9 Letter Boy Names
- Demetrius
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"follower of Demeter"Description:
Classical and Shakespearean name that may appeal if you like your names long, flowing and multicultural.
- 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.
- Marcellus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"young warrior"Description:
This ancient Roman family name, first borne by the distinguished Marcus Claudius Marcellus and later by two popes, is a possibilty in the hot new category of names from antiquity.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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".
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- Nicodemus
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"victory of the people"Description:
This rarely used New Testament name could make an unusual route to the cool nickname Nico. Nicodemus (Noddy) Boffin is a character in the Dickens novel Our Mutual Friend.
- 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.
- Mackenzie
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"son of Kenneth"Description:
This lively Scottish name caught on for girls in a big way starting from the 1970s in the US, although it has remained much more gender-neutral in its native Britain, where it peaked at #109 for boys in 2005 (#303 for girls the name year). Mac would be a cool short form.
- Robinette
Origin:
Feminization of Robinet, FrenchMeaning:
"bright fame"Description:
The R in Joseph R. Biden Jr. stands for Robinette, the President's paternal grandmother's maiden name. In Medieval France, Robinette was used as a feminine given name derived from the male form Robinet and later became a matronymic surname via Robine.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. :
- 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.