Animal Names for Boys

This surname related to Clement is strongly associated with Major League pitcher Roger Clemens, winner of more Cy Young awards than any other pitcher in baseball history, and has a softer sound than Clement. Some variations are Clemen, Clementio, Clemention, and Clemons.

This is an offshoot of Duane, which is an old Irish surname. It took off in the 1960s, when it conveyed a surfer boy image, and reached as high as Number 111 in 1961. The most prominent current bearer is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The basketball superstar spells his name DwYAne Wade.

While Jairus is rare, this Spanish variation is heard in the US, having ranked in the Top 1000 for the last three decades.

A unisex Chinese and Vietnamese with an appealingly simple, vowel-rich spelling.

Names of classy places -- Aspen, Paris, and yes, Hampton -- are in favor with aspiring parents, though they don't always have the intended effect.

Reversed vowels make it seem less fierce.

A chief member of the tribe of Benjamin, and another obscure Old Testament name that few parents, even those tired of Aaron and Zachary, would consider. But with a pronunciation that rhymes with Gannon, it has the strong, straightforward, two-syllable sound that's in step with modern style.

Ethereal Japanese boy name.

Muhammad approved all ninety-nine attributes of Allah as worthy names, and this is one of the most popular. It was in the US Top 1000 for the first time since 1998 in 2016, when it was one of the 10 fastest-rising boys' names. Perhaps the most well known person in America with the name is former Houston Rockets center and Basketball Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon.

Aether, who might be equated with the word ether, is a primeval Greek god who is light itself. He embodies the brightness between the dome of heaven and the air surrounding the earth.

The addax is a white antelope that resides in the Sahara Desert. A cool and usable addition to the pool of animal baby names.

Ezra (and Ezrah) is potentially an abbreviation for the Hebrew phrase Azaryahu, meaning "Yah helps." In the Bible, Ezra led a group of fifteen hundred Israelites out of slavery in Babylon and back to Jerusalem. The Ezrah spelling is definitely less popular than the original Ezra, but is rising itself as well — Ezrah entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2022.

One of the most familiar German names, with an upright Prussian image. Friedrich might just have been out for long enough to start coming back in.

One of several Latin names starting with E that would work and play well with others in any family.

Can be used either with or without the addition of Mac.

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

More likely to be spelled Constantine, this was the name of the first Christian emperor of the Roman empire, as well as three Scottish kings. Previously thought of as too bulky and unwieldy a name for a modern child, these days it would be perfectly acceptable.