Magical Boy Names

Basil

Greek

"royal"

Although Greek in origin--in the fourth century, a bishop by that name established the principles of the Greek Orthodox Church--Basil for years took on the aura of aquiline-nosed upper-class…

Draco

Greek from Latin

"dragon"

For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis.

Cosmo

Italian, English, Greek

"order, beauty, universe"

With a touch of celestial power, a hint of clunky charm, and the totally cool -o ending, Cosmo may well be finally shaking itself free of both the Seinfeld association (which made it a punchline of a…

Cleon

Greek

"glorious, renowned"

Rare and distinctive name with intimations of antiquity, also a Shakespearean character.

Gary

English

"spearman"

When Gary cracked the Top 10 in 1950, it was one of the first nonclassic boys’ names to do so, largely due to Gary (born Frank) Cooper, who was renamed after Gary, Indiana, his agent's hometown. Now,…

Gil

Hebrew

"happiness"

Pronounced zheel, it's a dashing conquistador; as gill, it's the nice and slightly boring guy down the street.

Hansel

German diminutive of Hans

"God is gracious"

Those "Where's Gretel?" jokes will get old pretty fast.

Jareth

Hybrid name

For that rare parent who's torn between Jared and Gareth.

Jiminy

Jiminy is a masculine name that gained recognition primarily through the character Jiminy Cricket in Disney's 'Pinocchio.' Rather than having ancient roots, this whimsical name evolved from the…

Oberon

Variation of Auberon

"elf king; noble bear"

The Shakespearean character Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream is King of the Fairies, but the name, with its bold 'O' beginning has plenty of strength alongside its magical qualities. Oberon was…

Regin

Regin is a masculine name with Norse mythological roots. In ancient Nordic legends, Regin was a dwarf smith and foster father to the hero Sigurd. The name carries connotations of craftsmanship,…

Terence

Latin clan name

"soft; thresher"

A name that seems to hail from the old Irish neighborhoods of Boston and New York, Terence actually dates back a lot further, to the time of a famous second-century poet, who started life as a North…

Tyrion

Literary name

Tyrion is one of the many new names entering the lexicon thanks to George R. R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones book. Tyrion's name shares its first two letters with those of his father Tywin…

Zephyr

Greek

"west wind"

If you're looking for a name that's light and breezy, this could be it. A name from mythology: Zephyrus/Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind, and with its similarity in sound to the likes of…