Animal Names for Boys

  1. Colwyn
    • Origin:

      Welsh place name / river name
    • Description:

      An example of the Welsh love of naming children after rivers and places. Colwyn is rare in the States but has genuine appeal: no hidden spelling traps, and similar-yet-different to names like Colton, Colson and Colin.
  2. Arroyo
    • Origin:

      Spanish surname and nature name
    • Description:

      This name has two distinctive associations: the Southwestern natural formation of a gully or stream, and the Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo.
  3. Gendry
    • Origin:

      Literary name
    • Description:

      Most of the names George R.R. Martin created for his A Song of Ice and Fire series of books are close variants of existing English names, but this is an exception. Gendry was a minor character in the first few seasons of the show, who became a fan favorite largely on the strength of a meme-worthy photo of his shirtless, muscled torso. He returned to the show for a key plotline in the seventh season.
  4. Gordo
    • Biden
      • Origin:

        English surname
      • Meaning:

        "button-maker"
      • Description:

        While presidential surnames as first names are much rarer today than they were in the early 20th century, our 46th President's last name joined the ranks of given names (for boys) in 2021. That year, 11 baby boys were named after President Joe Biden, but it did not make it into the charts in 2022.
    • Carsen
      • Howlan
        • Ermias
          • Description:

            The given name of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, of mysterious origins.
        • Benigno
          • Origin:

            Latin
          • Meaning:

            "kind, wellborn"
          • Description:

            From the root that gives us "benign," Benigno is not as accessible in English-speaking cultures as such names as Bruno and Benicio. Filipino Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., went by his nickname Ninoy.
        • Ianu
          • Origin:

            Invented literary name
          • Description:

            Fanciful name created by L. Frank Baum for a character in his book Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz.
        • Cinco
          • Origin:

            Spanish word name
          • Meaning:

            "five"
          • Description:

            Following the trend of number names for babies, Cinco has the potential to be a fast riser in the coming years. Even more so now that Cassie used it as the middle name for her daughter Sunny, born in 2021.
        • Cyncere
          • Origin:

            Variation of Sincere; English word name
          • Meaning:

            "proceeding from genuine feelings"
          • Description:

            Variant spelling of the word name Sincere.
        • Gunnison
          • Origin:

            English surname from Swedish
          • Meaning:

            "son of Gunnar"
          • Description:

            Gunnison, though given to just a few baby boys in recent years, is a name we have our eyes on. With strong surname style and a masculine, tough-guy image, Gunnison could give Jameson a run for its money.
        • Bobo
          • Origin:

            Diminutive of Robert
          • Description:

            Bobo was the name of one of the most famous clowns in American circus history, who performed from the 1920s until the 1970s. But that's not the only reason this makes a less-than-optimal nickname.
        • Isha
          • Origin:

            Sanskrit
          • Meaning:

            "master, lord"
          • Description:

            An epithet of the god Shiva in Hindu tradition.
        • Greco
          • Origin:

            Italian
          • Meaning:

            "from Greece"
          • Description:

            A name with a lot of panache, with ties to the great Spanish Mannerist painter El Greco--though his real name was DOMENICOS.
        • Atharv
          • Origin:

            Sanskrit
          • Meaning:

            "knowledge"
          • Description:

            Atharv is one of the names of Lord Ganesh of the Hindu religion, and of the eldest son of Brahma.
        • Corny
          • Origin:

            Short form of Cornelius, Latin
          • Meaning:

            "horn"
          • Description:

            Cornelius is one of the Ancient Roman names that is not quite making a comeback, despite having been a Top 200 name in the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Blame Corny, a nickname that is just too joke-worthy.
        • Issachar
          • Origin:

            Hebrew
          • Meaning:

            "there is reward"
          • Description:

            This unusual Old Testament name belongs to one of the twelve sons of Jacob and Leah, the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
        • Bohemond
          • Origin:

            Latin
          • Description:

            The first bearer of this majestic name was a 12th century prince of Taranto and Antioch, whose father gave him the nickname of Bohemond (after a mythical giant called Buamundus gigas) due to his large size at birth. The name was thereafter used as a given name by his descendants.