Three Syllable Names for Boys

In the Japanese culture, this name suggests a sense of independence and is one of the popular names for December babies.

Both the Spanish Marcelo and Italian Marcello would work well for children of any backgrounds.

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."

Saturday derives from Saturn, so with day names and mythological names both gaining wider acceptance, we may see some babies named for this relaxing day of the week.

When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size.

Alternative form of Basil that might suit the adventurous.

Common Japanese name associated with contemporary artist Takashi Murakami.

The brightest star in Ursa Major, this is one of the major navigational stars used by ships.

The Coca-Cola Company created the name Dasani for its brand-new bottled water in 1999. It doesn't have any meaning or greater significance behind it — Dasani was chosen because "the name is relaxing and suggests pureness and replenishment," according to consumer testing.

Zinedine Zidane is France's biggest soccer star, spawning a legion of little Zinedines in that country.

Biblical names are expanding (literally) as some parents move from Isaiah and Elijah to more elaborate choices with simple short forms, like Jedidiah and Zebediah.

A very popular Japanese boys' name whose characters refer to the constellation Ursa Major. Short form Hiro might work better in the West, as may another popular Japanese boys' name, Ren.

Halloran could be your solution if you love the nickname Hal, but not Harold or Henry.

Now deeply associated with the gemstone Lapis Lazuli, Lazuli is derived from one of the places where the stone was first mined. The word Lazuli is the root for words like azure. Lapis Lazuli is a deep and rich blue color and was used for pigments and jewellery.

Popular President Franklin Delano Roosevelt inspired a brief fashion for this as a first name in the 1940s; almost never heard today.

Pronounced "TAHL-a-mee," this was the name of one of Alexander the Great's generals and several Greco-Egyptian rulers, as well as the name of a famous Greek astronomer. Actress Gretchen Mol brought it into modern times when she chose it for her baby.

Alfonso was a royal name in Spain as far back as the 7th century, but it is rarely heard outside the Hispanic community in the US.

The name of the great Renaissance astronomer and mathematician would make a distinctive hero-middle-name for the son of parents involved in those fields.