Three Syllable Names for Boys

The Māori name for Venus as a night or morning star – the brightest celestial object after the sun and moon. A notable bearer is rugby player Tawera Kerr-Barlow.

This geographical name with Iroquois roots has a lot going for it: a strong sound, a vigorous o ending, and -- a quality prized today -- rarity.

Ihaia or Īhāia is the Māori form of Isaiah.

Atkinson has never made it onto the American charts, although historical records provide evidence that it has been used as a given name before. Atkin is a Medieval nickname for Adam, making Atkinson a sneaky and unique way to honor an important Adam in your life.

This name was borne by Ashoka the Great, a 3rd-century BC emperor of India, and inspired the Star Wars character name Ahsoka.

The origins of Lucentio are a bit hazy — it's possible Shakespeare invented the name for his play The Taming of the Shrew, where Lucentio ends up marrying Bianca. However, it may have been an obscure Italian variation of Lucentius, existing before Shakespeare's time.

The name of a monk who is the patron saint of blacksmiths -- not a twentieth-century occupation or baby name.

This name has two distinctive associations: the Southwestern natural formation of a gully or stream, and the Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo.

A decade or two ago, we might have stopped with Blake, but today the surname Blakely or Blakeley sounds more modern as a first name.

Best known to most as a brand of Whisky, Ballantine is a Scottish surname relating to the Celtic god Bal. It has potential as a off-the-beaten-track boys name that is still familiar. Ballantine is the brand name of a whiskey, a beer, and a publishing imprint.

Most parents looking for an ancient Roman name would probably prefer something less generic, like, say, MAGNUS or CLAUDIUS.

Surrealist artist, inspired creative choice.

Cherokee name that honors the eagle, a sacred symbol in Native American culture.

Evocative of the great Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda, real last name Basoalito, who took on the surname Neruda to honor a Czech poet of that name. One of the most poetic boy names starting with N, or with any letter, for that matter.