Gentlemen

Samson

Hebrew

"sun"

With the prevailing popularity of Samuel, some parents are considering this more (literally) powerful biblical name, which shares the desirable nickname of Sam. Samson was, of course, the…

Damon

English variation of Damian

Damon is a name with a strong, pleasing aura (much like the persona of Matt D.) and extremely positive ancient associations. From the classical myth, Damon and Pythias have become symbols of true…

Leonidas

Greek

"lion"

Leonidas is an ancient name that has started rising again along with centuries-old names such as Augustus and Cato. The original Leonidas was the most famous of Sparta's warriors, sacrificing his…

Zain

Variation of Zayn, Arabic

"beauty, grace"

Zayn and the more Western-friendly Zain sound exactly like the popular Zane but have a different root, in Arabic and African cultures. The name was made familiar to Europeans and Americans by British…

Nikolai

Russian variation of Nicholas

"people of victory"

Russian forms, like Russian supermodels, are hot these days. This is a strong, worldly way to make Nicholas new; it was chosen for his son by Barry Bonds, Jr. Nikolai also comes with several…

Dominick

Variation of Latin Dominic

"belonging to the Lord"

This is the second-to-the-original spelling of a name that's part Jersey Shore, part upper-crust British. Dominick gets you more directly to nickname Nick.

Shane

Anglicized variation of Sean

"God is gracious"

Shane ambled into the picture via the 1953 movie, adding a cowboy twist to its Irish essence. A variation of Sean with a hint of Shay and Zane, it is a popular choice in Ireland. Singer Siobhan…

Leonard

German

"brave lion"

Leonard is the name of several saints, including one who is the patron saint of childhood, and another medieval saint who's the patron of prisoners--known for freeing prisoners he deemed worthy of…

Davis

Surname derived from David, Hebrew

"beloved"

Davis is a fresh way to say David. Some sources define it as "son of David," but we see it as a surname spin on the original. While David is an everyman name, Davis has some creative edge -- and…

Evander

Scottish; Greek

"bow warrior; strong man"

Evander is a name that could build on the popularity of shorter form Evan, and could work and play well with schoolmates like Zander and Xander. Evander was prominent in Greek and Roman mythology: in…

Roger

German

"famous warrior"

In the World War II era, Roger had nothing but the most positive associations, actually used by military personnel to mean 'Received and understood'--or A-OK, and though it is now on extended…

Bennet

Variation of Bennett, English form of Benedict, Latin

"blessed"

This spelling of Bennett is typically seen as a surname, but gets moderate use as a first name for baby boys and girls.

Blaise

French

"to lisp, stammer"

As modern as it sounds, Blaise is an ancient Christian martyr name. In Arthurian legend, Blaise is the name of Merlin the Magician's secretary. Its relation to the word and name Blaze gives it a…

Branson

English

"son of the raven"

Branson is a fairly recent addition to the Top 1000, first breaking in at Number 988 in 1995. While it may not be a common sighting yet, it fits the trend of more popular cousins Mason, Grayson,…

Brennon

Brennon is a masculine name that evolved as a variant of Brendan or Brandon. It has Irish and Gaelic roots, where the original form Brendan means "prince" or "little raven." The distinctive spelling…

Devlin

Irish

"unlucky"

Devlin is an Irish name that's fresher and even more devilish than Devin. The earliest written record of this surname occurs in the thirteenth century, when an O'Devlin was appointed Bishop of Kells…

Dimitri

Russian from Greek Demetrius

"follower of Demeter"

Dimitri is a Slavic variation of the Russian Dmitriy, a name that comes from the Greek Demetrius. Demetrius was derived from Demeter, the name of the Greek goddess of fertility and farming. Among the…

Edmund

English

"fortunate protector"

The sophisticated Edmund and its nearly-identical French twin Edmond are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name. In fact, it's already a fairly…

Fredrick

Spelling variation of Frederick, German

"peaceful ruler"

Fredrick is one of the streamlined versions of Frederick, a solid classic boys' name on the brink of rediscovery. Fredrick was given to about 100 baby boys in the US last year, versus about 600 for…