Boys

Jesse

Hebrew

"God exists"

King David's father turned 1980s cowboy, Jesse is now down in popularity but still a Biblical classic, ranking in the US Top 1000 for its entire history. The name is associated with a wide variety of…

Finn

Irish, Scandinavian, Norse

"fair, white; from Finland"

Finn is a name with enormous energy and charm, that of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as…

Zachary

Hebrew

"the Lord has remembered"

Zachary, a Top 20 name throughout the 90s, is now sliding down the rankings though it remains in the Top 200. With its ancient roots and modern feel, it's easy to understand why Zachary has been such…

Joel

Hebrew

"Jehovah is his God"

In the Old Testament, Joel was one of King David's 'mighty men' and the name was taken up by the Puritans of the sixteenth century. In the mid 1960s, Joel entered the Top 100, and stayed there for…

Gavin

Celtic

"white hawk"

Gavin, a name with Scottish roots, has stepped into the spotlight, replacing the dated Kevin, thanks in part to pop-rock sensation Gavin DeGraw and Bush lead singer Gavin Rossdale. Gavin also has…

Corbin

English and French surname

"crow, raven"

Corbin, the name of the castle where the Holy Grail was said to be hidden, came to the fore in the 1980s via actor Corbin Bernsen when he was the high profile star of LA Law , but its use is only now…

Seth

Hebrew

"appointed, placed"

The long-neglected name of Adam and Eve's third son after Cain and Abel, Seth is appreciated for its gentle, understated presence -- and strong middle-name potential. It reached a high of Number 63…

Reuben

Hebrew

"behold, a son"

Reuben is derived from the Hebrew words ra’a , meaning "to see, to understand," and ben , "son." As a phrase it translates to "behold, a son." In the Bible, Reuben is Jacob's first-born son by Leah…

Iain

Gaelic variation of John

"God is gracious"

Iain, this authentic Gaelic form of John, has been well used in Scotland since the early twentieth century, used concurrently with the shortened Ian spelling, but is rarely seen in the US. Iain Banks…

Hadley

English

"heathery field"

Hemingway readers will recognize this as the name of Papa's first wife (and, eventually, actress Mariel's grandmother). But in Victorian times, Hadley and Hedley were actually more popular for boys.

Jotham

Hebrew

"the Lord is perfect"

Jotham is an Old Testament name that today would certainly be the only one in his class, having something of an urban feel via its similarity to the word 'gotham'. In the Bible one Jotham is the sole…

Terence

Latin clan name

"soft; thresher"

A name that seems to hail from the old Irish neighborhoods of Boston and New York, Terence actually dates back a lot further, to the time of a famous second-century poet, who started life as a North…

Jolyon

Medieval form of Julian

"youthful"

Galsworthy used this for "The Forsyte Saga," but in modern real life Julian would work better.

Gavirel

Gavirel appears to be a variant or alternate spelling of Gabriel, a masculine name with Hebrew origins. The traditional name Gabriel derives from the Hebrew 'Gavri'el,' meaning 'God is my strength'…

Kemuel

Hebrew

"helper of God"

If you're seeking a biblical name somewhat similar to the popular Samuel but way more distinctive, this could be the one.

Raphiel

Raphiel is a masculine name that appears to be a variant spelling of Raphael, which has Hebrew origins meaning 'God has healed.' In Judeo-Christian tradition, Raphael is one of the archangels, often…

Niall

Irish

"cloud"

Niall is pronounced nye-al--something like Neil, but this Irish spelling of the name makes it much more current and cool. This is an ancient name borne by several of the high kings of Tara, the most…