Alaric is an ancient regal name that sounds modern enough to be considered. Alaric was a traditional name for the kings of the Ostrogoths, the most famous of whom was Alaric I, the King of the West Goths who sacked Rome in 410. 
 In literature, Alaric was a noble character in P. G. Wodehouse's Blandings Castle novels, the lead character in Alexander Theroux's Darconville's Cat, appeared in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, and was the name of a history teacher on The Vampire Diaries.
 More unusual than Frederic or Roderic, Alaric could make a quaintly quirky path to all the Al and Rick nicknames.

Alaric

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 family name – he was named after his uncle, Ansel Easton. And, in turn, Adams was the namesake of young heartthrob Ansel Elgort, son of a photographer.
 Derived from the same root as Anselm, Ansel is a medieval Germanic name that still feels fresh and stylish today.
 Ansel has been far from a <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/317/unique-baby-names">unique baby name</a> – it was on and off the popularity lists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, reaching as high as Number 540 in 1893.

Ansel

Works better as a full name than Arnie does as a nickname. 

Arne

A classic in its native Scandinavia, Axel has a cool rock 'n' roll flavor in the US, thanks to Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose (born William). With its distinctive letter 'x', it has an effortlessly cool vibe about it, and is currently growing in popularity.
 
Axel is the Scandinavian form of the Biblical Absalom, who was a son of King David, and is the name of the title character of William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom. More wearable than its derivation, perhaps, Axel is currently ranks in the Top 100 names for boys in the US, the UK, Sweden, France, Spain, and Norway. 
 In the US, it first entered the popularity charts in 1989, one year after the release of one of Guns N' Roses biggest hits, showing just how influential popular culture can can be.
 More recently, Axel was chosen by Will Ferrell for his third son, and also by Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson for their boys, and it's the middle name of Tiger Woods' boy Charlie. Axel Foley was the character played by Eddie Murphy in the Beverly Hills Cop movies and, going further back again, was the name of an important character in Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth. 
 
A bit like a updated Alex, Axel was given to 4500 babies in the US in 2023, so if it was an undiscovered gem you were after, you could consider Absalom itself, or perhaps another Scandinavian option, such as Anker, Konrad, Torfinn, or Torkell.

Axel

Bertil

Edvin

With Norse (and pseudo-Norse) names such as Thor, Odin and Magnus growing in popularity, this one, which refers to warriors destined for Valhalla on account of their bravery, might have some appeal outside Scandinavia. Its slightly Eeyore-ish sound is balanced out by connections to some major historical figures, including a Norwegian prime minister.

Einar

Enzo originated as the Italian variation of Heinz, a German name derived from Heinrich, related to Henry. It has historically been used as a short form for Italian names such as Vincenzo and Lorenzo. The most famous bearer of the name is Enzo Ferrari, founder of the luxury sports car brand.
 
Like Leonardo and Luca, Enzo is one of the confident and captivating Italian names beginning to be used by parents of all ethnic backgrounds, including Patricia Arquette and Annabeth Gish. In addition to its native country, Enzo is currently mega popular in France and is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/166/italian-names">top Italian baby names</a> in the US.

Enzo

Eric is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr, from the components ei, meaning "ever," and ríkr, "rule." It was adopted by English speakers in the mid-nineteenth century, who were already familiar with the exploits of the tenth century Viking navigator and discoverer of Greenland, Eric the Red. Erik is an alternate spelling and the preferred form of the name across much of Europe.
 
Eric—the all-time most popular Scandinavian <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a> in the U. S.—peaked in the Ricky Nelson/Rick Springfield period.
 From the mid-sixties to the late eighties, Eric was on the Top 25 list. Some of its best-known bearers: Eric Clapton, Eric Idle, Eric Dane and major characters in The Little Mermaid, True Blood and Friday Night Lights, not to mention Eric Cartman on South Park. Simon Cowell named his first son Eric after his father.
 Erik is the Old-World spelling of Eric, now mega popular in Germany and Sweden.

Eric

K can substitute for C at the end of a name too, as in this example of Erik as a spelling variation of Eric. Or is it the other way around?

