Faves

  1. Alistair
    • Origin:

      English spelling of Alasdair, Scottish version of Alexander
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      With many British names invading the Yankee name pool, the sophisticated Alistair could and should be part of the next wave. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016. You have a triple choice with this name--the British spell it Alistair or Alastair, while the Scots prefer Alasdair--but they're all suave Gaelic versions of Alexander. Adopted by the lowland Scots by the seventeenth century, the name didn't become popular outside Scotland and Ireland until the twentieth century.
  2. Brighton
    • Calix
      • Origin:

        Male variation of Calixta or Latin
      • Meaning:

        "chalice"
      • Description:

        Calix is once-obscure name that is starting to see some use in the US, where 47 baby boys were named Calix in 2023. An indirect influence is the actress Calista Flockhart, who introduced Americans to the female version of this attractive Greek name to prominence.
    • Dominic
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "belonging to the lord"
      • Description:

        Dominic comes from the Latin name Dominicus and is common in the Roman-Catholic community. In the past it has been given to boys born on Sunday—the word "Sunday" in languages including Spanish and French shares Dominic’s roots. In use in the English-speaking world since medieval times, its most famous bearer was St. Dominic, founder of the Dominican order of monks in the thirteenth century.
    • Hayden
      • Origin:

        English place name
      • Meaning:

        "hay valley"
      • Description:

        Hayden – a formerly obscure name that's risen to huge popularity – has dipped in this year's ratings. Though Hayden is among the most distinctive of the bunch, it gets lost in the crowd of Jaidens, Bradens, Aidans, and endless variations. Associated with Hayden Christensen, of Star Wars fame.
    • Holden
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "hollow valley"
      • Description:

        Holden is a classic case of a name that jumped out of a book and onto birth certificates--though it took quite a while. Parents who loved J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye are flocking to the name of its hero, Holden Caulfield -- not coincidentally in tune with the Hudson-Hayden-Colton field of names. (Trivia note: Salinger supposedly came up with the name while looking at a movie poster promoting a film starring William Holden and Joan Caulfield, though other sources say he was named after Salinger's friend Holden Bowler.) Another impetus was provided by a soap opera character introduced in 1985.
    • Hudson
      • Origin:

        English place-name and surname
      • Meaning:

        "Hugh's son"
      • Description:

        Hudson has risen quickly up the charts over the past 30 years, getting a lot of its style value from New York's Hudson River. That makes it a nature name and a place name that's also got the fashion gloss of New York City.
    • Leo
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "lion"
      • Description:

        Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for thirteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.
    • Nathan
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "given"
      • Description:

        Nathan is an Old Testament name that's ranked among the Top 100 names for boys for 50 years, and could well stay there for another 50. Strong, solid, and attractive, It's a name familiar to every schoolchild through Nathan Hale, the Revolutionary War spy.
    • Tate
      • Origin:

        English from Norse
      • Meaning:

        "cheerful"
      • Description:

        A strong single-syllable surname with a joyful meaning, Tate is finding a place on more and more birth certificates.