Bernard is obviously a saint's name, but how did it get to the big, benevolent dog? The eleventh century monk, patron saint of mountain climbers, who lived in the Alps, was famed for setting up safe houses for pilgrims on their way to Rome over the treacherous St. Bernard Pass, and the canine breed, also used to rescue people in treacherous conditions, was named for him.
 Over the years, though, the name has taken on a highly intellectual image, losing most of that old Alpine energy. There were lots of little Bernies in the early decades of the twentieth century; Bernard reached as high as Number 45 in 1921.
 And the name does have some cultural cred, via playwright (George) Bernard Shaw, seminal art historian Bernard Berenson, and novelist Bernard Malamud. And let's not forget that 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Bernie Sanders's first name is Bernard as well.

Bernard

Bonnie is an adorable nickname name, heading back up the popularity list after a 50-year nap. A Top 100 girls' name throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Americans are later to jump on the Bonnie bandwagon but now it's trending here too.
 
Bonnie is a word the Scots really do use for pretty, thus the root of this name, from the French bonne. Along with Betty and Bea, Bonnie, is one of the vintage <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/b">girls' names starting with B</a>that are back in.
 Gone With the Wind gave Bonnie a big push when Scarlett and Rhett used it for their daughter. Her full name was Eugenie Victoria, but the pet name came from the fact that she had "eyes as blue as the bonnie blue flag." 
 Bonnie's last moment in the limelight came in the late sixties with the film Bonnie and Clyde, about outlaw Bonnie Parker. Now after a long decline, it's finally showing new signs of life, perhaps thanks to the Bonnies in The Vampire Diaries and The Hunger Games, as well as a new miniseries about the 1930s-era bandits.

Bonnie

One of several blunt B names just this side of the gender divide. While its short and to-the-point sound may feel modern, it has been declining steadily since the 1980s.
 David Brent is Ricky Gervais's character in the UK version of The Office.

Brent

With its slightly cocky feel, this well-used surname is not often heard as a first. 

Brewster

Bruce is a Norman place name made famous by the Scottish king Robert the Bruce, who won Scotland's independence from England in the fourteenth century. It's perennially popular in Scotland, but has been rarely used here for a generation -- though the impact of Bruces Lee, Springsteen, Dern and Willis, as well as Batman's Bruce Wayne -- still lingers. At one time Bruce was so widespread in Australia, it became a nickname for any Ozzie man. An interesting alternative is Brix, the Normandy place name where the Bruce family originated.

Bruce

Brother for Biff and Bud.   McFly rocker Tom Fletcher transformed this from midcentury short form to modern cool name when he used it for his newborn son.

Buzz

For centuries, this name had a romantic, windswept image due to its strong connection to the poet Lord Byron, who inspired its use as a first name. It is one of those surprise names that's appeared on the Top 1000 every year since 1880. 
 William Faulkner used Byron for characters in two of his novels--Light in August and The Town' It was seen as a character on Arrested Development (the real name of Buster), is the appellation of several high-scoring athletes, was given to his son by Lost 's Matthew Fox in 2001 and--trivia tidbit bonus--was James Dean's middle name.

Byron

Fading since the 1970s -- but still a lovely name. 

Christa

Almost fits into the wildly popular Jaden-Caden-Braden family -- but not quite; a possibility for parents who want a similar but more traditional name. 

In fact, Clayton has a much more august name history than you might guess, ranking among the US Top 1000 names for baby boys for the entire history of the Social Security list, since 1880. It's now at its lowest point ever, but still makes the Top 300.

Clayton can also be thought of as a place name, with a meaning that can be translated as "clay town," a sibling of Payton. Clay is an attractive short firm.

Clayton

A less-used cross between Clifford and Clinton. 

Clifton

Dominic comes from the Latin name Dominicus and is common in the Roman-Catholic community. In the past it has been given to boys born on Sunday—the word "Sunday" in languages including Spanish and French shares Dominic’s roots. In use in the English-speaking world since medieval times, its most famous bearer was St. Dominic, founder of the Dominican order of monks in the thirteenth century.
 
Dominic is a name with two very different images: In Britain, it's an upper-crust staple, while in the U.S., it still retains a bit of downmarket Jersey Shore feel. We say it's a strong, venerable name deserving of respect on both sides of the pond, which it is finally getting. Dominic has been in the Top 100 since 2002.
 Dominic West was one of the charismatic stars of The Wire and The Affair; Mario Lopez named his son Dominic, nicknamed Nico.

Dominic

Ancient Irish king of the underworld, so much more powerful than Don. 

Donn

An old Irish surname that was big in the 1960s, but would be an unexpected choice for a child now.

