Latin Names for Boys

Synthesized name in the Justin/Dustin mold, but has an unpleasant similarity to the diaper rash ointment called Desitin.

Once a birth order name, now might work as a cool x-ending nickname. But be warned that it sounds very close to an unfortunate slang term.

More often spelled ALBAN, Alben is an ancient and highly unusual name. Alben Barkley was Harry Truman's vice president.

After Leo, this is one of the most usable names in the zodiac: part ancient, part new-age, part high-tech. In the night sky, the constellation Gemini is present all year round in both hemispheres. It has been associated with twins since ancient times, and its two brightest stars are named Castor and Pollux after the twins of Greek mythology. It also has STEM connections: Project Gemini was a NASA spaceflight program before Apollo.

Elvio is a barely-ever-used name that might just be a hidden gem. From the Latin family name Elvius, international bearers of the name include several footballers and the Paraguayan poet Elvio Romero. Parents today might see it as an alternative to more better-known Italianate names like Enzo and Elio.

The only version that works for boys anymore is the Latinate Hilario or Ilario. Better to look to Felix for a happy-meaning name.

Dashing and highly unusual variation does the feminine original one better by sounding both more modern and more usable. Or you can spell it Monaco and call it a place name.

This Italian saint's name is one of the most unusual of the o-ending names.

Never as well known as that other Roman numeral name, Octavius, Tertius just might hold some appeal for the parent seeking a really obscure name with the patina of antiquity for her third son.

The names may sound the same, but they have different origins and meanings. Take your pick.

Unconventional nickname option that's best kept as a nickname.

Swaggering, cutting-edge choice equally appropriate for both genders. It's also very rare, given in the US in 2015 to only seven baby girls....and no recorded baby boys. Do you want to be the first?

Sargent, as in Kennedy brother-in-law Shriver, is the more familiar and usable form of this name.

Rarely heard in modern times, it was used by Norman Mailer for the hero of his book The Deer Park.

Though the Fabian or Fabio versions are more often heard today, Fabius is the Roman family name they originated from. The general Quintus Fabius Maximum was famous for his strategic delaying tactics, so this might be a good choice for a child who is born late!

From the root that gives us "benign," Benigno is not as accessible in English-speaking cultures as such names as Bruno and Benicio. Filipino Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., went by his nickname Ninoy. 

An adolescent boy might have problems with the first syllable.

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