swedish surname, from the…
Turkish variation of Salim, Arabic
"safe"
Turkish
An ancient name used by numerous conquerors throughout history, most notably the Central Asian leader popularly known as Tamerlane.
Yahia is a masculine name of Arabic origin, representing a variant transliteration of Yahya, which is the Arabic form of John. In Islamic tradition, Yahya refers to John the Baptist, a significant…
"just, fair"
Also spelled Adel, this name of Arabic origin is also used in Urdu, Turkish, and Persian. It comes from the Arabic root adala meaning "to act justly", linking it to honesty and fairness —…
