Boy names II.

Alfred

English

"wise counselor; elf counsel"

Alfred is up off his recliner! If you're looking for a path to Fred, you can go directly to Frederick or take the long way around with the so-out-it's-in-again Alfred. Alfred is quite popular in…

Casper

Dutch form of Jasper, Persian

"bringer of treasure"

This ancient name, also spelled Caspar, is finally shedding its ghostly image and moving into the 21st century. Popular in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, where it's sometimes shortened to Cas,…

Jon

Variation of John or Jonathan

"God is gracious; or gift of Jehovah"

Streamlined version of the classic boys' names, sometimes a short form of Jonathan, which is in fact an entirely different name from John attached to a different Biblical personage. Jon feels more…

Oskar

German variation of Oscar

Oskar is to Oscar as Jakob is to Jacob: more distinctive and continental.

Jakob

German, Norwegian, and Slovenian variation of Jacob, Hebrew variation of James

"supplanter"

After cracking the US Top 200 in the early 2000s, fueled by Jacob's rise, this name has been losing steam in recent years. But Jakob is the top form of the name in many other countries, cultures, and…

Levin

German

"dear friend"

Levin, known in the U.S. mostly as a surname, is a Top 100 boys' name in Germany. There have been saints with variations of this name, whose meaning relates to love.

Lynn

Welsh

"lake"

Traditionally used for boys before the 20th-century, Lynn was solidly used as a masculine name in the US, right up until the 70s when it fell out of favor. Prior to that, however, it had already…

Mycah

Mycah is a modern masculine name that represents a contemporary spelling variation of Micah. The biblical name Micah derives from Hebrew, meaning 'who is like God' or 'resembling God.' The…

Christoff

Christoff is a masculine name that represents a variant spelling of Kristoff or Christoph, which are Germanic forms of Christopher. The name ultimately derives from Greek elements meaning 'bearing…

Cato

Latin

"all-knowing"

Cato conjures up images of ancient Roman statesmen and southern antebellum retainers; it could have revival potential, with its 'O' ending and the current interest in the names of Greek and Roman…

Manu

Finnish, Maori, Hawaiian, Sanskrit, Akan, Hebrew

"greatest; bird; wise; second born; God is with us"

An international name that, while short and simple, sounds strong and distinctive, stylish and sweet all at once. It may appeal to those who want a name that works in multiple languages, while also…

Kellan

Spelling variation of Kellen

"swamp; slender"

Kellan Lutz is the attractive young actor who plays Emmett Cullen in the Twilight series.

Ansel

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…

Amon

Hebrew, Arabic, Greek from Egyptian

"the hidden one; invisible"

In Egyptian mythology, Amon is a major god associated with creation and the air. He was later fused with the Sun god, Ra, and became Amun-Ra. In the US, Amon is occasionally used as a variation of…

Artemis

Greek, diminutive of Artemios

"safe; butcher"

Best known as the the Greek Goddess of the hunt and the moon, Artemis could now be considered one of the few traditionally feminine names that are currently being used for boys. Alternatively though,…