Boys names - long, charming and mystical

Theodore

Greek

"gift of God"

Classic and elegant but with boyish charm, Theodore has become hit name in recent years, vaulting into the US Top 10 in 2021 for the first time ever and into the Top 5 in 2024. A favorite in English…

Sebastian

Latin from Greek

"person from ancient city of Sebastia, venerable"

With international flair and elegance, Sebastian is a saintly, Shakespearean and Disney-inspired choice: refined, classic-yet-unconventional, and totally in tune with other popular choices like…

Matthew

Hebrew

"gift of God"

Matthew was the third most popular boys' name in America throughout the 1980s and '90s, and is still one of the top boy names starting with M . The New Testament Matthew is the epitome of the…

Bennett

English medieval form of Benedict, Latin

"blessed"

Bennett is Ben with a bow tie, kind of a cross between Benjamin and Beckett. It's been trending up on the popularity charts in recent years, and its choice by The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt 's Jane…

Joshua

Hebrew

"the Lord is my salvation"

Joshua, a Top 10 name from 1983 until 2010, has dropped out of the Top 50 but manages to present a relaxed, attractive image, with a bit of the Old West mixed in with its biblical persona. Joshua was…

Everett

English variation of the German Eberhard

"brave as a wild boar"

Everett is a preppy but outdoorsy name, with wintery New England vibes. In the last decade, it’s had a leap in popularity, perhaps because of its similarity to trendy girls’ names like Ava and…

Elliot

English diminutive of Elias, Greek

"Yahweh is God"

Elliot (which boasts several spellings depending upon how many 'l's or 't's you want to use) is a winner -- it has the ideal quality of being neither too common nor weirdly unique. Elliot had a style…

Walter

German

"army ruler"

Walter was seen as a noble name in the Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Walter Scott era, but it then spent decades in baby name limbo. Now quite a few independent-minded parents are looking at it as a…

Frederick

German

"peaceful ruler"

Frederick, and friendlier nickname Fred, seemed almost to have disappeared, leaving just the memory of Freds past such as Astaire, Mr. Rogers and Flintstone. But today's parents are beginning to…

Sirius

Latin from Greek

"burning"

Yes, it's the name of the brightest star in the sky, but can't you just hear people saying, "Are you serious?" Singer Erykah Badu used it as a middle name for son Seven.

Peregrine

Latin

"traveler, pilgrim"

Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the U.S., where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's…

Percival

French

"one who pierces the valley"

There are several Percivals scattered through the Harry Potter series, which might help transform the old-fangled, fussy image it has accrued. Actually, the original Percival was the one perfectly…

Dashiell

Anglicization of French surname de Chiel, meaning unknown

Dashiell, though missing from many other name sources, is among the hottest new names, chosen by such celebs as Cate Blanchett and author Helen ( Bridget Jones ) Fielding. With its great dash and…