Duane

Can you hear the drums Fernando? Although 58% of Nameberries prefer Ferdinand to Fernando, the Iberian variant has a softer, more romantic feel that makes it a better fit with all those Javiers, Lorenzos and Matteos.

Fernando

Frederick, and friendlier nickname Fred, seemed almost to have disappeared, leaving just the memory of Freds past such as Astaire, Mr. Rogers and Flintstone. But today's parents are beginning to recognize it as a strong classic and one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/341/royal-names-for-boys">royal baby boy names</a>.
 Previously, Frederick had taken on a rather forbidding, foreign, military air, reminiscent of Frederick the Great, the enlightened king of Prussia who laid the foundations of the powerful Prussian empire.
 For African-Americans, Frederick can be seen as a hero name, honoring Frederick Douglass, who rose from slavery to power as a political activist.
 Frederick appears as a character in Shakespeare's As You Like It and the novels of, among others, Jane Austen and Henry James.
The name is often streamlined to Frederic and even Fredric. And if you don't like Fred or Freddie (though we do), another nickname is Fritz.
 Federico is the appealing Italian and Spanish form, as in renowned poet Federico Garcia Lorca.

Frederick

Garrett, also spelled with one 't', is an Irish-inflected name that was in the Top 100 in the nineties, but has now slipped in popularity.
 Perhaps best known now as a Twilight name--Garrett was a vampire in Stephanie Meyer's Breaking Dawn-- there have also been Garretts on Boston Legal and as Jack Nicholson's astronaut character in Terms of Endearment. Garrett Morris is a SNL alum.
 Related options: Garrison, Gerrit, Garrick and Garth.

Garrett

As this long-term Age of Jordans, both male and female, begins to wind down, the neglected Scottish favorite Gordon, with its more distinguished history, could come back as a distinctive alternative. Gordon is one of the most classic authentically <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/473/scottish-names-for-boys">Scottish names for boys</a>. 
Originally a surname, it was used in honor of nineteenth century general Charles George Gordon, killed defending the city of Khartoum. Conservative but not stodgy, Gordon was a Top 100 name from 1911 to 1943 and is showing some new signs of life. It fell off the charts in 2009 and reentered in 2014.
 A contemporary political headliner is former Prime Minister Gordon Brown (born James Gordon), and other distinguished bearers of the name have been photographer and film director Parks, Scottish celebrity chef Ramsay, and the beloved "Sesame Street" character Gordon Robinson. We won't even mention that symbol of corporate greed from the 80's movie Wall Street.

Gordon

Intriguing short form of Guilherme, heard in Portugal and Brazil. Guion Bluford was the first African American to go to space.

Guion

The patron saint of comedians and dancers (also known as St Vitus) has a name that is both the ultimate everyman, and has a hint of British aristocracy. In the States, Guy was most popular in the 1950s. Now he hovers steadily below the Top 1000, in the sweet spot of familiar but not overused. With the meteoric rise of Kai, Guy may have potential with parents looking for a more classic name with a similar sound.

Jasmin doesn't have the grace of Jasmine (which in 2016 ranked at 122 in the US Top 1000), but it is far more preferable to the trendier versions doing the rounds like Jazmin or Jazzmyn. If you are looking for a more unusual variant try Yasmin or Jessamine. 

Jasmin

Jerome has a bespectacled, serious, studious image, just like its namesake saint, who was a brilliant scholar. St. Jerome is the patron saint of students, librarians, and archaeologists.
 Musical namesakes include Jerome Kern and Jerome Robbins, and Jerome is also the birthname of J.D Salinger, Jerry Garcia, and Jerry Seinfeld, as well as one of the Three Stooges.
 The Latin form is Hieronymus, as in the painter Bosch.

Jerome

Kayla is a modern invented name that emerged in the late 1950s. Despite its similarity to the name Michaela, Kayla most likely began as a combination of the then-popular name Kay and -la suffix. Alternatively, it may be a variation of the Yiddish name Kaila, which derived from the Hebrew name Kelila. Kayla can also be considered an Anglicization of the Gaelic surname MacCaollaidhe or MacCathail.
 
Kayla sprang from obscurity due to a soap opera, Days of Our Lives, in the 1980s to become a superstar, reaching Number 12. After giving birth to the related Mikayla and Kaylee, Kayla's now fallen in the charts. She's made more recent media appearances on Desperate Housewives and NCIS.

