Animal Names for Boys

People are likely to want to put that second - Cornell University inspired - L on the end of this name, when in fact it has a completely different etymology. This name is very popular in Romania though American public intellectural Cornel West and South African athlete Cornel Fredericks broadens its use beyond Eastern Europe.

A Julian derivative, via Spanish conquistadors, that could be a more unusual yet still reasonable substitute for that current favorite.

With its dramatic nature meaning (blaidd "wolf" + rhi "ruler"), Bledri looks and sounds pretty distinctive. It's rare even in Wales. But the WYSIWYG spelling makes it perfectly viable.

It's a hat, it's a race, and it's even been known to be a name. In Britain, it would be pronounced darby.

Asian name with positive meaning.

As well as Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa, two Yankees ballplayers, Hideki Irabu and Hideki Matsui, made this name familiar to Americans.

Four-syllable names can be tricky, but this rarely used Old Testament appellation has considerable potential. In the Bible, Eleazer is a son of Aaron and nephew of Moses who succeeds his father as High Priest.

Less familiar and appealing than the feminine Jacinta.

Many Welsh rivers make great baby names, like Aled and Teifi. Artro is a particularly appealing one, combining fashionable sounds of Arthur and O-ending boy names.

Accessible multicultural name. Kot Diji is a site of ancient remains in modern-day Pakistan.

The Greek mythological Elysium, or the Elysian Fields, was the home of blessed mortals after death. It's been coopted as a modern baby name for both sexes, although the Elyseum spelling has never been given to more than five children of a single sex in any one year.

Derived from Germanic elements adal "noble" and helm "helmet", this Old French name was born by a 10th century saint. Alléaume and Aliaume are variant spellings.

More accessible than some of the more distant names in the atlas, Canton fits into the category of the no-nonsense, new-sounding boys' names many parents are looking at.

Carleton has a great meaning behind it, and should really have more popularity than it has found to date. You can shorten it to Carl or keep it upscale and formal in the longer form. Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk lends the name some sporty credentials, while American artist Carleton Wiggins confirms this name's Victorian earnestness.