D9 Boys Names

Bentley

English

"meadow with coarse grass"

Bentley, a somewhat stuffy British surname, previously associated primarily with an incredibly expensive English car, has had a recent surge in popularity, thanks largely to the reality TV shows 16…

Bradley

English

"wide meadow"

An English surname name, Bradley has a long history, dating way back to at least 1086, but as a first name it actually succeeded in the US before it reached England--though Dickens used it in his…

Fabian

Latin clan name

"bean grower"

Fabian is the ancient name of a saint and pope that also has Shakespearean cred as Olivia's servant in Twelfth Night and more recently made an appearance in Harry Potter . In the U.S. Fabian became…

Leland

English

"meadow land"

Popular in the first half of the 20th century, Leland briefly fell out of favor in the late 90s. After a short break from the US charts, it returned in the mid-2000s, with actor Brendan Fraser…

Lee

English

"pasture, meadow"

A name that has a bit of a shouldn't-I-be-a-middle-name sound, though still in use as a first for both genders. Lee might be a good choice if you want something that sounds at once traditional yet…

Boyd

Scottish

"blond"

Has a bit of a hayseed image, and that oy sound is tough to work with.

Harley

English

"hare clearing"

You can ride one, you can use it as a baby name – or, as is often the case, both! Harley is currently trending up for girls and down for boys in the US, although it remains predominantly masculine in…

Fulton

English

"fields of the village"

One of the surname names used more in the last century, à la Milton and Morton.

Blair

Scottish

"dweller on the plain"

One of the first generation of cool surname names, now largely used for girls in the US, but still popular for boys in its native Scotland. A prominent association for Brits is former prime minister…

Acre

English word name

"a unit of land area equal to 4,840 square yards"

Acre feels at home with other modern, fresh word names like Rumor, Snow and Ace. But with the feeling of wide open spaces and nature, Acre also offers a softer, earthier tone that will appeal to…

Barley

English

"grower or seller of barley"

A bit too bad-boy (think bars, beer, Harley) for us, as well as being the name of a grain.

Bran

Diminutive of Brandon

"broom-covered hill"

A little heavy on the fiber content; we prefer Bram. But Bran is also the Celtic god of the underworld, whose symbol is the raven. It's probably not a coincidence that George R.R. Martin chose this…

Drexel

German

"to turn"

Drexel is an occupational surname but the original meaning of what a person who "turned" for a living actually did is unclear: It may mean turning the soil or making hay or spinning cloth or creating…

Field

Nature name

More unusual than Forest or Forrest, Field is a nature name that is simple, evocative, and fresh--sort of the male equivalent of Meadow. Field and Fields are both relatively common surnames, noted…

Fielder

English

"dweller in open country"

An uncommon surname name with that energetic -er ending. Might appeal especially to baseball fans.

Harvest

English word name

"the season for gathering in agricultural crops"

Harvest has been occasionally used as a name since the eighteenth century, originally as evenly unisex, though it tips a bit in the girls' direction in the contemporary US. Given the rise of such…

Maize

English word name and nature name

One of the more unusual nature names , Maize is given to a dozen or so boys and girls each year and is almost completely unisex in terms of usage. Disclaimer: potential for "corny" jokes.

Omri

Hebrew

"my sheaf"

Old Testament name of a king of Israel, related to the harvest.

Prairie

Nature name

An evocative, windswept choice that is part of the third generation of western-influenced names, picking up where first Jesse and then Dakota left off, though with a slight feminine edge.

Sheffield

English

"from the crooked field"

One place-name that doesn't make the cut as a person name, associated with several commercial enterprises. We've seen it used by Chicago Cubs fans — Sheffield is the name of a major street bordering…