Animal Names for Boys

Born George Herman Ruth Jr, baseball legend Babe Ruth was so nicknamed because of his youthful looks and because he was a raw talent and favorite of his first club owner Jack Dunn of the Baltimore Orioles. Babe was a common nickname in baseball at the time, given also to Babe Adams, who appeared younger than his age.

Atkin is a short form of Adam that originated in Medieval England. It's now obsolete, but traces remain in surnames such as Atkins and Atkinson.

A bold word name choice for the intrepid baby namer who hopes her son will face the world with a sense of discovery.

Enav is a rare Hebrew name that would work equally well for a son or daughter.

Dimitar is the Bulgarian (and Macedonian) version of Dmitri, which is itself a variation of the name of the Greek goddess Demeter, whose name means earth mother.

An unusual variation on the "ash" names, Ashlar is a great choice for those who know their architecture - Ashlar is a type of fine-cut masonry work.

Short form of Harvey, variation of Harve.

With its slightly cocky feel, this well-used surname is not often heard as a first.

Hillel the Great was a famous Talmudic scholar, the spiritual and ethical leader of his generation, and his name is greatly honored by parents in Israel and, to some extent, here.

Caedmon is considered the first English poet -- a nice literary tie-in to the streamlined version.

Elaboration of Dion publicized by the football and baseball star Deion Sanders -- aka Neon Deion.

Hip short form of Bernard, also Swiss place-name.

This French last name is often written as Dupont, but can also be rendered as Du Pont, DuPont, duPont, or du Pont. In the US, it's commonly associated with the du Pont family — one of the wealthiest old money American families whose fortune arose from manufacturing gunpowder.

A unisex name in China, but better suited for girls in the US due to the similarities to sound-alike Faye.

Possibility for fans of science fiction writer Ray.