Saint Names For Boys 

Cornelius, the New Testament name of a third century Pope and saint, is one of those venerable Latin names on the edge of consideration, despite the corny nickname alert. 
 Cornelius has some magical vibe via Cornelius Agrippa, a medieval alchemist who appears in scores of books, including Frankenstein and Harry Potter. In Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, Cornelius was one of the two magicians who help Faustus strike his bargain with the devil. Two characters of the name appear in Shakespeare's plays—Hamlet and Cymbeline. The most famous bearer of the name is probably railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who gave the appellation an aristocratic air. Cornelius is also the birth name of Chevy Chase.
 Cornelius was consistently in the top 1000 through 2008; it was a Top 300 name through 1932.
 And if you're put off by the short form Corny, you could consider Neely, the nickname of the young Cornelius in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Cornelius

Can Linus lose its metaphorical security blanket and move from the Peanuts page onto the birth certificate? We think it has enough charm and other positive elements going for it for the answer to be yes. 
 In Greek myth, Linus is both a musician and poet, the inventor of rhythm and melody who taught music to Hercules. In the Christian era, Linus was the name of the second pope, Saint Peter's successor, while in modern times chemist Linus Pauling was awarded the Nobel Prize twice.
 Humphrey Bogart as Linus Larrabee won the heart of Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, and Matt Damon played Linus Caldwell in three of the Oceans movies. There's also Linus Baker, one of the central character's in T.J. Klune's popular novel, The House in the Cerulean Sea. 
 Linus is currently in or around the Top 50 in Germany, Sweden and Norway, and is one of the most popular boys' names on Nameberry. In the US, it was given to around 130 boys in a recent year, making it an underused, but not totally out there choice. 
 
As with many names, the pronunciation varies, depending on language and location. Among English speakers, the first syllable is said to rhyme with eye or pie, making it LYE-nuhs. In Swedish and German, it would be more like LEE-noos, the oo sound short, like that in took or shook, while in its traditional Greek, it would be LEE-NOS. 
 
International forms include the French, Russian, Bulgarian, and Ukrainian Lin (LEHn, the Lithuanian Linas and the Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese Lino (LEE-no).

Linus

Although Greek in origin--in the fourth century, a bishop by that name established the principles of the Greek Orthodox Church--Basil for years took on the aura of aquiline-nosed upper-class Britishness of Sherlock Holmes portrayer Basil Rathbone, then spiced with the fragrant aroma of the herb that entered with the Pesto generation.
 Now, it's time to take a fresh look at Basil.
 Basil was on the U.S. popularity list quite regularly up till 1970, reaching a high of Number 328 in 1904. Its history includes several rulers of the Byzantine Empire and Eastern Orthodox saints, including one whose grandmother, father, older sister and two younger brothers were all saints as well.
 Basil has also been seen as a figure of fun, as in the manic Basil Fawlty in the British TV comedy classic "Fawlty Towers," in the Disney movie "Basil of Baker Street," and as Basil Brush and Basil Wombat in other kids' entertainment.
 The Russian version, Vassily, is another possibility.

Basil

This name of three early popes has been associated in recent years with a cocky cartoon cat ("Thufferin' thuccatash!") and the Italian Stallion hero of the Rocky and Rambo movies (who was born Michael) — and yet we think it just might be ready to move further back into the mainstream.
 
Sylvester was at its height in the 1920s, when it was in the Top 200, and hung on in the lower rungs of the ladder until 1994. Lately the name has been most visible as a surname — that of Sue Sylvester on Glee. Model Emily Ratajkowski named her son Sylvester Apollo in 2021.
 
Trivia tidbit--in the 1935 movie Sylvia Scarlett, the young Katharine Hepburn disguises herself as a boy named Sylvester — until she meets Cary Grant!

Sylvester

Clement, the name of fourteen popes and several saints, has a pleasantly, positive, slightly antiquated feel, like the phrase "clement weather." 
 Clement C. Moore wrote the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," Clement Attlee was a prominent post-World War II British Prime Minister, and Clement Greenberg was the art critic who promoted Abstract Expressionism.
 The hero of Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native is Clement Yeobright, known as Clym rather than the usual Clem.

