Animal Names for Boys

A two-syllable surname feel puts this name of an important English saint in the running -- though it could sound like a confused cross between Duncan and Dustin.

Although it's now used mainly as an independent name in the Netherlands, Hidde began as a short form of heavy Germanic names Hildebrand and Hildebert.

Not a great idea to associate your newborn with drug lords.

An undiscovered cousin of Garrett and Gerard. Gerrit has some merit, especially for its arty credentials as the name of several Old Master painters.

Colman is best known as the name of the mustard, but is also the name of several Irish saints. The Colman spelling is less widely used than Coleman, which is just outside the Top 1000.

Many African tribes have a tradition of naming children for the day or time they were born -- Friday, Afternoon -- a practice finding new life in the Western world as word names become more popular.

Part Hollis, part Colin, Hollin definitely has a cool factor. It's also the medieval English word for holly.

Elatha is the god of the Moon in Irish mythology. The contemporary Irish spelling would be Ealadha.

Aimo was most common in Finland and Scandinavian during the first half of the 20th century.

Davion has only ranked in the US Top 1000 since the early 1990s, and its alternate spelling Davian is a more recent entry, first entering the charts in 2004. Their apparent connection to more common names Dave and Damian presumably provided the avenue for their success; however, both names are trending downward with no expected resurgence in the coming years.

Arabic form of Aaron, featured in the tales of The Thousand and One Nights. The name Harun also appears several times in the Quran.

Has some creative credibility via abstract painter Barnett Newman, but we'd prefer his nickname, Barney.

This familiar Irish surname, best known as the name of the mononamed Welsh female singer, is extremely rare as a first name in the US but could make an original Irish choice.

Related to the word democracy, and easier as a name.

Anas is an Arabic name uncommon in the US -- it was given to 130 baby boys last year -- but popular in Spain, England and Wales, Italy, and especially France.

Toni Morrison, a master of character naming, coined this one for the best friend of hero Milkman Dead in Song of Solomon. Definitely a cool choice, with a twang.

A strong and evocative Kazakh moon name. It also appears in Estonia as a masculine form of the popular girl name Aino, meaning "the only one".

While Faust, who sold his soul to the devil, was anything but fortunate, this Latinate variation is more commonly heard and accepted.

This airy Finnish and Swedish name may derive either from Greek "aura" (breath; breeze), or from Old Norse "aurr" (earth; clay).

Diamond was a big hit for girls in the nineties, ultimately making it into the Top 150. It's a relative rarity today for baby girls and boys, for whom the name also peaked in the nineties.