No longer tied to the hapless Ace Ventura, this jaunty, high-flying nickname name is starting to take flight among celebrity and other parents, with its countless positive references to doing well in tests and poker games, on the tennis court and golf course, and in the air.
 Natalie Appleton, Tom Dumont, Jennie Finch, and Jessica Simpson all have little Aces. The best known grownup with the name is Ace Frehley, born Paul, one-time KISS guitarist.

Ari, the short form of Ariel (or any other Ari- beginning name, such as Aristotle) stands up better as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a> than its progenitor does. It is also short for Aristotle, as in Onassis, and is a prominent character on TV's Entourage -- the uberagent Ari Gold. 
 Among other notable bearers have been Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary for President George W. Bush and Ari Emanuel, powerful talent agent and possible inspiration for Ari Gold.
 Ari Ben Canaan is the main character in the Leon Uris novel Exodus, played by Paul Newman on screen, and Ari is the name of one of the Tenenbaum sons in The Royal Tenenbaums.

A short but strong biblical name with multicultural appeal, Asa is enjoying new visibility thanks to hot young actor Asa Butterfield of Hugo fame. 
 Asa was the name of an important biblical king of Judah, who reigned for more than forty years. In modern times, the name was long associated with the strong patriarch Asa Buchanan on the soap opera "One Life to Live," but since the character "died" in 2007, this gives the name plenty of room to rejuvenate. Popular with the Puritans, Asa can be found in the novels of James Fenimore Cooper and Theodore Dreiser. 
 A notable real-life namesake is the highly influential botanist Asa Gray, and Asa was the birth name of Al Jolson. Radiohead's Colin Greenwood has a son named Asa. 
 Asa could also be a path to the hip nickname Ace or an alternative to the rapidly rising Asher.

Ash has Southern charm plus the arboreal-nature appeal. Plus your little boy will prize Ash as the name of the hero of the Pokemon cartoons. Ash can also be a dashing short form of Asher, Ashton, or any other "Ash" name.

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 and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo.

 Atlas was one of the fast-rising names on the list in recent years in the USA, jumping from oblivion in 2012 into the Top 500 in 2015, and climbing several hundred places higher since then. Anne Heche was one of the first to make this audacious choice, but several celebrity parents have followed suit.

 As well as the mythological connection, Atlas is a cool geographical word name – perfect for the child of parents who love traveling or who hail from different parts of the globe.

Atlas

Atticus, with its trendy Roman feel combined with the upstanding, noble image of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, is a real winner among <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boy names</a>. Atticus entered the US Top 1000 in 2004 and is a firm Nameberry favorite. 
 
The reason for the popularity of Atticus is less its ancient roots than Atticus Finch, the upstanding hero of To Kill A Mockingbird.. In fact so many people have been inspired by the character embodied by Gregory Peck that Atticus Finch was voted the greatest hero of American film by the American Film Institute. Harper Lee's recently-released novel Go Set a Watchman paints Atticus Finch in a less flattering light, though that doesn't seem to have impacted the rising popularity of the name.
 
Atticus derives from the Greek Attikos, meaning "from Attica," the Ancient Greek region that contained Athens. Atticus is a literary name in more ways than one. Before it became synonymous with Atticus Finch, the name Atticus was associated with Titus Pomponius Atticus, a Roman literary figure.
 Daniel Baldwin and Isabella Hoffman were ahead of the curve when they chose Atticus for their son born in 1996; since then Summer Phoenix and Casey Affleck named their little boy Atticus, and Tom Dumont made it the middle name for his son Rio.

Atticus

The name August is at its highest point since the 1890s, when it ranked among the Top 100 boy names in the US. And deservedly so, given its great meaning, historic roots, and cool nicknames.
THE celebrity baby name of the moment, August was chosen by both Princess Eugenie and Mandy Moore for their baby boys in early 2021. Before that, August had been heating up in Hollywood – used by Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann, Lena Olin, Dave Matthews and Jeanne Tripplehorn for their sons
August is the only truly popular month name for boys. The month of August was named after the Emperor Augustus.
 August has two august literary namesakes: the Swedish playwright August Strindberg (it has always been a popular name in Scandinavia), and August Wilson, as well as photographer August Sander.
 The French version is Auguste (ow-GOOST), as in Edgar Allan Poe's clever detective Auguste Dupin and famed sculptor Auguste Rodin.

