Animal Names for Boys

An evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament, among other places. It's also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation.

A more distinctive alternative to Alejandro.

This name from the Igbo language of Africa, which feels like the more-familiar Arabic Ahmad, might be an original and attractive choice.

Egyptian mythology place-name with an intriguing sound and appealingly peaceful meaning. Update for Aaron?

One instance where a phonetic spelling might be better.

Almond may seem like a hippy modern name, but its use for American boys goes right back to the mid-nineteenth century. In these cases, it was either a variation of Almund, meaning "noble strength," or the surname Aleman, meaning "German."

Turns Axel into a word name.

Possible middle name inspiration. Has been used as a first by musical couple Sole and Ginuwine, and basketball star Allen Iverson.

Handsome Arabic name that is well-used internationally. Ayman is a Top 500 name in the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Italy, and a Top 100 name in Spain. It could very easily be borne by an American child.

Bas is a fashionable name in its own right in the Netherlands, where it's been in the Top 10. Used throughout Europe, it may have a future here as a straightforward-but-charming nickname name. Baz is another, similar and more appealing possibility.

In demonology, Bael is a shapeshifting evil king who can appear as a cat, a toad, or a man.

Popular in the Hispanic world and used in honor of Saint Augustine, Agustin is an anglicized form of the Spanish Agustín. It peaked at Number 561 in 2001 in the US charts and has since dropped on and off of the list again. Given to around 210 boys in a recent year, Agustin also ranks highly in Chile and Uruguay.

This cute-as-a-button name conjures playful lion and bear cubs rolling around in long grass. If cute baby names are what you're after, Cub should be on your list.

Gian sounds (almost) like John, so there's some potential for confusion, but the spelling makes it unmistakeably Italian. It could be a solution if longer names like Gianni and Gianluca aren't your style.

Modern way to honor an ancestral Hugh.

Originally a male name in this single-E spelling, Esme or Esmé was borne by the first Duke of Lennox in Scotland in the 16th century, as well as by several of his male descendants. It became predominantly female by the 20th century.

Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, well known in the U. S. , might inspire some namesakes.

This unusual, in the US at least, Turkish name has an attractive sound and a modern meaning. We can imagine it becoming much more widely known and used, the way the Irish Declan has over the past generation.

A word name with an appealing and illuminating meaning.

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.