Four Syllable Names for Boys

Wesley Snipes chose this distinctive East African name for his son.

The Portuguese version of the Old Testament name Hosea was the fastest-rising boys' name of 2017, in percentage terms. Almost 12 times as many boys were named Oseias in 2017 as in 2016 -- though it's still a ways outside the Top 1000.

Adventurous word choice, but still quite a burden for a child to bear.

Biblical names are expanding (literally) as some parents move on from Isaiah and Elijah to more elaborate choices with simple short forms like Jed and Zeb.

One of the most unusual of the "iah" names, it comes with the appealing and usable nickname Zev.

The great pre-Renaissance painter known as Fra Angelico was actually born Guido di Pietro, but his nom d'art might work for your little angel.

The lively Spanish & Portuguese form of Constantine.

Taras is the former name of the Italian city Taranto, which was settled by Greeks in the 8th century BC. The founders named it after Taras, who figures in Greek mythology as the son of Poseidon. A saint from Constantinople bore the name.

Belisario is romantic, dashing, but perhaps a bit too elaborate. You might consider Belisario a masculine twist on the popular Belle names for girls.

Commonly shortened to Sakari, which may have broader appeal.

A more modern form of Eleutherios, meaning "free".

The origins of Lucentio are a bit hazy — it's possible Shakespeare invented the name for his play The Taming of the Shrew, where Lucentio ends up marrying Bianca. However, it may have been an obscure Italian variation of Lucentius, existing before Shakespeare's time.

Often shortened to Emeka, as in basketball player Emeka Okafor.