Animal Names for Boys

Grafton is the name of dozens of towns, mostly in England, Canada and Australia, and has occasionally been used as a boys' name, with the surprisingly fun and quirky nickname Graf.

Like others in this vein, problematic due to the feminine Hailey connection.

More common as a surname, a handful of boys get this bovine equivalent of Shepherd each year in the US. It may gain more exposure as one of the occupational names that are one of the most popular classes of English names for boys.

Forlorn is one of multiple "anti-virtue" names of enslaved people from the 1800s that reflect the misery of slavehood.

Elliot Eliantte is a jeweler known for crafting custom extravagant jewelry pieces for celebrities. His surname is the latest in the line of baby names inspired by luxury brands. Eliantte debuted on the charts for boys in 2019.

Decebal was the name of an ancient ruler of Dacia who resisted but was eventually conquered by the Roman military leader Traianus. Both Decebal and Traian are names used in modern Romania.

Izya is a unisex Russian nickname. For boys, it's a short form for Isaak and Isidor, the variations of Isaac and Isidore used in Russia. The A ending will make Izya read as a feminine name to English speakers.

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

An interesting and unusual route to Danny, deriving from the name of an Irish goddess known as the "mother of the Irish gods".

When you like Eric, but wish it were longer; also the name of a great early English poet.

Great way to honor either Irish or Southern heritage without being too on the nose. Similar to other boys' names like Pacey, Casey, Percy and Chauncy.

A not uncommon name in India that's become associated, in the West, with famed sculptor Anish Kapoor, who won the prestigious Turner Prize in 1991. It's also the name of (among others) a Nepali-Russian chess prodigy and a character on HBO anthology series Room 104.

Honus is inextricably linked with baseball legend Honus Wagner. The son of German immigrants, he was born Johannes Peter Wagner in 1874. His childhood nickname was Hans, which evolved into Honus. Honus Wagner was a shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates — considered the greatest ever — yet his distinctive name has never been given to more than four children in a single year.

Portuguese form of Philip