First Names for Boys

  1. Sander
    • Origin:

      Dutch and Scandinavian, diminutive of Alexander
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      Sander is a more conventional form of Zander or Xander, heard frequently on its own in Europe. It is now a Top 20 name in Norway, and is also popular in Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands.
  2. Patton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "fighter's town"
    • Description:

      Patton is an attractive name in the fashionable Haden-Peyton mold, though there is that association with the severe wartime general.
  3. Trenton
    • Origin:

      English, place-name
    • Meaning:

      "Trent's town"
    • Description:

      There's only one Trenton, New Jersey, but it's a widely used name, more for its fashionable -on ending than the reference to the city. Since 2007, however, Trenton has been on a steady decline. Trenten is another popular spelling.
  4. Tobiah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is good"
    • Description:

      Tobiah is the original Hebrew form of the better-known Greek Tobias, to which it could make a distinctive alternative. With its ah ending, Tobiah fits in with other stylish Biblical names today, from Noah to Isaiah to Josiah and Zachariah. And of course, Toby is an adorable nickname.
  5. Coltrane
    • Origin:

      Irish surname
    • Meaning:

      "descendant of Coltarán"
    • Description:

      The great sax player John Coltrane could be a cool naming inspiration for a jazz fan.
  6. Jedaiah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "invoker of the Lord"
    • Description:

      More manageable than the Jebediahs and Jedidiahs, this name of several biblical characters would make an interesting, undiscovered Old Testament choice.
  7. Halian
    • Origin:

      Native American
    • Meaning:

      "youthful"
    • Description:

      A Julian derivative, via Spanish conquistadors, that could be a more unusual yet still reasonable substitute for that current favorite.
  8. Raeburn
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "stream where does drink"
    • Description:

      Smoking jacket-wearing British surname, with artistic ties to Sir Henry Raeburn, Scottish romantic painter.
  9. Haldan
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "half Danish"
    • Description:

      If you fit this definition, this might be a clever choice, especially as a middle name.