Kayla

Kenneth may have lost much of its luster now, but Kenneth has had its moments of glory. The first king of Scotland was Kenneth, and Sir Kenneth, a Christian crusader, was the hero of the Sir Walter Scott novel The Talisman.
 In this country, Kenneth was a Top 20 name from the 1920s through the 50s. And of course for many girls growing up, Ken was the name of Barbie's eternal boyfriend and ultimate dream date. Most recently, Kenneth Ellen (!) Parcell was the naive, perpetually smiling character on 30 Rock.
 There have been a number of musical Kenneth/Kennys--Kenny Chesney, Kenny Rogers, Kenny Loggins, and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmunds.

Kenneth

Lawrence has survived from Roman times, when Laurentium was a city noted for its laurel trees (the laurel is a symbol of wisdom and achievement). It was in the Top 50 from the 1890s through the 1950s and the Top 100 for decades longer, always among the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/l">boys' names starting with L</a>, but Lawrence is now used less for babies than Landon or Lorenzo. 

Nickname Lauro perks it up while Larry feels terminally dated. Loren and Laurie make it more unisex. The Laurence spelling was popularized by Sir Laurence Olivier and is also attached to fellow actor Laurence Fishburne.

Lawrence

A somewhat stiff and serious turn-of-the-last-century name that seems to be coming back to life. Brendan Fraser chose it for his son in the mid-2000s. Leland Stanford was the founder of Stanford University and one-time Governor of California.

Leland

Leroy's heyday was in the early twentieth century, when it was in the US Top 100 until 1949. As a result, it's now more frequently seen as a father or grandfather name rather than a viable newborn option. Though it has dropped off the popularity charts several times in recent years, it hasn't fallen into complete obscurity yet.

Leroy

A variant form of Laurence or Lawrence which ranked in the #200s in the US from the 1900s through to the 1960s. It didn't fall off the boys' Top 1000 until the late 1990s, following the huge popularity of Lauren for girls.

Now, though, with gender-neutral names on the ascendant, Loren is used fairly evenly for both genders. Last year in the US, 75 baby girls were named Loren and 60 baby boys, making Loren an excellent nonbinary choice.

Loren

Loral

Mae, a sweet and springlike old-fashioned name, hadn't been on the national charts in forty years, but finally made it back in 2010. Mae is derived from May, the month name that was chosen for its connection to Maia, the Roman goddess of growth and motherhood. 
 
Mae can be used as a nickname for the names Mary and Margaret — actress Mae West was born Mary. Alternate spellings include May, Mei, and Maye. The May spelling makes it more of a month name, while Mae makes it an antique nickname name. Both can stand on their own, as seen by Hilary Duff's choice of Mae as her daughter's first name.
 Mae along with twin sister May is now one of the prettiest and most popular middle name options for girls (Eric Clapton has an Ella Mae, Greg Kinnear an Audrey Mae, Ian Ziering a Penna Mae). 
 
A Top 100 name through 1920, Mae was big in early film history — there were leading actresses named Mae Clarke, Mae Marsh, Mae Busch, and Mae Murray. Towering over them (figuratively) was Mae West, who changed the name from sweet to sophisticated. Madonna also played a character called Mae in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own.
 
Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman to travel in space. Mae Whitman is a rising young actress seen recently on Parenthood and Arrested Development.
 
It may be worth noting that Mãe is the Portuguese word for mother, so if you've got Brazilian or Portuguese relatives, it's probably best to stick to May or Mei.

Always the top spelling of the name; Neil peaked in the 1950s, but then enjoyed a second coming following the fame of such Neils as astronaut Armstrong and singers Sedaka, Diamond, and Young. Now semiretired. 

Neil

Norman, perhaps because it sounds so much like the word 'normal', conjures up the image of a normal-looking guy with a normal kind of job-- not necessarily an image many modern parents seek for their sons. But though it's been off the national popularity list for several years, Norman is Number 694 on Nameberry. It was a Top 100 name for more than half a century, hitting a high in 1931 at Number 36, but today it's nowhere near one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/n">boy names starting with N</a>.
 Norman has had a variety of notable namesakes over the years, from Americana artist Norman Rockwell to feisty novelist Norman Mailer to creepy mama's boy Norman Bates in Psycho.

Norman

One of the most familiar — if not stereotypical — Gallic names. Pierre was a Top 5 name in France from the 19th century through 1940 and is now on a steady decline in its native land. In the US, Pierre was most common in the 1980s but it has never cracked the Top 300.
 
Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr welcomed a son named Pierre in 2024, which may boost its profile.

