Rosemary Jane's Baby Brother
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- Jude
Origin:
Latin diminutive of Judah, Hebrew, ArabicMeaning:
"praised; to be generous, to be good to others"Description:
Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity, in the US at least. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
- Julian
Origin:
English from Latin, variation of JuliusMeaning:
"youthful, downy-bearded, or sky father"Description:
Cool and charming, with plenty of flair and sophistication, Julian manages to strike the balance between being a sensible classic and contemporary choice. Appealingly international, it is no wonder Julian is a rising star.
- Rhys
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"ardor"Description:
Rugged but gentle, Rhys is the traditional Welsh spelling of this name, which can also be anglicized as Reese or Reece. Up until 2010, Reese was the preferred spelling in the US, perhaps because parents were concerned about mispronunciation. However, Rhys has since taken over for boys and is now used twice as often as Reese.
- Dylan
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"son of the sea"Description:
Dylan still feels poetic and romantic after years of popularity. It still ranks highly on the charts, among the top boy names starting with D, so if you choose it, be aware that yours may not be the only Dylan in his class.
- Declan
Origin:
Irish, meaning unknown, possible "man of prayer"Meaning:
"man of prayer"Description:
Declan is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Deaglán. St. Declan was one of the first missionaries to bring Christianity to Ireland, preceding St. Patrick. Originally from Wales, he founded the monastery of Ardmore in Ireland.
- Sage
Origin:
Herb name and also LatinMeaning:
"wise and knowing"Description:
A modern, multifaceted name, Sage is short, sweet, and strong. A unisex possibility, it is also a virtuous word name associated with wisdom, and a nature name linked to a fragrant herb.
- Cade
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"round, barrel; battle"Description:
Strong and modern, Cade shot up the popularity lists around the millennium—it was as high as Number 201 in 2001. Now, it has declined in popularity slightly, but nevertheless remains in the US Top 300, given to around 1200 babies each year. Combined with all the baby Kades, Cadens, Kaidens and Kaydens however, it might feel even more popular that it actually is.
- Jace
Origin:
Hebrew, diminutive of JasonMeaning:
"the Lord is salvation"Description:
Jace may sound like only half a name -- it's usually pronounced like the first half of Jason though some may consider it a spelling-out of the initials J. C. -- but it's a popular choice for baby boys. Jace has been heard on such TV shows as Teen Mom 2 and Duck Dynasty.
- Damian
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"to tame, subdue"Description:
Damian has sidestepped its demonic horror movie overtones, leaving a basically friendly and charming Irish image. A well-used upper-class name in England, it is growing in popularity here.
- Maddox
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"son of Madoc"Description:
Maddox, a previously obscure Welsh family name with a powerfully masculine image, suddenly came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie chose it for her son in 2003. By the following year it was in the middle of the Top 1000, and it has risen since.
- Ryker
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"rich"Description:
As a stylish name, Ryker has three big things going for it: its Ry beginning (as in Riley, Ryder, and Rylan), its two-syllable rhythm, and its er ending. A nice surprise for many is it's "rich" meaning. While this may not be a factor beyond New York City, there is an infamous prison there called Riker's Island. Ryker is one of the trendiest German names for boys in the US.
- Lennon
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"lover"Description:
A growing number of high-profile (and other) parents are choosing to honor their musical idols, such as Hendrix, Presley, Jagger, and now Lennon.
- Killian
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"war strife or church"Description:
Killian – aka Cillian – is a spirited yet resonant Gaelic name that was borne by several Irish saints and could make a distinctive replacement for the dated Kelly. Kylian is another spelling that's gaining traction, thanks to French soccer star Kylian Mbappé. Possible downsides: an unsavory first syllable and a connection to the trendy brew.
- Gage
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"oath, pledge"Description:
Gage was part of the craze for one-syllable surnames, with associations to tasty green gage plums and the mathematical gauge.
- Hadley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"heathery field"Description:
Hemingway readers will recognize this as the name of Papa's first wife (and, eventually, actress Mariel's grandmother). But in Victorian times, Hadley and Hedley were actually more popular for boys.
- Callen
Origin:
GaelicMeaning:
"rock"Description:
Callen is a unisex Gaelic name growing in popularity here. Its newfound trendiness is possibly related to the Chris O'Donnell character on "NCIS: Los Angeles", known only as G. Callen. Jazz musician Cal Tjader's full name is Callen.
- Lyric
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"of the lyre; songlike; a personal, emotive poem"Description:
Associated with poetry, pop music, and the Greek lyre, Lyric has a light and zippy sound to it. Currently more popular for girls in the US, it was in the Top 1000 for boys between 2007 and 2020. Currently given to around 170 boys each year, for every baby boy called Lyric, there are three girls given the name.
- Finian
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"fair"Description:
This lilting Irish saint's name shone in neon lights on Broadway for the classical 1947 musical "Finian's Rainbow," later made into a film starring Fred Astaire as Finian McLonergan, and there was also a character on "General Hospital" named Finian O'Toole. With the growing popularity of Finn and Finlay/Finley--and boys' names ending in 'an'--Finian, which can also be spelled Finnian, seems like a sure-fire winner.
- Hero
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"demi-god"Description:
Though the mythological Hero was female, this name might prove too big a responsibility for a little guy to shoulder.
- Rock
Origin:
Word name or diminutive of RoccoMeaning:
"rock or rest"Description:
Rock definitely has a macho image, if a somewhat caricatured one, ala The Rock. But with the rise of word names and also of tough guy names, Rock feels more plausible than it did a generation ago.