Animal Names for Boys

Although now usually considered a female name in the US, Carol actually had a good run of popularity for boys too, peaking at #325 in 1937 and remaining in the US Top 1000 until the mid 1960s, when its popularity for both sexes began to decline. It derives from Carolus, the Latin form of Charles.

Chelsea for a boy? Yes--and we've got two maleberry Chelseas to prove it (one of whom even wrote a blog for us about his experience)! Boy Chelseas would more likely be named for the British football team than the old Joni Mitchell song sung by Judy Collins.

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.

Jaiden could be a variation of the Hebrew name Jadon, meaning "thankful", however, it may also be a modern invention, taking inspiration from Hayden and Aiden and combining it with the popular J- sound of James, Jason, and Jacob. While it has declined in use in the US in recent years, and is less popular than Jayden or Jaden, when combined with all its other spelling variations, it will still feel like a Top 50 name.

Akiva has a distinguished scholarly pedigree and a lovely meaning. Its softer sound is very on trend for masculine names at the moment and is in line with more familiar monikers like Ezra, Elijah and Theo.

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

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..

The name generally given to the "Good Thief" at the crucifixion of Jesus, although he was not actually named in the New Testament.

Has that blunt masculine feel -- à la Cole and Kyle -- that many modern parents are drawn to.

In ancient myth, Ashur was the supreme deity of the Assyrian Empire, the ruler of the gods, the god of war, and the creator of all things.

The name of a divine immortal talking horse in Greek mythology – son of the gods Poseidon and Demeter. The name Arion was also borne by a Greek singer and poet, inventor of the dithyramb.

Being a modern word, Halo didn’t become used as a name until around the nineteenth century. Halo is now mostly given to girls, and has become more common since the Halo video game series was released in 2001, in which Halo rings are huge structures used as weapons, but do have a religious connection. A space age virtue name and possible honour name for Gloria.

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

Works better as a full name than Arnie does as a nickname.

The phonetic spelling of Eyþór, without the thorn that would trip up many English-speakers.

This short-but-strong name is popular for boys in The Netherlands. While Cass is usually a female name in the U.S., it feels just as right for boys.

In the Hebrew bible, Azazel is the name of the place where the scapegoat bearing the Jews' sins during Yom Kippur,was sacrificed. In Christian and Islamic traditions, Azazel is the name of a fallen angel.

An English surname name which was originally used as a masculine first name in the 19th century, before becoming more popular for girls from the early 20th century onwards.

A name from Welsh mythology. In the Mabinogion, Gwydion was a powerful magician who made his nephew a wife from flowers (Blodeuwedd, meaning "face of flowers").

Dave is the ultimate good guy name, but where father name David is still holding onto a spot in the Top 20, Dave -- widely used as an independent name in the middle of the last century -- dropped off the Top 1000 a few decades ago and shows no signs of a comeback. Baby Davids today, often named for dad or grandpa, are more likely to be called David than Dave.