Classy Lads

Oliver

Germanic, Latin

"elf army; ancestor's relic; olive tree"

Oliver is an international star, ranking near the top of the charts throughout the English-speaking world and in a host of European and Latin American countries, from Norway to Chile, Slovenia to…

Charles

French from German

"free man"

Charles derives from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "man" or "free man", and is a royal name in multiple European countries. A famous early bearer is Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Lombards and…

Adrian

Latin

"man of Adria"

Adrian is one of those names that’s easy to picture on all kinds of people. From an active and energetic five-year-old to your great grandpa, from the coolest, breeziest guy you know, to the quiet,…

Greyson

English

"son of the steward"

Greyson and Grayson, nephews of Jason, are both on the fast track. Both variations have made their way all the way up to the Top 100 since 2016. Gray/Grey makes a nice nickname. The name of the child…

Raphael

Hebrew

"God has healed"

Raphael is a romantic archangel name that sounds both artistic and powerful. Raphael is also a great cross-cultural choice, with significance for people with both Latinate and Jewish roots, plus…

Eliseo

Italian and Spanish variation of Elisha

"God is my salvation"

This Latinate name would have no problem fitting into an American classroom. It has made frequent appearances in the US Top 1000 over the last several decades. Borne by several Spanish saints, it…

Evander

Scottish; Greek

"bow warrior; strong man"

Evander is a name that could build on the popularity of shorter form Evan, and could work and play well with schoolmates like Zander and Xander. Evander was prominent in Greek and Roman mythology: in…

Ambrose

Latin

"immortal"

Gentle but grandiose and beloved by British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose was a fast rising name in 2022. Entering the UK Top 1000 for the first time and proving…

Emery

English from German

"industrious"

Emery is one of the newly popular Em- names that has great potential, though right now for girls more than boys: it received a boost in 2009, a year after Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn used it for…

Flynn

Irish

"descendant of the red-haired one"

Flynn, a charming Irish surname, is still used only quietly, despite its easygoing, casual cowboy charm, unlike Finn which is a star of this genre. Flynn was the choice of Orlando Bloom and Miranda…

Evren

Turkish

"universe"

A modern-sounding unisex name which belongs to a dragon in Turkish mythology, Evren has huge potential to rise more globally, thanks to its accessible sound and its wide-reaching meaning "universe".…

Alistair

English spelling of Alasdair, Scottish version of Alexander

"defending men"

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…

Alabaster

Mineral name

Alabaster is a white stone that was often used to make sculptures. The name is thought to derive from an Egyptian term al-abaste, which refers to the Egyptian God Bast.

Alexandre

French variation of Alexander

"defending men"

What's the difference between Alexander, the usual English spelling of this deeply classical name, and Alexandre, the French version? English speakers might find the proper French pronunciation…

Armond

Armond is a masculine name derived from the Germanic name Hermann, meaning 'army man' or 'soldier.' It can also be associated with the French variant of Armand, coming from the Latin 'armandus,'…

Belvedere

Italian

"beautiful view"

Derived from Italian bello "beautiful" and vedere "view", Belvedere is a dramatic name that was used for a cartoon hound dog in George Webster Crenshaw's comic strip by the same name, which ran from…

Cristobal

Spanish variation of Christopher

"bearer of Christ"

The first name of famed designer Balenciaga, was also the birth name of Christopher Columbus--aka Cristobal Colon. A name still well used in the Hispanic community.

Cynri

Welsh

A name from ancient Welsh literature: in the poem The Gododdin , the three leaders of the ill-fated army were Cynon, Cynri and Cynrain. To that end, the name might have been invented for poetic…

Deveraux

French

"of Evreux; riverbank"

Swashbuckling name worthy of a hero in a romance novel. Deveraux or Devereaux is drawn from the town of Evreux in France and combined with the prefix de- denoting it likely referred to a noble of…

Edmond

English

"wealthy protector"

The sophisticated Edmond and its nearly-identical twin Edmund are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name. Parents looking for an alternative might…