Boys' Names I Detest

Gage

French

"oath, pledge"

Gage was part of the craze for one-syllable surnames, with associations to tasty green gage plums and the mathematical gauge. Gage was first noticed as a character in Stephen King's Pet Semetary…

Todd

English

"fox"

A 1970s beach boy surfing buddy of Scott, Brad, and Chad, Todd is given to relatively few babies these days.

Brett

Celtic

"from Brittany"

Football great Brett Favre single-handedly kept this name in the limelight, though it continues to sink in popularity. Brett originated in the Middle Ages as an ethnic name for one of the Bretons who…

Brent

English

"dweller near the burnt land"

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…

Jet

Mineral and word name

This super-charged variation of Jett is on the rise -- along with the unlikely newcomer Jetson.

Aleph

First letter of the Hebrew alphabet and Hebrew

"chief, number one"

Aleph came into the spotlight when chosen by Israel-born Natalie Portman for her son. Alef is a more common spelling of these related Hebrew baby names . In the Kabbalah, Aleph/Alef relates to the…

Kellen

German; Irish

"swamp; slender"

Kellen is German in origin and Irish in spirit. Kellen has fallen a bit in popularity for boys since its peak in 2012, but it has possibilities for girls too. In fact, Kellen's similarity to such…

Storm

Word name

Windswept and dramatic, but perhaps asking for trouble. Quite popular in Denmark and Sweden, where it derives from Stromr, which is a fairly common surname. Storm Thorgerson is a famous bearer of the…