Preferent Boy Names of Mine

Damian

Greek

"to tame, subdue"

Damian has sidestepped its demonic horror movie overtones, leaving a basically friendly and charming Irish image. A well-used upper-class name in England, it is growing in popularity here. There are…

Nicholas

Greek

"people of victory"

Nicholas is derived from the Greek Nikolaos, a name that evolved from the components nikē , meaning "victory", and laos , "people." It shares origins with Nike, the name of the Greek goddess of…

George

Greek

"farmer"

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…

Louis

French, German

"renowned warrior"

Kate and William shocked the world when they announced that they'd named their third child Louis, or Prince Louis Arthur Charles, to be more precise. But we've been predicting a comeback for this…

Harvey

French

"battle worthy"

Harvey, which was brought to England by the Normans, is a genial, old-timey name that has been much more popular across the pond in the UK. It was a Top 100 choice in England & Wales from 1997 until…

Cyrus

Persian

"sun"

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…

Fabian

Latin clan name

"bean grower"

Fabian is the ancient name of a saint and pope that also has Shakespearean cred as Olivia's servant in Twelfth Night and more recently made an appearance in Harry Potter . In the U.S. Fabian became…

Jamie

Diminutive of James

"supplanter"

The cool form of James in the 1970s and '80s for both sexes. Still a more stylish short form than Jimmy, though many parents will want to call James by his entire, not-very-long name. In the UK, and…

Ilya

Russian variation of Elijah

"the Lord is my God"

A rare example of an a-ending boy's name that sounds masculine, Ilya has a large measure of creative Slavic charm. >p>Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is the central character in Goncharov's novel "Oblomov."…

Neo

Latin or Tswana

"new or gift"

This nouveau name of Keanu Reeves's character in The Matrix has not enjoyed the same burst of popularity as its female counterpart, Trinity, but it definitely sounds, well, newer. Neo Rauch is an…

Ryu

Japanese

"dragon"

This attractive mini-name combines multiple trends: the R initial, vowel-ending boy names, and a fantastical meaning.

Syrus

Greek, English, Persian

"a Syrian; sun"

Syrus can be a spelling variation of the Greek Syros, a myhtological figure and the founder of Assyria. Pronounced SEER-us, it was borne by two early saints and means "a Syrian" or "from Syria". The…

Yuki

Japanese

"snow; happiness"

Short yet impactful, this Japanese name with has two appealing meanings, depending on which kanji are used. It may be associated with joy, or with a wintery scene.

Sinan

Arabic

"spearhead, arrowhead"

A strong and simple Arabic name with an international sound.

Danylo

Danylo is a masculine name of Ukrainian and Eastern Slavic origin, representing the Ukrainian form of Daniel. The name derives from Hebrew origins meaning 'God is my judge.' Danylo has deep…

Sereno

Latin

"calm"

Appealingly peaceful and placid.