Animal Names for Boys

Son of Irving.

Biblical names including the letter Z and those ending in -el are a big 2020s trend in the US, and Azael is one such name. It entered the Top 1000 in 2021 and in a recent count, was given to 380 boys in a single year.

Rarely used in the last two centuries, but might be worth dusting off and holding up to the light.

A possibility for parents seeking a Hebrew name with an English-language sound.

Rarely used independently, it's more often the start of a multisyllabic German mouthful.

This British surname has a somewhat aristocratic air, which ties in to its association with the early American boxing champ "Gentleman Jim" Corbett. CORBIN, which has the same meaning, is slightly more user friendly.

Some sources say Artis is a form of Arthur, and it certainly has the same root and meaning of bear. But Artis is a name in its own right with a 60-year history on the US Top 1000, from about 1900 until the early 1960s.

A biblical character who was one of David's most valiant warriors and was known for being fast. But in the modern English-speaking world, this name may be too close to an insulting anatomical word.

The great sax player John Coltrane could be a cool naming inspiration for a jazz fan.

The name of the ferrymen of dead souls to the Greek underworld and the name of Pluto's desolate moon, Charon makes an interesting, if somewhat macabre, choice for a baby. There are two pronunciations of this name, depending on whether you're referring to the ferryman or the moon. While the Greek version is pronounced with a hard "k" sound, the astronomer who named the moon did not know about the Greek myth - he named the moon after his wife Charlene, so many astronomers pronounce it with a "sh" sound.

Unless you're a gin aficionado, we prefer Hendrik. Or better yet, Henrik.

While Adri is an Indian male name, it is more often heard throughout Europe as a diminutive of Adrian in its many forms. Pronunciation might be ay-dree or ah-dree, depending on the pronunciation of Adrian or Adriano. In the Top 100 in several European countries, Adrian's roots are in ancient Rome.

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.

Ephai may have a sad meaning but it's an interesting Biblical alternative to such widely-used names as Eli and Elijah.

Abdullah is an alternative transcription of the name Abd Allah, which translates to "servant of Allah". Popular across throughout the Muslim world, it ranks in the Turkish Top 100 and the UK Top 200.

Francois is the ultimate sophisticated French name.

This poor lad will spend his life saying, "No, it's Aric, not Eric. Aaric, Arick, Arik Arric, Arrick.

A perennial classic in the Netherlands, short-and-sweet Dirk is starting to feel like a fresher alternative to cousin Derek.

Elam is the name of no fewer than eight Old Testament figures. The most notable was a grandson of Noah whose followers were dubbed the Elamites. Elam is commonly used in Amish communities today.