Favorite Boys

  1. Atlas
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "bearer of the heavens"
    • Description:

      Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo.
  2. Luca
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Luke and Lucas
    • Meaning:

      "man from Lucania"
    • Description:

      The related Lucas and Luke are both hugely popular boy names in the US and internationally, and now Luca has joined them on boys' popularity lists around the world.
  3. Cillian
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "war strife or church"
    • Description:

      Cillian is one of the native Irish names that, along with Aiden and Declan, is becoming an unlikely favorite in contemporary America. The Killian spelling has been more popular in the US, but Cillian's star is rising, perhaps thanks to Irish actor Cillian Murphy, star of Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders.
  4. Orion
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "boundary, limit"
    • Description:

      Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones.
  5. Roland
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "famous throughout the land"
    • Description:

      Roland is a chivalrous old name made famous by the supposedly eight-foot-tall romantic hero and nephew of Charlemagne, celebrated in medieval poetry and song. It is more widely heard in the US now in its Spanish form, Rolando. You might want to consider rollicking short form Rollo, either on its own or as an abbreviation of Roland. Orlando is the graceful Italian form.
  6. 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.
  7. Galileo
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "from Galilee"
    • Description:

      The name of the great Renaissance astronomer and mathematician, Galileo would make a distinctive hero-name for the son of parents involved in those fields. Deriving from Latin and Hebrew, it refers to someone from Galilee, a Biblical place name associated with Jesus's miracles in the New Testament.
  8. Forest
    • Origin:

      French occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "woodsman or woods"
    • Description:

      The Forest variation of Forrest, used by actor Whitaker, nudges the meaning more toward the woods and away from the woodsman.
  9. Alban
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "white, or, man from Alba"
    • Description:

      An ancient and highly unusual name; St. Alban -- sometimes also called Albinus or Aubin -- was an early martyr in Roman Britain. Using an alternate spelling, Alben Barkley was the 35th U.S. Vice-President, serving under Harry Truman. And Albin is popular in modern Sweden. But only the form Alban has the alternate meaning "from Alba".

Introducing the Nameberry App

Nameberry App
Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
  • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
  • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
  • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
  • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
  • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
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