No longer tied to the hapless Ace Ventura, this jaunty, high-flying nickname name is starting to take flight among celebrity and other parents, with its countless positive references to doing well in tests and poker games, on the tennis court and golf course, and in the air.
 Natalie Appleton, Tom Dumont, Jennie Finch, and Jessica Simpson all have little Aces. The best known grownup with the name is Ace Frehley, born Paul, one-time KISS guitarist.

Agostino is the Italian form of this increasingly popular ancient name.

Agostino

Alastor is linked to several characters in Greek mythology. It is an epithet of Zeus, a prince of Pylos, and a fighter in the Trojan War. Alastor's less savory associations include a horse of Hades and a Christian demon. In the Harry Potter universe, it's the first name of Professor "Mad Eye" Moody.
 
Despite similar looks, Alastor is unrelated to the Scottish name Alistair.

Alastor

Alec, though an old nickname for Alexander, is much fresher sounding than Alex, with the additional advantage, at least to some parents, of being distinctly male (there are as many girl Alexes these days as there are boys). While Alec has a clipped British image, it's actually one of the classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/508/greek-names-for-boys">Greek names for boys</a>, by way of father name Alexander.
 Alec Baldwin is by far the best known current bearer of the name. In the past there have been actor Alec Guinness and writer Alec Waugh.

Alec

Aleph came into the spotlight when chosen by Israel-born Natalie Portman for her son. Alef is a more common spelling of these related <a href"https://nameberry.com/baby-names/158/hebrew-names">Hebrew baby names</a>.
 In the Kabbalah, Aleph/Alef relates to the origin of the universe. The letter Aleph is also the subject of a midrash, a Jewish folktale, which praises its humility in not demanding to start the Bible. (In Hebrew, the Bible begins with the second letter of the alphabet, Bet.) As a reward, Aleph is allowed to start the Ten Commandments.

Aleph

While this name came into being in the Victorian era as a nickname for a man with whiskers, the name was quickly embraced as a true name by the Victorians and is likely most familiar to you as the name of Oscar Wilde's fabulous character in The Importance of being Earnest . However, Algernon is not confined to the fictional world of satire; many real world namesakes exist including US footballer Algernon Crumpler (aka Alge Crumpler), British impressionist painter Algernon Talmage, and Canadian astrophysicist Joseph Algernon Pearce, who discovered many thinks about the Milky Way. Plus, who can go past the adorable nickname Algie?

Algernon

Alois

A saint who is especially popular in Galicia and Asturias in Spain, who is said to have sailed across the Atlantic to paradise. His name may derive from Germanic Adelmar, possibly influenced by Latin amarus "bitter".

Amaro

A favorite of British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose has an air of blooming well-being and upper-class erudition. It comes from the same Greek root as 'ambrosia', the food of the gods, said to confer immortality.
 Ambrose was the name of one of the important doctors of the early Christian church, the fourth century St. Ambrose. It also belonged to one of the four great Latin teachers of Christianity, who also developed the use of music in church services. TV fanatics might be interested to know that in 1961, Ambrose was designated the patron saint of educational television by Pope John XXII.
 Ambrose's only problem is finding a nickname. Am? Rosie? Bro? We're still thinking....

Ambrose

This euphonious Italian <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/506/italian-names-for-boys">Italian name for boys</a>, often associated with the painter Modigliani, makes a recommended creative choice. The Spanish tend to spell it Amadeo.

Amedeo

Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, is the antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy. The name Anakin first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. Its meaning is unknown but is thought to be an homage to a friend of George Lucas.

Anakin

Ander

Similar to Andrew, but with a refreshingly different origin and meaning.

Andri

A current top 25 choice in the Czech Republic (spelt Antonín), this distinguished name has several notable bearers: from French playwright Artaud, to Czech composer Dvořák, to Death Eater Dolohov in the Harry Potter series.

