Bewitching Names for Boys

Pollux

Greek

"very sweet"

Made cool by that final X (as seen in Felix, Lennox, and Rex), Pollux is the Romanized form of Polydeukes, the half-twin of Castor, and the son of Zeus and Leda. Associated with the Gemini…

Oceanus

Mythological name

"ocean"

Oceanus was the Titan in ancient Greek mythology who rules what they thought was the body of water that surrounded the Earth. Oceanus was, appropriately enough, the name of the baby born on the…

Yarrow

Botanical name, English

"rough stream"

Highly unusual as a baby name for either gender, Yarrow is an herb that grows wild and has long been used for its medicinal property. It's named for the mythical Achilles, who was said to carry…

Corentin

French, Breton

"tempest, hurricane"

Corentin is an intriguing saint's name fashionable in France but virtually unknown here-- which you may consider a big plus. St. Corentin possessed a magical fish that regenerated itself each night,…

Meriasek

Cornish

"sea brow"

Cornish variation on Meriadoc and Meriadeg.

Indus

Place name

From the name of the river which flows through Pakistan, India, and Tibet.

Cadmus

Greek

"one who excels"

Cadmus is the name of the serpent-slaying hero of Greek mythology who also founded the city of Thebes and is credited with inventing the alphabet. Its ancient feel might appeal to modern parents…

Barnabas

Aramaic

"son of consolation"

Barnabas, whose birth name was Joseph, was one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem, who undertook missionary journeys with Paul the Apostle, His name is a bit Old World compared to the…

Pelagios

Greek

"from the sea"

Pelagios is one of the more outre of the sea-related names. But Pel could work as a short form -- or Gus.

Nicandro

Spanish variation from Greek

"man of victory"

Nicandro might be of interest as a blend of two Anglo favorites -- Nicholas and Andrew.

Orestes

Greek

"from the mountain"

A figure in Greek drama who murdered his mother makes for an unconventional choice for a baby name, but it has appeared on the US extended list several dozen times since records began.

Jemuel

Hebrew

"day of God"

The undiscovered Biblical Jemuel -- he was a son of Simeon -- was used for just a handful of boys last year but could be prime for rediscovery now that Old Testament names like Noah and Ethan…

Balsam

Nature name

This tree name could be one of those fresh, cool nature names for winter babies , though we can only imagine the kind of jokes that will fly in junior high.

Osiris

Egyptian

"with strong eyesight"

Osiris is the name of Egyptian mythology god-king who died and was reborn every year. Emerging from centuries of obscurity, Osiris has several ingredients for success in the modern world: Roots in…

Orpheus

Greek mythology name

"the darkness of the night"

Name of the legendary ancient Greek poet and musician — whose music was so beautiful it made trees dance and rivers stop to listen — would provide a child with a challenging but indelible identity.

Mordecai

Hebrew

"follower of Marduk"

Mordecai, although it has a noble heritage, has never caught on in this country, because of its rather weighty image. Nevertheless, with parents searching for rarer Biblical names that work as…

Pan

Greek

"all or shepherd"

Pan is the Greek god with the legs of a goat and the body of a pipes-playing man known for his mischievousness. Pan is also the god of shepherds, pastures, and fertility. Pan is also a Hindi name…

Hesperos

Greek

"evening, evening star"

Hesperos or Hesperus is the personification of the evening star in Greek mythology; in Roman myth, that role is held by Venus. There's a Longfellow poem called "The Wreck of the Hesperus" about a…

Demeter

Demeter, while historically a feminine name from Greek mythology, has occasionally been used as a masculine name in some contexts. In Greek mythology, Demeter was the powerful goddess of agriculture,…

Balliol

French

"fortification"

An old French surname derived from baille , meaning "fortification" – the same root as the English word bailey. The surname was borne by an aristocratic English family descended from French nobility.…