Clement

If Flora and Florence have returned full force, then Florian, with its strong Latinate ending and its botanical meaning in one to watch out for. Popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and France, Florian is a saintly choice, borne St Florian, a 3rd-century martyr and the patron saint of Poland and firefighters.
 
Meaning "flower" or "flowering", the name appears in Tennyson's poem "The Princess," and also in Gilbert & Sullivan's comic opera "Princess Ida." Sir Florian Eustace is an off-stage character in Trollope's novel The Eustace Diamonds, while in the real world, Florian is the birth name of singer Dido and borne by footballer Florian Thauvin too. 
 
A great way to honor a Florence (or a Lily, Violet, or Rose), Florian fits in with solid choices like Adrian and Julian, but also with gentler options like Ocean, August, Remy, and Elio.
 
Pronounced as FLO-ree-ahn in German, FLAW-RYAH(n) in French, FLAW-ryahn in Polish and FLAW-ree-uhn in English, Florian was given to around 50 boys in the US in a recent year, while in England and Wales, it rose 127 places up the Top 1000.

Florian

Zeno, the name of two ancient philosophers, has a muscular dynamism that's lightened by its cheerful final vowel, resulting in a kind of offbeat sci-fi feel. Zeno of Citium was the founder of the Stoic school of thought, Zeno of Elea was another early, original Greek thinker, famed for his Paradoxes.
 Zeno Cosini is the protagonist of the Italo Svevo novel Confessions of Zeno.

Zeno

Marius, frequently heard in Germany and France, is a slightly fusty yet accessible name that has (Les Mis) to Anne Rice. With the rise in interest in such Latin names as Maximus and Atticus, Marius might start attracting more attention.
Mario, the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese version of Marius, is much more widely used.

Marius

Brice, much more often spelled Bryce, is an old saint's name that now has a sleek and sophisticated image—it feels elegant and efficient. Of the two spellings, Bryce is much more popular for both sexes.
 Though the name is given much more frequently to boys than to girls, director Ron Howard did a bit of gender bending when he called his daughter Bryce Dallas—a name now featured on marquees. Painter Brice Marden represents the other spelling, while St. Brice was a fifth century Frenchman who was a disciple and successor to St. Martin as bishop of Tours.

Brice

Claude is a soft-spoken French name that conjures up the pastel colors of Monet and harmonies of Debussy. In France, it is used for girls as well, in fact in the Tracy Chevalier novel Lady and the Unicorn, the protagonist is a female Claude.
 Claudes have appeared in such iconic movies as Chinatown and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Actor Simon Baker has a son named Claude Blue.
 A French classic, Claude was also a top 100 name in the U.S. until 1922.
 The attractive Italian version Claudio is occasionally heard in this country, and Claudius is the original Latin--which could be restored in the current Latin-loving climate. While "lame" is the most widely-acknowledged meaning, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise-appealing name.

Claude

Bartholomew is an apostle's name that's been out of favor for centuries but might appeal again to the parent in search of an old but rare choice. The challenge could be to avoid the Simpson-ish nickname. That character, by the way, has the full name of Bartholomew JoJo Simpson, and creator Matt Groening came up with Bart as an--uh oh--anagram for brat. Two old alternate nicknames are Barty and Tolly.
 Ben Jonson's 1614 comedy Bartholomew Fair is set in London on St. Bartholomew's Day. Charles Dickens used the name in Bleak House, and, more recently, Bartholomew Cubbins is the protagonist of the Dr. Seuss books The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins and Bartholomew and the Oobleck

Bartholomew

Like Sky and Sunshine, this fluffy name from the hippie 1970s has floated back onto the naming radar. It's similarity of Clyde and Claude help to ground it. 

Cloud

Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the U.S., where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's not beyond consideration &mdash; in fact it's already been chosen by at least one Berry.
 The meaning of Peregrine, which was borne by several early saints, relates to the transitory nature of life on earth, having nothing to do with the peregrine falcon. In literature, it is best known from the central character of Tobias Smollett's novel Peregrine Pickle.
 Historically, Peregrine was the name chosen for the first English child born in the New World &mdash; actually on the Mayflower when it was docked in Provincetown.
 And there's always the Mad Men-era nickname Perry to make Peregrine more user-friendly.

