Animal Names for Boys

Cooper would be a more engaging C-starting occupational choice.

Catalan variant of Ferdinand

Traditional Alexander meets spunky Zander, and confuses everyone it encounters. Just stick with the timeless classic to avoid a lifetime of irritations.

English surname used as one of the middles for Boris Becker's son Amadeus.

The meaning derives from the traditional Arab act of crushing bread into crumbs in order to share it. Recently heard in the hit French Netflix series Call My Agent in its French form Hicham.

The name of a High Priest in the Hebrew Bible.

A lovely soft-yet-strong unisex Swahili name, with a great meaning to boot.

This old-time name for a sofa would not be comfortable as a baby name.

Common in its native Lithuania, but likely to read feminine in Anglophone countries. Stick with Emil.

One bright spot: famous namesake Threepenny Opera playwright Berthold (later known as Bertolt) Brecht.

Not one of the five hundred names of Muhammad, but that of his uncle.

Etheridge is a surname derived from the English name Edric. As a first name, it's most commonly associated with American poet and civil rights activist Etheridge Knight.

Rare but rising, Gryphon is an intriguing name that combines several stylish associations. The Gryphon spelling relates directly to the fierce legendary creature that's eagle in front, lion behind. But there's also the authentic boys' name Griffin, a name that's maintained consistent popularity for a quarter century without getting too popular.

"Saturday Night Live" cast member Finesse Mitchell often mocks his own and similar names when portraying the character Starkeisha on the show.