Animal Names for Boys
- Gabe
Origin:
Short form of GabrielDescription:
Gabe ranked in the Top 1000 from 1880 until 1905, when it fell into obscurity. There are fewer than 100 boys named Gabe, just plain Gabe, each year in the US, compared with over 10,000 named Gabriel. Our advice: Go with the crowd and choose the angelic long form, and then call him Gabe if you want to.
- Geordie
Origin:
British English demonymDescription:
Though it looks, to the untrained American eye, like a yoonek spelling of Jordy, Geordie actually refers to people from Tyneside in Northeast England and the local dialect there. To give you a sense of what it implies to Brits, Geordie Shore is British MTV's long-running answer to Jersey Shore.
- Crimson
Origin:
English color nameMeaning:
"rich deep red"Description:
Crimson is a rare unisex color name used more frequently among baby girls.
- Aleph
Origin:
First letter of the Hebrew alphabet and HebrewMeaning:
"chief, number one"Description:
Aleph came into the spotlight when chosen by Israel-born Natalie Portman for her son. Alef is a more common spelling of these related Hebrew baby names.
- Irvin
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"handsome, fair of face"Description:
Irvin is an Old Man name that has an uncertain future. Losing the final g in Irving makes the name slightly less dated -- but just slightly. There's something about the 'erv' sound that makes Irvin and brothers feel unappealing.
- Aodhán
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little fire"Description:
Authentic Irish Gaelic spelling of Aidan, pronounced with a very soft d/th sound in the middle.
- Braden
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"wide valley"Description:
One of the trendiest of the new two-syllable boys’ names that have swept the country in the past few years, including the rhyming Aidan, Caden, Kaden, and Jaden. It's been falling on the US Top 1000 lately but it is still among the most popular contemporary English names for boys..
- Diggory
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"Lost one"Description:
This buoyant name has the same bouncy rhythm as Rafferty and Barnaby, but is virtually unused. It has plenty of literary cred, too: characters in The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native have all borne the name.
- Brook
Origin:
English nature nameMeaning:
"small stream"Description:
Now that the popularity of Brooke is waning, and surname style variant Brooks is on the rise, Brook seems live a newly fresh nature-inspired option.
- Hiroshi
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"generous"Description:
Several artistic Hiroshis make this one of the more plausible Japanese imports.
- Gino
Origin:
Italian, diminutive of EugenioDescription:
Stalwart Italian classic, completely at home in this country.
- Aro
Origin:
Finnish diminutive of AaronDescription:
Aro is a cute name from Scandinavia which, given the popularity of similar names like Milo, Arlo etc might be ripe for more usage outside of the Nordic countries.
- Bob
Origin:
English, diminutive of RobertMeaning:
"bright fame"Description:
Kids love Bob the Builder, but do they want to be Bob the Builder? Bob and Bobby have been out of style since the 1960s, but as vintage nickname-names -- Fred, Archie -- come back into vogue, Bob may tag along. Charlie Sheen used it for one of his twin sons.
- Granger
Origin:
English and French surnameMeaning:
"worker of the granary; farmer"Description:
If you're seeking a solid but underused occupational name with a warm, friendly sound, and an earthy feel, Granger is one to consider. Associated with faming, grain, and the outdoors, it fits in with the likes of Colton, Sawyer, and Cooper, with a hint of classic George about it too.
- Everson
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"son of Evert or Eve"Description:
An established surname that fits well with today's trend for the "Ever" sound – and a similar-yet-different alternative to Emerson. Historically, it denoted a descendent of Evert, a form of Everard, meaning "brave boar", or a descendent of Eve or its medieval English diminutive Evot, meaning "life".
- Guido
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"guide, leader"Description:
Guido was very popular in Renaissance Italy, with many namesakes including painter Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro) and mathematician Guido Fubini. Guy Fawkes, of gunpowder plot fame, sometimes used this version. Nowadays it's unfairly overlooked, but in the current trend for snappy international names ending in -o, this cultured gem deserves more use.
- Indiana
Origin:
American place-nameMeaning:
"land of the Indians"Description:
This state name emerged in the eighties along with westerners Dakota and Montana, and it's still used occasionally by high-profile parents such as Summer Phoenix and Casey Affleck. Action man Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) makes Indiana "Indy" forever cool for a boy.
- Doc
Origin:
English word nameDescription:
A boy with this name is certain to be bombarded with "What's up, doc?" every day of his life. Even Doctor would be preferable.
- Graeme
Origin:
Scottish variation of GrahamDescription:
An interesting vowel combination lightens up Graham.
- Iain
Origin:
Gaelic variation of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
Iain, this authentic Gaelic form of John, has been well used in Scotland since the early twentieth century, used concurrently with the shortened Ian spelling, but is rarely seen in the US.