Updated May 2023
Across 7 pages
of 7
French
"to protect"
Straightforward surname with potential thanks to the rise of Carson. The actress Greer Garson gives it a splash of Hollywood glamor.
English word name
"gamble, bet"
It's a gamble that your child will grow up to appreciate the name Gamble.
Teutonic
"mighty warrior"
A rarely used last-name-first-name, never as popular as cousins Garrett or Derek.
Word name
Gambit means ploy or trick, which makes it an appropriate name for a little player. Eight boys were named Gambit in the US in one recent year.
Jewel name, for the French
"pomegranate"
One of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, for both boys and girls, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl. But interestingly, Garnet means pomegranate, the fruit who shares a deep…
English
"son of Garret"
As Harrison is to Harry, Garrison is to Gary: both of the longer versions sound more modern and appealing. NPR's Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor was born Gary.
Place-name
Associated with the poet and novelist Galway Kinnell, this name of an Irish city, county, and bay would make an evocative choice. For further literary cred, writers Liam O'Flaherty and Frank Harris…
Irish
"rough little one"
Irish surname derived from the name Gairbhín, a diminutive of garbh , "rough". It's barely been used as a first name, but could be a similar-yet-different alternative to names like Nolan and Sullivan.
"rough peace"
Occasionally used in the African-American community to honor Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey, known as "Emperor of the Kingdom of Africa," though his first name is more frequently chosen. Another…
"spearman"
When Gary cracked the Top 10 in 1950, it was one of the first nonclassic boys’ names to do so, largely due to Gary (born Frank) Cooper, who was renamed after Gary, Indiana, his agent's hometown. Now,…
French form of the Italian Gaetano
"of Gaeta"
It's unusual, but that may be its best feature.
A surprisingly wearable floral name for a boy.
"triangular field"
Despite the presidential pedigree, it's still hard to shake the image of the cartoon cat (named after his creator Jim Davis's grandfather). However, there are other Garfields, such as Barbadian…
Spanish from Latin
"from Gaul"
Hispanic name of two saints, celebrated on July 1 and October 16.
Welsh
"gentle"
Gareth, the name of a modest and brave knight in King Arthur's court, makes a sensitive, gently appealing choice, used more in its native Wales than anywhere else. The name Gareth first appeared in…
"keeper of the garden"
Gardener is surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options, calling up images of green grass and budding blooms. The name can also be spelled without the first ' e ', as in…
Greek
"calm, healer"
Many will associate this name with Galen of Pergamon, the second-century physician considered to be the founding father of medicine. A more recent reference is Star Wars character Galen Erso. The…
French variation of Walter
"ruler of an army"
Often spelled Gauthier, this could make a distinctive way to honor Grandpa Walter, but first syllable pronounced 'goat' might be a problem.
This could be a fresh way to honor an ancestral Walter.
Spanish and Portuguese surname
"bear"
A possible hero name inspired by notables from Spanish poet/playwright Federico Garcia Lorca to writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez to the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia.