Fancy Boy Names

  1. Ferdinand
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "bold voyager"
    • Description:

      Ferdinand is a traditional name among Spanish royal families and also appears in Shakespeare's The Tempest, borne by the handsome young prince shipwrecked on Prospero's island. Bold, daring, and poetic, it was a popular choice in the US in the 19th and early 20th century, but the 1938 movie Ferdinand the Bull has left it with a lingering clunkiness and it has been out of style since the 80s.
  2. Whittaker
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "white field"
    • Description:

      If you discount the connection to the controversial Whittaker Chambers in the days of the Red Scare, Whittaker is a pleasant enough British surname with the preppyish nickname Whit.
  3. Leandro
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian variation of Leander
    • Meaning:

      "lion-man"
    • Description:

      Leandro is a variation of the Ancient Greek name Leander, created by combining the Latin words leo and Andro together, to get a meaning that suggests strength, power, and bravery. The Hero and Leander myth lends the name a romantic, poetical feel, while it's association to Bishop Leander of Seville gives it a more saintly quality.
  4. Crispin
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "curly-haired"
    • Description:

      Crispin, which was introduced into the mainstream by actor Crispin Glover and which means "curly-haired" in Latin, has an image very much like its first syllable: crisp, autumnal, and colorful.
  5. Jago
    • Origin:

      Spanish and Cornish variation of Jacob
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      Jago is a dashing alternative to overused favorite Jacob.
  6. Guillermo
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of William
    • Description:

      As with Guillaume (see above), Liam, Willem, and Wilhelm, everyday Williams in their own countries, Guillermo is a captivating possibility here. Giermo, Gigermo, Gijermo, Gillermo, Gillirmo, Giyermo, Guermillo, Guiermo Guilermón, Guille, Guillelmo, Guillermino, Guillo, Guirmo, Gullermo, Llermo, Memo, Quillermo.
  7. Gulliver
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "glutton"
    • Description:

      Gulliver is an obscure Gaelic surname known almost solely through its literary Travels until actor Gary Oldman used it for his son, instantly transforming it into a lively option. British actors Damian Lewis, of Homeland, and Helen McCrory also have a son named Gulliver.
  8. Sinjin
    • Origin:

      Phonetic spelling of St. John
    • Description:

      The name St. John is much more usable in its phonetic spelling — similar to the way St. Clair evolved into Sinclair. St. John has some literary cred — St. John Rivers is a cool character in Jane Eyre.

      St. John has been attached to a number of notable men — not as a first but as a middle name, one shared by Evelyn Waugh, Basil Rathbone, Richard Harris and Brian Eno.

  9. Cymbeline
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      "sun lord or sun hound"
    • Description:

      The title of a Shakespeare play based on legends featuring the early Celtic King Cunobelinus, whose name derives from the Gaulish sun god Belenus.
  10. Wellington
    • Origin:

      English surname from place name
    • Meaning:

      "people living in the hamlet in the cleared area near the temple"
    • Description:

      Wellington is a tony-sounding English surname turned baby name by pregnancy guru Rosie Pope, who calls her son Wells for short. It's also the middle name of one of the Sweet Home sextuplets, Blu Wellington.
  11. Ptolemy
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "aggressive, warlike"
    • Description:

      Pronounced "TAHL-a-mee," this was the name of one of Alexander the Great's generals and several Greco-Egyptian rulers, as well as the name of a famous Greek astronomer. Actress Gretchen Mol brought it into modern times when she chose it for her baby.
  12. Balthasar
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "God protects the king"
    • Description:

      Balthasar was one of the biblical Three Kings who visited the infant Jesus, also used by Shakespeare and in the oil-rich Getty family; offbeat and intriguing. Balthazar is another, equally appropriate spelling.
  13. Piers
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "rock"
    • Description:

      Piers was the first version of Peter to reach the English-speaking world, via the Normans, but it's never made it in the US, despite its large measure of understated panache. This might change due to the high visibility of TV personality and former news editor Piers Morgan.
  14. Marmaduke
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "devotee of Maedoc"
    • Description:

      One of the ultimate teasable names, an Irish saint's name now associated with the oversized comic-strip dog. Scottish adventurer Bear (born Edward) Grylls took up the challenge when he used it for his son.
  15. Alessandro
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Alexander
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      For anyone seeking a more unusual version of Alexander, this is a real winner.
  16. Montague
    • Origin:

      Literature, French
    • Meaning:

      "pointy hill"
    • Description:

      The family name of Shakespeare's Romeo, Montague has a touch of old-fashioned grandeur about it. With clunky-cute nickname Monty and similar sounds to Montgomery, it has been used as a given name since at least the 18th century, with a number of English earls and baronets receiving the name, along with film director, Montague "Monty" Banks, journalist and radio host Montague Modlyn, and cricketer Montague Noble.
  17. Pendragon
    • Origin:

      Literary name
    • Meaning:

      "head dragon, chief warrior"
    • Description:

      The epithet of the legendary king's father Uther in Arthurian legend, later also applied to King Arthur himself. It literally means "head dragon" or "dragon's head", but the name appears in medieval Welsh mythology with the figurative meaning of "chief warrior". A truly daring name for a boy, in every sense!
  18. Radcliff
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "red cliff"
    • Description:

      Harvard's sibling.
  19. Hyperion
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "the high one"
    • Description:

      In Greek mythology, Hyperion is one of the twelve Titans: children of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky). Hyperion presides over heavenly light, and is the father of Helios (Sun), Selene (Moon), and Eos (Dawn).
  20. Yardley
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "wood clearing"
    • Description:

      Yardley is an English surname with a distinguished vibe, a la Chauncey and Clancy. Extremely rare for either sex, it would make a stand-out choice that still fits in with current trends.

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