names that make a statement

Langston

English

"tall man's town; long stone"

The great African-American Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes put this one on the map, while actor Laurence Fishburne adopted it for his now grown son, born in 1987. Despite these popular…

Cassio

Italian variation of Cassius

"hollow"

Cassio is a notable Shakespearean name that's a member of the ever-more-popular Cassius family of names. Cassio was Othello's young, good-looking, and flirtatious lieutenant.

Crawford

English

"ford where crows gather"

A common surname in Scotland, but a starchy first name choice.

Dash

Diminutive of Dashiell, meaning unknown

Dash is a nickname that can stand on its own and sounds, well, dashing. Connected these days with Kardashian enterprises. Dash can stand on its own—as is evidenced by its entry into the US Top 1000…

Grover

English

"one who lives near a grove of trees"

Forget the furry blue Muppet, forget corpulent President Cleveland (not too difficult), and consider this name anew. We think it's spunky, a little funky, and well worth a second look, similar in…

Haldan

Scandinavian

"half Danish"

If you fit this definition, this might be a clever choice, especially as a middle name.

Hart

English

"stag"

Hart could be the hero of a romantic novel, but on the other hand, it's short, straightforward, and strong sounding. The most famous bearer of the name was tragic poet Hart (born Harold) Crane, but…

Pax

Latin

"peaceful"

Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son.…

Quintin

Latin

"fifth"

Both this form and Quentin are authentic modern forms of the Roman family name Quintus. Your choice. In the US, this spelling lags behind Quentin and Quinton.

Vesper

Latin

"evening star"

While this is usually thought of as a girls' name because of the Bond Girl connection, its sound is masculine and there's no reason it couldn't work for boys.

York

English

"from the yew estate"

Brisk, preppy York is an underused classic with the potential to really shine in the 21st century. It's most familiar as a place name — York is a city in England — and surname. New York City and…

Draco

Greek from Latin

"dragon"

For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis.

Jupiter

Latin

"godfather"

Jupiter's partner Juno has entered the mainstream, so it's possible that her divine mate could follow. But not necessarily for boys — Jupiter is currently mostly female in the US, thanks to its…

Loki

Norse mythological name

"lock"

Loki is the shape-shifting, gender-bending god of mischief in Norse mythology. Taking several animal forms, from a salmon to a seal to a fly, Loki is alternately friend and foe of the gods.

Cyprian

Greek

"man of Cyprus"

With a long and noble history -- Cyprian was one of the great Christian Latin writers -- this could make a highly unusual but meaningful choice. Cyprian has been in use since medieval times,…

Hawthorne

English

"lives where hawthorn hedges grow"

The great American novelist sets this above many other surnames (and nature names , for that matter), but it's still an imposing and adventurous choice. Do nicknames Hawk or Thorne make it more…

Montague

Literature, French

"pointy hill"

The family name of Shakespeare's Romeo, Montague has a touch of old-fashioned grandeur about it. With clunky-cute nickname Monty and similar sounds to Montgomery, it has been used as a given name…

Wolf

Animal name or diminutive of Wolfgang, German

" traveling wolf"

Wolf is a name with a split personality. It can be seen as one of the fierce animal names, like Fox and Bear and Puma, with a touch of the werewolf, or it can be viewed as a quieter, Wolf Blitzer…