Ancient Names for Boys (You'll Love Right Now)

Phaëthon

Greek

"radiant one, shining one"

Alternate spelling of Phaethon.

Philo

Greek

"loving"

Could Philo be the next Milo? We love the o-ending and sweet meaning of this dynamic and distinctive Greek name, often used in literature, but never particularly popular. The ancient Philo (aka Philo…

Polo

Tibetan

"brave wanderer"

If Portia can become Porsche, then Apollo can morph into Polo -- the imprint of designer Ralph Lauren.

Primus

Latin

"first"

The revival of long-dormant Roman names would put this back in the lexicon if it wasn't so connected to a telecommunications network.

Qasim

Arabic

"charitable, generous"

Name of a son of the Prophet Muhammad, with a particularly positive meaning.

Quintus

Latin

"fifth"

A literary name figuring in the story of Ben Hur and the novels of Anthony Trollope that has the feel of Roman antiquity that is beginning to appeal to many parents. Quintus was one of only about…

Ramses

Egyptian

"son of God"

Ramses was the name of several kings in Ancient Egypt, including the long-reigning Ramses II, known as Ramses the Great. Unfortuntely, some may associate it with the condom brand name.

Ranefer

Egyptian

"Ra is beautiful"

Also transliterated as Ranofer, this handsome Ancient Egyptian name sounds surprisingly on-trend for a modern baby boy. Two significant namesakes in Ancient Egypt were a prince and a High Priest of…

Ravi

Hindi

"sun; conferring"

A title of the Hindu sun god, made cross-culturally famous by sitar player Ravi Shankar.

Remus

Latin, meaning unknown

Remus is one of the legendary twins who, with brother Romulus, founded Rome. An unusual yet classic name for the extremely adventurous who can put aside the stereotyped image of Uncle Remus. Though…

Romanus

Latin

"from Rome"

Most parents looking for an ancient Roman name would probably prefer something less generic, like, say, MAGNUS or CLAUDIUS.

Romulus

Latin

"citizen of Rome"

He was the original Roman, Remus's twin and a founder of Rome. But parents attracted to this name are advised to read the legend first. Romulus does have some less than savory characteristics,…

Archimedes

Greek

"master planner"

Archimedes of Syracuse was a famous Ancient Greek thinker, especially in the fields of mathematics and sciences. He made important contributions to geometry and calculus. His name was a perfect…

Xanthos

Greek

"golden-haired"

This alternate name for Apollo has a noble sound and can always be shortened to Xan.

Rufus

Latin

"red-head"

Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.…

Sanjiro

Japanese

"admired, praised"

Interesting name with a cool, upbeat sound.

Seneca

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.

Septimus

Latin

"the seventh son"

Septimus is one of the more dashing of the birth-order Latin number names that were revived by the Victorians. So even if you don't anticipate son number 7, you might be bold enough to consider this…

Zephaniah

Hebrew

"God has hidden"

A minor prophet who has his own Book, Zephaniah is another Old Testament gem waiting to be rediscovered now that Noah and Abraham are becoming too trendy. The vowel-sound ending of Zephaniah is…

Severus

Latin

"stern"

Though it has literary credentials--making an appearance in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park and as the mean-spirited teacher Severus Snape in the Harry Potter books, most modern parents would find it…