Animal Names for Boys

This Cornish place name comes from the name of a Breton saint who came to Cornwall. It could be an interesting alternative to Austin. The spelling has also been recorded as Austol.

Breccan may be the original saints' name, but in the modern U.S., the spelling Brecken is the most popular form, followed by Breckin. A winner by any spelling.

Attractive name from the Old Testament. Adino was one of David's "mighty men," though texts do disagree on his name.

A spiritual word name — as in Noah's Ark and the Ark of the Covenant — that also fits the trend for short, punchy words like Oak and Ace. It's rare (used for 7 boys in 2020) but could sail far.

The male nickname Elzie originated as a short form of Eliezer. Neither are coming back into fashion anytime soon.

Uncommon biblical name from the Old Testament.

Alef was brought into the spotlight when Natalie Portman chose the alternate spelling Aleph for her son. This is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, similar to calling your child Alpha or Primo.

Strongly connected to Elie Wiesel — Holocaust survivor, Nobel laureate, and author of the influential book Night.

Jac is one of the new "creative" variations of Jack, a name on the rise in its own right and not just as a short form of John. But why, when Jack is so simple and so familiar, make it Jac and invite people to guess whether it's pronounced like Jake, or maybe like the French Jacques.

David plus Damian (or David plus Ian or David plus Darrian) equals this hybrid name. It has been in and out of the US Top 1000 since 2004, though both this spelling and alternative Davion were out of favor in 2023. Davian Clarke is a Jamaican Olympic athlete.

Blythe originated as a nickname for an upbeat person, coming from the Old English word bliðe, meaning "merry" or "cheerful." Today the homophone blithe shares the same meaning. Blythe was eventually adapted to a surname before it became a mostly feminine given name.

Goodwin — which is mostly seen as a last name — comes from the long-forgotten given name Godwine. Godwine was a relatively common name in medieval England. It later traveled to Germanic regions in the form of Godwin.

The first name of famed designer Balenciaga, was also the birth name of Christopher Columbus--aka Cristobal Colon. A name still well used in the Hispanic community.

The name of a character in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings legendarium. He was the father of Isildur and Anárion, last lord of Andúnië, and the first High King of Arnor and Gondor.

A preppy-yet-rugged choice that proves there are plenty of last names as first names that are rare and distinctive, but not wacky or made up.

Tunisian fashion designer Azzedine Alaia's singular first name seems to belong to him alone.

Member of a newly chic name genre. Bonus: its relationship to author William Faulkner.