Three Syllable Names for Boys

Latin form of Jacob, also used in Dutch and Afrikaans.

French form of Leopold.

Grandmas will remember the old TV detective show; playmates won't. This is a name that has many variations in different cultures, from Columbus to Columba to Colum to Colm.

With more parents turning to biblical names like Ezekiel and Isaiah, this could prove a quasi-unique alternative in a similar -- if more Orthodox -- vein.

Livelier Latin form of Edmund.

Attractive Italian form of Xavier, originally a Basque place name most notably borne by St Francis Xavier, a Jesuit priest and missionary.

A nice enough last name that turns supercilious as a first.

A rare but distinguished Scottish name. The original Galloway is a region in south-west Scotland, and the meaning ("stranger-Gaels") refers to its mixed population of Scandinavian and Gaelic-speaking people. It later became a surname and a sturdy breed of cattle. Galloway could be a fresh addition to better-known Scottish places like Murray and Ross.

The creator god of the sky, wind, and knowledge in Aztec mythology, also associated with the morning star. In Mesoamerican myth Quetzalcoatl is also a mythical hero from whom almost all Mesoamerican peoples claim descent.

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Cearmada, which is reminiscent of other jaunty Irish surnames like Cassidy and Connolly.

Paciano is an appealing twist on all the newly fashionable names that suggest peace.

A handsome Indian name with an unclear meaning, although "god of gods" is the one most often cited.

This name taken from one of the legendary founders of Rome suddenly feels more possible for a baby in the English-speaking world, with the rise of many Rome-related names, from Roman to Romy to Romilly and Romaine.