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Pastoral Dreamer

lavenderwitch
By lavenderwitch
Updated Fri May 12 2023
Names in this category are bards and poets, readers and writers and dreamers, hopeless romantics, indolent shepherds sleeping while their flock roams nearby. Colors and textures are green and gold, the susurration of the wind through meadow grasses, passionate love letters with pressed flowers inside, curly wool, dandelion fluff carrying wishes on the breeze, distant castles on verdant rolling hills, stolen kisses in sun-drenched fields, deerskin breeches and ivory linen tunics, dust motes floating in golden summer sunlight.
  1. Amias

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "loved"

    • Description:

      Amias or Amyas is a unique name with an attractive sound and feel and a lovely meaning. Though it might sound like a Biblical name, it is not, but is a surname that may be related to Amadeus or even be a male version of Amy--which would make it one of the few boys' names to be derived from a girls'.
  2. Theodore

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"

    • Description:

      Classic and elegant but with boyish charm, Theodore has become hit name in recent years, vaulting into the US Top 10 in 2021 for the first time ever and into the Top 5 in 2024. A favorite in English speaking countries, it also ranks highly across the UK and Ireland, and in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
  3. Atticus

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "from Attica"

    • Description:

      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 boy names. Atticus entered the US Top 1000 in 2004 and is a firm Nameberry favorite.
  4. Jude

    • Origin:

      Latin diminutive of Judah, Hebrew, Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "praised; to be generous, to be good to others"

    • Description:

      Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity, in the US at least. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
  5. Phineas

    • Origin:

      English, Egyptian

    • Meaning:

      "the Nubian"

    • Description:

      Phineas is the English variation of Phinehas, a Hebrew name likely derived from the Egyptian name Pa-nehasi. Pa-nehasi, meaning "the Nubian" can also be translated as "the bronze-colored one." The Egyptians distinguished themselves from their Nubian neighbors through differences in skin tone.
  6. Hugo

    • Origin:

      Latinized form of Hugh

    • Meaning:

      "mind, intellect"

    • Description:

      Hugo, the Latin form of Hugh, has more heft and energy than the original -- and of course we love names that end (or begin, for that matter) with an o. This one is especially appealing because it's backed up by lots of solid history and European style.
  7. Everett

    • Origin:

      English variation of the German Eberhard

    • Meaning:

      "brave as a wild boar"

    • Description:

      Everett is a preppy but outdoorsy name, with wintery New England vibes. In the last decade, it’s had a leap in popularity, perhaps because of its similarity to trendy girls’ names like Ava and Scarlett, or perhaps because it offers a fresh alternative to 90’s style Evan and Brett.
  8. Nathaniel

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"

    • Description:

      Nathaniel was derived from the Hebrew name Netan’el, meaning "gift of God," composed of the elements natan, meaning "to give," and ’el, in reference to God. The name is featured several times in the Old and New Testaments, typically spelled Nathanael. In the New Testament, Nathanael is also known by his other name, Bartholomew.
  9. Cassius

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "hollow"

    • Description:

      Cassius, a Shakespearean name rooted in antiquity, is trending in a major way. It's one of a raft of Cas-starting names for both boys and girls, including Caspian, Cassian, and Cassia, that are enjoying a new moiment in the sun.
  10. Rhys

    • Origin:

      Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "ardor"

    • Description:

      Rugged but gentle, Rhys is the traditional Welsh spelling of this name, which can also be anglicized as Reese or Reece. Up until 2010, Reese was the preferred spelling in the US, perhaps because parents were concerned about mispronunciation. However, Rhys has since taken over for boys and is now used twice as often as Reese.
  11. Graham

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "gravelly homestead"

    • Description:

      Well used in England and Scotland since the fifties, the smooth and sophisticated Graham is catching on here.
  12. Wren

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "small bird"

    • Description:

      Wren may not be as time-honored a bird name choice as Robin or even Lark, but it's more fashionable and fresh, with a gentle and earthy vibe.
  13. River

    • Origin:

      Nature name

    • Description:

      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.
  14. Tobias

    • Origin:

      Greek from Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "God is good"

    • Description:

      Tobias is one of a number of s-ending boys' names that are riding a wave of popularity. With its Old Testament-Dickensian feel, it's a name with a distinguished pedigree.
  15. Evander

    • Origin:

      Scottish; Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bow warrior; strong man"

    • Description:

      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.
  16. Bennett

    • Origin:

      English medieval form of Benedict, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "blessed"

    • Description:

      Bennett is Ben with a bow tie, kind of a cross between Benjamin and Beckett. It's been trending up on the popularity charts in recent years, and its choice by The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Jane Krakowski could shoot it even higher.
  17. Tristan

    • Origin:

      Celtic

    • Meaning:

      "noise or sorrowful"

    • Description:

      Tristan -- known through medieval legend and Wagnerian opera -- has a slightly wistful, touching air. This, combined with the name's popular "an" ending, makes Tristan very appealing to parents seeking a more original alternative to Christian.
  18. Emrys

    • Origin:

      Welsh, variation of Ambrose

    • Meaning:

      "immortal"

    • Description:

      Magical and powerful, but gentle and approachable too, Emrys is a Welsh name which may be worth considering if you're looking for something less common that Dylan, Evan, or Morgan. An offbeat epithet of the wise wizard Merlin, it's currently in the Welsh top 100 and in the England and Wales Top 500 over all.
  19. Frederick

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "peaceful ruler"

    • Description:

      Frederick, and friendlier nickname Fred, seemed almost to have disappeared, leaving just the memory of Freds past such as Astaire, Mr. Rogers and Flintstone. But today's parents are beginning to recognize it as a strong classic and one of the top royal baby boy names.
  20. Beckett

    • Origin:

      English and Irish

    • Meaning:

      "bee hive, little brook or bee cottage"

    • Description:

      Beckett is one of the big baby name hits of the decade.