ABC of Boys Names

Henry

German

"estate ruler"

Henry is well and truly back in style. The classic returned to the Top 10 in the US in 2021 for the first time in over a century, and as of 2024, sits at Number 6. Like James and Theodore, Henry is a…

Sebastian

Latin from Greek

"person from ancient city of Sebastia, venerable"

With international flair and elegance, Sebastian is a saintly, Shakespearean and Disney-inspired choice: refined, classic-yet-unconventional, and totally in tune with other popular choices like…

Nathaniel

Hebrew

"gift of God"

Nathaniel was derived from the Hebrew name Netan’el, meaning "gift of God," composed of the elements natan , meaning "to give," and ’el , in reference to God. The name is featured several times in…

Elliot

English diminutive of Elias, Greek

"Yahweh is God"

Elliot (which boasts several spellings depending upon how many 'l's or 't's you want to use) is a winner -- it has the ideal quality of being neither too common nor weirdly unique. Elliot had a style…

Felix

Latin

"happy, fortunate"

Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks…

Griffin

Welsh, variation of Griffith

"strong lord"

Griffin is one of the newer and most appealing of the two-syllable Celtic surnames. In English, griffin is the name of a mythological creature, half eagle, half lion. It re-entered the list in 1983…

Xander

Diminutive of Alexander, Greek

"defending men"

Xander is a diminutive of Alexander, the Latin variation of the Greek Alexandros. Its meaning, "defending men," is taken from the Greek roots aléxein , "to defend," and andros , "men." Zander,…

Otto

German

"wealthy"

Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers. Like most German names , Otto fell out of favor during and after the two…

Tristan

Celtic

"noise or sorrowful"

Tristan -- known through medieval legend and Wagnerian opera -- has a slightly wistful, touching air. This, combined with the name's popular "an" ending, makes Tristan very appealing to parents…

Valentino

Latin

"strength, health"

A dashing, dramatic and romantic Italian surname, associated with early movie heartthrob Rudolph, and later with Italian fashion designer Valentino (Garavani). Also the name of an early Roman saint,…

Corbin

English and French surname

"crow, raven"

Corbin, the name of the castle where the Holy Grail was said to be hidden, came to the fore in the 1980s via actor Corbin Bernsen when he was the high profile star of LA Law , but its use is only now…

Roland

German

"famous throughout the land"

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…

Darwin

English

"dear friend"

Enough parents have found naturalist Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, a worthy hero to keep Darwin relatively consistently in the Top 1000. It has a lovely meaning too—"dear…

Quentin

Latin

"fifth"

Quentin, an offbeat name with lots of character, relates to the Latin for the number five and is by far the subtlest and most usable of the Latin birth-order names, masculine as well as stylish and…

Markus

German, Scandinavian, and Finnish form of Mark

The K may be trendy, but this spelling variation is much less popular than Marcus.

Ilan

Hebrew

"tree"

Because of its meaning, a symbolic name given to boys born on TuB'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees, or Arbor Day.

Kasper

Polish variation of Casper, form of Jasper, Persian

"bringer of treasure"

Jasper and its many international variations, from Kasper to Casper to Gaspard, is finding new popularity.

Peregrine

Latin

"traveler, pilgrim"

Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the U.S., where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's…

Aramis

French literary name

One of Dumas' swashbuckling Three Musketeers, now better known as a men's cologne.

Zacharias

Greek form of Hebrew Zachariah

"the Lord has remembered"

One of several more venerable names that get to the nickname Zack if you're tired of Zachary. In the New Testament, Zacharias was the husband of Elizabeth and father of John the Baptist.