Fancy Names For Boys

Santiago

Place-name or Latin

"Saint James"

Santiago is a spirited Spanish name with great crossover potential. It's a place-name (a city in Chile), a surname, and the name of the patron saint of Spain. Santiago has been rising through the…

Leonardo

Italian and Spanish variation of Leonard, German

"brave lion"

For centuries this name was associated primarily with the towering figure of Italian Renaissance painter-scientist-inventor Leonardo da Vinci, and was scarcely used outside the Latin culture. But…

Emiliano

Italian and Spanish variation of Emil

"rival"

Emiliano is an appealing Latinate version of Emil, with the same gentle sounds but additional flair. Popular in Chile and Mexico, where it ranks in the Top 20, Emiliano is also a rising name in the…

Emmanuel

Hebrew

"God is with us"

Emmanuel--spelled with one or two 'm's'-- was popular with early Jewish immigrants, until overused nickname Manny caused it to fade. Now, this important biblical name is being revived in its full…

Sullivan

Irish surname

"black-eyed one"

Sullivan is a jaunty Celtic three-syllable name, with a real twinkle in its eye. It was immortalized in the 1930s classic film Sullivan's Travels and was chosen for one of Patrick Dempsey's twin…

Raphael

Hebrew

"God has healed"

Raphael is a romantic archangel name that sounds both artistic and powerful. Raphael is also a great cross-cultural choice, with significance for people with both Latinate and Jewish roots, plus…

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…

Valentino

Latin

"strength, health"

A dashing, dramatic and romantic Italian surname, associated with early movie heartthrob Rudolph, and later with Italian fashion designer Valentino (Garavani). Also the name of an early Roman saint,…

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…

Montgomery

Norman

"man power"

This image of this distinguished Anglo-Scottish surname, drawn from the French place name of the ancient castle of Saint Foi de Montgomery, is rapidly shifting from fusty and formal to cool. And…

Bartolomeo

Bartolomeo is a masculine Italian form of Bartholomew, derived from the Aramaic name Bar-Talmay, meaning 'son of Talmai' or 'son of the furrows.' The name gained prominence through Saint Bartholomew,…

Dionysus

Greek

"godlike one of Nysa"

Also written as Dionysos, Dionysus was a son of Zeus and the god of wine, revelry, fertility, and dance. Likely meaning "godlike one of Nysa" — Nysa being a region in Greece where Dionysus was raised…

Feliciano

Feliciano is a masculine name of Latin and Italian origin derived from "felix" meaning "happy," "fortunate," or "lucky." This melodious name carries a naturally joyful connotation and has been used…

Hieronymus

German variation of Jerome

"sacred name"

This cognate of Jerome (of all things), familiar via the Dutch painter of fantastical scenes, H. Bosch, would appeal only to the most audacious, intrepid, attention-seeking baby namer. It is,…

Ozymandias

Greek variant of Ramses, Egyptian

"begotten by Ra, the Sun God"

Percy Bysshe Shelley got the name for one of his most famous poems -- a sonnet about the insignificance of man's labors in the vastness of time -- from the Greek name for Ancient Egyptian pharaoh…

Michelangelo

Combination of Michael and Angelo

The ultimate artist's name would make an unforgettable impression. It's the first name of famed Italian director Antonioni.

Valeriano

Valeriano is a distinguished masculine name with Latin and Italian roots, derived from the Roman family name Valerius, meaning 'strong' or 'healthy.' This extended form of Valerian adds a distinctly…

Aurelian

Romanian and English form of Aurelius, Latin

"golden"

While Aurelio, Aurelia, and Aurelius are all on the rise, this historical and Romanian form of the golden name is yet to share in its relatives' success. Given to just 25 boys in a recent year, it…

Bartholomew

Aramaic

"son of the furrow"

Bartholomew is an apostle's name that's been out of favor for centuries but might appeal again to the parent in search of an old but rare choice. The challenge could be to avoid the Simpson-ish…

Deveraux

French

"of Evreux; riverbank"

Swashbuckling name worthy of a hero in a romance novel. Deveraux or Devereaux is drawn from the town of Evreux in France and combined with the prefix de- denoting it likely referred to a noble of…