Four Syllable Names for Boys
- America
Origin:
Latin, place-nameDescription:
Actress America Ferrera, of Ugly Betty fame, has pretty much feminized this name in the US.
- Anaximander
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"master of men"Description:
This extravagant name of a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher could make for a bold alternative to Alexander.
- Isidorios
- Legendary
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"of legend"Description:
Although still small in numbers, children named Legendary have increased dramatically over the years. It's one of the ultimate aspirational word names. Nick Cannon and Bre Tiesi used it for their son in 2022.
- Luciliano
- Albemarle
Origin:
English from LatinMeaning:
"white marl"Description:
A Southern place name — found in North Carolina and Virginia — borne by early enslaved people in the US. It came over from England, where Albemarle was a variation of the French county name Aumale, from the Latin Alba Marla, "white marl." Marl is a type of soil.
- Kyriakos
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"of the lord"Description:
Kyriakos was derived from the Greek word kyrios, meaning "lord."
- Florestan
Origin:
French, LatinMeaning:
"flowering, flourishing"Description:
An ancient and dashing princely European name, belonging to one of the Grimaldi princes of Monaco from the 18th and 19th centuries. Florestan is also a character in Ludwig van Beethoven's opera "Fidelio" (1814).
- Mahershala
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"swift to the plunder"Description:
Actor Mahershala Ali single-handedly put this Biblical name on the map. If you think it's difficult to pronounce and spell, consider that it's short for Maher-shalal-hash-baz, the longest name in the Bible which Ali actually used in its entirety as his stage name until 2010.
- Gediminas
Origin:
LithuanianMeaning:
"mention in grief, celebrate in grief"Description:
Gediminas is derived from the Lithuanian elements gedauti, meaning "grieve," and minėti, "to celebrate" or "to mention." The most famous bearer of the name is Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1316–1341. Many consider him the true founder of Lithuania, and baby boys are often named in his honor.
- Victorious
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"winning"Description:
If Victor isn't quite enough, this superlative word name is another option.
- Barthelemy
Origin:
French form of BartholomewDescription:
While Barthelemy does not garner much attention these days, it has a storied history in French-speaking countries. Notable bearers include geologist and explorer Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond, philosopher Jules Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire, and historian and writer Jean-Barthélemy Hauréau, to name a few.
- Athaliah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is exalted"Description:
Unisex name from the Old Testament, perhaps an underused alternative to Isaiah.
- Cyriacus
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"of the lord"Description:
A name rarely heard these days, it was the moniker of several early saints.
- Exequiel
- Viridios
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"green"Description:
Viridios was a pagan god of ancient Roman Britain. The name is thought to be Latin, most likely derived from viridis ("green"), and perhaps a translated name for the Green Man of British and European folklore. Viridius is an alternative spelling.
- Volodymyr
Origin:
Ukrainian variation of Vladimir, SlavicMeaning:
"great ruler, peaceful ruler, ruler of the world"Description:
Volodymyr, once a name unknown to most Americans, is now on everyone's lips due to the war between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy bears a common Ukrainian name for his generation. Currently in Ukraine, the most popular baby names for boys are Maksym (Максим), Ivan (Іван), and Matviy (Матвій). The more fashionable Vlad- name for babies is Vladyslav, although President Zelenskyy may soon be a namesake for an influx of infants named in honor of his heroism.
- Onesimus
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"beneficial, profitable"Description:
Rarely used these days, Onesimus was the name of an escaped enslaved man in the Bible who met St. Paul in prison. Its Greek sound is obvious, and its four syllables make it one that might be hard to wear in the twenty-first century.
- Girolamo
- Amerigo