Antonin

Aputsiak

Equally strong, dramatic and romantic, this name of an old kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula and a modern Spanish community as well, would give a boy an instant pedigree.


Aragon

Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the cool nickname Archie.
 But have a look at that amazing popularity chart below: After 1889, Archer took a 130-year nap, resurfacing on the Top 1000 in 2009 and now shooting straight upwards. Five years ago, we named Archer one of our Hottest Names of 2011—and, indeed, it jumped 102 places that year, thanks in part to Archer's similarity to popular Asher and its cross-gender appeal. Moms may like its literary gentility and dads its tough-guy FX cartoon appeal. Or, of course, vice versa.
 Trivia tidbit: Archer is the name of Dr. Doolittle's father.

Archer

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. 
 Arlo is even more popular in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Arlo is also one of the top baby names among Nameberry's visitors from leading US cities.

 
Once strongly associated with shaggy singer Arlo Guthrie, Arlo has an animated and cheery feel, thanks to its upbeat o ending. It was chosen by Toni Colette for her son in 2011, which brought the name back into the spotlight. Previously, Arlo was in regular use in the first half of the twentieth century—it was Number 667 in 1915, for example, but it had dropped off the charts in 1944.
 Arlo has many possible derivations along with its Irish and English roots. It may be a shortened form of the Italian name Carlo or the Spanish Carlos, and in Basque-speaking regions it is the word for area. In English, Arlo was used as a place name, Arlo Hill, by Edmund Spenser in his epic poem The Faerie Queene and is thought to derive from the Celtic word Aherlow, meaning "between two highlands."

 A growing number of girls are also named Arlo in the US each year, with a handful more babies of both sexes receiving the Arlow and Arlowe spellings, which take this name more into smart surname territory.

Arlo

Armani is catching on along with other brand names, and this one is among the most gender-neutral — sitting in the Top 500 for both boys and girls.

Armani

Armas is an antiquated Finnish word with a loving meaning and a straightforward spelling and pronunciation. A rare name with potential.

Armas

Asher—an excellent, soft and sensitive Old Testament choice—is a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy name</a> on the rise, and is a Nameberry biblical favorite. 
 
Asher's ascent is especially amazing given that the took a century-long hiatus from the Top 1000, from the 1890s until it reappeared in the 1990s. Asher has been in the US Top 100 for more than a decade now.
 
In the Bible, Asher was one of Jacob's twelve sons who gave their names to the tribes of Israel. Asher is derived from the Hebrew word osher, which means "happiness." Rabbinical scholars claim that the Asherites lived up to this meaning, as they had the most oil, wisdom, and male children compared to the other tribes.
 
The novel My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, often taught in schools, is the story of a New York Hasidic Jewish boy with artistic aspirations.
 
Oh—and another plus for Asher: the handsome diminutive Ash.

Asher

Similar to the floral name Aster, this spelling derives separately from Old Provençal astur "hawk") and from the Icelandic name elements as ("god") and þor ("thunder"). As a surname, it has several notable bearers from the world of business and politics, such as Nancy Astor: the first woman to serve as a Member of Parliament in the UK. As a first name, Astor was used for a (female) character in Dexter.

Astor

Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo.

 Atlas was one of the fast-rising names on the list in recent years in the USA, jumping from oblivion in 2012 into the Top 500 in 2015, and climbing several hundred places higher since then. Anne Heche was one of the first to make this audacious choice, but several celebrity parents have followed suit.

 As well as the mythological connection, Atlas is a cool geographical word name – perfect for the child of parents who love traveling or who hail from different parts of the globe.

Atlas

A less political spelling of the English surname Atlee or Attlee, borne by midcentury British prime minister Clement Attlee.

Atley

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 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boy names</a>. Atticus entered the US Top 1000 in 2004 and is a firm Nameberry favorite. 
 
