Soft boy names

Holland

Dutch place-name

"wooded land"

Holland, like most place names, is intrinsically gender neutral, but in practice today it's mostly female. There's about one boy Holland born in the US these days for every five girl Hollands. That's…

Simeon

Hebrew

"he [God] has heard"

Could Simeon be the next Gideon? Parents seeking a less simple form of Simon might consider this biblical appellation that was chosen by Wynton Marsalis for his son. Simon is actually the Greek…

Willow

English tree name

"willow tree"

Fresh and surprising on a boy – and how can you not love the cool classic nickname Will?

Cassidy

Irish

"curly-headed"

A lean and lanky Irish cowboy name with great nickname potential to boot (Cass or Sid are both options). This is one of the great under-rated American names !

Florin

Romanian, Latin

"flower; flourishing"

Florin is one of several names derived from the Latin root floris , making it a floral and prosperous choice for boys. A relative of Flora, Florence, and Florian, this form is most popularly heard in…

March

English word name

"month name"

Along with August, March is one of the month names perfectly suited to boys. This brisk single-syllable name – which derives from the name of Mars, the Roman god of war – is worth considering as…

Leith

Scottish river name

"wet"

This is an unusual surname and geographical name of medieval Scottish origin that might serve as a possible alternative to the aging Keith, though it's a bit tough on the tongue. More popularly spelt…

Noor

Arabic

"light"

More commonly seen as a girl name, where it has roots in both Arabic and Dutch. The masculine variation of Noor is Arabic and used in Islamic communities.

Beverly

English

"beaver stream"

An English surname name which was originally used as a masculine first name in the 19th century, before becoming more popular for girls from the early 20th century onwards.

Kory

Spelling variation of Cory or Corey

Corey was always the most popular form of this Irish name, with Cory (as in New Jersey Senator Booker) in second place and Kory riding caboose. Kory et al were in the first wave of unisex names that…

Lumis

English surname

"from the place by the pool"

Also spelt Loomis, this locational English surname comes from Lomax (Lumhalghs), near Bury in Lancashire. Beyoncé's maternal grandfather, Lumis Albert Beyincé, is a notable bearer of the name.

Fabien

Fabien is a masculine name of French origin, serving as the French variant of the Latin name Fabianus, which derives from 'Fabius,' an ancient Roman family name. The name ultimately stems from…

Lorian