Imaginative Boys

Faramir is a character appearing in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, first seen in The Two Towers and described as a gentle lover of lore and music, a leader in battle. The character appeared in not only the books but film and video games. Faramir has already been used by one berry Tolkien fan as an intriguing middle name.

A Latin clan name that may rise again along with other things Roman.

Florentine may have three meanings, but they're all basically the same. It can mean flowering or blossoming as with a plant, flourishing or prospering in terms of luck and money, and also literally a citizen of Florence in Italy.

If Flora and Florence have returned full force, Florian, with its trendy Latinate ending, could also have a chance. Popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and France, St Florian was the venerated patron saint of those in danger from water and the patron saint of firefighters.

The son of Lancelot and Elaine in Arthurian legend, Galahad is the purest and most chivalrous of the Knights of the Round Table, and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail. The derivation of his name is unclear. It may come from Welsh Gwalchafed (hawk of summer) or "gwalch" + "cad" (hawk of battle), or it may be an anglicization of the place name Gilead in Palestine. Certainly a bold and brave choice for a baby boy!

The name of the great Renaissance astronomer and mathematician would make a distinctive hero-middle-name for the son of parents involved in those fields.

This name of the courteous Knight of the Round Table, the nephew of King Arthur, has long been superseded by its Scottish form, Gavin.

Heaven, Peace, Serenity: parents seem especially attracted to word names that signal paradise, but Halcyon sounds quite feminine, and might conjure up the sleeping pill Halcion.

Heathcliff is the name of the original passionate macho hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, and also of the cartoon cat. It was chosen by fashionista Lucy Sykes for her son, and inspired the late Heath Ledger's name. But otherwise it's barely used, and perhaps a bit much of a namesake. For a modern boy we'd recommend Heath....or Cliff.

This cognate of Jerome (of all things), familiar via the Dutch painter of fantastical scenes, H. Bosch, would appeal only to the most audacious, intrepid, attention-seeking baby namer. It is, however, still used in Germany, especially in Catholic Bavaria and in the north German Rhineland.

In Greek mythology, Hyperion is one of the twelve Titans: children of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky). Hyperion presides over heavenly light, and is the father of Helios (Sun), Selene (Moon), and Eos (Dawn).

Cool and charming, with plenty of flair and sophistication, Julian manages to strike the balance between being a sensible classic and contemporary choice. Appealingly international, it is no wonder Julian is a rising star.

Two drawbacks: some unpleasant World War II associations, and the Santa clause.

A rarer-than-rare botanical name with a sting in the tail - makes an interesting masculine option that fits in with Aspen, Lark and Arthur.