Animal Names for Boys

For towheads with ties to Scotland -- in theory, anyway.

A rare hero name that debuted in 2005, DaVinci clearly honors Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian Renaissance painter, scientist, architect, and more. His surname specifies that he was from Vinci, a town in Tuscany.

Though the Fabian or Fabio versions are more often heard today, Fabius is the Roman family name they originated from. The general Quintus Fabius Maximum was famous for his strategic delaying tactics, so this might be a good choice for a child who is born late!

Alternative spelling of Dennis, and the usual transliteration from Ukrainian. Used (though rarely) for both sexes.

While several meanings are possible depending on the characters used, prosperity and peace are certainly lovely meanings for a name to have.

This extravagant name of a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher could make for a bold alternative to Alexander.

Anno is an extreme rarity: a simple, familiar-sounding name with deep history that is completely unknown in the US and rare in its native Germany. Anno is the name of a saint also known as Hanno, a 10th century archbishop of Cologne also known as Hanno of Worms.

Highly unusual water name -- and actor Colin surname -- with a Scottish burr. Firth derives from the Old Norse word fjord.

A beautiful plant and a rare botanical name probably deriving from Greek.

The name of cities in Mexico and Colorado, Durango is a pleasant, fresh option from the atlas.

With more parents turning to biblical names like Ezekiel and Isaiah, this could prove a quasi-unique alternative in a similar -- if more Orthodox -- vein.

A fairly common surname, with little appeal but a profit motive as a first name.

Forster, a variation of Foster or potentially even Forester, is associated with British novelist E.M. Forster, author of A Passage to India, Howard's End, and A Room with a View. But if you choose Forster, you'd always have to force that 'r'.

Bastiaan is a common Dutch form of Bastian, a short form of Sebastian that stands on its own. While the double A is not intuitive for English speakers, the name is widely used in the Netherlands.

Norwegian city name heard much more often as a last name than a first.