The reason for the popularity of Atticus is less its ancient roots than Atticus Finch, the upstanding hero of To Kill A Mockingbird.. In fact so many people have been inspired by the character embodied by Gregory Peck that Atticus Finch was voted the greatest hero of American film by the American Film Institute. Harper Lee's recently-released novel Go Set a Watchman paints Atticus Finch in a less flattering light, though that doesn't seem to have impacted the rising popularity of the name.
 
Atticus derives from the Greek Attikos, meaning "from Attica," the Ancient Greek region that contained Athens. Atticus is a literary name in more ways than one. Before it became synonymous with Atticus Finch, the name Atticus was associated with Titus Pomponius Atticus, a Roman literary figure.
 Daniel Baldwin and Isabella Hoffman were ahead of the curve when they chose Atticus for their son born in 1996; since then Summer Phoenix and Casey Affleck named their little boy Atticus, and Tom Dumont made it the middle name for his son Rio.

Atticus

A strong, warm name and a strong warm color. Would make an excellent alternative to August or Aubrey.

Auburn

Augustine is more substantial (and saintly) than August, less pretentious than Augustus, and, along with its nickname Gus, is definitely a viable choice. 
 Augustine is actually the diminutive form of Augustus and achieved its fame via the great fourth century saint, St. Augustine of Hippo, whose teachings and writings had a great effect on early Christianity.
 A major character in Uncle Tom's Cabin is Augustine St. Clare. The full name of the author of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake is James Augustine Aloysius Joyce.
 Model Linda Evangelista chose the French form Augustin for her son, also used by Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger as a middle name for their son James.
 The Spanish Agustin is experiencing a wild burst of popularity in South America: in recent years it has been the number one name in Uruguay and in the Top 5 in Argentina.

Augustine

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 Senate to the first Roman Emperor, Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, in 27 B.C. and adopted by him as a name. In the U.S., Augustus reached a high of Number 175 in 1880, fell off the list in 1970, then made a return appearance in 1991, and is now on the rise once more. 
 Augustus Snodgrass is a character in Charles Dickens' novel The Pickwick Papers, and George Bernard Shaw wrote a play titled "Augustus Does His Bit." Augustus John was a famed British portrait painter, and Augustus Saint-Gaudens a well-known sculptor.
 No starbaby Augustuses as yet, but Dixie Chick Emily Robson used Augustus as a middle name for her son, and Dan Aykroyd did the same---for his daughter.
 The diminutive form, Augustine, is also an interesting option; variant Augustin was used by model Linda Evangelista; and then there is always über-popular August.

Augustus

Since Aurelius was given the supermodel seal of approval by Elle Macpherson, this is one of the Roman emperor names, like Augustus, now in the realm of possibility. Like the female Aurelia and Aurora, Aurelius has a particularly warm golden aura.
 In ancient Roman history, the name is associated with Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, the last of the so-called "Five Good Emperors." He is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers. He granted his name en masse to citizens of the empire who didn’t have one, making Aurelius a common and default nomen (family name) towards the later years of the empire.

Aurelius

The Albanian form of Aaron has a stylish look and sound, sharing that Au- beginning with stylish choices like August and Auden.

Auron

Ax makes a somewhat threatening short form of the popular Axel, given to more than 3000 baby boys last year. It can also be used on its own, though it usually isn't. There were, however, seven baby boys named Axe in the US in 2015.

A classic in its native Scandinavia, Axel has a cool rock 'n' roll flavor in the US, thanks to Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose (born William). Axel is a popular Scandinavian form of the Biblical Absalom, who was a son of King David, and is the name of the title character of William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom. 
 Growing in popularity, along with a lot of other names featuring the powerful letter 'x', Axel is now one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/173/scandinavian-names">Scandinavian names</a>. It entered the popularity list in 1989, one year after the release of one of Guns N' Roses biggest hits. It is very popular in Scandinavia, Germany and France.
Axel was chosen by Will Ferrell for his third son, and also by Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson for their boys, and it's the middle name of Tiger Woods' boy Charlie. Axel Foley was the character played by Eddie Murphy in the Beverly Hills Cop movies and, going further back, was the name of an important character in Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth. Currently, Axel Heck is the oldest son on The Middle.

