User-created list
Favorite Boy Names
Across 5 pages
of 5
Jefferson
English
"son of Jeffrey"
The name of the third U.S. President sounds, like Harrison and Jackson, more modern and stylish now than its root name. Used as a first name long before our surname-crazed era, Jefferson was most…
Langston
English
"tall man's town; long stone"
The great African-American Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes put this one on the map, while actor Laurence Fishburne adopted it for his now grown son, born in 1987. Despite these popular…
Alton
English
"dweller at the old town"
The sort of formal surname name more popular in another era; Dalton's a more modern relation.
Luther
German
"army people"
Once restricted to evangelical Protestants honoring the ecclesiastical reformer and theologian Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant revolution. In more recent times it has been favored by parents…
Iain
Gaelic variation of John
"God is gracious"
Iain, this authentic Gaelic form of John, has been well used in Scotland since the early twentieth century, used concurrently with the shortened Ian spelling, but is rarely seen in the US. Iain Banks…
Calloway
English from Latin
"pebbly place"
Calloway is one of those irresistibly jaunty, animated three-syllable surnames, like Sullivan, Rafferty and Finnegan — but this one has the added attraction of jazzy ties to the immortal "Dean of…
Cab
English diminutive of Cabell
Even for lovers of Cab (born, yes, Cabell) Calloway's music, the connection to 'Taxi!' is too strong.
Thurston
Scandinavian
"Thor's stone"
Shades of Thurston Howell, the effete millionaire castaway on Gilligan's Island.
Chadwick
English
"dairy farm"
Chadwick Boseman, the late charismatic star of Marvel's blockbuster Black Panther , brought this name to the spotlight for the first time. Though we long considered it an overwrought way to get to…
Blaxland
Vladimir
Slavic
"great ruler, peaceful ruler, ruler of the world"
Vladimir is a cultured and deep-rooted Slavic name associated in this country with cultural figures including piano virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz and the author of Lolita , Vladimir Nabokov. The name…
Alrik
Alrik is a masculine name with strong Norse and Germanic roots, meaning 'ruler of all' or 'complete ruler'—derived from elements meaning 'all' and 'ruler' or 'king.' This powerful name appears in…
Alaric
German
"all-powerful ruler"
Alaric is an ancient regal name that sounds modern enough to be considered. Alaric was a traditional name for the kings of the Ostrogoths, the most famous of whom was Alaric I, the King of the West…
Valdemar
Nordic variation of Vladimir
Ten years ago we would have advised people to steer clear of this name (and maybe choose the similar sounding Walter instead); but with the rise of other Nordic and Eastern European names like Viggo…
Hansen
Hansen is a masculine name of Scandinavian origin, primarily functioning as a surname meaning 'son of Hans.' Hans itself is a short form of Johannes, the Latin form of John, ultimately derived from…
Llewellyn
Welsh, variation of Llywelyn
"leader's image"
Llewellyn/Llywelyn is a common patriotic first name in Wales, with its distinctive Welsh double LL's; in the U.S. Llewellyn would make a daring choice, though with the chance that some might find the…
Haakon
Norse
"chosen son"
An ancient name that's been used by the Norwegian royal family; still popular there but not likely to appeal to many American parents.
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…
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.
Oskar
German variation of Oscar
Oskar is to Oscar as Jakob is to Jacob: more distinctive and continental.