August

Austin is one of the most attractive <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/572/names-for-city-babies">city names for babies</a>, with an appealing southwestern feel and place-name panache.
 Austin has been an Anglo-Saxon surname and a first name since medieval times. Austin reached the Top 10 in the 1990s, but in 2022 slipped out of the US Top 100 for boys. 
 Literary namesakes include Austin Sloper in Henry James' novel Washington Square, and there have been several Austins in soap operas and films.
 The Austen spelling is also used fairly evenly for boys and girls, sometimes as an homage to Jane Austen.

Austin

Avery is a unisex name that is used four times as often today for girls as for boys. But while Avery's popularity is starting to soften for girls, it continues to get stronger for boys -- in keeping with our finding that gender neutral names are becoming more favored for boys than for girls. 

Avery

A classic in its native Scandinavia, Axel has a cool rock 'n' roll flavor in the US, thanks to Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose (born William). Axel is a popular Scandinavian form of the Biblical Absalom, who was a son of King David, and is the name of the title character of William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom. 
 Growing in popularity, along with a lot of other names featuring the powerful letter 'x', Axel is now one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/173/scandinavian-names">Scandinavian names</a>. It entered the popularity list in 1989, one year after the release of one of Guns N' Roses biggest hits. It is very popular in Scandinavia, Germany and France.
Axel was chosen by Will Ferrell for his third son, and also by Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson for their boys, and it's the middle name of Tiger Woods' boy Charlie. Axel Foley was the character played by Eddie Murphy in the Beverly Hills Cop movies and, going further back, was the name of an important character in Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth. Currently, Axel Heck is the oldest son on The Middle.

Axel

Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice. 

Bear has suddenly lumbered onto the baby name landscape.  Perhaps inspired by British adventurer Bear Grylls (born Edward Michael), first celebrity chef Jamie Oliver used it as the middle name for his boy Buddy, and more recently Alicia Silverstone called her son Bear Blu., followed by Kate Winslet's Bear Blaize. It's part of a current trend normalizing once aggressive animal names like Wolf and Fox. Bear is now Number 218 on Nameberry and in the Top 900 in England.

Bear

Norwegian city name heard much more often as a last name than a first. 

Bergen

Birch is a rarely used nature name that calls to mind the lovely image of the tall, strong but graceful white-barked tree. 
 The best known bearer of the name is former high-ranking Democratic Senator Birch Evans Bayh, who carried the name of his father and was the principal Senate sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment.
 The birch tree has many notable qualities and uses &mdash; including the making of furniture, paper, canoes, and drums, is considered the national tree of Russia (where it used to be worshiped as a goddess), the state tree of New Hampshire, and has spiritual significance in several cultures.

Birch

Originally a form of the saint's name Blaise, though now more likely to be a hot word name used for both sexes, though heavily weighted toward the boys. It has been in the boys' Top 1000 since the year 2000.
 br>On the pop culture side of things, Blaze Bayley is a singer and musician who has been connected to the bands Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden.

Blaze

Also, unfortunately, better known as a chocolate syrup. Borden and Bosco could play well together. 

Bosco

Brandon, a forebear of the Braden-Caden pack, had a great run of popularity over several decades, being in the Top 10 from 1992 to 1998, one of its inspirations being hearthrob Brandon Walsh played by Jason Priestley on the original Beverly Hills 90210--and it was aso the name of several soap opera characters. 
 Newer names like Landon and Braden are feeling fresher to many parents, and it's sometimes confused with the Irish Brendan.

Brandon

Occasionally used as an alternative to Brandon or Brennan. 