Pierre

Randolph is a timeworn classic that had its last hurrah in the 1940s, when Randolph (born George) Scott was starring in westerns, but then was probably done in by its tricky nickname Randy (which, strangely enough, was itself a Top 50 name in the fifties and sixties).
 In the UK, the name Randolph has been associated with the Churchill family; in the US, Randall has taken precedence. Trivia note: Randolph S. Parker III is the birth name of Trey Parker, the creator of South Park, whose nickname-name derives from his being the third Randolph in the family.

Randolph

Now that many dogs are named Max, it's safe to use this sleek, solid, regal name again for your child. And with the charm of its final x, its regal meaning, and its offbeat simplicity, Rex is definitely one to consider.
 Coldplay's Will Champion used it for his twin son, and Natascha McElhone gave her little boy the doubly cool appellation Rex Coltrane, and Niki Taylor — intentionally or not — gave her son the full name of the British My Fair Lady star, Rex Harrison (who was actually christened Reginald). And quite fittingly, Rex is name of a toy T-Rex in Toy Story.
 Other options: the French version Regis or the literal King.

Old-style creative name of the Greek mythological earth mother of all the gods. A lot better than the Roman equivalent: Ops. Rhea reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015. Its only previous appearance on the list since 1968 was 2004.
 Rhea Perlman is an American actress known for her role as Carla Tortelli on Cheers and as the wife of Danny DeVito.

Rhea

One of many R- <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a> that started as a nickname for a redhead, Russell had a measure of popularity from the early twentieth century through the 1950s. But it's now lost much of its color -- except for a few dynamic bearers, actors Russell Crowe and Russell Brand and sports stars Russell Westbrook and Russell Wilson. 
 Russell has been much more common as a surname, whose many namesakes have included philosopher Bertrand, Gay Nineties entertainer Lillian, actresses Rosalind, Jane and Keri, actor Kurt, basketball star Bill and singer Leon.

Russell

Sally is a cheerful, fresh-faced girl-next-door name that was originally a nickname for Sarah, but has long been used independently. Sally was popular in the eighteenth century and then again from the 1920s to the 1960s--it was just outside the Top 50 around 1940. Though it hasn't been heard as a baby name for decades, we can see Sally bouncing back, especially after her exposure as young Ms. Draper on Mad Men--the Nameberries rank it at Number 621, and it's a Top 100 name in Sweden.
 Sally has a ton of notable references--a few we can single out are astronaut Sally Ride, actress Sally Field, the Sally Bowles character in Cabaret, the movie When Harry Met Sally and songs like Long Tall Sally and Mustang Sally.

Sally

Serena, a name used since Roman times, was given fresh life by tennis star Williams, and then again with the leading character on Gossip Girl, Serena van der Woodsen. There have also been Serenas on soap operas and other shows from Bewitched to Law & Order.
 And pre-TV, there was the damsel in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen and Serena Merle in Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady.

Serena

Unfashionable surname, best left in the forest with Robin Hood and his Merry Men. 

Sherwood

A new unisex word name with a lot of charm, especially appropriate for the child of writers. Soleil Moon Frye named her second baby boy Story and Jenna Elfman called her son Story Elias.


Story

Sunita is an easily-translated name brought to the American lexicon by astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams, who holds the record for most spacewalks by a woman. 

Sunita

Adding a final a to Tamar lends it a more sensual Slavic tone, making it a more popular choice than the original. 

Tamara

A name that seems to hail from the old Irish neighborhoods of Boston and New York, Terence actually dates back a lot further, to the time of a famous second-century poet, who started life as a North African enslaved man in the house of a Roman senator and it was also borne by several early saints.
 Out of style for several years, Terence might be due for a comeback, much like his Irish crony Patrick. Spellings Terrance and Terrence now outperform the original. Off the list for a decade, Terence reached as high as Number 241 in the 1960s.
 Actor Steve McQueen was born Terence Steven McQueen and Terence is also the birth certificate name of Monty Python's Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones.

Terence

A short but sophisticated, long-neglected name you might want to consider.
 The name is currently getting a boost from two musicians: the Northern Irish Foy Vance and the Australian Vance Joy, born James Keogh. Vance Joseph is a head coach in the NFL.
 Chynna Phillips and William Baldwin used it for their son in 2002.

Vance

Victor is one of the earliest Christian names, borne (as Vittorio) by several saints and popes, symbolizing Christ's victory over death. It has been quietly in the Top 200 since 1880, but just recently has taken on a cool edge by fashionable parents in London and seems ripe for a similar reevaluation here too. 
 Victor made it big in the English-speaking world during the reign of Queen Victoria, one of the few <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a> popularized by a female version.
 Victor was the first name of Dr. Frankenstein, the scholar who brings the monster to life, and the romantic figure of Victor Laszlo in Casablanca, not to mention the esteemed writer Victor Hugo.
 Victor is currently popular in Denmark, Belgium and Spain. The Italian version Vittorio adds a large measure of charm.

