Spunky Favorites For Boys

Arlo

Irish or English

"between two hills"

Quirky cool Arlo is now well and truly back. Last year it broke into the US Top 200 boy names and consistently ranks among the most popular boy names on Nameberry. Along with its Irish and English…

Orion

Greek

"boundary, limit"

Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones. The Greek mythological Orion was the legendary hunter who pursued the seven daughters of Atlas, was slain by the goddess Artemis,…

Augustus

Latin

"great, magnificent"

Parents are beginning to look at imposing, somewhat fusty-sounding names like this one with fresh eyes: they definitely make a strong statement. Augustus originated as a title given by the Roman…

Killian

Irish

"war strife or church"

Killian – aka Cillian – is a spirited yet resonant Gaelic name that was borne by several Irish saints and could make a distinctive replacement for the dated Kelly. Kylian is another spelling that's…

Boden

English or German surname, variation of Beauden, French

"hill shaped like a bow; floor; beautiful"

Boden is most often inspired by the clothing catalog of the same name, and it feels like an appropriate first name for boys because of its stylish two-syllable -n ending rhythm, a la Logan, Mason,…

Wallace

Scottish

"foreigner, stranger"

Wallace is so square could almost be ripe for a turnaround, especially with the hipness imparted by the British Claymation series Wallace & Gromit . And Wally makes an adorable Leave it to Beaver…

Fox

Animal name

Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files . Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting…

Lando

Portuguese, Spanish, Italian

"land"

A lively nickname with the cool -o ending, Lando has been racing up the UK charts following Lando Norris's Formula 1 debut in 2019. Appearing in the Top 1000 for the first time in 2020, a more recent…

Bram

Dutch variation of Abraham, Hebrew

"father of multitudes"

Bram has an unusual measure of character and charm for a one-syllable name; it started as a hipper-than-Abe diminutive of the biblical Abraham, but is also an independent Irish and Dutch name, made…

Cashel

Irish

"castle, stone fort"

Cashel is one of the many appealing Irish names that have not yet emigrated to the US. Cashel was chosen by actor Daniel Day-Lewis and his writer-director wife Rebecca Miller for their son. In…

Bingham

British surname

"homestead at a hollow"

Bingham is the unusual surname name chosen by Kate Hudson and Matt Bellamy for their son. It was Bellamy's mother's maiden name, and the nickname Bing, coincidentally, belongs to almost-stepfather…

Cormac

Irish

"charioteer"

Both offbeat and upbeat, this evocative traditional Irish name that runs through Celtic mythology is known here via award-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy (born Charles). The author's adopted name is…