not alexis

Daniel

Hebrew

"God is my judge"

Daniel is one of only a handful of male names that sounds both classic and modern, strong yet approachable, and popular but not cliched. It also has a solid Old Testament pedigree. The only real…

Miles

English form of Milo, Latin and Old German,"soldier or merciful"

"soldier or merciful"

Miles, which has a permanent veneer of cool thanks to jazz great Miles Davis, is a confident and polished boys' name that's an American classic. Always ranking in the US Top 1000, it's been drifting…

Atlas

Greek

"bearer of the heavens"

Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek…

Camden

American and British place-name, Scottish

"winding valley"

Camden is a surprise hit, probably as a result of some star baby cred: it has been chosen by no less than four celebrity parents since 2012. Gentle but not flimsy, Camden could be an updated spin on…

Evander

Scottish; Greek

"bow warrior; strong man"

Evander is a name that could build on the popularity of shorter form Evan, and could work and play well with schoolmates like Zander and Xander. Evander was prominent in Greek and Roman mythology: in…

Luther

German

"army people"

Once restricted to evangelical Protestants honoring the ecclesiastical reformer and theologian Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant revolution. In more recent times it has been favored by parents…

Adair

Scottish and Irish, Brazilian

"oak tree ford; wealthy spearman; wealth and fame"

Adair has flair, the grace of a Fred Astaire, and a daring, spirited vibe. It's usually considered a Scottish surname, derived from the name Edgar, though other possibilities are that it derives from…

Zenith

English

"the point in the sky or celestial sphere directly above an observer"

Zenith is an uplifting if quirky word name, meaning the top or the peak. Eight boys received the name in one recent year, only a third of those who were called Nadir -- the low point!

Carlisle

English

"from the walled city"

This stuffy English surname and hotel name took on Twilight cool when attached to vampire Carlisle Cullen. Inspired by the character, it's more popular in this spelling than as Carlyle and more…

Vesper

Latin

"evening star"

While this is usually thought of as a girls' name because of the Bond Girl connection, its sound is masculine and there's no reason it couldn't work for boys.

Lito

Latin

"light"

Lito is an onomatopoeia of a name: a name that sounds like what it means. A modern bearer is Lito Sheppard, Philadelphia Eagles cornerback. Lito might also be a short form of such names as Carlito…

Dove

Color and nature name

"dove, a bird"

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

Janus

Latin

"doorway"

The meaning of this ancient Roman god's name relates to transitions, hence its connection to the name of the first month of the new year, a time of fresh beginnings. Janus is usually depicted as a…

Jas

Abbreviation of James or short form of Jasper