Animal Names for Boys

Hungarian form of Ambrose

Innovative architect, inventor, and thinker Buckminster (universally known as Bucky) Fuller makes this vaguely possible.

A tweaked version of Jamir, itself a modern invented name, Jahmir is based on Arabic names Jamal and Amir.

This is the original Roman form of Anthony, and it might just be ready for revival, now that Latin names like Maximus and Atticus have hit the big time. Antonius is also a form used in the Netherlands. The Roman general Mark Antony (as in Antony and Cleopatra) was born Marcus Antonius.

One of the more subtle of the names with a royal meaning, Delroy has a vintage flavor and would be a distinctive choice today.

Derived from the Welsh word for gold, pronounced differently from the European currency.

Over 50 baby boys were named Alpha last year, along with eight baby girls. Expect a lifetime of "alpha male" jokes, which could prove daunting or confidence-building for your own little Alpha.

In Germanic mythology, Alberich is the name of a legendary dwarf king — which is fitting, considering its meaning. Alberich is thought to be the origin of the English names Auberon and Aubrey.

An increasing number of parents are using the Italian word for love as a baby name in the US.

Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland in Tolkien’s fictional Middle-earth. The word means "long river" or "great river".

A literary surname that's short, to the point, and very rare. It combines several origins: Scandinavian meaning "high ground", Scottish meaning "stranger", and English meaning "wild boar" (hello, secret animal name!).

Although this month name was used only for girls in a recent year, there's no reason it can't work for both genders. For a holiday baby, more original than Noel and more universal than Christmas.

This upbeat, friendly surname name has appeared on television's Battlestar Galactica a handful of cartoons, and on a literary note, a character in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Sports fans might think of Boomer Esiason, the NFL quarterback turned color commentator. He's not the only athlete to answer to the upbeat nickname.

One of the classic hippie word names. In the 1970s, actors Barbara Hershey and David Carradine gave this name to their son...who later changed it to Tom.

Quirky tree name with baby name potential.

A strong Indonesian name that's easy to translate to the English-speaking world.

Journalist Hiawatha Bray is a singular contemporary bearer of this name of a Native-American leader immortalized in a Longfellow poem.