Animal Names for Boys

  1. Jahseh
    • Origin:

      Jamaican Patois: "God Speaks"
    • Meaning:

      "God Speaks"
    • Description:

      Probably best associated with the rapper XXXTentacion, Jahseh is a modern invented name which combines the Hebrew word for God, Yah (as seen in Elijah), with the Jamaican Patois word "seh", meaning 'say', to create a name which means "God Speaks".
  2. Amitai
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "my truth"
    • Description:

      The name of the father of Jonah in the Old Testament. Has a cool, energetic sound.
  3. Hartford
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "deer ford"
    • Description:

      British habitational surname that calls to mind the Connecticut capital
  4. Allie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Allen
    • Description:

      Too far gone to the girls.
  5. Atley
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "by the clearing"
    • Description:

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

      Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Polish, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Romanian, and Finnish variation of Philip, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lover of horses"
    • Description:

      Streamlined spelling found all across Europe. The Spanish Filipo has extra zip.
  7. Alphie
    • Becker
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "baker"
      • Description:

        One of the less common members of the currently popular craftsmen's guild, Becker once had a self-named sitcom, and is also associated with Wimbleton tennis legend Boris Becker.
    • Emin
      • Origin:

        Turkish, Bosnian and Azerbaijani
      • Meaning:

        "truth"
      • Description:

        A Top 20 choice in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this is a handsome variant of Arabic Amin.
    • Artist
      • Origin:

        Word name
      • Description:

        About 40 baby boys were named Artist -- not Picasso, not Art -- in the US in one recent year. But not so odd, when you consider all the occupational names, from Sawyer to Sergeant, stylish today. The name Artist is also starting to register on the girls' side of the ledger, making Artist a name as gender-neutral as the occupation.
    • Erin
      • Izael
        • Origin:

          Variation of Isael, Portuguese from of Israel, Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "he who struggles with God"
        • Description:

          Izael was one of the fastest-rising boys' names in the US in 2023, evidencing trends for the letter Z and the angelic-feeling -ael ending.
      • Clément
        • Bertrand
          • Origin:

            French from German
          • Meaning:

            "magnificent crow"
          • Description:

            This name of famed philosopher, mathematician and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell becomes slightly more plausible with the French pronunciation, bare-TRAHN. Another noted bearer is French director and screenwriter Bertrand Tavernier.
        • Haakon
          • Origin:

            Norse
          • Meaning:

            "chosen son"
          • Description:

            An ancient name that's been used by the Norwegian royal family; still popular there but not likely to appeal to many American parents.
        • Dart
          • Origin:

            English place- and word name
          • Description:

            This British river name sounds sleek and strong but perhaps a bit too energetic.
        • Cadfael
          • Origin:

            Welsh
          • Meaning:

            "battle prince"
          • Description:

            A rare Welsh name with a wonderful meaning, Cadfael is the name of the detective monk character in Ellis Peters' medieval murder mysteries. It's usually pronounced CAD-vyle in Welsh, although Peters intended the character's name to be pronounced CAD-vel.
        • Davin
          • Origin:

            Hybrid of David and Devin
          • Description:

            Davin is one of those hybrid names that is appealing for both genders, though it is more common for boys. Though Davin has a strong and attractive sound, either David or Devin would be preferable. It has been declining in use over the last decade.
        • Daxon
          • Origin:

            Modern invented name
          • Description:

            May tagalong after fast-rising cousin Jaxon.
        • Dubois
          • Origin:

            French surname
          • Meaning:

            "of the forest"
          • Description:

            Dubois, which can also be stylized as DuBois or Du Bois, is a surname derived from bois, the French word for "forest." A notable, namesake-worthy bearer is W. E. B. Du Bois (who actually pronounced his surname doo-BOYSS), civil rights activist and a founder of the NAACP. A familiar fictional wearer is Blanche DuBois, protagonist of A Streetcar Named Desire.