Invented Boy Names

A seldom-used Game of Thrones name, perhaps because its main originator, Tywin Lannister, is as ruthless as any character in the show. Yet the "ty-" beginning is so ubiquitous and popular that Tywin may have some potential... the fact that it's less well-known than Tyrion probably works in its favor.

This Russian name was created by Communist parents looking to reject traditional names (it is believed to derive from the French surname Jaures). One notable bearer is Nobel prize winner and physicist, Zhores Alferov.

Dalton with a B. The original is better.

An even more modern spin on Zayla.

A modern combination of the cool Cy- beginning and -aire ending sounds, given to 22 baby boys in 2022. May also be a creative spelling of Sire.

Rudyard Kipling created the name Bagheera for the black panther character in his classic collection The Jungle Book. It was derived from the Hindi word bagh, meaning "tiger."

Braxley is an invented name — a combination of two hot syllables — and therefore has no official meaning. It could, however, be interpreted to mean "Brock's field" from each of its elements.

In its modern form, Casher is a hybrid of Cash and Asher that debuted in 2019. Historically, Casher — pronounced kah-SHARE — was used among Italian Jews.

Darren with a P.

Shakespeare invented the names Salerio, Solanio, and Salarino for his play The Merchant of Venice. The names are puns on salario, the Italian word for "salary," as each character shows great concern with money.

Istredd is the name of sorceress Yennefer's former lover in The Witcher series, created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Some sources theorize that the name is related to the Scandinavian royal name Astrid.

A hybrid of trendy syllables, but less evocative than the original Taylor.

No longer a forbidden choice, Messiah has risen up the US popularity charts in recent years, and as a result, some parents have been seeking alternative spelling options. Masiah is one such choice, though it may also link more closely with the Arabic word for Christ, almasih. Given to around 80 boys each year, it is considerably less popular than Messiah, which was chosen for 1909 boys in 2023.

The etymology of Leontel is unclear, though it could be seen as a variation of Lionel. It has rarely been used anywhere, though it does have more French connections than anything. While the nickname Leon might seem a little dated, Leo is right on trend.