By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 255 pages
of 255
Literature, Greek, Italian
"crown"
While the spelling Stefano is more common, Stephano makes a great choice for parents looking to give Stephen/Steven a more romantic feel. Although only given to 8 boys in the US in 2014, Stephano…
Scottish surname
"worship place"
Best known to most as a brand of Whisky, Ballantine is a Scottish surname relating to the Celtic god Bal. It has potential as a off-the-beaten-track boys name that is still familiar. Ballantine is…
Ghanaian, Akan, Twi
"Born on a Tuesday"
The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. Most Ghanaians have a name using this…
Serbian from the Greek Nikolaos
"Victory of the people"
Nikola is generally masculine in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Macedonia, while in Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia and the Czech Republic it is usually feminine. As a…
Lourenço is the Portuguese form of Lawrence, derived from the Latin name Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum" or "crowned with laurel," symbolizing victory and honor in ancient Rome. Pronounced…
Icelandic from Norse
"protection of God"
A top Icelandic name in the form Guðmundur. Gummi and Gvender are common nicknames.
"guardian of victory"
Top 50 Icelandic name with the charming nickname Siggy.
Literature, Sindarin
"noble, kingly"
In JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings , Aragorn is the heir of the Dúnedain kings of the north.
German
"strong; brave as a bear"
Deceptively close to Bernardo, but suaver.
"wood man"
This unusual Scottish surname was made immortal by Michael Faraday, a British scientist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His name is now a unit of scientific…
West African, Arabic
"interpreter, studious"
A West African form of popular Arabic Idris, Idrissa more literally means "studious" or "learner", though it is also linked to the act of interpretation, via its connection to a Quranic prophet…
Welsh
"very golden or noble"
Aneirin is the original form of the more common Aneurin (which was a mistaken spelling used after the 17th Century). Aneirin was one of the first great Welsh poets who flourished in the 6th Century.…
Basque
"beautiful light"
Argider is a somewhat used boys' name in Basque-speaking parts of Spain.
"my little one"
Despite Eneko's very sweet meaning, it packs a lot of historical punch. Eneko Aritza was the first Basque king of Pamplona. It is somewhat related to the more well known Inigo.
Spanish
"goes on to another life"
Rarely used Spanish name, referring to shifting to another life beyond this one. Boy names that mean life are an elite group of which this is an unusual member.
Brazilian, type of bird
Although the name Jabiru is indelibly associated with Australia (it is the name of a town in Northern Territory, Australia and also a type of stork), it is not an Aboriginal name, as is often thought.
Bulgarian variation of Dmitri
Dimitar is the Bulgarian (and Macedonian) version of Dmitri, which is itself a variation of the name of the Greek goddess Demeter, whose name means earth mother.
Persian place name
Now deeply associated with the gemstone Lapis Lazuli, Lazuli is derived from one of the places where the stone was first mined. The word Lazuli is the root for words like azure. Lapis Lazuli is a…
Gemstone name
The discoverer of this lovely bright blue gemstone named it after his daughter Larissa and the sea (mar), hence Larimar. Despite the feminine origins, the harder -mar ending makes this work for boys…
There aren't many gemstone names that are firmly masculine but Malachite is one of these. The gemstone is a rich green colour and is often used for decorative sculptures. The name is thought to…
