Three Syllable Names for Boys

A name introduced here by The Godfather: James Caan played the anything-but-saintly Santino "Sonny" Corleone, and comedian Adam Carolla used it for his son.

Akira is a popular Japanese name for both sexes that's migrated to the West because of its appearance in manga and video games. Akiro is a related name popular for boys.

A vibrant, operatic Latin choice.

Romantic name used throughout Europe, though sure to lead to pronunciation problems here. Though it's never been too widely used in the US, it's quite popular in Switzerland, France, Austria, and Romania.

Italian, Portuguese and Spanish variation of Arthur that makes the original feel more romantic and dashing.

Though it has literary credentials--making an appearance in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park and as the mean-spirited teacher Severus Snape in the Harry Potter books, most modern parents would find it too--well--severe.

Erasmus has long retained the image of the bearded and bespectacled Dutch philosopher, but could be one that the audacious baby namer just might dare to dust off.

The Japanese word for "weasel" was chosen as the name of Itachi Uchiha, a character in Naruto. In anime, name meanings often relate to a character's story. Weasels are bad luck in Japanese culture and are associated with death. In this case, Itachi killed his entire family besides his brother, so his name's meaning was appropriate.

Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, is the antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy. The name Anakin first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. Its meaning is unknown but is thought to be an homage to a friend of George Lucas.

Alonzo is dashing and debonair, with a large measure of Latin flair.

Meredith has been considered primarily a girl's name since the fifties, before which it was more commonly used for boys. Comic actor Jay Mohr recently named his son Meredith, which might help it swing back into the blue column. The traditional Welsh pronunciation puts the stress on the middle syllable, making Red a cool nickname possibility.

Madison was at one time a strictly boys' presidential name, reaching as high as Number 311 at the end of the nineteenth century. That all changed in 1985 when it entered the girls' list, zooming up quickly until it reached the Number 2 spot, with more than 22,000 female babies given the name in 2001. As is so often the case, its use for boys has dropped precipitously.

This ephemeral name of the loving angels surrounding the throne of God is all but unheard of in the US, although its feminine forms Seraphine and Seraphina are catching on. In Russia, it's long been in use, spelled Серафим (Serafim).

Corentin is an intriguing saint's name fashionable in France but virtually unknown here-- which you may consider a big plus. St. Corentin possessed a magical fish that regenerated itself each night, feeding himself and his lucky visitors in perpetuity.

Anderson shot up quite a bit on the popular names list in the 2000's, no doubt in large part due to the prominence of white-haired cable newsman Anderson Cooper. Perhaps surprisingly though, Anderson was even higher on the list in 1880. Actress Edie Falco named her son Anderson in 2005. Though there haven't been many first-named Anderson namesakes, there have been countless notables bearing the surname, including Hans Christian, Marian, Maxwell, Sherwood, Gillian, Laurie, and Pamela.

Alastor is linked to several characters in Greek mythology. It is an epithet of Zeus, a prince of Pylos, and a fighter in the Trojan War. Alastor's less savory associations include a horse of Hades and a Christian demon. In the Harry Potter universe, it's the first name of Professor "Mad Eye" Moody.

Though more popular for girls in the US today, Mallory first appeared on the SSA list as a boys' name (in 1914). It was given to roughly equivalent numbers of boys and girls for the next several decades, only really taking off in a big way for girls after it featured in the popular 80s sitcom Family Ties. With its jaunty sound and preppy appeal, we think this makes a handsome choice for either sex in the 2020s.

One of the many South Asian names skyrocketing up the U.S. popularity charts. This one, with its user-friendly similarity to Ryan, was brought to the fore when Bollywood superstar Karisma Kapoor used it for her son in 2010.

Spelling variation of Michaiah, an obscure but attractive name used for both men and women in the Bible.

More and more frequently heard as the Gallic version of Oliver, Olivier could be seen as a tribute to the great British actor, Sir Laurence O.