My Top Male Names

Eames

English

"son of the uncle"

An upscale surname with a nice modern design connection to the creators of the Eames chair and other midcentury furniture classics, Charles and Ray Eames.

Early

Diminutive of Earl, English, or word name

"nobleman, warrior; early"

Early is a word-turned-name, pleasantly suggesting the start of a bright new day. Of the new word and day names, Early is one of the best. Early James is the stage name of singer-songwriter Fredrick…

Eben

Hebrew, diminutive of Ebenezer

"stone of help"

Though most parents would shy away from Ebenezer, short form Eben is affable and creative and perfectly able to stand alone; nothing Scroogish about it. This also makes a fresh new spin on the very…

Edmund

English

"fortunate protector"

The sophisticated Edmund and its nearly-identical French twin Edmond are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name. In fact, it's already a fairly…

Edsel

English

"wealthy man's estate"

Besides having an unappealing sound, has long been identified with a much-mocked Ford car model; use of this name is now restricted to the Ford family.

Elder

English word name

Anyone who's seen "The Book of Mormon" or visited Utah knows this as the title taken by male Mormon missionaries during their term of service. We'd advise anyone who lives somewhere with any…

Ellery

English

"descendant of Hilary"

Ellery is a rhythmic three-syllable boy's name that is familiar and yet rarely used--and just waiting to be discovered. It's long been identified with Ellery Queen--which was both the pen name of two…

Elm

English, German, Norse, Danish tree name

"red, brown"

Strong, straight, and leafy, one of the new tree names used mostly as middles.

Elmer

English

"noble and renowned"

Thanks to Elmer Fudd, Elmer the Cow, Elmer the elephant, Elmer's glue and the similar Elmo, this name might, to some feel like a jokey choice: the quintessential so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out…

Elmo

Italian from German

"protector"

Elmo, like fellow Sesame Street characters Kermit and Grover, has a hard time being taken seriously. (It isn't easy being red either.) But Elmo also calls to mind the image of St. Elmo's fire--the…

Endicott

English

"beyond the cottage"

Upstanding New England patrician name.

Endymion

Greek

"dive into, enter"

The name of a mythically handsome youth – loved by Selene, the moon, who bore him fifty daughters. If you're looking for a mythological name for your son, this might make an excellent choice both…

Erskine

Scottish

"from the high cliffs"

Rarely used un-Gaelic-sounding Scottish name with literary associations to Erskine Caldwell, author of Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre .

Etienne

French variation of Stephen

"garland, crown"

It's the French Steve yet feels oh so much more debonair. Well-used and still a popular classic in French-speaking lands, but one of the many French names for boys unfamiliar to most English…

Everard

English spelling variation of Eberhard

"hardy"

An older form of Everett that stays closer to its Germanic roots. Distinguished Everard is the name of several historical figures and literary characters, including a minor hobbit in The Lord of the…

Fairbanks

English

"bank along the pathway"

Alaska's second most populous city makes a baby name with a preppy, even aristocratic, flavor.

Falcon

Bird name

There is a whole new species of bird names open to the baby namer, from the light and feminine Lark to the sleek and powerful Falcon.

Falconer

Occupational name

"falcon trainer"

Falconer is one choice that has morphed rapidly from outlandish to possible, even attractive, thanks to the fashion for occupational names. And really, if Archer is getting popular and Miller seems…

Faraday

Scottish surname

"wood man"

This unusual Scottish surname was made immortal by Michael Faraday, a British scientist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His name is now a unit of scientific…