Boy Names Lists · Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
Word name
"colliding violently; sudden loud sound"
Crash is a particularly calamitous entry in the badass boys' name category, taking Wilder and Maverick one -- or maybe a dozen -- steps further. But we can think of at least a dozen reasons you…
Japanese
"aware of emptiness"
Goku is the name of the protagonist of the popular "Dragon Ball" manga series, which was turned into a live action film. The character of Goku is reportedly based on Sun Wukong, the hero of the…
Japanese, Welsh
In Welsh, a diminutive of Iorwerth. As a Japanese name, Iori stands alone.
"good, respectful"
A classic Japanese name known to kids around the world as a Nintendo video-game character.
Irish
"battle man"
Cahir along with its traditional spelling Cathair is well-used in modern Ireland. Now it's finding a wider audience thanks to The Witcher , though Cahir is the main villain of the series. It was in…
Jojo is a playful, gender-neutral name often used as a masculine name in its own right or as a nickname for names like Joseph, Jonathan, Jordan, or Johannes. Its repetitive structure gives it a…
Hebrew
"emanations"
Sephiroth is a villain in the Final Fantasy universe who recently inspired seven sets of parents to use his name for their sons. In Hebrew, the word sephiroth — typically spelled sefirot — means…
Invented name, or Norwegian or Spanish surname
"pride; light, bright"
Solas is a surname name in both Norwegian (as Solås) and Spanish (as Solás), but it was introduced as a first name via the video game franchise Dragon Age . In the series, Solas is an Elven mage…
French
"wood, forest"
Doesn't everything sound better with a French accent? Sylvain, the French variation of the Roman wood god's name, sounds somehow cooler and more sophisticated than Sylvan.
Hungarian
"sultan"
Though a common name in Hungary, with the spelling Zoltán, the relatively rare Z sound is striking to English speakers. Penn Gillette used the Zolten spelling for his son; it was also the name of…
Invented name
Futuristic variation of Cyrus. Cyrax is a character in the Mortal Kombat video game series.
We have Cove and Canyon—why not Cave?
Rygar is an uncommon masculine name that gained recognition primarily through the 1980s video game character of the same name, a warrior hero in the classic arcade game by Tecmo. Unlike many…
"string instrument"
When Australian actress Rachel Griffiths chose this highly unusual name for her son, many assumed it was a bizarre invention, but noted Australian poet and writer of Waltzing Matilda , Banjo…
Animal name
"scorpion"
Animal name with some serious sting to it, Scorpion is one of the unique baby names that should probably stay that way.
Modern invented name
The name of the lead character -- a purple dragon -- in a long-running series of video games. Technically also a variant of the classic Greek name Spiro/Spyros.
English word name
A video-game name ("Final Fantasy VII") with an unappealing sound and meaning.
Refers, in literal terms, to a curved line -- as in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famed "arc of justice." Could also be used as a reference to Joan of Arc -- Arc being, there, derived from her father's…
Toan is a masculine name with Vietnamese origins, where it carries the meaning of 'complete,' 'whole,' or 'perfect.' In Vietnamese culture, the name reflects qualities of completeness and integrity.…
Swedish and Norwegian
"Thor's bear"
Torbjorn, written as Torbjörn in Swedish and Torbjørn in Norwegian, is derived from the Old Norse Þórbjǫrn , meaning "Thor's bear." It's currently a grandpa name in Scandinavia, but some…
