Animal Names for Boys
- Aj
- Ainsley
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"solitary meadow"Description:
This name will tick a lot of boxes for many parents: unisex; trendy sound; pretty instinctive to pronounce; and some great namesakes including British chef Ainsley Harriott and American footballer Ainsley Battles.
- Eldon
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"sacred hill"Description:
Popular in the 1920s, Eldon is a retro name that's waiting to be rediscovered. It has a similar placename/surname appeal to current Top 1000 names Alden and Holden. Several towns in the US and UK bear the name.
- German
Origin:
Spanish and Russian variation of Herman, GermanMeaning:
"warrior"Description:
German might seem like an unlikely occupant of the Top 1000 list, unless you realize that it's a Spanish name, with the accent on the second syllable. It's been on the U.S. list since 1973.
- Harbor
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
If you like names that are not really names -- some say, the wave of the future -- Harbor has an attractive sound as well as an appealing meaning and image.
- Benicio
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"blessed"Description:
Smoldering Spanish actor Benicio Del Toro made this version an American possibility. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2016, when it was the third-fastest-rising boys' name.
- Dino
Origin:
Italian, diminutive of any name ending in -dinoDescription:
Italian heritage name. It's sweet and simple, but has fallen almost out of use since its heyday in the 1960s.
- Felipe
Origin:
Spanish variation of PhilipDescription:
A royal name in Spain that could make a lively alternative to our Philip/Phillip. Despite its status as an international version of a English name, it has ranked on the US Top 1000 almost every year since the beginning of the twentieth century, with 1904 the only exception.
- Inaki
Origin:
BasqueMeaning:
"fiery, ardent"Description:
You can think of Inaki as a version of Inigo and a Basque variation of Ignatius. Technically, it takes a tilde -- aka that squiggly line -- over the n, which means the n is pronounced like nyah. Inaki is very popular among the smart set in Argentina.
- Areli
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"the voice of God"Description:
Most common among the Jewish community and Spanish-speakers, Areli might be a great choice for parents looking for a name with Biblical roots that still sounds trendy and wears well across cultures.
- Itzae
Origin:
MayanMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Itzae is an ancient Mayan name showing signs of revival in our modern world.
- Francesco
Origin:
Italian variation of FrancisDescription:
Thanks to the inspiration of Pope Francis, Francesco has galloped to the front of the line to become the Number One boys' name in Italy. As Francesca has become a familiar and popular form of the name for girls in the wider world, so does the handsome Francesco have that potential for boys.
- Chito
Origin:
Choctaw, Native AmericanMeaning:
"handsome"
- Evian
Origin:
English variation of EvanDescription:
A pleasant-sounding name that might be more popular were it not a brand of bottled water - something that is noted in the 1999 movie Superstar, which features a female Evian. The brand is named after the French spa town of Évian-les-Bains, which ultimately derives from aqua, the Latin word for water.
- Iverson
Origin:
Old NorseMeaning:
"Ivar's son"Description:
In the 90s, Michael Jordan inspired thousands of parents around the world to name their babies Jordan. Retired NBA star Allen Iverson hasn't yet had anywhere near that impact, but a respectable 64 baby boys born in 2016 were named Iverson. The "Iv-" beginning does feel distinctive.
- Aram
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"high elevated"Description:
Aram is a popular Armenian name with a pleasing sound that became known in this country through the works of William Saroyan, namely the 1940 book of short stories, My Name in Aram, centering on Aram Garoghlanian, a boy of Armenian descent growing up in Fresno, California. Saroyan also named his son Aram.
- Finbar
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"fair-haired"Description:
This is an ancient saints' name well used in Ireland but a rarity here and unlikely to ever reach the popularity of other Finn-ish names. St. Finbarr (the more common spelling) is the patron saint of Cork and in Irish folklore, Finbarr was king of the fairies.
- Dara
Origin:
Irish, Persian, Punjabi, KhmerMeaning:
"oak tree; wealthy; leader; star"Description:
Though Dara in the U.S. would be considered mainly a girls' name – the most recent count is 10 times as many girls given the name last year than boys – it's a boys' name in Ireland, where it's in the Top 100 along with variations Daire and Darragh.
- Boyd
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"blond"Description:
Has a bit of a hayseed image, and that oy sound is tough to work with.
- Frost
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"freezing"Description:
Long heard as a last name, as in venerable poet Robert, U.K. talk show host David, British actress Sadie and old Jack Frost, Frost has suddenly entered the scene as a possible first, along with other seasonal weather names like Winter and Snow.