By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 127 pages
of 127
Arabic or Sanskrit
"one who hopes or unattainable; hard work"
Hope is one meaning of the name Amil, which sounds similar to the German Emil; it can also mean unattainable in the sense of being so exalted as in royalty as to be out of reach. While Amil may not…
German
"bearlike, dweller at the sign of the bear"
Reversed vowels make it seem less fierce.
Cali as a masculine name has multiple cultural origins and interpretations. While more commonly recognized as a nickname for the feminine Calista or California, its use for boys may derive from Greek…
English word name
"sand hill"
Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days. It's also assocated with Frank…
Dyce is a masculine name with Scottish geographic origins, derived from a place name near Aberdeen, Scotland. The place name likely comes from the Gaelic word meaning 'south land' or related to…
Diminutive of Eberhard, German
"brave boar"
Eber is far more approachable than its full forbidding form.
African, Swahili
"powerful"
This short and strong Swahili name shares lots of sounds with trending Ezra and Enzo, and has a great meaning too.
Medieval measure of land, or English surname
"hide"
Hyde, of course, is most familiar as a surname -- as in Mr. Hyde, evil alter ego of Dr. Jeckyll. Unless Hyde is a family name or you have some other excellent reason for using it, we think you could…
Iram is a masculine name with roots in multiple cultures. In Arabic tradition, it means 'paradise' or refers to an ancient city mentioned in the Quran. In Hebrew contexts, it can mean 'city dweller'…
Izen is a masculine name with Basque origins, found primarily in the Basque Country spanning northern Spain and southwestern France. In Basque, it literally means "name" or "noun," reflecting the…
Igede, Hebrew
"give thanks; persecuted"
Depending on its origin, this cool single-syllable name has either a wonderful meaning ("give thanks" in Igede) or a terrible one ("persecuted", as a variant of the Hebrew name Job).
Turkish
"rock, cliff"
While Kaya is used predominantly as a feminine name in English speaking countries, it is also a Turkish masculine name with a rugged meaning. It has ranked in the English and Welsh Top 1000 for boys…
Hawaiian
"leeward"
Kona is strongly associated with the Kona coffee of Hawaii. The Hawaiian word kona means "leeward" or "dry side of the island," and Kona districts are where Kona coffee is grown. In the age of strong…
Ethiopian, Ge'ez
"prince"
Leul is not a traditional Ethiopian name, but rather, a 20th-century Ethiopian title from the Ge'ez language. Leul, or Leoul, was used for sons and grandsons of the Emperor from 1916 until the…
Welsh
"lake"
Traditionally used for boys before the 20th-century, Lynn was solidly used as a masculine name in the US, right up until the 70s when it fell out of favor. Prior to that, however, it had already…
Mina as a masculine name has diverse origins depending on cultural context. In Persian culture, it means 'blue crystal' or can refer to heaven. In Japanese usage, it can mean 'south' or 'everyone,'…
Nain is a masculine name with diverse cultural origins. In Arabic, it means 'sleepy' or 'drowsy,' while in Hebrew it refers to a biblical village mentioned in the New Testament. The name also appears…
Odis is traditionally understood as a variant spelling of Otis, a name with Germanic origins. Otis derives from the Old German name Otto, meaning 'wealth' or 'prosperity.' The spelling variation with…
Rana is a masculine name with diverse cultural origins. In Arabic, Rana means "eye-catching" or "to gaze upon," while in Sanskrit it means "king" or "ruler." The name also appears in other cultures:…
English
"living on riverbank"
The new Randy -- though a bit commercial, as in Rand Corporation, Rand McNally, et al.
