Animal Names for Boys

Unseen in the USA since 1901, Boston rocketed back into the Top 1000 in 2004 and, like other place-names such as Brooklyn, London and Paris, is now a reliable presence on the list.

Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice. This name is also associated with bay leaves, the bay laurel, the contemporary term of endearment, "bae", and the Old English word beġ meaning "berry"

Beau is now in now in the Top 200 boys' names, and this is a more elaborate way to get there. Comic power couple Jordan Peele and Chelsea Peretti named their first son Beaumont Gino in July 2017. Monty is another possible nickname. As French baby names go, this one might provide the perfect balance of effete and approachable.

Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930 novel Destry Rides Again by Max Brand, subsequently adapted for the big screen.

Name long associated with eloquent Black Panther activist Eldridge Cleaver and jazz great Roy Eldridge.

This name of the courteous Knight of the Round Table, the nephew of King Arthur, has long been superseded by its Scottish form, Gavin.

Franz is the German equivalent to Francis, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a Franz outside of countries with Germanic origins. In America the name is often associated with celebrated author Franz Kafka, who was born in Prague.

Absalom, because of its biblical and literary associations, just might appeal to the daring namegiver.

Brawny name chosen for his son by rocker Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue.

This form of Joseph is an enduring classic in Italy. In the States it's been hovering under the radar for decades, unlike popular boy Giovanni. It could honor a grandpa Joe, and we think the traditional diminutive Beppe is pretty cute.

Truly original yet not strange name ripe for the plucking by the adventurous baby namer. Aurelius works too.

Aneirin is the original form of the more common Aneurin (which was a mistaken spelling used after the 17th Century). Aneirin was one of the first great Welsh poets who flourished in the 6th Century. He was said to be the Prince of Bards.

A mathematical possibility, but the odds are against it.

Reese Witherspoon's Deacon has opened this churchy direction for occupational names. It reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015.

This unusual Scottish surname was made immortal by Michael Faraday, a British scientist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His name is now a unit of scientific measurement for electricity - a 'power'ful name for any little boy.

A stalwart of Latin nomenclature that could work just as well for Anglos. Proof lies with the celebrity birth announcement — Hilaria and Alec Baldwin named their fifth child Eduardo Pau Lucas in 2020. This doesn't seem to have much impact on other parents, though: over 900 boys received the name in 2021, but the number is steadily decreasing.

A cool Indian name with two even cooler nickname options — Avi, or Taj.

Trippy variation on Hayes.

This name obviously has the prefix De- that denotes "son of"—in this form it can mean either "son of Angelo" or "from the angel."