Men of Law and Order

  1. Adam
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "son of the red earth"
    • Description:

      Adam -- a primal Old Testament name -- was revived as a 1960s cowboy name. Adam is not as popular as it once was and feels ready for a respite, replaced by newer A names like Aidan/Aiden, Avery and Axel. Its most prominent current bearers include Adams Sandler, Levine, Brody and Driver -- who plays a character named Adam on Girls.
  2. Arthur
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      " bear"
    • Description:

      Arthur, once the shining head of the Knights of the Round Table, is, after decades of neglect, now being polished up and restored by stylish parents, inspired perhaps by the new generation of royals. Arthur has led the list of possible names for the young British princes, chosen as a middle name for Prince Louis, son of William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales.
  3. Ben
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "son of"
    • Description:

      Ben, the diminutive of Benjamin or Benedict, can easily stand on its own as a simple, strong, nice-guy choice, though it's somewhat attenuated. Ben is this generation's Bob or Bill.
  4. Cyrus
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "sun"
    • Description:

      Cyrus is one of those surprising names that have always ranked among the Top 1000 boy names in the US. On an upward trend since the mid-90s, Cyrus now sits in that comfortable place between too popular and too unusual.
  5. Danny
    • Origin:

      Short form of Daniel, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my judge"
    • Description:

      A diminutive of Daniel that's been immortalized in odes ranging from 'Danny Boy' to 'Danny's Song.'
  6. Donald
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "proud chief"
    • Description:

      Donald has been used for centuries in Scotland, where the Macdonald clan is one of the most ancient and where there have been six early Scottish kings by that name. Donald was a Top 20 name throughout most of the early twentieth century.
  7. Ed
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Edward et al
    • Meaning:

      "wealthy"
    • Description:

      The most minimalist of names, Ed is decidedly out -- though that usually means it's due to swing back in. More stylish these days: Ned or even Ted.
  8. Elliot
    • Origin:

      Anglicization of Elijah or Elias
    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah is God"
    • Description:

      Elliot (which boasts several spellings depending upon how many 'l's or 't's you want to use) is a winner -- it has the ideal quality of being neither too common nor weirdly unique. Elliot had a style boost back in the early 1980s via the young hero of the movie E.T. , who was named Elliott. Since then there have been Elliots on Law & Order: SVU and Mad Men.
  9. Emil
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "rival"
    • Description:

      Derived from the Latin word aemulus, Emil is a name with international appeal. Concise and sturdy but with the gentle Em sound, Emil is popular across Europe, from Azerbaijan to Finland, from Germany to Norway, and Denmark. Alternative spelling Emile also ranks highly in Belgium and Canada.
  10. George
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "farmer"
    • Description:

      Iconoclasts though we may be, we like Fred, we like Frank, and we like George, which was among the Top 10 from 1830 to 1950, when the number of little Georges started to decline. Solid, strong, royal and saintly, yet friendly and unpretentious, we think that George is in prime position for a comeback, especially since it was chosen by Britain's royal couple.
  11. Jack
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of John
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of the most popular boy names starting with J.
  12. James
    • Origin:

      English variation of Jacob, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys' baby names, and is the most common male name, counting people of all ages, in the US.
  13. Joe
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Joseph
    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"
    • Description:

      Joe is still the ultimate good-guy name, not at all diminished by its longevity or popularity or its everyman rep as Regular Joe, Cowboy Joe, G.I. Joe, Joe Exotic, Joe Blow, Joe Millionaire, Average Joe — and now President Joe (Biden).
  14. John
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      John reigned as the most popular of all boys' Christian names for 400 years, from the time the first Crusaders carried it back to Britain until the 1950s. Then American baby namers finally seemed to tire of this straight-arrow, almost anonymous John Doe of names, replacing it with fancier forms like Jonathan and the imported Sean and Ian.
  15. Kevin
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "handsome"
    • Description:

      Kevin came to the US with the large wave of Irish Immigrants after World War I, hitting the US Top 1000 list for the first time in 1921 and never leaving.
  16. Lennie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Leonard
    • Meaning:

      "brave lion"
    • Description:

      A nickname of yesteryear that like alongside Reggie, Alby, Archie, and Bertie, is back in consideration in England and Wales. It is currently in the Top 300 there, however, it has yet to make the charts elsewhere. In fact, it is currently virtually unused for boys in the US.
  17. Max
    • Origin:

      English and German diminutive of Maximilian or Maxwell
    • Meaning:

      "greatest"
    • Description:

      Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby namers. Max is a widely used name internationally.
  18. Michael
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "who is like God?"
    • Description:

      Michael was the Number 1 American boys' name for almost half a century. While Michael has moved out of the Top 10 baby boy names, it's still widely used.
  19. Nick
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Nicholas and Dominick
    • Description:

      The classic strong-yet-friendly nickname name, much used for charming movie characters.
  20. Odafin