User-created list
By lesliemarion · Updated May 2023
Across 26 pages
of 26
Scottish variation of James
"supplanter"
Just as Seamus/Seumus is Irish for James, Hamish is the Scottish form — one that's not often used here, but still redolent of Olde Scotland. If you're ready to go further than Duncan and Malcolm, out…
Swedish from Old Norse
"Thor's stone"
Scandinavian names are fashionable these days, and Torsten is one that is used only occasionally: About 20 baby boys were named Torsten in the US last year.
Scottish
"place of the cannon"
A lesser-used presidential choice, with a charming, buccaneering sound. Fictional bearers include the Marvel Comics character James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, as well as the heroine of F. Scott…
English
"freezing"
Long heard as a last name, as in venerable poet Robert, U.K. talk show host David, British actress Sadie and old Jack Frost, Frost has suddenly entered the scene as a possible first, along with other…
Nature name
Gale for boys is more a storm name than a short form of Abigail. Since Gale has resurfaced as the name of Liam Hemsworth's daring character in The Hunger Games , it has new force for boys.
"someone who lives in a hollow; strong and hearty"
This name projects a sense of well-being, as in "hale and hearty", while also having a nature-adjacent meaning, referring to someone who lives near a hollow, a nook, or a remote area of land. Rhyming…
French
"new town"
More often used in Britain than here, where most names ending in ville fall into the unthinkable class, this might make an exception via fans of the musical Neville Brothers. Charles Dickens used the…
Bird and color name
This name of both a grayish-greenish-blue color and a kind of wild duck can be used for both boys and girls.
Torrey is a masculine name with both English and Gaelic origins. As an English surname-turned-first-name, it derives from toponyms meaning 'hill tower' or 'tower island.' In Gaelic contexts, it may…
Modern nickname
An old-fashioned nickname in the Bud/Buzz/Biff mold; this one's kind of belligerent. Michelle Hicks and Jonny Lee Miller moved outside the box when they used it for their son--given the safer middle…
"marsh town"
Fenton is the kind of surname name that's starting to sound almost like a normal first name these days. While it made a brief appearance on the Top 1000 in the late 1800s, today it's distinctive but…
Teutonic
"mighty warrior"
A rarely used last-name-first-name, never as popular as cousins Garrett or Derek.
Greek
"young goat"
One of those names that most Americans find just too too tea-sippingly British to consider; its meaning has led to occasional use for Capricorn boys.
English, Scottish
"valley between the hills; clean hill; from the dark glen"
With a hint of old-man clunkiness and modern surname style, Glendon is a name with Scottish and English origins. Connected to nature, it can mean "valley between the hills" (from its English roots)…
Irish
"bard, royal poet"
Has a legitimate first name history in its native land and an appealing meaning, but pronunciation is far from obvious.
Norwegian and Swedish variation of Thor, Hebrew, English
"thunder; turtledove; victor; hill, rocky peak"
An interesting and attractive multicultural choice, Tor packs a lot in to three letters. It may be used as a modern form of Þórr (Thor) , the name of the Norse thunder god or as a short form of…
Law is a masculine name with multiple origins and meanings. As an English surname-turned-first-name, it derives from the Old English 'hlaw' meaning 'hill' or as a shortened form of Lawrence, meaning…
African place-name
Morocco is an attractive and rhythmic name, evocative of such fabled cities as Casablanca, Tangier and Marrakesh, in a country whose unique landscape and rich culture attracted such twentieth century…
Welsh
"shining brow"
Poetic and handsome with a hint of mystique and magic around it, this rugged Welsh name may appeal as an alternative to Tristan or Taran. Meaning "shining, radiant brow", the name is associated with…
"from the narrow forest"
A beaming, friendly Irish last-name-first-name waiting to be discovered, though anyone into American history might associate it with John C. Calhoun, a 19th century statesman who defended slavery.…