Brannon

Bray

Carey is a surname name that works equally well on babies of all genders - Jazz great Carey Bell and motorcross champion Carey Hart are just two examples of how handsome this name can be for a boy.

Carey

Cedar is, like Ash, Oak, Pine and Ebony, one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider; this one is particularly aromatic.
 In the Bible the cedar is mentioned in Psalm 92:12: "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon." The Lebanon  Cedar was used to build King Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, and there are now several hospitals called Cedars of Lebanon, plus a U2 song by that name.
 A contemporary bearer of the name is the jazz pianist Cedar Walton.

Cedar

Chet is an old-fashioned short form that, ala Ned and Joe, is starting to sound cool again.

Chet

Clay is a rich, earthy one-syllable name with a southern-inflected handsome-rogue image, featured on soap operas and reality TV. Its longer forms are Clayton and Clayborne. 
 There have been TV characters called Clay on The Wire, Sons of Anarchy, and 13 Reasons Why, and the name's most prominent recent bearers are American Idol Clay (born Clayton) Aiken and Green Bay Packer linebacker Clay (born William Clay) Matthews.

Clay

Cliff is a familiar, timeless short form -- never too popular, yet widely known -- that you might also think of as a geographical name ala Vale or Field.

Cliff

Colt is the kind of unconventionally macho name that is so trendy right now, because of or in spite of its association with horses and guns. 
 Samuel Colt was the inventor and industrialist credited with popularizing the revolver.
 Colt is a perfect jock name, associated both with Washington Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy and an entire football team, the Indianapolis Colts.

Colt

Connor, the appealing name of an early semi-legendary king of Ulster in Irish mythology, sits firmly in the Top 100 and taken together with its alternate spellings would rank even higher. In its native Ireland the Conor version is one of the highest charting <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a>.
 Connor MacLeod was the name of the title character in the 1986 film The Highlander, which helped promote the name.
 Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise have a teen-aged son named Connor, while Eric Clapton has a younger Conor; the name of the Irish writer and historian is spelled Conor Cruise O'Brien.
 Since Connor means 'lover of hounds,' it might make a good choice for a dog-loving family. In fact, one of the sons in Marley and Me is given that name.

Connor

Dane is a more masculine Dana alternative, with added style edge. Dane has been on the US Top 1000 for more than seventy years, having entered the list in 1945.
 Dane makes a great middle name, as evidenced by January Jones' use of it for son Xander Dane.

Dane

The Darien spelling, which relates to the posh Connecticut town, peaked at Number 393 in 1994 but more recently has been just hanging on at the bottom of the Top 1000.  Still, a name with an appealing sound and feel that may ascend again.

Darien

Deston

Although this is traditionally seen as a female name, via the classical mythological nymph who pined away for Narcissus until all that remained of her was a disembodied voice — it can also be used for boys. Remember that old song, 'Little sir echo, how do you do?'
 
Amanda Knox has a son named Echo and a daughter named Eureka.

Echo

With its sharp, succinct sounds and cool, laidback style, Eli is a popular choice among parents today. Compact and punchy, it is a Biblical name with plenty of charm. 
Derived from the Hebrew ’aly, the name Eli means “high” or “ascended.” In the Old Testament, Eli was a high priest of the Israelites, who trained and gave guidance to the prophet Samuel. 
While the Biblical Eli suffered an unhappy end due to his sons’ misdeeds, his name hasn’t shared the same fate. Used since the 17th century, Eli has never been out of the US Top 1000. It has featured in the Top 100 for the last decade, and is currently popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and The Netherlands too. 
Eli is also used as a shortened form of Elijah, Elias, Eliezer, or even Elliot and in some Scandinavian countries, is it used as a feminine name, most often as a nickname for Elisabet or Elin. With its unisex potential and its longer forms ranking highly, Eli might feel more popular than it actually is. 
Notable namesakes include Eli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin, Eli Long, a Civil War general, and Eli Roth, a film director, screenwriter, and actor. Enjoyed by the general public and celebrities alike, Eli has been chosen by CNN anchor Campbell Brown, SNL alum Rachel Dratch, and actor Kevin Weisman. 
Spirited but solid, no-fuss Eli is given to over 4000 boys each year, so you wouldn’t be alone in loving the name. If you don’t want your baby to have share however, you could consider other Biblical E names such as Eben, Elim, Enosh, or Eran, or perhaps other 3 letter gems, like Ira, Ari, Jem, Nye, or Ivo.

