Animal Names for Boys

The name of one of the Three Wise Men from the East is heard in several European countries, but rarely here.

Lively Italian name borne by composer Ennio Morricone, best known for his film music. If you're interested in Italian names for boys, this makes a choice that's off the beaten track.

Derivation of Hutchinson.

Adonai is a title meaning "my lords" used in the Torah and in Jewish prayer to refer to God, whose name is forbidden to be spoken. Even the title Adonai is considered by some Orthodox Jews to be too holy to say outside of prayer, being replaced by HaShem, meaning "The Name". This makes Adonai a highly culturally loaded choice, which is never used as a name in the Jewish community. Nevertheless, several dozen boys and a handful of girls receive this name each year in the US.

A bold choice outside its its native Greece where it would feel familiar. Athanasius is the spelling Americans are more familiar with — St. Athanasius of Alexandria is considered one of the founders of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

This cognate of Jerome (of all things), familiar via the Dutch painter of fantastical scenes, H. Bosch, would appeal only to the most audacious, intrepid, attention-seeking baby namer. It is, however, still used in Germany, especially in Catholic Bavaria and in the north German Rhineland.

Frisco is a frisky, roguish semi-place-name (San Francisco natives never call it that) that could make a lively, unusual o-ending choice.

GÖKTUĞ is a Turkish air-to-air missile development program, from gök, "sky", and tuğ, "banner". Göktuğ has been co-opted as a baby name in Turkey, mostly among those with ties to the Air Force, and is now one of the most popular baby boy names there.

These days Finney is most likely a pet form of Finn, but it was once a standard nickname for the biblical Phineas.

Properly written Ælfric, this Anglo-Saxon name derives from Old English name elements meaning "elf" and "power". It belonged to several notable medieval churchmen, and is thought to be the origin of the English names Auberon and Aubrey.

Strongly associated with the city of Tel Aviv. For girls, may be lengthened to Aviva; for boys, might be better abbreviated to Avi.

Antares is a star in the Scorpio constellation, making it an interesting choice for babies born under that zodiac sign. It is the fifteenth-brightest star in the night sky, appearing as a reddish star when viewed with the naked eye. This reddish tint is what lent the star its name, whcih mean "equal to Ares" who is the god of war and associated with the red planet Mars.The sky's other name is Alpha Scorpii, but Antares is a far more romantic choice.

Alberto is the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese variation of Albert and lends a more unusual and fashionable edge to this name which is still a grandpa name to many.

A variant of Caelan, from a Gaelic name meaning "slender".

Dark horse Irish surname.

A fresh, Italianized take on the Hebrew classic Emmanuel. But beware of the similarities to the feminine name Emmanuelle.

The meaning is endearing, but it also feels uncomfortably like a short form for Caroline. Its artistic reference is British sculptor Anthony Caro.