User-created list
By Aoife · Updated May 2023
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Latin
"from Attica"
Atticus, with its trendy Roman feel combined with the upstanding, noble image of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird , is a real winner among boy names . Atticus entered the US Top 1000 in 2004…
Hebrew
"hewer; or, having a stump for a hand"
Gideon is a no-longer neglected Old Testament name, but still makes an excellent choice for parents looking to move beyond such overused biblicals as Benjamin and Jacob. In the Old Testament, Gideon…
"dedicated"
A major figure in the Old Testament, Enoch was the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and the great-grandfather of Noah whose Book of Enoch provides a focal point for ancient Jewish mysticism.…
Aramaic, meaning unclear, possibly from Theodore
"gift of God"
Thaddeus, a distinguished, long-neglected name, has several areas of appeal: a solid New Testament legacy, a nice antique feel, and the choice of several more modern nicknames and international…
German
"with divine protection"
Ansel, primarily associated with the great western photographer Ansel Adams, famed for his magnificent photographs of the Yosemite Valley, could make a creative artist-hero choice. For Adams it was a…
German, Dutch, and Scandinavian, diminutive of Johannes
Though familiar to all via such childhood icons as Hans Brinker, Hans(el) and Gretel, and Hans Christian Andersen, few Americans have chosen this name for their sons because of its intractably Old…
Greek
"flax"
Can Linus lose its metaphorical security blanket and move from the Peanuts page onto the birth certificate? We think it has enough charm and other positive elements going for it for the answer to be…
"blessed"
Think of this as the Hebrew equivalent of Benedict or Benito; best for observant Jews.
Irish
"fair or white"
Fionn, the modern Irish form of Finn, is more popular in Ireland these days than Finn, which is rising fast in the U.S. where Fionn is virtually unknown. That's probably a good thing, because few…
"Established by God"
Joachim is an undiscovered biblical name with potential, although most modern parents would probably prefer the more lively Spanish version, Joaquin. Like many Old Testament names, it was primarily…
"man of Cyprus"
With a long and noble history -- Cyprian was one of the great Christian Latin writers -- this could make a highly unusual but meaningful choice. Cyprian has been in use since medieval times,…
Dutch and German variation of Casper and Jasper, Persian
"keeper of the treasure"
After half a century, this otherwise feasible name has at last started to lose its link to the friendly ghost; it certainly didn't scare model Claudia Schiffer, who chose it for her son, as did…
Breton
"God is gracious"
Yannick originated as a diminutive of Yann, the Breton form of John. However, it has since become popular as a standalone name in its native region of Brittany, as well as in France as a whole, where…
Scandinavian variation of Johannes or John, Hebrew
Short but substantial Nordic name that travels well -- although it runs the risk of being confused with all the feminine Jen names.
"curly-haired"
Crispin, which was introduced into the mainstream by actor Crispin Glover and which means "curly-haired" in Latin, has an image very much like its first syllable: crisp, autumnal, and colorful. St.…
Polish
"god is gracious"
A short form of the very popular Polish name Jan, which is the equivalent of John in English. Short forms ending in -ek are very widespread in Poland, but it is rare that one is given as the official…