It's the French Steve yet feels oh so much more debonair. Well-used and still a popular classic in French-speaking lands, but one of the many <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/498/french-names-for-boys">French names for boys</a>unfamiliar to most English speakers, except maybe fashionistas who associate it with designer Etienne Aigner. A new way to honor Grandpa Steve?

Etienne

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. 

Falcon

Finn is a name with enormous energy and charm, that of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as well for his wisdom and generosity. 
 Finn was chosen by cool couple Christy Turlington and Ed Burns for their son, and also by Jane Leeves and Autumn Reeser. Played by Cory Monteith prior to his death, Finn Hudson was a prominent character on Glee.
Other up-and-comers in the same family: Finlay and Finley, Finian and Finnian, Finnegan and Finnigan, and, from Germany, Fynn.

Finn

The Forest variation of Forrest, used by actor Whitaker, nudges the meaning more toward the woods and away from the woodsman.

Forest

Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files. Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting middle name.
 It was reported that the TV character's first name was not a tribute to the Fox network which aired The X-Files, as often assumed; show creator Chris Carter said he had a childhood friend named Fox. Fox was one of the fastest-rising boys' names of 2016, perhaps because of the popularity of the X-Files revival.

Frisco is a frisky, roguish semi-place-name (San Francisco natives never call it that) that could make a lively, unusual o-ending choice. 
 Frisco is the kind of nickname name sometimes used for cowboy characters in Westerns.

Frisco

When Gary cracked the Top 10 in 1950, it was one of the first nonclassic <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a> to do so, largely due to Gary (born Frank) Cooper, who was renamed after Gary, Indiana, his agent's hometown. Now, a 65 years later, Gary isn't particularly high in the charts, and has lost any glitter it had. May we suggest the fuller name Gareth?

Gary

The kind of nouveau macho name favored by NRA-leaning parents. Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers gave it to his son in 2009. Gunnar is another spelling that makes the name a bit less militaristic.


Gunner

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 the UK. A lesser-used -ley ending choice for boys, Harley has a current sound but an old-school biker appeal.

Harley

Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is particularly striking for both girls and boys. Although most people don't think of it like this, Indigo might also be considered among the most stylish <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/167/greek-names">Greek baby names</a> in use today.

Some cultural references: The Indigo Girls are a folk duo, 'Mood Indigo' is a classic Duke Ellington jazz composition, and there is a 1970's New Age theory that Indigo children possess special, sometimes supernatural abilities. Indigo is the name of a character in the Ntozake Shange novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and was used for his daughter by Lou Diamond Phillips.

Indigo

Jagger is a swaggering Rolling Stone of a name that's been picked up by a number of fellow celebs, including Lindsay Davenport and Brett Scallions--while Soleil Moon Frye pulled a gender switch when she bestowed it on her daughter. It's edgy with a touch of danger.
 Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee started the ball rolling when they gave their son Dylan the middle name of Jagger in 1997; it entered the popularity list in 2001.

Jagger

Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.
 
Jasper has a lot going for it—it's been rocketing up the ranks in the US, after long being considered a posh and charming name in England. Distinctly masculine, Jasper represents a variety of quartz—one of the few gem <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">names for boys</a>—and is the first name of the great modern artist Jasper Johns. Our only caveat: Jasper is a favorite of a lot of hip parents, and has gotten even more popular since its strong appearance in the Twilight books and movies.
 Jasper has considerable literary cred as well, appearing in works by Sir Walter Scott, James Fenimore Cooper, Thackeray, and Thomas Hardy--as well as Stephenie Meyer. 
 Casper/Caspar is the German version.

