boys names I like

Lafcadio

Place-name

Patrick Lafcadio Hearn was born on the Greek Island of Lefkada, the origin of the name he used as a first. But as a writer, he was known as Koizumi Yakumo, a collector of Japanese folk tales and…

Lanier

French occupational name

"wool worker"

The fashionable occupational last name category gets some French flair with this, Tennessee Williams's middle name.

Leander

Greek

"lion-man"

Leander was once an almost unknown name, however, with the popularity of Leo and the rise of Leandro, it now feels like a perfectly accessible alternative to Leon or Alexander. In Greek legend,…

Leonides

Variation of Leonidas, Greek

"lion"

Used as a unisex name in Galicia, this powerful name is the Ionic and Attic Greek form of Leonidas.

Lico

Lico is a masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In Spanish and Portuguese contexts, it can be a diminutive form of names containing the 'lico' element, such as Federico or Angelico. It has…

Liko

Hawaiian

"leaf bud"

A nature name from the Hawaiian islands that's vaguely reminiscent of trendy names like Luke and Luca. However, it's also the name of a Swedish company that makes mechanical lifts used in medical…

Linus

Greek

"flax"

Can Linus lose its metaphorical security blanket and move from the Peanuts page onto the birth certificate? We think it has enough charm and other positive elements going for it for the answer to be…

Loch

Scottish Gaelic

"lake"

Loch is a watery word that sounds more like a name because it's one step removed from its English form. Pronounced as "lock," it's also a short form of the variously-spelled Lachlan.

Locke

English

"enclosure or fortified place"

Usually adding an e to the end of a name makes it more feminine, but Locke is at most recent count used only for baby boys. Still, this stylishly strong one-syllable name is theoretically…

Lorcan

Irish

"little, fierce"

Lorcan is a name rich in Irish history as belonging to several kings, including the grandfather of the most famous high king of Ireland, Brian Boru. Lorcan O'Toole, known in English as Laurence…

Lowe

Variation of Loew or Lowell

Surname names that might work as a first, though either of its original forms may be even better.

Lowry

English and Scottish surname

"from Laurentum"

This artistic surname name derives from a diminutive of Laurence/Lawrence, and was famously borne by the English painter LS Lowry. Country singer Sam Hunt and his wife Hannah have a son named Lowry…