Our Boy

Jenkin

Flemish

"little John"

Possible (and offbeat) middle name twist when honoring a familial John.

Jenkyn

Jenkyn is a masculine name of Medieval Welsh origin, functioning as a diminutive form of John (derived from Hebrew Yochanan, meaning 'God is gracious'). This distinctive variation emerged during the…

Jacobi

Variation of Jacob, Hebrew

"supplanter"

Jacobi is a masculine name derived from Jacob, which has Hebrew origins meaning "supplanter". This form represents a Latin genitive case of Jacobus, essentially meaning "of Jacob" or "son of Jacob."…

Jarvis

English variation of Gervase, meaning unknown

Jarvis, one of the original two-syllable nouveau boys' choices, is a saint's name with a certain retro charm and a nice quirky feel. Though Jarvis peaked in the late 1880s, he is beginning to sound…

Jaspar

Jaspar is a masculine name of Persian origin, representing a variation of Jasper, which means 'treasurer' or 'one who holds riches.' Historically, the name connects to one of the traditional Three…

Jem

Diminutive of James or Jeremiah

This name of the ten-year-old boy in the much loved and acclaimed modern classic To Kill a Mockingbird could find favor along with that of the character's sister, Scout.

Jeno

Jeno is a masculine name with Hungarian origins, being the Hungarian form of Eugene, which derives from the Greek name Eugenios meaning "well-born" or "noble." In Hungary, it's pronounced YEH-no,…

Jonty

Diminutive of Jonathan

"gift of Jehovah"

Jaunty, to say the least, Jonty might be an option if Johnny feels too old school. It has been noticed most often on the playing fields, as in U.K. rugby player Jonty Parkin (born Jonathan) and South…

Josef

German, Scandinavian, Czech variation of Joseph, Hebrew

"Jehovah increases"

The German, Scandinavian and Czech variant of Joseph, borne by several notable European artists and athletes, as well as the brutal Soviet dictator Josef (or Iosif) Stalin.

Junot

Spanish variation of Junius

Junot, which sounds like the goddess and indie movie name "Juno" and the Alaskan place name Juneau, is actually someting completely different. The literati will recognize the unusual name of writer…

Zephyr

Greek

"west wind"

If you're looking for a name that's light and breezy, this could be it. A name from mythology: Zephyrus/Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind, and with its similarity in sound to the likes of…

Sailor

Occupational word name

A word name that has sailed onto birth certificates of both genders, especially since Liv Tyler used it for her son. For boys, Saylor and Sailor are used about equally, but were together given to…

Jules

French form of Julius, Latin

"youthful; soft, downy; sky father"

Though Jules hasn't been on the US popularity list in fifty years, it remains a hit in its native France where it's currently in the Top 10 — and has been in the Top 500 nearly every year since the…

Kipling

English surname and place name

Kipling calls to mind writer Rudyard (b. Joseph) Kipling, author of the stories familiar to schoolchildren Gunga Din and The Jungle Story. Certainly, Kipling is a friendlier name than Rudyard these…