Jasper

Jax is the Dex-Jex-Pax type of x-ending cool -- possibly too cool -- variation of Jack or nickname for Jaxon or Jackson.
 Jax was a soap opera character name way back when; most recently he's been seen as Jackson "Jax" Teller, the central character on Sons of Anarchy, the national president of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club.

Though this feels like a modern invention, Jay has been in use for centuries. Early Jays often were named in honor of founding father John Jay, whose surname derived from the jaybird. A popular mid-century choice, Jay was in the Top 100 from 1956 to 1970. In the last couple of decades he was replaced by such more elaborate forms as Jayden, Jaylen, and Jayce. But Jay could make a comeback in tandem with cousins May, Kay, Fay, and Ray.
 In literature, the most prominent Jay wasn't a Jay at all—Gatsby's birth name was James Gatz. In real life, the honor goes to Jay Leno, also born James.
 In India, Jay is used as a modern variant of the Hindi Jaya, which means "victory."

Aviation enthusiast John Travolta put this fast-paced name in the lexicon when he used it for his late son, and George Lucas followed suit. 

Jett might be a word name for a kind of airplane or for the mineraloid jet, typically black and shiny, giving rise to the term "jet black".

Jett

Jonah, the name of the Old Testament prophet who was swallowed by the whale, only to emerge unharmed three days later, is increasingly appreciated by parents looking for a biblical name less common than Jacob or Joshua, yet not too obscure. Plus, Jonah comes with a ready-made nursery-decorating motif.
 The appealing Jonah has been featured in such movies as Sleepless in Seattle and Knocked Up and is currently represented by actor/writer Jonah Hill.
 Jonas is the Greek version and Yona is a female spin.

Jonah

Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity -- for more than a decade now. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
 Saint Jude was the apostle who interceded for people with problems and became the patron saint of lost causes.Kelsey Grammer has a son named Jude Gordon. Jude is occasionally used for girls (as in Martha Stewart's granddaughter)--but more often as a shortened form of Judith/Judy.
 Jude's old connections to the traitorous Judas Iscariot and Thomas Hardy's tragic Jude the Obscure have mostly faded from memory, though don't be shocked if Grandma objects to the name on these grounds.

Jude

A predominantly male name in the US until the late 1950s, the name continued to rise for both sexes for both sexes for a further decade, before starting to decline for boys. Despite dropping out of the boys' Top 1000 in 2002, Kelly retains a rugged Irish charm.

 The name derives from Gaelic ceallach/em> "war" or ceall "church". It is also sometimes said to mean "bright-headed".

 Famous fictional namesakes include 1960s (male) TV spy Kelly Robinson, as well as one of the (female) Charlie's Angels. Real-life namesakes include actor and dancer Gene Kelly, as well as the legendary Grace Kelly.

Kelly

A strong, powerful choice, ancestor of the modern Superboy Names. Knut is the name of the patron saint of Denmark; Knute Rockne was a legendary Notre Dame football coach. Knute is the middle name of Jessica Simpson's son Ace, in honor of his paternal great-grandfather.


Knute

Laird is a Scottish title for the landed gentry – it ranks just below a Baron – with a pleasantly distinctive Scottish burr that must have appealed to Sharon Stone, who chose it for her son.
 Laird Cregar was an early movie actor, known for playing creepy roles; Laird Hamilton is a famous American big-wave surfer.

Laird

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 modern, unisex but not newly-minted. And while it absolutely works as a first name, Lee is still one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/480/middle-names-for-boys">middle names for boys</a> as well as one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/top-last-names-in-the-us">most common last names in the US</a>.

Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for thirteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.

Derived from the Latin meaning "lion", Leo is one of those names, like Luke and Finn, that many people assume must be short for something but that is authentically a complete name in its own right. That said, Leo can but short for any number of names, from Leonardo in Latinate languages to Leon and Leopold in Germanic languages. We've even heard of little girl Leonoras and Leonies called Leo: How cute is that?

