Three Syllable Names for Boys

A name with vision.

A dashing form of Julian, which derives from Julius, a Roman family name. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthfu"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".

Russian form of Eugene, also spelled Evgeni or Evgeniy in English, and the (anti)hero of Pushkin's famous eponymous novel in verse, Evgeny Onegin.

Appealingly peaceful and placid.

Associated with two prominent American families — New York's Stuyvesant family, for which streets and parks on Manhattan's East Side are named, and the Fish family, who used it as a given name. Stuyvesant Fish, the first president of the Illinois Central Railroad, was named after his paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Stuyvesant.

Gioele is among the Top 50 names for boys in Italy, though the Italian version would cause pronunciation and spelling problems for English speakers. In the US, UK, or Australia, stick with the sleek and simple Joel.

Unisex Swahili name rising in popularity. Musician Jelani Aryeh may be an influence.

Mordechai and Mordecai are equally valid — both are used as transcriptions from the Hebrew bible, and one did not originate before the other. But although popular culture tends to prefer the (slightly simpler) Mordecai, Mordechai has always been the more common version for babies born in the US.

An energetic Igbo name belonging to several sports stars, notably American basketball player Emeka Okafor. It can also be short for Chukwuemeka.

King Tafari was the last king of Ethiopia. He is worshipped today as an incarnation of God by Rastafarians.

The dramatic-sounding name of a star in the constellation Leo that can be adapted as a unique Arabic name for boys. The similar-sounding Rasselas is the name of an allegorical fable by Samuel Johnson and its lead character.

Gunnison, though given to just a few baby boys in recent years, is a name we have our eyes on. With strong surname style and a masculine, tough-guy image, Gunnison could give Jameson a run for its money.

Crittenden is a habitational surname denoting ancestors from the village of Crittenden in Kent, England. It is derived from the Old English name Guddhere, a cognate of Gunnar, ing, designating the possessive, and denn, "woodland pasture."

The name of a fire demon in the Japanese animated film Howl's Moving Castle is given to a dozen or two babies in recent years.

A newly-coined diminutive of Titou, which is itself a Gascon diminutive of Antoine. It entered the French Top 500 in 1990 and peaked at #54 in 2009.

Andoni is the Basque version of Anthony, no longer a common choice in Spain.

Argider is a somewhat used boys' name in Basque-speaking parts of Spain.