By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 127 pages
of 127
Italian, diminutive of Eugenio
Stalwart Italian classic, completely at home in this country.
Portuguese, Albanian, Vietnamese, Irish, French
"moon; lion; ethics; warrior; light"
Luan is a handsome, unusual boy's name with surprisingly diverse origins. It's a rare Portuguese name meaning "moon", an Albanian name meaning "lion", a Vietnamese name meaning "justice; ethics", and…
Syed is an Arabic male name with deep Islamic significance. Rather than being just a given name, it originated as an honorific title meaning 'master' or 'lord.' The name holds special importance in…
Italian from Greek
"eagle"
An operatic Italian option via South Pacific star Pinza, one of several Italian names currently hot in France. Ezio is the Italian form of the Greek name Aetius. Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego Saldana…
English, diminutive of Michael
Unlike Jake or Sam, few parents put Mike on the birth certificate.
French, Welsh and Catalan variation of Mark
Designer (as in Marc Jacobs) form of Mark. An international classic, but long falling in popularity as a boys' name.
Igbo, Persian, "sir; mister; protected by the moon.
In Igbo, Mazi is a term of respect used to greet elders (and others), likely originated among the Aro people. Some Igbo cultures use Mazi to refer to men once their fathers have passed away. There…
Irish
"from the hollow"
A variation of Corey, this spelling has also been on a steady decline since the early-1990s. Its days are likely numbered on the US popularity charts altogether.
Spelling variation of Cole
"swarthy, coal black"
Cole and Kole — at their most stylish in the early 2000s — are now being passed over for modern favorites Colton, Colt, Colter, Colson, et al. Nonetheless, Kole is still floating just at the bottom…
Hindi
"sun; conferring"
A title of the Hindu sun god, made cross-culturally famous by sitar player Ravi Shankar.
"little king"
More authentic and original form of Ryan, but far less common of the two spellings in the US. There were about 170 baby boys named Rian in the US last year, versus over 4000 named Ryan. In its native…
Word name
West is the most fashionable of what you might call the direction names, with North and East (or Easton and Easter) coming up behind, and South not yet on the map. Country singer Randy Houser named…
English, Norwegian, and Frisian surname
"agreeable and handsome; from Ave; son of Ave"
Aven is used as a surname in various countries across the globe, and occasionally as an Anglicized variant of the Irish girl name, Aoibheann. In the US, Aven only started to see significant use in…
Hebrew
"belonging to God"
Although this is an ancient Old Testament name, it has a pleasant contemporary feel that might appeal to today's parents, who might just as easily use it for a girl. It was one of the fastest rising…
English word name
"violent civil disorder"
Riot has all the sounds of a trendy name — the first syllable that of trendy choices like Ryder, Ryker, and Rylan, rhyming with Wyatt. But the strong negative connotations of the word, suggesting…
Diminutive of Dionysius, Greek
"child of heaven and earth; of Zeus"
A variation of Greek Dionysius, itself derived from the name of the god of wine, revelry, and dance, Dion gives a nod to mythology while also having historical ties to a student of Plato, to a Greek…
Latin
"rival"
Derived from the Latin word aemulus , Emil is a name with international appeal. Concise and sturdy but with the gentle Em sound, Emil is popular across Europe, from Azerbaijan to Finland, from…
"pleasantness, charm, tenderness"
Noam is an underused modern Hebrew name with any number of attractive attributes attached to its meaning; it doesn't have the biblical weight of Noah, but could make a more distinctive alternative to…
Arabic
"friendliness"
Anas is an Arabic name uncommon in the US -- it was given to 130 baby boys last year -- but popular in Spain, England and Wales, Italy, and especially France.
"new"
Nova might be a much more commonly used a girls' name, but enough parents saw unisex appeal in it for it to debut on the US Top 1000 for boys in 2017. Nova is an astronomical term for a star that…