In fact, Erik is the spelling of the name used in its native Scandinavia and throughout much of Central and Eastern Europe, where Erik ranks in the Top 100 throughout Scandinavia as well as in Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, and more.

The Erik and Erick forms are also popular in Spain and Latin America, and among Spanish speakers in the US. In fact, Erick outranks Erik in the US. And while Erik and brothers are off their peak, all three spellings of the name rank in the top half of the US Top 1000 boy names.

Erik

An old-school great-grandpa name, like Irving and Ernest, that may just be ready for revival. It's also a well-known name in Hungary and elsewhere in central and eastern Europe. As a surname, it's associated with jazz sax player Booker Ervin.

Ervin

Endre

Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks ranks with the standard Franks and Freds. Felix is also an international darling, ranking in the Top 100 in several European and English-speaking countries.

Felix was originally a Roman surname but was adopted as a nickname by the ancient Roman Sulla, who believed that he was especially blessed with luck by the gods. It is the name of four popes and sixty-seven saints; in the Bible, Felix is a Roman procurator of Judea.
 
Felix, energetic and upbeat with a felicitous meaning, has finally transcended its negative associations to Felix The Cat and the persnickety Felix Unger. 
 
The name appears in literature as the central character in George Eliot's novel Felix Holt, the protagonist of Thomas Mann's Confessions of Felix Krull, in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Henry James's The Europeans, Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, and as a member of the Volturi Guard in the Twilight series. In movies Felix has popped up in everything from several James Bond films to Spy Kids and The Hangover.
 
Gillian Anderson and Elizabeth Banks are two modern celebrities who chose Felix for their baby boys. A notable namesake is Felix Frankfurter, a long-term Supreme Court Justice.
 
Popular in the Hispanic community, Felix is also celebrating a surge abroad. Felix has been on the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">U.S. popularity list</a> for as long as records have been kept and is rapidly becoming a Nameberry fave.

Felix

Franz is the German equivalent to Francis, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a Franz outside of countries with Germanic origins. In America the name is often associated with celebrated author Franz Kafka, who was born in Prague.

Franz

Farkas

The long history and solid usage of Henry has infiltrated other cultures, where a number of variations experience the same degree of popularity. In the US, Henrik first entered the Top 1000 in 2014. In Norway, Henrik is a mega popular choice.
 Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright, perhaps best known for his 1879 play A Doll's House.

Henrik

A standard form of John in Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Polish, Slovene, German, and Catalan. Properly pronounced yahn (in most of these languages), most Americans will still equate it with the Brady Bunchesque girls' name Jan.

János

Keve

Lehel

Magnus is a Latin name, literally meaning "greatest," that has a Scandinavian feel. It dates back to Charlemagne being called Carolus Magnus, or Charles the Great. Norwegian king Magnus I, named after Charlemagne, introduced it to his culture, and thus Magnus was the name of six early kings of Norway and four of Sweden. It is still a highly popular name in Denmark and Norway.
 
Magnus, a powerful name with a commanding presence, is one of the newly unearthed ancient artifacts. It was picked for their sons by Will Ferrell (whose wife Viveca Paulin is Swedish), Kristy Swanson, and Elizabeth Banks—likely credited for this name's jump into the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013, as one of the year's fastest-rising names. Its fashionable s ending may keep it in popular use.
 
Magnus has made appearances as a vampire in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and as a character in Roald Dahl's Matilda. And for an extra ego boost, in Charles Dickens's The Pickwick Papers, there's the following dialogue: 
 "'Magnus is my name. It's rather a good name, I think, sir.'
 'A very good name, indeed,' said Mr. Pickwick."

Magnus

Like Lars, Sven, Niels, and Nels, an unjustly neglected straightforward Scandinavian name. Surname Nilsson or the anglicized Nelson derives from Nils.

Nils

So simple, yet so unique: a prime candidate for export. Pronunciation is like the English pair or pear.

Ralf

Nope, not a misspelling of Sexton or a number name. This Old Norse name is actually a name denoting victory and in the Swedish Top 100..

My fav boys names