Gwendalavir

Edwin

English

"wealthy friend"

Some might be surprised to learn that Edwin has been a consistent presence on the popular names list since statistics have become available. The most famous Edwin in history was a seventh century…

Bjorn

Swedish, Icelandic, German

"bear"

Bjorn is one of the most recognizable Scandinavian names , thanks in large part to tennis great Björn Borg, winner of five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French opens and something of a…

Hans

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…

Salim

Arabic

"safe"

Distinguished by association with renowned African diplomat Salim Ahmed Salim, this name is popular in many variations throughout the Arab world. Its use is growing in the US as well, especially in…

Artis

Celtic

"bear"

Some sources say Artis is a form of Arthur, and it certainly has the same root and meaning of bear. But Artis is a name in its own right with a 60-year history on the US Top 1000, from about 1900…

Elis

Welsh and Swedish form of Elias and Elijah, Hebrew

"Yahweh is God"

A variation of the popular Elijah, this light and refined form is familiar in both Wales and Sweden. It is occasionally used as a short form of Elisabeth too.

Akiro

Japanese

"bright boy; man of autumn"

Akiro is well used in Japan, the first name of famed director Kurosawa. Also transliterated as Akirou, it can mean "bright boy" or "man of autumn", depending on which Kanji elements are used.