My favorite names

James

English variation of Jacob, Hebrew

"supplanter"

James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys'…

Silas

Aramaic, Latin, Greek

"of the forest; or prayed for"

Sleek and smart, with a hint of mystique about it, Silas is a recent addition to the US Top 100. Both mythological and Biblical in origin, Silas joins the ranks of Isaiah, Atlas, Elias, and…

Justin

Latin

"fair, righteous"

Justin has been widely popular since the 1980s, when parents were seeking a fresher 'J' boys’ name to replace Jason, Jeremy and Jonathan. It's been dipping in popularity a bit in recent years but it…

Eric

Old Norse

"eternal ruler"

Eric is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr, from the components ei , meaning "ever," and ríkr , "rule." It was adopted by English speakers in the mid-nineteenth century, who were already familiar…

June

June is a masculine name derived from the month of June, which was itself named for the Roman goddess Juno, the protector of women and marriage. While predominantly used for girls since the early…