Three Letter Boy Names

Literary Indian choice, best known here via acclaimed writer Ved Mehta, who lost his sight at the age of four.

Simple and sweet name for a son that feels on-trend in this era of Kai.

Short form of Oliver or Olivier.

Jac is one of the new "creative" variations of Jack, a name on the rise in its own right and not just as a short form of John. But why, when Jack is so simple and so familiar, make it Jac and invite people to guess whether it's pronounced like Jake, or maybe like the French Jacques.

International spelling of Noah.

We've got Saint, we've got King, we've got Prince Duke Bishop Deacon and Messiah. So why not Sir? The name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's newborn son, Sir is an honorific and a word name that fits right in with current trends. And it does guarantee your son will be addressed with respect, at least nominally.

Rhythmic and sensual -- maybe too sensual, in terms of playground teasing. Sax Rohmer was the nom de plume of the prolific English novelist who created Dr.Fu Manchu.

This name of an ancient saint and one of the first knights of King Arthur's Round Table has a modern, if feminine, feel.

Ebo is a powerful African day name that can be used to fit its definition.

The cool clipped Des may be the part of the name wave of the future, with midcentury names like Des and Vic and Stan riding back into style on the heels of big brothers Max and Sam and Ray.

Boo as a first name first achieved notoriety as the name of the child-man in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Arthur "Boo" Radley was meant to be frightening, but only in a simple, non-threatening way. More recently, Boo has been used as the middle name of one of chef Jamie Oliver's children and the nickname in the middle of television's Honey Boo Boo. Boo is also the name of the world's cutest dog and of the adorable little girl in Monsters Inc. In a more basic way, Boo is a term of endearment.

Pol, pronounced as "pole," though a popular Breton name, would be an unusual form of a simple classic elsewhere. The Breton Saint Pol Aurelian was known as a slayer of dragons and a founder of monasteries.

A unisex name in China, but better suited for girls in the US due to the similarities to sound-alike Faye.

A common Scandinavian name, but hard to imagine being used elsewhere.

Tux can be used as a short form of Tucker, but you're likely more familiar with it as a name for black and white cats. As a pet name, Tux comes from tuxedo — black and white men's formal evening wear. The tuxedo was named after Tuxedo Park, a development for the New York elite and the site of the country club where the tuxedo was first worn.

A unisex name in Israel but in the U.S., it might as well be Sue.