Updated October 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Latin from Greek
"burning"
Yes, it's the name of the brightest star in the sky, but can't you just hear people saying, "Are you serious?" Singer Erykah Badu used it as a middle name for son Seven.
French variation of Sasha, Russian short form of Alexander, Greek
"defending warrior"
Sasha in all its forms -- which include Sacha and Sascha -- is rising in popularity for both boys and girls. Its most prominent current bearer with this spelling is Sacha Baron Cohen. Sacha is a Top…
Invented French name, meaning unknown
Sohan is a modern French invention. It may be related to Jean or a variation of the similar name Yohan.
English word name
A rare unisex word/virtue name that is currently given to around 10 babies of each gender per year in the US. It could make for an unexpected route to bright, easygoing nickname Sol (or trendy…
Word name
"to glow, radiate, excel"
A quietly though not insubstantially used option for boys, Shine ticks a number of boxes. It's an unexpected word name with the familiar sounds of Shiloh or Shane; it fits in among ambitious virtue…
Diminutive of Shepherd
Three Stooges name (he's the one who wasn't Moe or Curly).
English
"dweller by the wood"
With the current taste for last names first, this sounds a lot cooler than Shawn; it also has creative connections to the great Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, novelist Irwin Shaw, and Big…
Variant of Samuel
Samwise Gamgee is the name of Frodo's most loyal companion in Lord of the Rings , played by Sean Astin in Peter Jackson's movie adaptations. Like the related Samwell from Game of Thrones , it could…
Italian form of Silvanus
"wood, forest"
Silvanus was the Roman god of the forests and is also an alternate name in the New Testament for Silas. Relatives include Silvio, Silvius, and Sylvia.
English occupational name
"shearer of woolen cloth"
Not quite as over-the-hill as Herman, but not far behind either.
This shimmery Age of Aquarius unisex flower child name is making a comeback, along with metal and gem names like Steel, Jade, and Ruby.
"of the sun"
Solar is a new gender-neutral word name used nearly evenly for boys and girls. With both a weather and a heavenly bent, it's a name that's just warming up.
"summoner"
Billionaire Sumner Redstone, the nonagenarian owner of CBS and Viacom, practically has a monopoly on his first name — for now. But Hunter, Asher, and Ryder have ushered in a major vogue "-er" names,…
Latin surname and Native American
"people of the standing rock"
Seneca's distinguished heritage as the name of the ancient Roman philosopher-playwright who tutored Nero, and of an Iroquois tribe makes this an interesting choice for either sex.
Modern invented name, possible variation of Shamir
In the Top 1,000 since 1996, a less expected alternative to Omar.
French variation of Severus; Latin
"stern, serious"
Severin is an ancient Roman family name borne by several early saints. It's still alive throughout Europe, and could be ready for import here. Severin Winter is a wrestling prodigy character in John…
Arabic word name
"leader"
Sheikh, the Arabic royal title turned name, is among the Top 1000 boys' names in the UK though undiscovered in the US. With the ascendance of such royal names as King and Reign, Sheikh is sure to…
Variation of Sabin, Latin
"from the Sabines"
Sabian is a relative of Sabin and Sabina, both referring to the Sabines, an ancient Italian people. Sabin is also a Quranic name of one of the "People of the Book". About a dozen baby boys were named…
Sequoia is a masculine name derived from the name of the massive redwood trees native to California, which were themselves named after Sequoyah (c.1770-1843), the Cherokee silversmith who created a…
Scottish
"from the town of St. Clair"
Could be a novel way for a boy's name to honor an ancestral Claire.