Animal Names for Boys

Part of the next generation of preppy H-beginning surnames. Once Harrison, Hudson, and Holden are no longer fresh, expect to hear more little boys being called Hughes, Hutch, and Henderson on the playground.

These days Albrecht is mostly seen as a surname, although it was historically a well-used first name in Germany. The surname was derived from the given name.

Brayden meets Jalen to make Braylen, another entry in this trendy group of names.

Colvin is an English surname with a distinguished history; the Colvins were one of the leading colonial families of early British India, and Shawn Colvin is a popular American singer. We suspect, however, that most of the 18 parents who used Colvin as a boys' name in 2016 were thinking of it as a less popular alternative to other "Col-" names, like Colin and Colton.

Hippolyte is the name of an Amazonian princess AND her son, both unfortunate mythical figures. The name Hippolyte, later borne by several saints, is a not an uncommon boys' name in France, but has barely set foot on American soil and is unlikely to do so. It was the middle name of famed French playwright Jean Giraudoux.

Variant spelling of the word name Sincere.

A strong, masculine name hardly heard outside the Hebrew-speaking community.

Kordian was created by Polish playwright Juliusz Słowacki for his eponymous romantic hero, based on Latin cor, cordis "heart". Cordian is the Anglicized form.

Common Japanese name rising for both sexes in the US.

More user-friendly, though less substantial, than Bartholomew.

Vanishingly rare in its home country nowadays, this French form of Evaristus belongs to several notable historical figures, including poet Évariste Désiré de Forges de Parny and mathematics prodigy Évariste Galois, who died in a duel at the age of just 20.

Brant, a no-nonsense one-syllable name, had some popularity in the early 1970s, but has been off the lists for a decade. Now, with similarly brisk names like Chase, Jace, Bryce, and Grant finding favor, Brant could make a comeback.

Flip is a cute, attitude-filled nickname for the very proper Philip and variations. A perfect choice if you're looking for a buttoned-up proper name with an informal short form.

Sean and Robin Wright Penn chose this name for their son to honor their friend Dennis Hopper; others might associate it with the painter Edward. Couldn't be more spirited.

A matronymic surname derived from Emonie and Emeny, which are of uncertain origins.

Like Isaiah but looking for a name that's more unique? Asaiah is a name found several times in the Old Testament. Think of it as a blend of Asa and Josiah and a possible substitute for Isaiah. Asaiah entered the Top 1000 in the US for the first time in 2022, and is looking like one of the fresher Biblical choices today.

Streamlined spelling of the biblical name, as in basketball great Isiah Thomas, falling fast from its height in the charts.

Don't let the long-nose connotations put you off. Cyrano feels so current with names like Theo, Leo, Cypriano and Cyrus finding fans again and even the fictional character has so many redeeming features (poet, musicians, self-made man).

Occasionally used as an alternative to Brandon or Brennan.

In Islam, Iblīs is the personal name of the devil, possibly derived from the Greek diablos.