Video Game Names for Boys

Upbeat Japanese name. Video game fans may recognize Genji as the name of a character from Overwatch.

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 name, rather than a place -- or, conceivably, to Noah's Ark.

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 whose name is derived from the Elven word for "pride".

Italian classic Luigi, though it lacks the modern style of Nico, Enzo, and Rocco, does have some notable namesakes, such as Nobel Prize winning author Luigi Pirandello and composer Cherubini..

Geralt is an antiquated version of the old-fashioned name Gerald, which has been dropping toward the bottom of the US Top 1000 since the early 1940s and finally dropped out in 2021.

Two Zells of note: conservative southern senator Zell Miller, and video-game character Zell, a hero of "Final Fantasy."

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.

Revan is a name from the Star Wars universe that first appeared in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. He starts out on the light side of the Force, then became a Sith Lord on the dark side before reversing trend and working for the light side once more. Revan first appeared on the baby name charts in 2004, the year following the video game release.

What child wouldn't like a name that was a synonym for cool?

Futuristic variation of Cyrus. Cyrax is a character in the Mortal Kombat video game series.

Italian surname most Americans will associate with actress Edie Falco, of Sopranos fame.

Variation of Gorou.

Samuel Beckett, inspired by the French surname Godeau, created the name Godot for his play, Waiting for Godot.

Americans tend to pronounce Godot with the emphasis on the second syllable, but Beckett has said this is incorrect. The correct pronunciation is GOD-oh, with the first syllable stressed.

In Greek mythology, Zagreus was a god of the underworld and the son of Persephone and either Hades or Zeus. The word zagreus refers to a hunter who catches (and dismembers) live animals — the mythical Zagreus is often considered the "first Dionysius," as Dionysius was dismembered as an infant.

Traditionally a feminine name in Scandinavian culture, where these days it's mostly considered a grandmother name. Americans may associate it with Eivor Varinsdottir, a character from Assassain's Creed. She is likely the inspiration for the parents who gave this name to twelve boys and eight girls in 2022.

Kenshi is a single-player video game set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy universe. In Japan, it's the term for "swordsman" rather than a name. Nine sets of American parents named their sons Kenshi in 2021 when it debuted on the charts, but it did not rank in the charts the following year.

The bright yellow weed lends itself to a creative baby name, although we don't recommend the nickname Dandy.

A video-game name ("Final Fantasy VII") with an unappealing sound and meaning.