Favorite Names/Guilty Pleasures (Boys)

Kingsley is a sophisticated Harry Potter name that entered the US Top 1000 in 2013.

This variation of Wesley moved into the Top 1000 among boys' names in the US in 2016, perhaps because it makes the name more Western, with the cowboy nickname West., or because parents have taken inspiration from the protagonist of the movie The Princess Bride.

If ever there was a one-person name, it's probably Sherlock. But Sherlock Holmes the character has arguably never been hotter: he's been played by Robert Downey Jr., Ian McKellen, Jonny Lee Miller and, most memorably, Benedict Cumberbatch, in various film and TV adaptations over the last few years. So you never know.

Though it has literary credentials--making an appearance in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park and as the mean-spirited teacher Severus Snape in the Harry Potter books, most modern parents would find it too--well--severe.

An alternate spelling of Leland, Leeland may appeal to sports-loving parents due to former NFL player Leeland McElroy.

Rosario comes from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, or "Our Lady of the Rosary", Rosary referring to the vocal and mental prayers in Catholicism, that reflect on the life of Christ and his Mother.

With Galway and Ireland in play as names (not to mention Shannon and Kerry), there's no reason this one can't work, too.

Jehan is a masculine name with medieval origins, representing an Old French variant of 'Jean,' which itself derives from the Hebrew name 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious.' Popular during the Middle Ages in France, Jehan appears in historical documents and literature from that period. The name fell out of common usage by the 17th century when the modern form 'Jean' became standard. Today, Jehan has a distinctly antique and romantic quality, occasionally chosen by parents with an interest in medieval history or French heritage. Though rare in contemporary usage, it carries a sophisticated air and connects its bearer to a rich cultural history spanning several centuries.