German Boy Names

Nicknames ending in o are invariably cute, though this one is a boys' name in its own right. And not just any boy name, but a saint's name no less. Saint Hanno, aka Saint Anno, was an 10th century archbishop of Cologne, He is also known as, less attractively, Hanno of Worms, which is one of the oldest cities in Germany.

Appealing, upbeat name used mainly in Spanish-speaking countries.

An unusual name heard in contemporary Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia, it's the male version of the more familiar Inga. It's the name of a German god, and attached to German-born soap star Ingo Rademacher--the father of sons named Peanut and Pohaku Zen.

Isidore and variants are remarkably underused and ripe for revival, a la Theodore and company.

Jeter, which of course is used as a first name only because of Yankee star Derek, rhymes with Peter and may be derived from the French surname Jette, which was often bestowed on foundlings because it means "thrown out," or the German Jetter, an occupational name meaning "weeder." If your husband insists on Jeter, counter with Percival.

This name of famed philosopher, mathematician and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell becomes slightly more plausible with the French pronunciation, bare-TRAHN. Another noted bearer is French director and screenwriter Bertrand Tavernier.

Brant, a no-nonsense one-syllable name, had some popularity in the early 1970s, but has been off the lists for a decade. Now, with similarly brisk names like Chase, Jace, Bryce, and Grant finding favor, Brant could make a comeback.

A possible new entry in the Hayden-Corbin two-syllable boys' name club.

When Kate Hudson named her second son Bingham and announced that she would be calling him Bing, it put this zingy nickname name out on the table. Before that, there was only one, further nicknamed Der Bingle -- and he was really Harry Lillis Crosby.

These days Albrecht is mostly seen as a surname, although it was historically a well-used first name in Germany. The surname was derived from the given name.

Whether pronounced like the wag of a tail or as the correct German VAHG-ner, this might be something a devoted opera buff could consider as a middle name.

The visibility of actor Wilmer (That 70s Show) Valderrama has highlighted this name, but it's not likely to spread because of its similarity to the feminine (and dated) Wilma.

An undiscovered cousin of Garrett and Gerard. Gerrit has some merit, especially for its arty credentials as the name of several Old Master painters.

When you like Eric, but wish it were longer; also the name of a great early English poet.

No guarantee of a fellowship.

Although there are plenty of Bachs in the world besides Johann Sebastian, everyone will assume you're honoring the great composer -- and why not.

Photographer Newton...or that hard thing you wear on your head.

The authentic pronunciation brings it perilously close to Donna, but most English-speakers would rhyme it more attractively with tanner or manner. A nature name for boys that's both unusual and handsome.

In literature identified with The Sorrows of Young Werther -- not much to wish on a child.

One of the rarest Bert names, Engelbert has been used at least since the time of Charlemagne and is the name of several saints. But mostly, it's impossible not to associate it with Engelbert Humperdinck, both the German composer and the British pop singer (born Arnold Dorsey) who borrowed his name.