Under-used and Under-appreciated Boys' Names

Atticus

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…

Kenneth

Scottish and Irish

"born of fire, handsome"

Kenneth may have lost much of its luster now, but Kenneth has had its moments of glory. The first king of Scotland was Kenneth, and Sir Kenneth, a Christian crusader, was the hero of the Sir Walter…

Dakota

Place-name; Sioux

"friendly one"

An early and still one of the most popular unisex names , also a place name and name of a Native American people in the northern Mississippi valley, which makes it a controversial baby name choice.…

Matthias

Aramaic variation of Matthew

"gift of God"

With Matthew sounding somewhat exhausted, and ancient endings sounding new again, this New Testament apostolic name makes an appealing and recommended choice. Both Mathias and Matias are well used in…

Bradley

English

"wide meadow"

An English surname name, Bradley has a long history, dating way back to at least 1086, but as a first name it actually succeeded in the US before it reached England--though Dickens used it in his…

Killian

Irish

"war strife or church"

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…

Solomon

Hebrew

"peace"

Solomon, a name that evokes wisdom and peace, is an Old Testament name that, along with other patriarchal classics, is finally beginning to shed its long white beard and step from the pages of the…

Makai

Modern variation of Michael, Hebrew, ir Hawaiian

"Who is like God; towards the sea"

Blending a number of popular contemporary sounds, Makai is a name that be viewed in a several different ways. On one hand. you could consider it an update on the classic and Biblical Michael, meaning…

Sean

Irish variation of John

"God is gracious"

Sean, after a long reign as one of the top Irish boys' names in the US, has now slipped as parents look to fresher Irish choices such as Liam and Aidan. In Ireland, Sean is still highly popular, but…

Augustine

Latin

"great, magnificent"

Augustine is more substantial (and saintly) than August, less pretentious than Augustus, and, along with its nickname Gus, is definitely a viable choice. Augustine is actually the diminutive form of…

Jonas

Greek variation of Jonah

"dove"

Jonas has a slightly more grandfatherly image than the English version of his name, but that only adds to its retro appeal. And though it may lag behind Jonah in this country, Jonas is riding a huge…

Roland

German

"famous throughout the land"

Roland is a chivalrous old name made famous by the supposedly eight-foot-tall romantic hero and nephew of Charlemagne, celebrated in medieval poetry and song. It is more widely heard in the US now in…

Gunnar

Scandinavian variation of Gunther

"bold warrior"

A key figure in Norse legend and a traditional Scandinavian favorite making inroads here.

Dexter

Latin

"dyer, right-handed"

The jazzy, ultra-cool Dexter, like most names with an "x," has a lot of energy and dynamism. Over the years, it's been attached to a number of diverse real and fictional personalities—C. K. Dexter…

Finnley

Spelling variation of Finley, Irish and Scottish

"fair-haired hero"

This variation adds a second n to the more popular Finley, presumably to provide a more direct link to nickname Finn. Both spellings create a distinctly unisex name. The Finnley version, however,…

Aspen

Nature and place-name

"a poplar tree that quakes in the breeze"

As trendy as the chic Colorado ski resort, with a hint of whimsy from the shimmering trees, Aspen has been climbing the charts for boys since the early 90s. While it has always been more popular for…

Aleric

Aleric is a masculine name of Germanic origin, derived from elements meaning 'noble ruler' or 'ruler of all.' Historically associated with Alaric I, the Gothic king who famously sacked Rome in 410…

Anselm

German

"with divine protection"

A somewhat solemn appellation, Anselm is a saint's name, connected to the twelfth century archbishop of Canterbury, and in modern times tied to the German neo-expressionist painter Anselm Kiefer.