Animal Names for Boys

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.

Holloway is a habitational surname, meaning if this is a last name on your family tree, your ancestors once lived in an English town by the name. As a first name, it's relatively undiscovered — Holloway charted for the first time in 2020 and appeared again in 2021. It would work on a child of either sex, although the intuitive Holly nickname might keep the distribution skewed toward the feminine.

This variation adds a second n to the more popular Finley, presumably to provide a more direct link to nickname Finn. Both spellings create a distinctly unisex name. The Finnley version, however, entered the US Top 1000 for boys in 2014, and it remains unranked for girls.

Asmodeus is a prince of demons and hell according to Judeo-Islamic lore.

This name directly translates to the way most parents feel about their sons. It's rising quickly in popularity, along with many other names from the Indian subcontinent.

An attractive Turkish derived from an old-fashioned Turkish word meaning world, fate, or time — devran değişti is a phrase meaning "times have changed."

This name can have many different meanings depending the kanji used to write it. The Naruto character Asuma Sarutobi writes his name with kanji meaning "tomorrow truth."

The name of the 44th president, which he inherited from his Kenyan father, is related to the Swahili word "baraka," meaning "blessing," derived from the Arabic "baracka." It is linked, through the Semitic root, to the Hebrew name Baruch. Barack is also sometimes an alternate spelling of the Hebrew name Barak, which stems from the Semitic word for "lightning." Barack Obama may have found it a difficult name to grow up with, but the same won't be true for the many babies starting to be given that name. Other parents are being inspired to use Obama, which is a common surname among the Luo people of East Africa meaning "to lean or bend."

The Basque name, meaning shadow, has the virtue of having both an interesting meaning and an obvious pronunciation.

Beach boy name of the 1960s, Darrell is still a presence on the charts and may graduate into a stately surname name.

An international variation of classic Alexander, this form has slightly softer sounds, yet feels just as strong. Popular in Poland, the Netherlands, Norway and Slovenia, but familiar in the UK too, short forms include Aleks, Sander, Sandi, and Sašo (Sasho).

The Latin name for the holly tree would make an interesting nature-inspired alternative to Alex.

A popular choice amongst the African American naming community in the 90s, Deandre has been falling out of style in favor of more contemporary choices.

A romantic choice, this appealing Spanish name for boys is both accessible and distinctive.

For some, a name that will evoke the beauty of the national park in the Colorado Rockies.

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

Makes a Biblical favorite new and interesting.

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.

Hyman was commonly used by first-generation Jewish immigrants to Anglicize Chaim, but similarities to terms like heinie and hymen have taken it out of the realm of modern possibility. The original Chaim would be preferable to Hyman.