Animal Names for Boys

Musical term with a lot of energy.

An upscale surname with a nice modern design connection to the creators of the Eames chair and other midcentury furniture classics, Charles and Ray Eames.

An English surname originally given to the illegitimate sons of a monarch. Might be a nice middle name choice to honor an ancestral Roy.

Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days.

This name with a beautiful meaning can be used for girls as well as boys.

Cahir along with its traditional spelling Cathair is well-used in modern Ireland. Now it's finding a wider audience thanks to The Witcher , though Cahir is the main villain of the series. It was in the US charts from 2017 to 2020, but fewer than 5 baby boys were named Cahir in the US in 2021, suggesting that the effect on parents was short-lived.

Frey is the handsome Norse fertility god, a worthy namesake. Frey remains rare in the US even as the similar Freya picks up in popularity.

Gulliver is an obscure Gaelic surname known almost solely through its literary Travels until actor Gary Oldman used it for his son, instantly transforming it into a lively option. British actors Damian Lewis, of Homeland, and Helen McCrory also have a son named Gulliver.

Multipurpose pet name serving Isidore, Isaac, Israel, and -- increasingly -- Isabel.

To honor the majestic mountain.

The great philosopher's name is commonly used in Greek families, and is one that could work for daring, philosophy inclined American ones.

A common variant of English place name Airton -- possibly even more common than the original. Its best known bearer was Brazilian Formula One legend Ayrton Senna, who died in a racing accident during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the age of 34.

Romantic and artistic Domenico is ripe for the picking as a relatively rare name that fits in with current favorites such as Leonardo and Emiliano.

Subtract the last two letters of Arnold, and you're left with a much more modern-sounding name. Arno is also the name of the main river in Florence, upon which sits the famed Ponte Vecchio. The Italian river name means "flowing water".

Celyn, which starts with the hard K sound and rhymes with Helen, is a Top 100 name in Wales although largely unknown outside that tiny, beautiful country. It is usually a masculine name.

Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Maple, Pine, Oak, and Willow.

Jacoby, a surname spin on Jacob shot up the charts in the middle of the 2000's, thanks largely to the popularity of Jacoby Ellsbury, the first Native American of Navajo descent in the Major Leagues, but has been dropping steadily since it peaked at Number 423 in 2008. As of 2022, it dropped out of the US Top 1000 and is given to around 170 boys each year.

Dionysius derives from Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, revelry and fertility. This Romanized spelling has been used for poets, soldiers, and saints throughout the centuries, but is hardly ever seen today.

A distinctive surname that, despite its meaning, has a cowboy swagger, a la Autry.