Coolated Names for Boys

Most parents today call their Edwards Edward -- and we tend to think that's the right call. But it's worth noting that Eddie has been in the Top 1000 every year since records began in 1880; indeed, it was a mainstay on the Top 100 through the 1950s.

To many people, Ronald is off playing shuffleboard with Donald, though others aren't swayed by its old man image. In the Top 10 in the late 1930s through the mid-1940s, the name later came to be strongly associated with President Reagan, along with his nicknames, Ron and Ronnie—as well as with the McDonald franchise mascot. A more youthful bearer is the likable character Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series. In the early days of Hollywood, Ronald Colman was a dashing matinee idol.

Rooney is one of many bouncy Irish surnames that could make an agreeable first, once tied to Mickey Rooney (who was actually born Joseph Yule) in his young and spunky Andy Hardy period.

Raoul, with its unique three-vowel middle, rolls off the tongue in an appealing way. Raoul is one of the French names that sounds infinitely more romantic and attractive than the somewhat harsh English version Ralph.

Subtract the last two letters of Arnold, and you're left with a much more modern-sounding name. Arno is also the name of the main river in Florence, upon which sits the famed Ponte Vecchio. The Italian river name means "flowing water".

Bryce is the preferred spelling over Brice for both genders, with nearly 70 girls named Bryce in one recent year vs. only five called Brice. But note that there were over 3000 boys named Bryce and 240 named Brice, making this a predominantly male name. Actress Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of director Ron, is the most notable female bearer of this name.

In many minds this one belongs to Barbie, but with such positive meanings and international connections, can Ken make the transition to usability again?

Works better as a full name than Arnie does as a nickname.

Relaxed western place-name that still has some masculine punch, but be warned: this whole posse of similarly trendy names, like Sierra and Dakota, will soon ride toward the sunset.

Canyon is a unique baby name evocative of natural splendor and the old Steve Canyon comic-strip heroism, making it an intriguing new word-name possibility.

Every other little kid's name in 1957 but few Jameses are called Jimmy today; they're more often James or Jamie.

Unlike Jake or Sam, few parents put Mike on the birth certificate.

Giacomo is a primo member of the Giovanni-Gino-Giancarlo-Giacomo gruppo of Italian names that are beginning to be adopted by American parents. Singer/creative baby namer Sting chose it for his son.

Morrison is one of the more uncommon patronymics; it could be used to honor an ancestral Morris, or one of the well-known surnamed Morrisons: Toni, Jim or Van.

This worthy name, imported by the early Dutch colonists, has been all but overpowered by the phonetic spellings -- Skyler for boys and Skylar for girls. With the surnames-as-first-names trend, however, and the popularity of the Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton, which features the Schuyler sisters, perhaps Schuyler might receive some more interest in the coming years.

Kenyon is a very engaging British surname name, the middle y giving it a kind of southwestern canyonesque undertone.

Fewer letters does not always mean easier—the traditional spelling is the one most people will recognize.

World War II stamped a permanent verboten on Adolph.

He can get it for you wholesale.

The ultimate dad name.