Axel

Macho to the max.  But with the rise of x as a fashionable letter anywhere it appears in a name, ala Jaxson or Maxon, we may be hearing more of Axton.

Axton

In the Hebrew bible, Azazel is the name of the place where the scapegoat bearing the Jews' sins during Yom Kippur, was sacrificed. In Christian and Islamic traditions, Azazel is the name of a fallen angel.
 
Azrael's rise in popularity has cleared the way for Azazel, which is rising in popularity among American babies.

Azazel

Anou

Ariole

Atrius

Azar

Beren is a Noldorin name created by J. R. R. Tolkien for his fantasy universe. A great hero in the books, Beren is notable for his love story with Luthien — so notable that Beren and Luthien are the names on the gravestone of Tolkien and his wife, Edith.

Beren

A half-man, half-wolf character in the Elden Ring video game franchise bears this name, which fittingly is the Welsh word for "wolf".

Blaidd

An English surname used mononymously by the American singer-songwriter and record producer Breland (born Daniel Gerard Breland), who could certainly boost his cool name into the limelight.

 Also spelled Breeland, it is related to the German surname Breler or Brehler, referring to someone who lived by farmland or wet pasture.

Breland

Comedian Roseanne Barr chose this macho nature name for her son. In the 18th century it was used to describe a dashing, fashionable dressed man. Buck fits in well alongside names like Beck, Jack and Huck. 

 The traditional name of the full moon in July, Buck Moon, relates to the fact that the antlers of male deer reach their peak growth around this time of year.

Buck

Blowden

Bransen

A variant of Caelan, from a Gaelic name meaning "slender".

Calian

A very rare Cas name with that cool and cozy -wyn ending.

Caswyn

Several animal names, from Fox to Wolf and even to Tiger, ccan work, but Cougar should stay in its cage. Even John Mellencamp has dropped it.

Cougar

Variant spelling of the word name Sincere.

Cyncere

This European version of Cyril (pronounced like French Cyrille) makes the Top 100 in Belgium.

Cyriel

Calvinon

Familiar through the renowned children's author Roald Dahl, this Germanic surname was traditionally given to those who lived near a valley. Dahlia is up and coming for girls, leading the way for this gender neutral option. Dahl was used on a character in the book The Last Fallen Moon by Graci Kim.

Dahl

This British river name sounds sleek and strong but perhaps a bit too energetic. 

Dart

A rare smoosh of Dontae and Octavius, also spelled Dontavious.

Dontavius

This unusual name is a French place name, which became a surname and was brought over to Britain by the Normans. In modern usage, it's probably intended as a creative spelling of Drew.

Dreux

Darus

Energetic Russian and Romanian form of Elisha.

Elisei

Russian form of Eugene, also spelled Evgeni or Evgeniy in English, and the (anti)hero of Pushkin's famous eponymous novel in verse, Evgeny Onegin.

Evgeny

Fiacre

A name from Irish mythology. Finegas was an elderly druid who taught the hero Finn McCool. From the Old Irish fionn + éices ‘scholar’, ‘sage’, ‘seer’ and ‘poet’.

Finegas

Fantino

Farron

Floweron

Flowerron

Floworon

The Biblical Gaddiel was a scout sent to Canaan prior to the crossing of the Jordan River. An intriguing alternative to Gideon or Gabriel.

Gaddiel

Medieval French diminutive of Gui (Guy), ultimately from William.

Guiot

A name from the Game of Thrones universe with serious baby name potential, given its similarity to cool retro choices like Darwin and Harvey.

Harwin

This Greek name may have several meanings. Referenced in the bible, Hermas was the name of one of the 70 Disciples. The Shepherd of Hermas was an early Christian literary work from the 2nd century.

Hermas

An intriguing surname option with ties to the natural world and to cool names like Hollis and Holland. But beware: another origin of the surname is from Old French horier meaning "pimp, brothel keeper".

