User-created list
safe boy names and guilty pleasures
Across 7 pages
of 7
Django
Romani
"I awake"
Django — the D is silent as most everyone now knows — the nickname of the great Belgian-born jazz guitarist Django (originally Jean Baptiste) Reinhardt, makes a dynamic musical choice for…
Ebenezer
Hebrew
"stone of help"
Ebenezer is the name of a biblical place --the stone set up by Samuel to mark his victory over the Philistines--rather than a person. It was adopted by the British Puritans as a first name and then…
Fabrizio
Italian form of the Latin family name Fabricius
"craftsman"
Romantic Italian choice.
Falcon
Bird name
There is a whole new species of bird names open to the baby namer, from the light and feminine Lark to the sleek and powerful Falcon.
Falconer
Occupational name
"falcon trainer"
Falconer is one choice that has morphed rapidly from outlandish to possible, even attractive, thanks to the fashion for occupational names. And really, if Archer is getting popular and Miller seems…
Faron
English
"handsome servant"
Faron, a soft and gentle name, has a diverse group of references. There was the medieval Saint Faron, Bishop of Meaux (who has given his name to a cheese); Faron Young, a colorful midcentury country…
Faulkner
English
"falconer"
Faulkner is an old occupational surname that was used for someone who kept and trained falcons when falconry was a popular sport in medieval Europe. Anyone using it in contemporary America would…
Florian
Latin
"flowering"
If Flora and Florence have returned full force, then Florian, with its strong Latinate ending and its botanical meaning in one to watch out for. Popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and…
Galahad
Welsh or place name
"hawk of summer; heap of witness"
The son of Lancelot and Elaine in Arthurian legend, Galahad is the purest and most chivalrous of the Knights of the Round Table, and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail. The derivation of…
Gene
Diminutive of Eugene, Greek
"wellborn, noble"
Like Ray, a formerly funky nickname name that is newly cool. Comedian Amy Schumer used it for her son. While technically Gene is short for Eugene, it can certainly be used on its own as an honor name…
Gerard
English and Irish from German
"spear strength"
Gerard is currently in style limbo, after reaching peak popularity in the 1950s. With its strong meaning and gentle sound, it may be back in a generation or two. But for now, a boy called Gerard will…
Gervaise
French
"skilled with a spear"
Unusual saint's name rarely heard outside Roman Catholic rectories until it made an appearance on a reality-TV show; has an attractive French feel. Gervase is a common spelling variation.
Gibson
English
"Gilbert's son"
An undiscovered patronymic surname, Gibson blends the cool, rugged feel of names like Bridger, Riggs, and Hudson with the clunky charm of names like Gilbert, Wilbur, and Digby. Associated with the…
Hallam
English surname
"at the rocks"
A relatively rare English place and surname, Hallam could make a distinctive but usable boy's name. Hallam was the surname of the beloved Cambridge friend whose death Alfred, Lord Tennyson, mourns in…
Hardy
German
"bold, brave"
Hardy is a spirited and durable un-Germanic German surname that is starting to be used in this country. British fashion designer Hardy Amies (born Edwin) is its best known bearer, and Thomas Hardy…
Hart
English
"stag"
Hart could be the hero of a romantic novel, but on the other hand, it's short, straightforward, and strong sounding. The most famous bearer of the name was tragic poet Hart (born Harold) Crane, but…
Hartigan
Irish
"descendant of Arthur"
In Cool Names, we cite this as an "Artist Name," for twentieth-century abstract painter Grace Hartigan, though for you it may just be an upbeat Irish surname.
Hartman
German
"hard, strong man"
A viable choice that may be growing on your family tree. Hartman Turnbow was a part of Mississippi's "First Fourteen", the first group of African Americans who attempted to register to vote in the…
Haskell
English from Norse, Hebrew
"God's helmet; God strengthens"
Haskell has two separate forms of origin, the first being from the Ancient Norse given name Ásketill. The Normans converted Ásketill to Aschetil, then the English transformed Aschetil into Haskell,…
Haven
Word name, English
"a place of safety"
Like Harbor, one of the new generation of word names with appealing meanings, though (female) memoirist Haven Kimmel has tipped it decidedly toward the girls' side. There are now more than ten female…