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English
"son of the red-haired"
Inventive way to honor a redheaded ancestor, though most people would mispronounce it reeding, making it sound to some kids like a school assignment: Redding is a preferable spelling.
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.
Michaiah
Hebrew
"who is like God"
The name of five men and one woman in the Bible, this name has so far escaped much notice but its similarity to popular choices such as Michael and Michaela/Mikayla, along with the long-running…
Chauncey
Latin
"chancellor"
A name halfway between its old milquetoast image and a more jovial Irish-sounding contemporary one.
Mordecai
Hebrew
"follower of Marduk"
Mordecai, although it has a noble heritage, has never caught on in this country, because of its rather weighty image. Nevertheless, with parents searching for rarer Biblical names that work as…
Thackeray
English
"place with thatching"
The name of the famous British man of letters might just appeal to some English majors as a more interesting alternative to Zachary. An appropriate playmate for Russell Crowe's boy Tennyson.
Hadrian
Latin
"from the Adriatic; dark-haired"
Most parents would find this old Roman name pretentious compared to the more accessible Adrian, but some history buffs just might want to commemorate the enlightened emperor.
Eben
Hebrew, diminutive of Ebenezer
"stone of help"
Though most parents would shy away from Ebenezer, short form Eben is affable and creative and perfectly able to stand alone; nothing Scroogish about it. This also makes a fresh new spin on the very…
Claudius
Latin
"lame; enclosure"
Claudius is one of the most user-friendly of the ancient Roman names – even though it's associated with the villainous character in Shakespeare's Hamlet . But as with feminine form Claudia, the…
Henri
French and Finnish variation of Henry, German
"estate ruler"
The chic Euro spelling of Henry is rising along with the original form.
Lonan
Manx, Irish
"little blackbird"
Typically spelled as Lonán in Ireland, Lonan is its Manx form, though it could also be considered the anglicized form too. The name comes from the Irish lon meaning "blackbird", paired with a…
Lleyton
Variation of Leighton, English
"meadow settlement"
Lleyton is the novel spelling publicized by Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt. Other double 'L's are found in such Welsh names as Lloyd and Llewellyn. More popular forms of the name include…
Sorrel
Botanical name and French
"reddish brown"
Sorrel is a gentle, amber-hued herbal and autumnal name that's used most often to describe the color of a horse. Sorrell is a variant spelling. Both make excellent names for autumn babies and can be…
Naviyd
Persian, variation of Naveed
"good news"
Usher put this spin on an attractive and popular Iranian name when he chose it for his son.
Augusten
German variation of Augustus, Augustine, Augustin
"great, magnificent"
Confessional memoirist Augusten Burroughs is the first literary notable to bear one of this family of names since the confessional saint.
Lorcan
Irish
"little, fierce"
Lorcan is a name rich in Irish history as belonging to several kings, including the grandfather of the most famous high king of Ireland, Brian Boru. Lorcan O'Toole, known in English as Laurence…
Arden
English
"valley of the eagle; high"
Arden is a gender-neutral name that's sleek and stylish but always seems to bob just below the surface of popularity, despite ticking all the boxes with its fashionable two-syllable, N-ending shape…
Michon
Michon is a refined masculine name with French linguistic roots, though it remains uncommon in both France and other French-speaking regions. It likely developed as a diminutive form of Michel (the…
Berkeley
English
"where birches grow"
The Brits say BARK-lee, but we pronounce it the same as the name of the California college: either way it's quite pretentious and of another era.
Feivel
Yiddish
"brilliant one"
This comes from Faivish, the Yiddish form of Phoebus, the Greek sun god...and it's also the little mouse in "An American Tail."