Leo's simplicity makes it an international star, ranking in the Top 100 in countries as diverse as Ireland and Israel, Spain and Sweden, Austria and Australia. Leo is a truly diverse name, a perfect choice for any family crossing countries or blending cultures.
 
Leo's only real downside is its universal popularity and familiarity. If you call your child Leo, you and they will almost certainly encounter many other Leos over the years of all types and ages. Plus or minus? Or both?
 
Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem called their son Leo, as did actress Kim Raver, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and Kristin Olson. 
 Famous Leos of the past include Pope Leo the Great, a number of early saints, and Leo Tolstoy, as well as Dead End Kid Gorcey, colorful baseball manager Durocher, influential gallerist Castelli and the leonine MGM icon. There have been Leos seen on everything from The West Wing to Charmed to Grey's Anatomy to Seinfeld's Uncle Leo.

Lou, all by itself, is become fashionable for girls, which usually makes a name LESS fashionable for boys.  But Lou, like Bill or Jim, is rarely used on its own for boys anyway.  (You wouldn't name a boy Frederick Lou the way that girls are named Mary Lou or, in the case of Keri Russell's new baby, Willa Lou.)  Long form Louis is getting cool again and, with the Lewis spelling, is the Number 2 name in Scotland.

Maddox, a previously obscure Welsh family name with a powerfully masculine image, suddenly came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie chose it for her son in 2003. By the following year it was in the middle of the Top 1000, and it has risen since.
 It was Maddox who set the precedent for all the boys in the Jolie-Pitt clan to have names ending in 'x'-and helped fuel the spark for all names X. 
 Maddox is related to the traditional Welsh Madoc (pronounced MAH-dog), meaning 'fortunate'; it belonged to a bearer who, according to legend, colonized North America in the twelfth century.
 Maddox is a character in The Vampire Diaries; spelled Madox, it appeared in Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient.

Maddox

Along with August, March is one of the month names perfectly suited to boys. This brisk single-syllable name – which derives from the name of Mars, the Roman god of war – is worth considering as either a first or middle option. As a surname, it brings warm memories of the girls of Little Women, and of twentieth century actor Fredric.

March

Milo is most commonly considered to be Germanic name derived from the Latin word miles, meaning "soldier." However, there is evidence to suggest it also may have independently spawned from the Slavic root milu, meaning "merciful." Milo predates brother name Miles, a variation that evolved when the name immigrated to the British Isles in the Middle Ages. Mylo is an alternate spelling.
 
Milo has long been a favorite <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' name</a> on Nameberry, also getting some well-deserved appreciation in the wider world. Milo combines the strength of the ancient Greek Olympic wrestler of that name—a six-time winner of the Olympic games—with the debonair charm of a WWII RAF pilot.
 More recently, Milo has been associated with the dashing Milo Ventimiglia of This Is Us fame, and it has also been the name of characters in books Catch-22 and The Phantom Tollbooth, and on screen in Milo and Otis, Alias, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
 Ricki Lake, Camryn Manheim, Sherry Stringfield, Liv Tyler, Craig Ferguson, and Alyssa Milano are six celebrity parents who share our enthusiasm for Milo, as do many Nameberry baby namers.
 Milo is often heard in Ireland. Milo O'Shea was a renowned Irish character actor.

Milo

Nature names like Ocean and River are flowing back into favor, especially with nature lovers and green-oriented parents. 
 Forest Whitaker, an inspired child namer (his other kids are called Sonnet and True), has a son named Ocean Alexander.
 Variations include Oceanus, the name of the child who was born during the voyage of the Mayflower, and Oceane, a wildly popular girls' name in France.

Ocean

Odin is the name of the supreme Norse god of art, culture, wisdom, and law — who was handsome, charming, and eloquent into the bargain. The name projects a good measure of strength and power and has excellent assimilation potential.
 The god Odin was referred to by more than 200 names, including Yggr, Sigfodr, and Alfodr — none of which is recommended. The word Wednesday is derived from Woden, the English form of Odin.
 Odin came to be used as a Norwegian male given name beginning in the nineteenth century, originally in the context of a romantic Viking revival. In the 2001 novel American Gods by Neil Gaiman, the character called Wednesday is an incarnation of the god Odin.