Peregrine

Isabel, Theodore, and Isadora are back: could it now be time for a more widespread revival of Isidore? Yet to see any big moves up the charts, Isidore was given to more than 30 boys in a recent year: twice the number it was given to a decade ago.

 A common ancient Greek name belonging to several saints--including Saint Isidore the Ploughman, patron saint of Madrid and the great encyclopedist St. Isidore of Seville, whose work formed the basis of much medieval knowledge, it also appears in 19th century novel Villette by Charlotte Brontë, applied to a character to conceal his true, homely identity.
 
Historically common among Jewish communities, though Isaac, Isaiah, and Israel are now preferred, Isidore may make a rare yet approachable choice. Friendly nickname Izzy could be cool, while Dory and Sid are other options.

Isidore

The French-accented Pascal was historically used for sons born at Easter, and can make an interesting choice for a boy with Gallic roots arriving around that holiday. 
 Pascal has a number of notable first and last named namesakes, including the philosopher Blaise Pascal, a character in Beauty and the Beast and--for computer freaks--it is also the name of a scientific database.
 Pascoe is an attractive Cornish variation.

Pascal

Barnabas, whose birth name was Joseph, was one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem, who undertook missionary journeys with Paul the Apostle, His name is a bit Old World compared to the update Barnaby, but could gain some attention as boys' names ending in 's' are enjoying a comeback.


Barnabas

Rupert is a charming-yet-manly name long more popular in Britain (where it's attached to a beloved cartoon bear) than in the U.S. Yet we can see Rupert as a more stylish, modern way to honor an ancestral Robert.
 Rupert has been more visible in this country of late via Rupert Grint, portrayer of Harry Potter's Ron Weasley and the character Rupert Giles, mentor of Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as actors Rupert Everett and Rupert Graves--not to mention media mogul Rupert Murdoch. 
 Off the US popularity lists since the early fifties, Rupert ranks high on Nameberry--at Number 170.

Rupert

Juniper is a nature name that we really like. While it's trendiest for girls -- about 2500 baby girls were named Juniper in 2022 versus 34 baby boys -- the most notable Juniper in history was the saint Brother Juniper, a follower of Saint Francis renowned for his generosity.  Blessed Junipero Serra, who founded the first of the California Missions, took his name from the earlier Saint Juniper.

Juniper

Blane is the attractive surname name of an important sixth-century Scottish saint, though Blaine is a more familiar spelling. Ultimately from the Old Irish Bláán, it has the coloful and upbeat meaning of yellow. 
 Briefly popular in the 50s and 60s, Blane was the name (and spelling) of the heroine's preppy object of affection in the iconic 80s movie 'Pretty in Pink'.

Blane

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.
 Fellow singer James Taylor named one of his twins Rufus, and Rufus Humphrey is a Gossip Girl character. Rufus Sewell is a commanding, intense English actor.
 Rufus is mentioned in the New Testament as the name of a son of Simon the Cytherian, and there are several St. Rufuses. He's also a major figure in the George Eliot novel Felix Holt: The Radical, an honest and passionate preacher and politician.

Rufus

are of interest to parents looking for inspirational names with spiritual or religious meaning. Saints' names also are important if you're looking for 

It is tradition, though no longer a requirement, in the

 for a child receiving baptism to be given a saint's name. However, even parents who don't find themselves particularly religious have begun to take interest in the

 rare, uplifting, and sometimes unheard-of names of saints

 for their sons and daughters. Names of notable saints such as St. Sebastian and St. Jude are listed here, as well as those of lesser-known saints.

 include Adrian, Elias, Fabian, Henry, Israel, Jonah, Killian, and Owen. More uncommon names such as Amias, Benno, Cassian, and Leander are also saints' names worth considering.

If you are interested in ancient names, saints' names are a great source of inspiration.

Saint names for baby boys, with names of male saints that work for boys today and confirmation names, including meanings, origins, and popularity. (Page 4)

Saint Names for Boys