By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 273 pages
of 273
Spelling variation of Aryan
This variation of Aryan has a slightly less racist connotation, making it a bit more acceptable. Arian debuted on the Top 1000 in 2011, but didn't have a sustained rise on the charts. This is likely…
Arabic
"prosperity; exalted nation"
A Quranic name especially popular in South Asia, it is also used across Europe, from Bosnia to France, from Spain to England. It appears in the Quran as the name of Maryam's (the Virgin Mary) father,…
Variation of Beau, French
"handsome, beautiful, beauties"
A fanciful way to spell the popular Beau, Beaux is also the plural form of the French adjective. Appealing to those who love Margaux or the letter X in general, it entered the US Top 1000 for boys in…
Arabic variation of Aslan, Turkish
"lion"
Readers will be familiar with Aslan — a historied Turkish name — via C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia . Azlan is the Arabic variation, rising in popularity among Muslim families and…
Spelling variation of Amir
Spelling variant Ameer is much less popular than the original. An Amir is a ruler in the Arab world.
English
"barn for cows"
For centuries, this name had a romantic, windswept image due to its strong connection to the poet Lord Byron, who inspired its use as a first name. It is one of those surprise names that's appeared…
Slavic, Turkish, Russian, Arabic
"give peace; iron; heart, mind, conscience"
The most common form of Damir is of Slavic origins, deriving from the elements da , meaning "give" or "take," and mir , "peace." It's also seen as a variation of the Turkish name Demir, meaning…
"faithful, loyal"
Loyal is one of the few virtue names suitable for boys, an honorable and principled Boy Scout-esque appellation with a surprisingly long and distinguished history. Loyal was a mid-list name at the…
Portuguese form of Israel, or invented name, Hebrew
"he who struggles with God; God is salvation"
Isael, and more particularly its spelling variation Izael, are among the fastest-rising boys' names in the US. It is used as a Portuguese form of Israel, though it may also be a twist on Ismael and…
Hebrew
"might of God"
An obscure Old Testament name used by parents of 75 boys in 2016, Oziel could be a distinctive route to fashionable nickname Oz.
"the great"
Kabir is the 37th name of God in Islam. Kabir is also the name of an Indian poet and mystic saint. In the US, Kabir is on the rise as a boys' name, favored by Muslim parents.
"valley of the eagle; high"
Arden is a gender-neutral name that's sleek and stylish but always seems to bob just below the surface of popularity, despite ticking all the boxes with its fashionable two-syllable, N-ending shape…
Spelling variation of Alan
"handsome, cheerful"
This extra-L variation of Alan isn't quite as popular in the US as the original. Both spellings remain popular in Ireland and England.
"handsome, beautifier"
Traditionally spelled as Zayyan, this concise spelling variant is more popular in the English speaking world. Similar in sound and in meaning to the popular, international-feeling Zayn, it ranks in…
Variation of James, English from Hebrew
"supplanter"
Popular enough in the Indian community to have made it onto the US Top 1000 every year from 2001 to 2014 and now again in 2023, possibly inspired by Jamaican activist Leachim Semaj (born Michael…
English place-name
Devon, spelled like the lovely seaside county in Britain that inspired the name, has crashed since its heyday around the Top 100 in the 1990s. Despite its use as a female name, for example for Devon…
Variation of Caius, Latin
"rejoice"
Kaius is a K-ization of the Latin Caius, the name of an ancient poet, introduced by style maven Rachel Zoe. More recently, it was used by Derek Jeter for his son. The draw of Kaius over Caius is the…
Variation of Ivan, Russian form of John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
This variation of Ivan, itself a form of John, entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2022. Double As are trending across the states, such as Saanvi and Aarush, and Ivaan is running right…
English from German
"wolf-counsel"
Ralph has two diametrically different images: there's the suave Ralph Fiennes-type Brit (often pronounced Rafe), and then there's the Jackie Gleason blue-collar, bowling blowhard Ralph Kramden bus…
"from the valley"
Evoking the image of a shady glen, Slade could make a distinctive middle name. It entered the Top 1000 in 2007, and has been seen as a character name on the TV show "Smallville." It's also a name…