Odin

Oliver is an international star, ranking near the top of the charts in the US and throughout the English-speaking world, along with a host of European and Latin American countries, from Norway to Chile, Slovenia to Switzerland.
 
Long a popular choice in England, Australia and New Zealand, Oliver entered the list of Top 100 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy names</a> in the U.S. for the first time in 2009, but has already jumped to the top of the charts. Why? Because Oliver is energetic and good-natured, stylish but classic, with a meaning symbolizing peace and fruitfulness. 
 
Oliver derives from Olivier, the Norman French variation of the Ancient Germanic name Alfihar ("elf army") or the Old Norse Áleifr ("ancestor's relic"), from which comes Olaf. Olivier emerged as the dominant spelling for its associations with the Latin word oliva, meaning "olive tree."

Oliver was used as a given name in medieval England after the spread of the French epic poem ‘La Chanson de Roland,’ which features a character named Olivier. It lost favor after the seventeenth century rule of Oliver Cromwell, then was revived in the nineteenth century. 

Oliver's biggest boost in this country came from the hit book and movie Love Story, which also catapulted the name Jennifer to stardom. Notable namesakes range from Oliver Wendell Holmes to Oliver Hardy to Oliver Stone. In fiction, there is Oliver Twist, and Oliver is also a Harry Potter name.
 Oliver works particularly well with single-syllable surnames, as in Oliver Stone, North and Puck (son of Wolfgang). Other celebrities who have chosen Oliver include Bridget Fonda, Fred Savage, Stephen Stills, and Taylor Hawkes. 
 International forms include the French Olivier, the Spanish Olivero, and the Italian Oliviero.
 Parents considering Oliver for their sons might consider that with Olivia at the top of the charts for girls, there will be an awful lot of children with names starting with Oliv-.

Oliver

Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones.
 The Greek mythological Orion was the legendary hunter who pursued the seven daughters of Atlas, was slain by the goddess Artemis, and then placed as one of the brightest constellations in the night sky by Zeus.
 Mark Twain had a brother named Orion, and Chris "Big" Noth picked the name for his son. It is also a Harry Potter name.
 Orion's Gaelic connection to O'Ryan/Ryan makes it familiar as well as unusual.

Orion

Ever since Austin Powers enlightened Americans that "randy" meant "horny," it's been hard to take this name seriously, and Randy has declined in popularity since.

Randy

Ray, still and forever, is one of the all-time hippest <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' names</a>, with its jazzy Ray Charles biopic overtones. It's one of the coolest <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a>), but works perfectly fine as a first.
 The list of noteworthy Rays who have brought glory to their nickname name goes on forever—Bradbury, Romano, Milland (born Alfred), Liotta, and Goulding, to name just a few. Ray might still be short for Raymond or a more unusual formal name such as Rainier or Rayford, but it can also stand on its own.

River shares the tranquil feeling of all the water names, and seems to have pretty much escaped its past strong association with River Phoenix and his unfortunate fate. Actor Joaquin Phoenix named his son with actress Rooney Mara after his brother River.

River's popularity is rising for boy genders, but it's still predominantly given to baby boys. Last year nearly 3500 boys were named River vs. about 1900 baby girls.

Keri Russell and the Taylor Hansons both have sons named River, Natasha Henstridge used it as the middle name of her boy Tristan, and Jason Schwartzman pluralized it for daughter Marlowe Rivers.

River

Rutger

Ryder, one of the current favorite er-ending <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a>, has been in the spotlight since Kate Hudson and her rocker husband Chris Robinson chose it for their son in 2004. Very popular in several provinces of Canada, Ryder was chosen by John Leguzamo for his son and adorns Boy Meets World star Ryder Strong.
 In the past, Ryder was much more prevalent as a surname, as in American Old Master painter Albert Pinkham Ryder and Brideshead Revisited protagonist Charles Ryder. Not all came by it legitimately, however--Winona Ryder was born Winona Horowitz.
Trivia note: The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf tournament with competing teams from Europe and the US.

