Boys Bird Names

Now that it's no longer fashionable for girls, Robin is rising for boys again. Robin Hood, Robin Williams, Christopher Robin, and Robin the Boy Wonder are all male namesakes, after all. It reentered the US Top 1000 boys names in 2015 for the first time since 1999 and continues to bounce around the lower end of the Top 1000.

It feels like Finch should be a modern bird name that's as popular as Wren or Lark, but that's not the case - so it's one to consider if you're looking for a nature name that's familiar but rare.

Effortlessly cool with a hint of the mystical, Phoenix rolls a lot of trends into one: it's a place-name and a bird name, it ends in the stylish letter x, it's got in-built nicknames, and it's unisex too. Familiar but not over-popular, Phoenix ranks in the US and UK Top 1000s.

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 not beyond consideration — in fact it's already been chosen by at least one Berry.

Animal names are on the rise, especially more of the aggressive Hawk-Fox-Wolf variety than cute little Bunnys or Robins, and Hawk is a prime example.

Make that bird name, and while it does work for both genders, it's far more popular for girls, via Raven Symone.

Subtle but clear unisex way to signal peace, especially in middle place.

Heaven, Peace, Serenity: parents seem especially attracted to word names that signal paradise, but Halcyon sounds quite feminine, and might conjure up the sleeping pill Halcion.

The additional syllable makes Lark a masculine surname name, borne by poet Philip Larkin.

This elegant surname has great potential to turn into an unusual first name, especially with its literary associations to both Stephen and Hart Crane.

From Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore, the story of a boy named Kafka -- crow in Czech.

Heron may feel like a very usable nature name -- the heron is a long-legged wading bird -- but it was also the name of a 1st century Greek inventor and of an Egyptian saint. Highly unusual yet easy to understand and meaningful on several levels, Heron is a fantastic choice.

This name of both a grayish-greenish-blue color and a kind of wild duck can be used for both boys and girls.

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.

This Biblical bird name, a variant of Ephron, suddenly feels like it could be usable thanks to actor Zac Efron. However, in reality, few if any parents seem to be using it yet.

A name that's unusual in that changing the i to a y -- as in Byrd -- makes it more masculine.

An earthy rock'n'roll name with multiple origins. The Roc was a giant bird in Middle Eastern legend.

Solemn but soaring name with patriotic symbolism.

A bird name that could be thought of as an animated spin on Garrett.

An interesting bird name choice if you're seeking a nonbiblical Hebrew name. The zippy Z sound is appealing to more parents, and Zamir entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022 and was one of the fastest rising names in 2023.