8 Letter Boy Names

Also spelt Aethelred, this was the name of two Saxon kings of England. The most famous is Ethelred II "The Unready", who actually reigned as King twice: from 978-1013 and from 1014-1016. His nickname comes not from the modern word "unready", but rather from a pun on the Old English unræd "poorly advised" (Ethelred means "well advised" or "noble counsel").

While some might assume this to be a variation on Theodore, Theodule's etymolgy actually stems from Theodulus. Though neither of these forms have attraction much attention recently, both Theodore and nickname Theo are rising up the US popularity charts. This could create an alternate path to the desirable nickname.

Zepherin is an ancient saints' name that sounds like anything but. Zepherin Namuncura, a priest of Argentinian Indian background, was beatified in the 20th century. There was a Pope Zephyrinus.

A common choice in Poland, where it honors St. Adalbert of Prague — born Vojtěch, the Czech form of Wojciech — the patron saint of Poland.

This name of a renowned Apache leader and mystic would be a difficult choice, since it was used as a rallying cry in so many old westerns and by paratroopers jumping out of their planes in World War II.

A much rarer alternative to Alexander that also gives you the oh-so-cool nickname Nico. Nicander derives from the Greek name Nikandros "man of victory", which belonged to a 2nd century BC poet and grammarian.

Unusual saint's name rarely heard outside Roman Catholic rectories until it made an appearance on a reality-TV show; has an attractive French feel.

An English locational surname originally denoting someone who lived at the town's outer limits, now has a solid, aristocratic air. It may also derive from an anglicization of the French Toussaint – someone born on All Saint's Day, November 1.

Chisholm is a habitational surname — if it's on your family tree, you have ancestors from Chisholme, Scotland, although they were originally of Norman and Saxon descent.

Connelly is an open, inviting, and rarely used Irish surname that can make a perfect alternative to the overused Connor or Colin for a boy.

Part of the name nobility that includes Prince, Earl, and Duke -- though none of these guys are very classy.

A New Testament tax collector was called Zaccheus, the freshest spin on this biblical favorite.

This is one of the least known or used of the Theo names, quite possibly because of its last syllable. In Samuel Butler's 1903 novel The Way of All Flesh, there is a clergyman character named Theobald Pontifex.

A rare but distinguished Scottish name. The original Galloway is a region in south-west Scotland, and the meaning ("stranger-Gaels") refers to its mixed population of Scandinavian and Gaelic-speaking people. It later became a surname and a sturdy breed of cattle. Galloway could be a fresh addition to better-known Scottish places like Murray and Ross.

This was a common name in early Ireland, borne by numerous saints, but pronunciation problems would make it prohibitive here.