He’s a Gem: Boys’ names Onyx, Jasper, and Jet
By Meagan at Tulipbyanyname
Outside of the baby name world I enjoy jewelry design. I love gemstones in jewelry and as names. Ruby, Pearl, Emerald… there are so many lovely jewel names for girls that gemstone names for boys are often overlooked. Today let’s check out some gemstone names for the fellas!
Jasper – Jasper is one of the most recognizable and used gemstone names for boys. A variety of quartz, Jasper is a spotted stone that comes in a wide array of colors. A Persian name, meaning “treasurer,” Jasper is a name on the rise, reintroduced in the Twilight trilogy. Jasper is currently #248 in the U.S.; it hasn’t been this popular since 1914.
Onyx – Onyx is a black and white agate stone popular since ancient times; it has been used in everything from jewelry to feng shui. Many believe that Onyx has the power to heal and protect. Onyx has a cool, unique spelling paired with a futuristic sound.
Malachite – Malachite feels like it could be the name of a warrior. The name of this mineral has Greek origins meaning, “mallow-green stone.” The green pigment of this stone was used centuries ago in the making of green paint. Although not familiar as a given name, Malachite does have a similar sound to more familiar names such as Malcolm.
Obsidian – Obsidian also has a very strong, powerful sound. Obsidian comes in many colors but is usually a deep black color that sometimes has a blackish green hue. This stone is formed from volcanic lava that is cooled so quickly it has no time to crystallize. Obsidian is derived from the Latin word obsidianus, meaning “of Obsidius”. Obsidian is the name of a Transformer and the alias of comic book superhero Todd James Rice.
Jet – Aside from Jasper, Jet is probably the most used and familiar given name on this list. Jet is a dark mineraloid formed from fossilized wood. The term “jet black” comes from this stone that is commonly dark brown or black in color. Jet sounds like a spunky, modern nickname. Not as common as the Jett spelling, Jet is the stage name of Chinese actor Jet Li.
Carnelian – Carnelian, sometimes spelled Cornelian, is a reddish brown mineral that can have hints of orange and pink. One of the Virgo birthstones, Carnelian could be considered a unisex name. Carnelian is derived from the Latin word carnis, meaning “flesh”. I think that Carnelian could make a cool Cornelius alternative.
Flint – Flint has a bit of a strong, crisp, edge to it. A neat alternative to Flynn or Finn, Flint is a hard form of mineral quartz. An English name, its meaning is “born near outcrop of flint”, or “hard rock.” Fans of the show The Flintstones may enjoy this name, and he’s also a main character in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
Garnet – Garnet is a unisex name that means “pomegranate.” Like the fruit pomegranate, Garnet is often seen in reddish orange colors, although it can be virtually any color. Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January and was last in the U.S. top 1,000 for boys in 1924.
Kyanite – Kyanite is a mineral that is most commonly seen in a brilliant blue color. The word Kyanite is derived from the Greek word kuanos, which fittingly means “deep blue.” Easily shortened to the nickname “Kyan“, Kyanite sounds superhero-worthy to me.
Quartz – Quartz is one of the most common minerals on earth. Not many names begin in the letter “Q” or end in “Z”, and so the combination of the two give this name a bit of a whimsical feel to me. Quartz comes from an Old German word meaning “hard.”
Stone – Why not add the name Stone to this list? Stone would fit right into a gemstone-themed sibling set of names like Jade, Ruby, and Jett. Stone is a no-nonsense, stoic sounding word name; TV news anchor Stone Phillips wears this name well.
What are your favorite gemstone names for boys? Rock on!
This was adapted from a blog on Meagan‘s site, tulipbyanyname.