User-created list
Favorite Boys' Names
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Maximilian
Latin
"greatest"
This name once seemed a bit grand and pompous for an American baby boy, but a significant number of parents are now preferring it as a substantial platform for the nickname Max, among them Jennifer…
Gregory
Greek
"vigilant, a watchman"
The Greek name of sixteen popes and fifteen saints, the gregarious Gregory became big in the United States with the emergence of admirable actor Gregory Peck (born Eldred) in the late 1940s. From…
Valentin
French, German, Russian, Czech, Scandinavian variation of Valentine
"strength, health"
Romantic name used throughout Europe, though sure to lead to pronunciation problems here. Though it's never been too widely used in the US, it's quite popular in Switzerland, France, Austria, and…
Trevor
Welsh
"from the large village"
Trevor, a British standard, took a long time to cross the Atlantic, but finally began its rise here in the 1980s. It is now a thoroughly naturalized citizen, though it still retains a touch of Anglo…
Ambrose
Latin
"immortal"
Gentle but grandiose and beloved by British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose was a fast rising name in 2022. Entering the UK Top 1000 for the first time and proving…
Boaz
Hebrew
"swiftness"
Now that such Old Testament patriarchs as Elijah and Moses fill the playground, Boaz seems downright baby-friendly, having more pizzazz than many of the others, perhaps as a successor to Noah. A name…
Casper
Dutch form of Jasper, Persian
"bringer of treasure"
This ancient name, also spelled Caspar, is finally shedding its ghostly image and moving into the 21st century. Popular in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, where it's sometimes shortened to Cas,…
Ephraim
Hebrew
"fruitful, fertile, productive"
Ephraim is an Old Testament name we would place high on the list of neglected Biblical possibilities, solid but not solemn. In Genesis, Ephraim is the second son of Joseph, and founder of one of the…
Crispin
Latin
"curly-haired"
Crispin, which was introduced into the mainstream by actor Crispin Glover and which means "curly-haired" in Latin, has an image very much like its first syllable: crisp, autumnal, and colorful. St.…
Balthazar
Phoenician
"Baal protects the King"
This evocative name of one of the Three Wise Men of the Orient, also spelled Balthasar, may finally be ready for prime time. Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar were the Magi who brought gifts of gold,…
Blaise
French
"to lisp, stammer"
As modern as it sounds, Blaise is an ancient Christian martyr name. In Arthurian legend, Blaise is the name of Merlin the Magician's secretary. Its relation to the word and name Blaze gives it a…
Edmund
English
"fortunate protector"
The sophisticated Edmund and its nearly-identical French twin Edmond are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name. In fact, it's already a fairly…
Lazarus
Latinized Greek variation of Hebrew Eleazar
"God is my helper"
Lazarus is a name that looks as if it could possibly be raised from the dead, just like its biblical bearer. Look for it in the next wave of Old Testament revivals that transcend their long-bearded…
Geoffrey
Anglo-Saxon from French
"pledge of peace"
In the US, this spelling is less common than mid-century favorite Jeffrey, and it has faded from popularity faster. This more British spelling is the usual form for historical figures like Geoffrey…
Dmitri
Russian from Greek Demetrius
Worldly, artistic and attractive Slavic version of the name of the Greek god of fertility and farming.
Brendan
Irish
"prince"
According to Irish legend, Saint Brendan the Voyager was the first European to touch American soil, and his name has been established here for decades, peaking in the late 1990s. Brendan first…
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…
Finnian
Irish
"fair"
Finnian is a fair jig of a name, energetic and easy on the ear. Finnian (and brother Finian) is also familiar in its alternate spelling through the classic 1968 Broadway musical Finian's Rainbow ,…
Augustin
Greek variation of August
This form and its German variant Augusten are moving up fast as the preferred long forms of the trendy Gus.
Orpheus
Greek mythology name
"the darkness of the night"
Name of the legendary ancient Greek poet and musician — whose music was so beautiful it made trees dance and rivers stop to listen — would provide a child with a challenging but indelible identity.