Invented Boy Names

A seldom used name invented by J.R.R. Tolkien for Lord of the Rings, this boys' name makes good use of the 'Gal' prefix and 'Dor' suffix to craft an appealing and unique alternative to Theodore.

Braelyn just barely qualifies as a unisex name, being used for girls over 89 percent of the time.

Trendy spelling of the Cash + Ashton hybrid.

Grace and Adam Rodriguez created the faux-place name Bridgemont for their son in 2020. According to Adam, they loved the symbolism of a bridge as a connecting element and added -mont for familial significance. Adam's father's middle name is Montalvo, his own father's surname prior to his adoption.

Author Suzanne Collins created this soft-spoken Peter variation for one of her heroes in her series The Hunger Games.

Jermajesty is a slightly bizarre name created by Jackson brother Jermaine, making his son a royal version of himself.

Jaxon with a twist.

The name of an absinthe-imitation, Herbsaint is a liqueur created and produced in New Orleans since the 1930s. It literally translates to "sacred herb," in reference to absinthe woodworm, the one absinthe ingredient it doesn't contain.

The name of a minor character in Game of Thrones, Balon Greyjoy, the ancient lord of the Iron Islands and father to lead character Theon Greyjoy.

Hamish spinoff created by author Suzanne Collins for her trilogy The Hunger Games.

Further along the Dewayne, Dejuan, Daquan continuum.

This recent riff on the theme of Kevin has a pleasant sound but no real history or meaning.

A recently-created Slovene name with no etymological roots. Naj debuted in the Slovenian Top 100 in 2019, when it was given to 23 baby boys. However, based on the use of Naja in Slovenia as a diminutive of Anastazija or Natalija as well as a stand alone name, Naj (and similar Nai) might have come about in a similar way, from Nikolaj or Nikolai, for example.

Leonato is one of the main characters in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing -- the noble governor of Messina on whose property most of the play takes place. His daughter Hero and niece Beatrice are the two main female romantic leads in the play. His character is ambiguous; he starts out friendly and amiable, but he reacts very harshly to rumors that his daughter has lost her "honor" before marriage. Still, this could be an unusual and striking way to get to the extremely popular Leo.

A number of parents took up the name of the TV talk show host in the early nineties, but it now seems to have lost momentum.

Typical of the kind of newly created combination names being increasingly used, Travon sounds strong and distinguished but has no real substance behind it.

Also found as Brason, this is one of an army of Jason sound-alikes, which include Cason, Mason, Kaysen, and so on. Stylish, yes; recommended, no.

Daryl plus Harold equals this mid-century smoosh name.