Boys

Anders

Scandinavian variation of Andrew

"strong and manly, masculine"

Friendly and rugged at the same time, Anders is a Scandinavian form of the Andrew and Andreas family, used across Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and in the US. Consistently in the American Top 1000 since…

Casimir

English; French, from Polish

"destroyer of peace"

Casimir, a traditional name of Polish kings, could do quite well these days as we see the rise of Caspian, Cassius, Castiel, et. al. Like Leopold and Laszlo, Casimir is strong and worth considering…

Coby

English, diminutive of Coburn or Jacob or Jacoby

Actor Coby Bell gives this short but sweet name a hefty amount of street cred. Can also be spelled Koby or Kobe, as in Kobe Bryant.

Cormac

Irish

"charioteer"

Both offbeat and upbeat, this evocative traditional Irish name that runs through Celtic mythology is known here via award-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy (born Charles). The author's adopted name is…

Étienne

French variation of Stephen, Greek

"garland, crown"

Appealingly gentle and romantic French classic--with a lot more charm than Steve.

Faulkner

English

"falconer"

Faulkner is an old occupational surname that was used for someone who kept and trained falcons when falconry was a popular sport in medieval Europe. Anyone using it in contemporary America would…

Liev

Yiddish variation of Lev

"heart"

Liev Schreiber's birth name is Isaac Liev, Liev after his mother's favorite Russia author, Leo Tolstoy. Though Liev is increasing in popularity in the secular world thanks to the actor, it originated…

Lysander

Greek

"liberator"

Lysander is a distinctive Greek name that could be thought of as a more creative cousin of Alexander. In ancient history, Lysander was the name of an esteemed Spartan naval commander and his literary…

Myron

Greek

"fragrant, an aromatic shrub, myrrh"

One of many M names -- including Murray, Melvin, Morton, Milton, and Marvin -- given to first-generation Jewish boys to replace the old-fashioned Moses. Now we'd pick Moses over any of them. Myron…

Torin

Irish, Spanish, French

"little chief, little hill, mound; holding fast; bull"

Though it has a Scandinavian ring (a la Thorfinn), Torin is in fact a multicultural choice, an occasional feature in the UK Top 1000, and given to around 150 boys in the US each year. Connected to…

Maxen

Welsh, from Latin Maximus

"greatest"

Also spelled Macsen, this ancient name manages to sound modern and cool. An heroic namesake was Maxen Wledig, a fourth century Spanish-born general who led the Roman army out of Britain, and as…

Errol

Scottish, spelling variation of Earl

Errol was a swashbuckling name in the Errol Flynn era, which still has a trace of jazz cool.m thanks to jazz pianist Erroll Garner.

Toren

Toren is a masculine name with Nordic and Hebrew origins, carrying different meanings depending on cultural context. In Scandinavian usage, it derives from Thor, the Norse god of thunder, combined…

Graeme

Scottish variation of Graham

"gravelly homestead"

An interesting vowel combination lightens up Graham.

Calder

English

"rocky water"

A cool, rugged sounding name, Calder is connected to an ancient Scottish clan, an English village, and a Scottish River, along with the sculptor Alexander Calder, who invented the mobile (as in,…

Morrissey

Irish

"descendant of Muiris"

When British rocker Steven Patrick Morrissey decided to use his last name alone, it became a viable option for baby namers, a lot cooler than Morris or Maurice, with the nice three-syllable lilt of…

Eberhard

German

"brave boar"

Much more niche and obviously Germanic than its anglicised cousins Everard and Everett, but with the same strong meaning. Eberhard is hardly ever used in the US - it's only made the charts once so…

Topher

Diminutive of Christopher

The new kid on the block in terms of Christopher short forms, it was introduced into the mix by actor Topher Grace, who didn't like Chris.

Winslow

English

"friend's hill"

Winston meets Marlow in this surname-style choice, blending old-fashioned charm and a hint of stuffiness with a bit of modern edge and breeziness too. Borne by the distinguished American landscape…