By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 50 pages
of 50
English
"counsel power"
Now seen as the chap in the smoking jacket in a 1930s drawing-room comedy, Reginald has actually been on the US popularity list every year since 1880. A name that was quite common throughout the…
Arabic
"support, sturdy, wall"
A name with aspirations towards strength, solidity, and caring, Sanad has more than doubled in use since 2020 in the US. Given to around 120 boys in a recent year, Sanad is also used to refer to a…
"lives near the ford by the cliff"
Clifford is beginning to overcome a slightly stodgy intellectual image and showing signs of possible revival. Kids might or might not like the association with the big red dog. In England, the…
"serious"
Simple and serious Arabic name which debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016.
English surname
"bought land"
Up-and-coming surname name that may evoke thoughts of ballet dancer Misty Copeland or one of the many towns called Copeland. It was given to 138 boys in a recent count.
German
"strong, brave as a bear"
Bernard is obviously a saint's name, but how did it get to the big, benevolent dog? The eleventh century monk, patron saint of mountain climbers, who lived in the Alps, was famed for setting up safe…
Dutch place-name
"wooded land"
Holland, like most place names, is intrinsically gender neutral, but in practice today it's mostly female. There's about one boy Holland born in the US these days for every five girl Hollands. That's…
English from German
"ruler, strong as an eagle"
Strange as it may now seem, the venerable St. Arnold was a Greek by birth, a musician who became a member of the court of Charlemagne. The name is said to have been introduced into Britain by the…
Welsh
"gray"
This Welsh surname was taken up as a first in the English-speaking world in the early twentieth century, originally as a nickname for someone gray-haired. The original Welsh nickname was Llwyd,…
"happy, lucky"
A traditional and important Arabic name — Sai'd bin Zayd was a friend of the prophet Muhammed.
"fox"
A 1970s beach boy surfing buddy of Scott, Brad, and Chad, Todd is given to relatively few babies these days.
"battle warrior"
Despite all the "hanging," "dangling," and "pregnant" chad jokes of the 2000 election, this saint's name and remnant of the Brad-Tad era didn't get a boost in popularity. But Chad still holds some…
Medieval short form of Jordan
"flowing down"
Judd is a strong but sensitive short form that can easily stand on its own, the second 'd' giving it a lot more substance, and it would also be a good middle name choice. Two recent actors have given…
English and Irish from German
"spear strength"
Gerard is currently in style limbo, after reaching peak popularity in the 1950s. With its strong meaning and gentle sound, it may be back in a generation or two. But for now, a boy called Gerard will…
"having good judgment"
In the US, Rashad is one of the most popular and best-known Arabic names, through several sports and entertainment celebrities.
English, spelling variation of Leland
"meadow land"
An alternate spelling of Leland, Leeland may appeal to sports-loving parents due to former NFL player Leeland McElroy.
English place name from Dutch
"sea land"
Sunny and energetic, but with a hint of cool cowboy, Zealand has been sparingly used since the 2000s, Zealand but shot up the charts in 2021 after YouTube family The Labrants gave it to their son the…
"eternal"
Khaled is a widely-used Arabic and Muslim name with a strong appealing meaning. Khalid is another popular spelling. Both versions are among the most familiar Arabic names for boys , perhaps thanks to…
Mouhamed is a masculine name representing a transliteration variation of Muhammad, the name of the prophet of Islam. The original Arabic name means 'praised one' or 'worthy of praise.' This…
"support; reinforcement"
In the Quran, Eyad (and names with similar roots like Iyad and Ayad) refers to a person/entity that strengthens another. Eyad is one of the modern Arabic names for boys .
