Animal Names for Boys

Pronounced AY-bahn, this name of an early Irish saint is both accessible and distinctive.

Chadwick Boseman, the late charismatic star of Marvel's blockbuster Black Panther, brought this name to the spotlight for the first time. Though we long considered it an overwrought way to get to the nickname Chad, his celebrity gives it new luster, and we wouldn't be surprised to see it grow in popularity going forward.

If you fit this definition, this might be a clever choice, especially as a middle name.

Occasionally used as an alternative to Brandon or Brennan.

Ceri is traditionally a Welsh masculine name which historically has been Anglicised to "Kerry", but we love the Welsh original. Famous Ceris include British painter Ceri Richards and New Zealand soccer player Ceri Evans. Be aware that Ceri is sometimes used as a female name, both as a standalone name and as a shortening of the Welsh female name Ceridwen.

Long popular in Ireland and England, Ciarán is the name of Ireland's first-born saint and twenty-five other saints. While this is the authentic Irish spelling, it is more familiar in the US in the Anglicized Kieran spelling.

Strongly identified with peace-accord-seeking Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat.

So far out it's almost ready to be let back in.

One of the five hundred plus variations on Muhammad, this is a favorite Muslim choice.

András is the form of Andrew used in Hungary, where it is a Top 50 boy name.

Simplicity and pleasant associations give the word Bell real possibility as a first name -- but somehow it seems better for a girl, a la Belle.

A less political spelling of the English surname Atlee or Attlee, borne by midcentury British prime minister Clement Attlee.

The original southern Good Ol' Boy.

Perky Cherokee boy name with a great meaning. Foxes symbolize cleverness and playfulness in Cherokee culture.

This familiar Irish surname, best known as the name of the mononamed Welsh female singer, is extremely rare as a first name in the US but could make an original Irish choice.

This spelling of the rising unisex name Briar may strike some parents as more definitively masculine than its source.

This classic, handsome Arabic name — cognate of the Hebrew Ishmael — was chosen by Tan and Rob France for their son born in 2021. Ismail is the preferred spelling in England, Germany, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Turkey, while Ismael ranks higher in countries with native Spanish speakers, including the US.

In the currently popular solid, serious, two-syllable mold.

The son of Lancelot and Elaine in Arthurian legend, Galahad is the purest and most chivalrous of the Knights of the Round Table, and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail. The derivation of his name is unclear. It may come from Welsh Gwalchafed (hawk of summer) or "gwalch" + "cad" (hawk of battle), or it may be an anglicization of the place name Gilead in Palestine. Certainly a bold and brave choice for a baby boy!