Five Letter Boy Names

The name of an obscure medieval Cornish saint, also spelt Ruan or Ruman. A notable bearer is British author Rewan Tremethick.

The more common spelling Nova does not meet the requirements of a unisex name — being given to the minority sex at least ten percent of the time — but Novah manages to pass. The H at the end makes it appear more masculine, a la Noah, which may lead some parents to choose this spelling for their sons.

Short but not particularly sweet surname.

Stylish Hebrew name with potential to catch on more in the wake of Logan, Liam, Lochlan, Lincoln et al.

An eider is a sea duck whose feathers make ultra-soft eiderdown.

Either means "the flowers" or "the child" – lei can mean both. Either way, Kalei is a strong and pretty Hawaiian name.

Minto is used for both sexes in Japan, commonly with the kanji combination equating to the word for "mint."

One of the most unusual of the biblical iah-options, this was the name of a long-reigning king of Judea, and just might appeal to the parent looking for a quasi-unique Old Testament choice. And it avoids the negative Dickensian aura of the other New Testament U-name, Uriah.

Rhythmic and captivating.

Associated with famed percussionist Mongo Santamaria, but it's too close to the word mongrel to ever have widespread success in this country.

Selig comes from the Yiddish vocabulary word meaning 'happy, fortunate, blessed.' Most of us are more familiar with its Woody Allen variation, Zelig.

A common Turkish word name for boys signaling valiance and bravery.

The added S at the end turns Ever from a hipster word name into a modern prepster.