Latin Names for Boys

Bearded, fusty name of great old Roman lyric poet; just what the bold vanguard baby namer might be looking for.

Grandmas will remember the old TV detective show; playmates won't. This is a name that has many variations in different cultures, from Columbus to Columba to Colum to Colm.

Both Tullio and Tulio are modern forms of the ancient Roman family name Tullius. Though its meaning is unknown, Tullius has an illustrious history with many noble bearers, including a sixth century king and the philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero. Tullio can be shortened to Tully, more properly an Irish surname with a tangled history of its own, while Tulio can be a substitute for Julio.

Soft and sensitive and elderly, associated with mega-best-seller Tuesdays with Morrie.

Balbo is more commonly seen as an Italian surname, but in the times of Milo, Otto, and Arlo, what's to stop parents from choosing this unusual name for their child. For aviation buffs comes the added interest of the term signifying the mass fly-by at the end of an airshow.

Associated with both Renaissance painter Andrea del Sarto and a contemporary brand of shoes, this Italian surname name has a stylish, artistic air.

Ancient Italian martyr's name that's a rarity here and now.

Most parents looking for an ancient Roman name would probably prefer something less generic, like, say, MAGNUS or CLAUDIUS.

Roman statesman and Caesar rival whose name, like other classical choices, was occasionally used for enslaved people. The Pompeo version could rise again.

Cute as a nickname, slight as a first.

With the new fashion for occupational names, we may hear more of this one.

Sargent, as in Kennedy brother-in-law Shriver, is the more familiar and usable form of this name.

While patriot Thomas Paine is a worthy honoree, the mere association with the word 'pain' knocks this name out of bounds.

Now that Courtney is becoming more unisex for babies, surname Fortney also seems like a viable name for a boy. It fits the trend for names with an -ey ending like Huxley and Finley, with an added dash of fortitude.

Projects a feeling of openness and candor.