Strong Yet Unusual Names for Boys

Cordell

English occupational name

"maker or seller of rope or cord"

This is a name that deserves more attention. Cordell is an occupational name that, through its similarity in sound to Cornell, Denzel, Dashiell, Boswell and Maxwell, feels both on-trend and upmarket.

Cordovan

Spanish

"native of Cordoba; Cordovan leather"

This strong sounding choice is associated with a type of tanned leather that takes its name from the city of Cordoba in Spain, the region in which it was originally made. Cordoba itself is sometimes…

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,…

Corin

Latin

"spear"

Corin was used by Shakespeare in As You Like It , an unusual name that could make a more distinctive alternative to Corey or Colin. It is a name used in the illustrious Redgrave family of actors.

Cormac

Irish

"charioteer"

Both offbeat and upbeat, this evocative traditional Irish name that runs through Celtic mythology is known here via award-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy (born Charles). The author's adopted name is…

Crispian

Crispian is a masculine name with Latin origins, derived from the Roman family name Crispus, meaning 'curly-haired.' The name gained historical significance through St. Crispian, a 3rd-century…

Crispin

Latin

"curly-haired"

Crispin, which was introduced into the mainstream by actor Crispin Glover and which means "curly-haired" in Latin, has an image very much like its first syllable: crisp, autumnal, and colorful. St.…

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.

Cyprian

Greek

"man of Cyprus"

With a long and noble history -- Cyprian was one of the great Christian Latin writers -- this could make a highly unusual but meaningful choice. Cyprian has been in use since medieval times,…

Cyrano

Greek

"from Cyrene"

Don't let the long-nose connotations put you off. Cyrano feels so current with names like Theo, Leo, Cypriano and Cyrus finding fans again and even the fictional character has so many redeeming…

Dashiell

Anglicization of French surname de Chiel, meaning unknown

Dashiell, though missing from many other name sources, is among the hottest new names, chosen by such celebs as Cate Blanchett and author Helen ( Bridget Jones ) Fielding. With its great dash and…

Delano

French surname

"from the forest of nut trees"

Popular President Franklin Delano Roosevelt inspired a brief fashion for this as a first name in the 1940s; almost never heard today.

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…

Dionysius

Greek mythology name

"god of Nysa"

Dionysius derives from Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, revelry and fertility. This Romanized spelling has been used for poets, soldiers, and saints throughout the centuries, but is hardly ever seen…

Dragomir

Slavic

"precious peace, precious world"

This name, used in many Eastern European countries including Serbia and Romania, has two possible (and equally lovely) meanings. The feminine version is Dragomira.

Dublin

Irish place-name

With Galway and Ireland in play as names (not to mention Shannon and Kerry), there's no reason this one can't work, too.