Animal Names for Boys
- Florence
Origin:
English, French, LatinMeaning:
"flourishing"Description:
Florence is historically a unisex name, deriving both from Latin Florentius and Florentia. Although much more commonly feminine in modern times, it appeared in the US Top 1000 for boys until 1914.
- Alan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"handsome, cheerful"Description:
In its three most popular spellings -- Alan along with Allen and Allan -- this midcentury favorite has tended to skew older. It was a Top 100 name from 1938 to 1971, peaking at Number 40 in 1951. Alan has had leading roles on recent TV, in shows like Two and a Half Men, 24 and Boston Legal.
- Isidore
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gift of Isis"Description:
Isabel and Isadora are back: could it now be time for a more widespread revival of Isidore? In 2014, both Isidore and Isadore were on the list of fastest-rising names in the US.
- Harley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"hare clearing"Description:
You can ride one, you can use it as a baby name – or, as is often the case, both! Harley is currently trending up for girls and down for boys in the US, although it remains predominantly masculine in the UK. A lesser-used -ley ending choice for boys, Harley has a current sound but an old-school biker appeal.
- Cornelius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"horn"Description:
Cornelius, the New Testament name of a third century Pope and saint, is one of those venerable Latin names on the edge of consideration, despite the corny nickname alert.
- Caelum
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"heaven"Description:
A constellation name that could have broad appeal beyond astronomers and astrophysicists. Although they bear similarity, Caelum is unrelated to the Scottish name Callum.
- Abaddon
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"ruin, destruction"Description:
Uncommon biblical name. It's the name of an angel in the New Testament.
- Albie
Origin:
Diminutive of Albert, Alban or AlbusDescription:
This cute masculine nickname -- with connections to princes, Hogwarts headmasters and the Manzo family of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" -- almost has enough heft to stand on its own. But all of its precursor names have merit.
- Bruce
Origin:
Scottish and English from FrenchMeaning:
"from the brushwood thicket"Description:
Bruce is a Norman place name made famous by the Scottish king Robert the Bruce, who won Scotland's independence from England in the fourteenth century. It's perennially popular in Scotland, but has been rarely used here for a generation -- though the impact of Bruces Lee, Springsteen, Dern and Willis, as well as Batman's Bruce Wayne -- still lingers. At one time Bruce was so widespread in Australia, it became a nickname for any Ozzie man. An interesting alternative is Brix, the Normandy place name where the Bruce family originated.
- Finnian
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"fair"Description:
Finnian is a fair jig of a name, energetic and easy on the ear. Finnian (and brother Finian) is also familiar in its alternate spelling through the classic 1968 Broadway musical Finian's Rainbow, later made into a film starring Fred Astaire as Finian McLonergan.
- Donovan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"dark"Description:
One of the first of the appealing Irish surnames to take off in this country, this boys’ name has long outgrown its "Mellow Yellow" association, which came via the single from a sixties singer-songwriter named Donovan.
- Adler
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"eagle"Description:
Adler is a German-Jewish surname that is beginning to be used occasionally as a first and is among the stylish new German names for boys. Among the distinguished bearers of Adler as a last name are Freud colleague Alfred Adler, actress and influential acting teacher Stella Adler and Guns N' Roses drummer Steve Adler.
- Garrett
Origin:
Irish variation of GerardMeaning:
"spear strength"Description:
Garrett, also spelled with one 't', is an Irish-inflected name that was in the Top 100 in the nineties, but has now slipped in popularity.
- Clarence
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"bright"Description:
The name of the guardian angel in It's a Wonderful Life is rarely heard the rest of the year because of its studious, near-nerdy image, but this could change in the current naming climate.
- Alastair
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"defender of men"Description:
To Americans, a quintessential British name, introduced to the U.S. public by suave journalist/PBS Masterpiece Theater host Alastair Cook. Sometimes used in the U.S. by parents with Scottish heritage.
- Amon
Origin:
Hebrew, Arabic, Greek from EgyptianMeaning:
"the hidden one; invisible"Description:
In Egyptian mythology, Amon is a major god associated with creation and the air. He was later fused with the Sun god, Ra, and became Amun-Ra.
- Damien
Origin:
French from GreekMeaning:
"to tame, subdue"Description:
Converting Damian to Damien – or Julian to Julien or Lucian to Lucien – adds a certain je ne sais quoi to names. But most people in English speaking areas will still pronounce this the same as the -an ending form. The French pronunciation is more like "dah-mee-u(n)".
- Hank
Origin:
Diminutive of Henry, GermanMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
Hank is a midcentury guy nickname (which actually dates back to the seventeenth century) of the Al/Hal/Dick school, which has been on recess from the playground for decades. Now it's just beginning to be given on its own again, appreciated for its earthy, sportsguy cool. Hanks Aaron and Greenberg (born Henry) and Hank Williams (born Hiram) Sr and Jr. are worthy namesakes.
- Ivan
Origin:
Russian variation of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
Though some might find it a bit heavy-booted, Ivan is one of the few Russian boys' names to become fully accepted into the American naming pool.
- Edgar
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"wealthy spearman"Description:
Edgar is an Old English name historically associated with the tenth century English king known as Edgar the Peaceful. There was also a King Edgar of Scotland.