Animal Names for Boys

A well-established (if rare) Hawaiian name that combines two trendy names: Elijah and Kai.

Famously the name of Izuku Midoriya, the protagonist of the popular anime series My Hero Academia. It is not a common name among Japanese boys.

Extravagant virtue name which is notably the first name of the British TV detective Inspector Morse.

A saint who is especially popular in Galicia and Asturias in Spain, who is said to have sailed across the Atlantic to paradise. His name may derive from Germanic Adelmar, possibly influenced by Latin amarus "bitter".

There once was a moralizing fabulist who tried to make it as a baby name...and failed.

In Greek mythology this was an alternative name of the god Chronos, also used in English and a good candidate for baby name usage due to its good meaning and name-like sound.

Acer is the Latin botanical name for the Maple tree. Where Maple feels quite feminine, Acer is a more masculine way to reference this tree.

A surprisingly wearable floral name for a boy.

Actor Farley Granger set it in motion, now could be a gentler alternative to Harley.

The name of a warrior and dragonrider in the Game of Thrones universe, played by Matt Smith in the HBO prequel House of the Dragon. The word daemon also features in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman, as the physical manifestations of humans' souls in the form of an animal.

A great uncommon English-Arabic crossover choice, easily pronounceable internationally.

Lovers of the languid South Carolina city might be attracted to this rich-sounding name. Could make an interesting update on Charles -- and can certainly work for a girl too. Actor Joey Lawrence used it for his daughter.

This is a great American name that deserves more attention from parents looking for a name that balances a soft sound with a more traditionally masculine cowboy image.

Alain gives the midcentury Alan a bit of gallic dash.

Fane, used as a nickname in the Middle Ages for someone with a cheerful disposition, is one of the more offbeat members of the Zane-Kane family.

Also known as green beryl, Heliodor is the name of a sun-kissed colored gemstone. The name is reminiscent of other -dor names such as Theodore, Esidore, Isidor, Landor, Salvador etc.

Leathery, masculine image, complete with user-friendly short form.

Iraia is one of those rare names that exists as a male form in one culture -- in this case, Maori -- and in a female form with a totally different meaning and derivation. New Zealand actor Jemaine Clement, who is a descendant of the progressive Wairarapa chief Iraia Te Whaiti, named his son Sophocles Iraia.

Cayo is a rare and rhythmic Spanish name, all but unknown in the English-speaking world, that would make a lively choice.

The Biblical Erastus was an assistant of Paul's in the New Testament. A name used in the 19th century that has fall off the scope, but may be revived as parents dig deeper for undiscovered Biblical choices.