9 Letter Boy Names
- Salvatore
Origin:
Italian variation of SalvatorMeaning:
"savior"Description:
For every Tio Salvador in a Latino family, there's a Zio Salvatore in an Italian one. Having always ranked in the US Top 1000, it is in danger of falling off the charts very soon.
- Astrophel
Origin:
Literary nameMeaning:
"star lover"Description:
Invented by 16th-century English poet Sir Philip Sidney for the hero of his sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella, this name is derived from the Greek elements aster "star" and philos "lover". Sidney’s heroine, and Astrophel’s love-interest, is Stella — whose name means "star".
- Hawthorne
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"lives where hawthorn hedges grow"Description:
The great American novelist sets this above many other surnames (and nature names, for that matter), but it's still an imposing and adventurous choice. Do nicknames Hawk or Thorne make it more approachable? The timid should stick with Nathaniel.
- Mordechai
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"follower of Marduk"Description:
Mordechai and Mordecai are equally valid — both are used as transcriptions from the Hebrew bible, and one did not originate before the other. But although popular culture tends to prefer the (slightly simpler) Mordecai, Mordechai has always been the more common version for babies born in the US.
- Siddharth
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"one who has accomplished a goal"Description:
Siddhartha Gautama was one of the real names of Buddha, making this an impressive and weighty name among the Buddhist community.
- Cymbeline
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"sun lord or sun hound"Description:
The title of a Shakespeare play based on legends featuring the early Celtic King Cunobelinus, whose name derives from the Gaulish sun god Belenus.
- Dionysius
Origin:
Greek mythology nameMeaning:
"god of Nysa"Description:
Dionysius derives from Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, revelry and fertility. This Romanized spelling has been used for poets, soldiers, and saints throughout the centuries, but is hardly ever seen today.
- Ferdinand
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"bold voyager"Description:
Ferdinand, a traditional name in the royal families of Spain and a handsome young prince shipwrecked on Prosper's island in Shakespeare's The Tempest has, unfortunately, to the American ear a somewhat heavy and clumsy feel – most likely because of the bull connection. In the 1880's it was in the 200's on the US pop list, but has been off completely since 1986.
- Balthasar
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"God protects the king"Description:
Balthasar was one of the biblical Three Kings who visited the infant Jesus, also used by Shakespeare and in the oil-rich Getty family; offbeat and intriguing. Balthazar is another, equally appropriate spelling.
- Leviathan
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"twisted, coiled; in modern Hebrew - whale"Description:
Leviathan was a name given to 76 boys in the USA in 2021. It makes a rather unusual Biblical choice, being the name not of a man or angel, but of a sea monster. In literature and popular culture, the term Leviathan has since come to be used as a synonym for any gargantuan, monstrous creature or object (think of the bag in VEEP).
- Thelonius
Origin:
Latinized variation of TilloMeaning:
"lord"Description:
One of the coolest of names, thanks to legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Sphere Monk, who inherited it from his father. It has been used very sparingly since the 1960s--just a sprinkling of baby boys receive the name each year. Monk's middle name Sphere is pretty unique too--a cousin of Cosmos and Cosmo. Some other jazz names to consider: Bix, Ellington, Ella, Etta, Mingus, Dexter and Calloway. :
- Alejandro
Origin:
Spanish variation of AlexanderMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
Softer and smoother than Alexander, this classic Spanish name for boys has made a seamless transition to this culture. Adding to its current impact: the Lady Gaga song Alejandro .
- Whittaker
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"white field"Description:
If you discount the connection to the controversial Whittaker Chambers in the days of the Red Scare, Whittaker is a pleasant enough British surname with the preppyish nickname Whit.
- Hippolyte
Origin:
French from GreekMeaning:
"releaser of horses"Description:
Hippolyte is the name of an Amazonian princess AND her son, both unfortunate mythical figures. The name Hippolyte, later borne by several saints, is a not an uncommon boys' name in France, but has barely set foot on American soil and is unlikely to do so. It was the middle name of famed French playwright Jean Giraudoux.
- Alabaster
Origin:
Mineral nameDescription:
Alabaster is a white stone that was often used to make sculptures. The name is thought to derive from an Egyptian term al-abaste, which refers to the Egyptian God Bast.
- Lafayette
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"faith"Description:
Foppish name with a distinguished forebear, French general Marquis de Lafayette, who fought in the American Revolution. It accounts for the L in L. Ron Hubbard. Old-time short form: Fayette or Fate.
- Ellington
Origin:
English place-name and surnameMeaning:
"Ellis's town"Description:
Ellington is a swinging musical name, evoking the jazzy and elegant persona of the Duke (born Edward Kennedy Ellington). While that reference may seem to make Ellington a male name, it is also occasionally used for girls.
- Aristotle
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"superior"Description:
The great philosopher's name is commonly used in Greek families, and is one that could work for daring, philosophy inclined American ones.
- Cassander
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"light of man"Description:
Cassander is the masculine form of Cassandra, and the name of an ancient king of Macedon from the 3rd century BC. It could make a nice alternative to Alexander or a refreshing way to honour a female relative named Cassie/Cassandra/Sandra.
- Francesco
Origin:
Italian variation of FrancisDescription:
Thanks to the inspiration of Pope Francis, Francesco has galloped to the front of the line to become the Number One boys' name in Italy. As Francesca has become a familiar and popular form of the name for girls in the wider world, so does the handsome Francesco have that potential for boys.