Cool Classic Boy Names Below the Top 1000

An evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament, among other places. It's also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation.

Any boy with this name, a synonym for power via the Greek mythology figure, better be strong of body, and of psyche.

As a form of Yochanan, Yahya is an Islamic name that honors the prophet John the Baptist. A new entry to the US Top 1000 in 2015, it's a widely used choice in Italy and in England and Wales.

Thompson is not as popular as Jackson or Harrison, but a novel way to circumvent Junior for the son of a Thomas.

This form got noticed as the first name of long-reigning Russian president Brezhnev; other bearers include playwright and short-story writer Andreyev, Leonid the Magnificent,a Russian performance artist on America's Got Talent, and Leonid McGill, the protagonist of a Walter Mosley private eye series. All in all, though, Leonid is not the most likely to join the pride of lion-related names here.

Would be more usable if it wasn't so strongly associated with hairdresser Sassoon and his many hair products.

One of the least known of the Ken names, though could make an intriguing namesake for an outdated Kenneth.

A shortened form of Zephaniah

This might be a better choice than the similarly pronounced Jan, to avoid gender confusion.

An underused Biblical name borne by a New Testament prophet, Nahum feels like a good option for parents looking for a rare but traditional name that fits in with current trends.

The name of a beautiful village on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, Veryan actually derives from a series of misunderstandings: Sen Veryan ("Saint Veryan") is a Cornish corruption of Severian, which is itself a corrupted form of the saint’s name Symphorian, to whom the village church at Veryan is dedicated.

Either an alternative spelling of Jacques (ZHAK), the French form of Jack, or a Shakespearean character from As You Like It, pronounced JAY-kwiss.

In Ancient Egyptian mythology, Khepri is a scarab-faced god who represents the rising sun, as well as new life.

A strong and interesting nature name of Native American (Mapuche) origin.