Ryder

Fits many criteria sought by modern parents: it's short and strong, with intimations of wisdom as well as fragrant herbal properties.  At this point, Sage is given about a third of the time to boys.



Sage

The name of the longest river in the British Isles rose to the US Top 25 for girls in the 1970s and the Top 100 for boys, but has fallen off the Top 1000 for both genders. At the latest count, the name Shannon was given to about 200 babies in the US, about a third of those boys. 

As a favorite Irish name, Shannon has now been supplanted by newcomers such as Saoirse and Seanan.

Shannon

Sonny is one of the generic boy nickname names making a surprise reappearance, and it was recently used by actor Jason Lee. Another surprise: It's been on the US Top 1000 list every year since 1927, reaching a peak in 1975, when it hit Number 428.
 Most celebrities who've gone by Sonny have had a formal birth name, including Sonny Bono (born Salvatore), Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue (George Ervin), boxer Sonny Liston (Charles), and jazz musician Sonny Rollins (Theodore Walter). Even fictional Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice was born James.

Sonny

Windswept and dramatic, but perhaps asking for trouble. Quite popular in Denmark and Sweden, where it derives from Stromr, which is a fairly common surname. Storm Thorgerson is a famous bearer of the name - he designed iconic album covers for Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, the Cranberries, Anthrax, and Pink Floyd.

Storm

Striker is one of the new gang of boys' names that have two syllables, end in -er, spring from words, and have a macho, even aggressive meaning and image.  Other examples include Breaker, Heller, and Wilder.  Do the world a favor and desist.

Striker

Despite its somewhat menacing meaning, this name has been widely used in recent years, probably due to the appeal of its trendy on ending. 

Talon

Tildon

Tony, as in classy. Or To-nyyy, as yelled out a tenement window. 

Tony

Wild

Wolf is a name with a split personality. It can be seen as one of the fierce animal names, like Fox and Bear and Puma, with a touch of the werewolf, or it can be viewed as a quieter, Wolf Blitzer kind of name, fairly common in German (where is pronounced Vulf) and Jewish families, sometimes as a short form of Wolfgang, or even Wolfram or Wolfhart.

 CNN newscaster Blitzer inherited the name from his grandfather. Other Wolfs of note include British screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz, who was instrumental in the early James Bond films, painter Wolf Kahn, and the hero of Jack London's 1904 novel The Sea-Wolf, Wolf Larsen.

 
Despite all it has going for it, Wolf is relatively rare and has never been given to more than 80 babies in a single year. But now that Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott chose it for their infant son, Wolf is primed to climb the charts.

 Spelling variations Wolfe or Woolf push it into surname territory, while nickname Wolfie definitely domesticates it.

Wolf

Western novelist Zane (born Pearl!) Grey made this name famous. Now, it's in tune with the style of our times, retaining that appealing cowboy image. 
 Zane Grey was the great-grandson of Ebenezer Zane, founder of Zanesville, Ohio, the town where the writer was born. The name Zane has been on the popularity list since 1921, the heyday of such Zane Grey novels as The Riders of the Purple Sage.
 The Arabic name Zayn, as in musician Zayn Malik, sounds exactly the same as Zane but has a different root. Zayn is one of the fastest-rising names in recent years. And some parents--including country singer Mindy McReady -- use the spelling Zayne.

Zane

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-- with many European variations, it's a name that's frequently seen in computer and video games, is a character in the children's book Silverwing, and appears in the Babar books--as a monkey.
 Robby Benson and Karla De Vito named their son Zephyr in 1992, and Zephyr Benson is now an actor himself. More recently it was chosen by tech entrepreneur Sean Parker for his baby boy.

Zephyr

persephonecrew's list "Ride That Wave" of 78 great name ideas: Ace - Zephyr!

Ride That Wave

Boy names for surfers or skaters and thrill-seekers. Punchy and badass these names can be unisex too if you're very adventurous.