Hollier

Uncommon biblical name from the Old Testament.

Ithai

Ialo

An unusual Biblical name with modern appeal, borne by the father of Gideon, a king of Judah, and a son of King Ahab of Israel.

Joash

Jonest

Kaipo has only ever ranked for boys, but its unisex style and lovable meaning make it a contender for girls as well.

Kaipo

This Japanese name is used for both boys and girls.

Kazue

Also spelled Kedrick, this name has a double origin as either a variant of the surname name Kendrick, or a spelling spin on the literary Cedric, used by Sir Walter Scott for a character in his 1819 novel Ivanhoe. He likely based it on the legendary name Cerdic, which may be a contracted form of Caractacus. American football player Kedric Golston is a notable bearer.

Kedric

Also spelled Kazi, a cool and punchy sounding Arabic name.

Khazi

Kylor

Kandarus

Legend joins cousins Story, Saga and Fable in the baby name pantheon of narrative words. Unlike Story and Fable, however, Legend comes with additional weight, being used for fame ("living legend") and to denote a person who is fantastic "what a legend"). Who can live up to that?
 Legend entered the US Top 1000 in 2010 for the first time, perhaps in connection popular singer John Legend, and is now on the brink of breaking into the Top 100.

Legend

A cool new word name possibility, if Legend has become too popular for you.

Legion

Derived from the Latin lilium, Lírio is a unisex floral name which was used for a witch character in the cult 1996 horror film The Craft.

Lirio

Lucero is a relative or nickname of Luz, meaning light. This intriguing name is swimming just beneath the Top 1000 for girls in the US, but is used for boys too. It is especially popular in Latin America.

Lucero

Liro

Maurus is one straightforward and attractive name from Ancient Rome that hasn't been discovered yet by modern parents. It's the forebearer of such names as Morris, Maurice, and Moritz, but the original Maurus is arguably the most appealing of all.

Maurus

This name of a 10th-century abbot which ranks among the Top 500 in France is of debated origin. It may derive from the Latin name for the month of May, or else from a Germanic root meaning "strength".

Mayeul

Cool spin on Miklos, a Hungarian form of Michael.

Miklo

A Welsh place name and surname, likely deriving from Old English elements meaning "moss town".


Mostyn

Markariol

Markariole

An interesting northerly addition to the list of wilderness animal names.

Nanok

A Greek verb found several times in the Bible, with a cool sound and empowering meaning.

Nikao

Noadiah has biblical namesakes both male and female. The male Noadiah is mentioned in the Book of Ezra, and the female Noadiah is a prophetess in the Book of Nehemiah. Noadiah combines popular Noah with the Old Testament ending seen in modern choice biblical names like Jeremiah and Zachariah.

Noadiah

Particularly popular in Turkey towards the end of the 20th century, this was the name of a 14th-century sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The name Orhan jumped in use in 2022, given to 81 baby boys compared to 22 in 2021.


Orhan

The name of an 8th century king of Sussex, as well as several other Anglo-Saxon noblemen. A unique route to cool nickname Ozzy.

Oslac

A companion of the Prophet Muhammad and an unusual Arabic nature name.

Othman

Far-fetched, but friends can always call him Phil. 

Philosophy

The Rhone (or Rhône) river flows through southeastern France, and could make a strong and picturesque name for a baby boy. The root of the river's name is believed to be a Proto-Indo-European word meaning "to flow".

Rhone

Rhyett is a surnamey respelling of the word name Riot, along the lines of Wyatt.

Rhyett

Now that names like Cannon and Gunner, fit for comic book heroes, are rising up, Rogue may fit right in.

Rogue

alyshadragonfriend's list "Fantasy-Sounding Names For Males" of 121 great name ideas: Ace - Ézéchiel!

Fantasy-Sounding Names For Males

An assortment of names that sound especially awesome for males in fantasy novels. They range from ordinary to very very unique.