Aries inspired names

Hyacinth

English, Greek

"blue larkspur; precious stone"

Though it may not be as sweet and gentle as, say, Violet, the purple-hued Hyacinth still might hold some appeal for the parent seeking a truly unconventional flower name. In Greek mythology…

Hyperion

Greek

"the high one"

In Greek mythology, Hyperion is one of the twelve Titans: children of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky). Hyperion presides over heavenly light, and is the father of Helios (Sun), Selene (Moon), and Eos…

Ichabod

Hebrew

"the glory is gone"

Ichabod, an eccentric Old Testament name, is forever tied to the character of Ichabod Crane -- and worse, the teasing possibilities of "icky bod." Even its original meaning is a negative. Skip…

Inia

Maori

"praised one"

Maori form of Aeneas, also used for girls as the Māori form of India.

Iowa

Dakota

"sleepy ones"

American place and tribe name, derived via French from the Dakota word ayúxba "sleepy ones". It does have a cool sound, reminiscent of Ira or Owain, but has only ever made the US charts for girls,…

Isambard

English

"bright iron"

Isambard is derived from Old German Isanbert, meaning "bright iron" or "famous iron". Its most famous bearer, rather fittingly, is the 19th century British civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel,…

Isham

English

"from the Iron One's estate"

A noble surname from northern England that has occasionally been used as a first name.

Iskander

Indonesian variation of Alexander.

Jade

English

"gemstone"

When Jade first took off as a given name back in the 1970's, it was in fact considered unisex. It ranked in the US Top 1000 first for boys, then for girls, 7 years later. By the 80's however, Jade…

Jaka

Slovene; Indonesian

"supplanter; young man"

Jack getting too common for you? Here's a distinctive twist. Jaka is one of the most popular boy names in Slovenia, where it's a variant of Jacob or James.

Jarah

Hebrew

"honeycomb or honeysuckle"

This Old Testament name feels feminine to a modern English speaker, thought the Biblical Jarah was male. In the most recent year counted, there were seven girls and five boys given the name. With the…

Jati

Indonesian

"honest"

If you're looking for an international boy's name with an appealing meaning, you've found one great option.

Jermaine

Variation of Germaine

"from Germany"

A Jackson brother name also associated with the similar-sounding Jemaine, of Flight of the Conchords fame. It has slowly lost its appeal since its peak years in the 1970s.

Jernej

Slovene variation of Bartholomew, Aramaic

"son of the furrow"

The connection between the two names isn't intuitive, but Jernej is the Slovene form of Bartholomew.

Jerome

Greek

"sacred name"

Jerome has a bespectacled, serious, studious image, just like its namesake saint, who was a brilliant scholar. St. Jerome is the patron saint of students, librarians, and archaeologists. Musical…

Jonesy

Diminutive of Jones, English surname derived from John

"God is gracious"

It's difficult to imagine anyone using the first name Jonesy -- and in fact, in the most recent US tally, there were nearly 100 babies named Jones but none named Jonesy. Still, this is a name that…

Joss

Diminutive of Jocelyn or Joseph, German

"member of the Gauts tribe; Jehovah increases"

Succinct and to the point, Joss may appeal to those who enjoy the likes of Jude, Jesse, Jem, and Ozzy. Brought into the spotlight by Joss Whedon , creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Angel and…

Jovany

Variation of Jovan or phonetic spelling of Giovanni

Jovany may be easier to understand for English speakers, but the more serious and authentic Jovan or Giovanni would be better choices.