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August

German form of Latin Augustus

"great, magnificent"

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. With its great meaning, historic roots, and cool nicknames, 2024 saw…

Nico

Italian diminutive of Nicholas, Greek

"people of victory"

Nico is one of the great nickname names, full of charm, energy and effortless cool -- a neo Nick. Nico is commonly heard in Italy -- as a short form of Niccolo -- and also in France, Belgium,…

Jesse

Hebrew

"God exists"

King David's father turned 1980s cowboy, Jesse is now down in popularity but still a Biblical classic, ranking in the US Top 1000 for its entire history. The name is associated with a wide variety of…

Rory

Irish

"red king"

This spirited Gaelic classic, which became popular in Ireland via the illustrious twelfth century king Rory O'Connor, makes a highly energetic choice, now used for either sex. Rory's gender split is…

Ellis

English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or Welsh

"my God is Yahweh; benevolent"

Ellis is a former Old Man Name turned gender-neutral choice for the 21st century. It's one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family, unless you're in the UK, where it's a Top 100…

Ronan

Irish

"little seal"

Ronan is the compelling legendary name of twelve Irish and Scottish saints that is now drawing some deserved attention; this cousin of the ascending Roman and Rowan was chosen by actor Daniel…

Casey

Irish

"brave in battle"

Casey is a name with a big wide grin, Irish, friendly, and open, and associated with several American folk heroes--Casey Jones, the engine driver of the Cannonball Express who gave his life to save…

Kian

Irish; Persian

"ancient; king"

A friendly Irish and Persian name chosen by Geena Davis for one of her twin boys, whose father is Iranian. Irish and Iranian has to be one of the most diverse pair of roots of any name. Kian can be a…

Apollo

Greek mythology name

"destroyer; strength; father's light"

With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, and melodic option. Similar in style to Atlas and…

Sage

English botanical name and Latin

"wise and knowing"

A modern, multifaceted name, Sage is short, sweet, and strong. A unisex possibility, it is also a virtuous word name associated with wisdom, and a nature name linked to a fragrant herb. Currently,…

Lucian

Latin

"light"

Lucian is a sleeker, more sophisticated version of Lucius that is climbing in tandem with other Lu-starting names. Historically, the name was made famous by the ancient Greek satirist Lucian of…

Morgan

Welsh

"sea-born, sea-song or sea-circle"

Morgan, once split evenly between the sexes, is a strong and attractive Welsh favorite, still a common boys’ name in Wales. Morgan is now more often a girls' name in the U.S. – about 2000 girls were…

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…

Julien

French from Latin

"youthful, downy-bearded, or sky father"

Julien is the handsome French form of Julian, which derives from Julius, a Roman family name. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis , meaning "youthfu"; Greek…

Frankie

Diminutive of Frank, Francis, or Franklin, Latin

"from France or free man"

Frankie used to be a name used for near-equal numbers of girls and boys. In 2015, it ranked Number 992 for both genders in the US. Now, though, the name is used for than twice as often for girls than…

Bowie

Scottish

"blond, yellow"

Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn put this name in play as a first name, but David Bowie (born with the considerably less marketable moniker of David Robert Jones) gave it charisma. He changed his…

Percy

French surname from place name Perci-en-Auge

Percy is an adorable old name that is finally shedding its pampered Little Lord Fauntleroy image in this new era of boys with soft yet traditionally male names like Jasper and Elijah. Originating as…

Jules

French form of Julius, Latin

"youthful; soft, downy; sky father"

Though Jules hasn't been on the US popularity list in fifty years, it remains a hit in its native France where it's currently in the Top 10 — and has been in the Top 500 nearly every year since the…

Linden

Variation of Lyndon

"linden tree hill"

The graceful, natural image of the verdant shade tree transcends any connection with President Johnson. A sturdy tree that can live for centuries, Linden was actually quite a popular boys' name from…