Alternatives to Felix

Fennel

Vegetable and herb name

In the garden of herb names, Rosemary and Basil are perennials and Sage is a new upshoot, but Fennel is a real rarity. The aniseed-tasting plant, used to add flavor to dishes around the world, gets…

Ganix

Basque

"God is gracious"

Basque form of John

Helix

English word name

"a curve in three-dimensional space"

A scientific word name that would work wonderfully as a given name, given its similarity to Felix.

Ilex

Latin

"holly; holm oak"

The Latin name for the holly (or the holm oak) tree would make an interesting nature-inspired alternative to Alex and Felix.

Kalix

Kalix is a modern-sounding masculine name with several possible origins. It may be a variant spelling of Calix, which comes from the Latin word for 'chalice' or 'cup,' often with religious…

Kendrix

Variation of Kendrick, English and Scottish

"royal ruler, champion; home ruler"

This modern mash up of Kendrick and Hendrix felt almost bound to happen. Perfect for parents wanting something cool and contemporary but also familiar, Kendrix has in fact been quietly used since the…

Mordax

The Mordax is a species of scorpion found in North America. An offbeat nature name with the punchy "X" factor, Mordax could be a choice for parents looking for something beyond Max, Phoenix, Knox and…

Phelix

Latin variation of Felix

Phar-phetched.

Pollux

Greek

"very sweet"

Made cool by that final X (as seen in Felix, Lennox, and Rex), Pollux is the Romanized form of Polydeukes, the half-twin of Castor, and the son of Zeus and Leda. Associated with the Gemini…

Raddix

Latin

"root"

In 2020, Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden named their daughter Raddix Chloe Wildflower. They invented the name themselves, but radix is a Latin word meaning "root," giving it a nature and linguistics…

Rufus

Latin

"red-head"

Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.…

Salix

Latin, botanical name

An unusual name related to the willow family.

Seeley

English

"blessed, happy"

Seeley is a Medieval surname with a happy, fortunate meaning.

Selig

German

"blessed, happy in life"

Selig comes from the Yiddish vocabulary word meaning 'happy, fortunate, blessed.' Most of us are more familiar with its Woody Allen variation, Zelig.

Zelig

Yiddish variation of Selig

"blessed, happy"

A super quirky and upbeat choice, if it can ever shake off its ubiquitous-guy Woody Allen identity.

Fergus

Scottish and Irish

"man of force"

In Celtic lore, Fergus was the ideal of manly courage, making it a charming, slightly quirky Scottish and Irish favorite. As a name, Fergus forms a link between Ireland and Scotland, as Gaelic…

Fergall

Irish

"man of valor"

Despite its virtuous meaning, Fergall - along with the more standard spellings Fergal, Ferghal and Fearghal - has never made it across the ocean. In the States, Fergall is a rare yet pronounceable…