Victor

The name of the greatest Roman poet and an early Irish saint who believed the earth was round, Virgil is heard most notably today as the name of designer Virgil Abloh of Off-White. 
 The first century poet known as Virgil, author of the influential epic Aeneid, was christened Publius Vergilius Maro. Centuries later, Virgil Tibbs was the noble police detective portrayed by Sidney Poitier in two films: In the Heat of the Night and They Call Me Mr. Tibbs. Currently, Virgil Minelli is a character on The Mentalist.
 Virgil was the name of one of Wyatt Earp's brothers, a Tombstone, Arizona marshall. Virgil Thomson was a noted composer and musicologist, cartoonist Virgil Franklin Partch signed his work VIP, and astronaut Gus Grissom was born Virgil.
 Virgil's greatest popularity took place in the early decades of the twentieth century: It was a Top 100 name for five nonconsecutive years.

Virgil

Walter was seen as a noble name in the Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Walter Scott era, but it then spent decades in baby name limbo. Now quite a few independent-minded parents are looking at it as a renewable, slightly quirky, classic, stronger and more distinctive than James or John, second only to William among the handsome classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/w">boy baby names starting with W</a>.



 A favorite Norman name, Walter was extremely popular in medieval England, where it was pronounced "Water" and a common short form was Wat. In the US, Walter's heyday was from the 1870s through the 1940s. 



 The recent popularity of Breaking Bad has brought us Walter White, conferring on the name Walter a new kind of cool and prompting a fresh wave of popularity.Plus there are all those great Walters and Walts to consider, from Whitman to Disney to Cronkite to Mondale to Payton to Matthau. And then there's the ultimate fantasizer Walter Mitty, not to mention (Walter) Bruce Willis. Recently, actor Rainn Wilson named his son Walter.



 Short forms include Walt, Wally, and the antiquated Wat.

Walter

Long lingering in limbo, Warren suddenly seems to be on the cusp of revival. One of the oldest recorded English surnames, Warren's popularity in the U.S. dates back to the nineteenth century, and by 1921, reached its peak at Number 24.
 At one time it was bestowed in honor of General Joseph Warren, the first hero of the Revolution, who was killed at Bunker Hill. There have also been a number of notable first-named Warrens, including the 29th president, Warren Gamaliel Harding, financier Warren Buffett, actor Warren Beatty and musician Warren Zevon. NFL defensive tackle Warren Sapp was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Warren

It is popularly claimed that the name Wendy was invented by Sir James Barrie in 1904 for the big sister character in his play Peter Pan, which was followed by the classic novel in 1911. Barrie supposedly took it from the nickname "fwendy-wendy", that he was called by a young girl acquaintance. 

 Although the character of Wendy Darling undoubtedly popularized the name across the English-speaking world – peaking in the Top 10 in several countries in the 1950s and 60s – it did actually appear rarely before that. It was likely derived from the Welsh name Gwendolen and its variants.

 Wendy's heyday was once upon a time, but it's starting to undergo a style revolution. With other bouncy and peppy retro nicknames, like Sadie and Edie, rising, Wendy could be part of the next wave.

Wendy

Long associated with the Churchill family and common in the West Indies, the distinguished Winston has tended to be neglected here. The exception was during the World War II period, when Winston Churchill was a towering figure and his name reached Number 234. It's now enjoying something of a renaissance.
 Winston Smith is the main character in George Orwell's 1984, is a presence in Pulp Fiction, is the name of a character in the best-selling book and film How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and was the middle name of both John Lennon and John Howard, long-serving Australian Prime Minister.
Billie Piper and Laurence Fox named their son Winston in 2008. 
 With the current trend towards using hero names, we can see this upstanding Anglo-Saxon example making a return.
 The nickname Winnie came into the public consciousness with the Winnie-the-Pooh books, but is now almost exclusively feminine--though you can shorten it further to the winning Win.
 Minor irritant: Connection to the cigarette brand.

Winston

Peaking in the 1950s, Yvonne has now dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2003 and doesn't look set to return soon, although its rare Y initial might endear it to some. Yvaine, from Neil Gaiman's Stardust, has more modern appeal.

Yvonne

Familiar through the similarly pronounced TV Warrior Princess, but the original Xena spelling is cooler. 

Zena

tgannon1423's list "American Astronaut Names" of 52 great name ideas: Bernard - Zena!

American Astronaut Names

The following list includes generally uncommon names from real-life American astronauts. My source was Wikipedia's "List of Astronauts by Name" article.