Animal Names for Boys

A rare, gender-neutral take on Darren. As a feminine name, Derin has Turkish roots.

A name borne by nine popes and several saints, which carries strong Catholic connotations. British politician Jacob Rees-Mogg named his sixth child Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher in 2017.

Cormorant is definitely one of the most unusual of the newly fashionable animal names, and one of the rare bird names for boys.

Dior was among the fastest-rising names for both girls and boys in the US in the early 2020s, but was the fastest-falling name for boys in the 2023 statistics.

Buford has lost any charm it once had. Try Beauford instead.

In Israel, Mount Arbel is a mountain in the lower Galilee. Jewish parents have adopted it as a name for their sons and daughters for the mountain's historic and religious significance.

Great Irish middle name choice for Shakespeare lovers.

There are four figures named Ammiel in the Bible. The most notable was the father of Bathsheba.

This contracted form of Asaiah was one of the fastest-rising boy names of 2019, but has yet to reach the popularity levels of its longer counterpart. Concise and less vowel heavy as it is, Asiah is given to 95 boys each year, compared Asaiah, which is given to more than 200.

This form, coming from various elements, has started to take off on its own.

This Basque form of the sturdy classic brings a fresh, cool edge to Andrew. It fits in with other -er ending names while also giving the name an international feel.

Uplifting name that's technically for boys but practically would work much better for girls.

Curran is a common surname in Ireland, but unusual even there as a first. With its savory feel, calling to mind curry and currants, Curran can make for an attractive update on Colin or Connor.

If you're a movie fan or a sports fan, you might be attracted to this name, via the film "Donnie Darko" or the Serbian-born basketball star Darko Milicic. It is kind of dark, though.

A traditional French male name that could, with American pronunciation, become an admirable word name.

Unusual Asian option, and also the name of the Dwarf Lord from Lord of the Rings.

Common Roman name mentioned in the Bible that has a crisply attractive sound.

Stephen King chose the name Cujo for the rabid St. Bernard character in his 1981 novel by the same name. He based the name off of the alias of William Lawton Wolfe, "Kahjoh", which the media misspelled as Cujo. Wolfe was a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army and one of the people responsible for kidnapping Patty Hearst.