Boy's names McCharlie

Auberon

English, French, German

"elf ruler, bright elf; noble bear"

Rarely heard in the US, Auberon has a gentle autumnal feel rare in a male name. A Shakespeare-adjacent choice, Auberon started out as as a pet form of Auberi, the French form of German Alberich.…

Azur

Variation of Ezra, Hebrew

"help"

Azur is a mixed up form of Ezra, a Biblical name attached to a handful of minor characters. This strong, simple name was given to 11 baby boys in the US last year.

Basile

French variation of Basil

"regal"

Herby and aristocratic Basil remains a tough sell, but we’d like to introduce you to Basile, the delightful French version. It retains all of Basil’s charm, but sheds some of the pesto linkage.…

Colorado

Spanish place-name

"colored red"

More unusual than Dakota or Austin, Colorado conjures images of majestic mountains and windswept wilderness. Some will prefer the more preppy Aspen, but Colorado feels like the true explorer.

Cosmo

Italian, English, Greek

"order, beauty, universe"

With a touch of celestial power, a hint of clunky charm, and the totally cool -o ending, Cosmo may well be finally shaking itself free of both the Seinfeld association (which made it a punchline of a…

Cypress

botanical name

Attractive entry into the tree name genre, joining Ash, Oak, and Juniper. Over 110 baby boys were named Cypress in the US last year, along with 70 baby girls.

Gaius

Latin

"to rejoice"

Stately Gaius (pronounced GUY-us) was in the name of many ancient Romans, including Julius Caesar. Little-used before the year 2000, it now feels like a fresh possibility in the revival of Latin…

Dashiell

Anglicization of French surname de Chiel, meaning unknown

Dashiell, though missing from many other name sources, is among the hottest new names, chosen by such celebs as Cate Blanchett and author Helen ( Bridget Jones ) Fielding. With its great dash and…

Egypt

Place-name

"the house of the soul of Ptah"

We had Egypt listed as a girls-only place-name until singer Alicia Keys and rap producer husband Swizz Beatz used it for their son...and why not? Egypt certainly works as well for a boy as for a…

Emrys

Welsh, variation of Ambrose

"immortal"

Magical and powerful, but gentle and approachable too, Emrys is a Welsh name which may be worth considering if you're looking for something less common that Dylan, Evan, or Morgan. An offbeat epithet…

Ernest

English from German

"serious, resolute"

Ernest is one of those sober, so-far-out-they're-beginning-to-be-reconsidered Great Uncle names. Ernest recently received a big style boost when Britain's Princess Eugenie chose it for her second…

Ezechiel

Ezechiel is the French, German, and traditional Latin form of the Hebrew name Yechezkel (Ezekiel in English), meaning 'God strengthens' or 'God will strengthen.' This biblical name was borne by a…