Imaginative Boys

Ovid is the English form of the Roman family name Ovidius, which possibly comes from the word for sheep. It is the usual English name for the first-century poet Publius Ovidius Naso.

This title of honor given to Charlemagne's twelve best knights would be prized as a name by most sword-loving little boys.

The epithet of the legendary king's father Uther in Arthurian legend, later also applied to King Arthur himself. It literally means "head dragon" or "dragon's head", but the name appears in medieval Welsh mythology with the figurative meaning of "chief warrior". A truly daring name for a boy, in every sense!

Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the U.S., where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's not beyond consideration — in fact it's already been chosen by at least one Berry.

One of the names of the sun god Apollo, this is better known in its feminine form, Phoebe.

Super-sweet name that was the title of a Broadway play -- but best known as a type of apple. The Dutch variation is Pepijn is finding some popularity in that country, where short nickname names are stylish.

Shakespeare's Tempest has kept the name Prospero alive.

Pronounced "TAHL-a-mee," this was the name of one of Alexander the Great's generals and several Greco-Egyptian rulers, as well as the name of a famous Greek astronomer. Actress Gretchen Mol brought it into modern times when she chose it for her baby.

Puck was Shakespeare's mischievous pixie who'a had a few television incarnations in more recent years. A popular name in The Netherlands but nowhere else, from what we can tell.

The name of a legendary sculptor in Greek mythology, who fell in love with a statue of a beautiful woman which he had carved from ivory. There have been many adaptations of the story of Pygmalion, including notable plays by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and George Bernard Shaw.

Though the name of his great tragic love Thisbe remains in modern use, that of her paramour Pyramus, a young Babylonian, has all but disappeared.

Quentin, an offbeat name with lots of character, relates to the Latin for the number five and is by far the subtlest and most usable of the Latin birth-order names, masculine as well as stylish and distinctive. It was borne by a third-century saint and came to England with the Normans.

The spoiled only son of the richest family in town in a fifties movie.

Ragnarök is a great future battle foretold in Norse mythology, which will lead to the ultimate destruction of many key deities and the rebirth of the Earth and mankind. The word is newly familiar to many thanks to the 2017 Marvel Comics film "Thor: Ragnarok".

The traditional name of the brightest star in the constellation Leo and a minor character in the "Harry Potter" series might be a good pick for parents interested in a regal name but turned off by the blatancy of Royalty and King. The nickname Reggie is all but inevitable, for better or worse.

Remus is one of the legendary twins who, with brother Romulus, founded Rome. An unusual yet classic name for the extremely adventurous who can put aside the stereotyped image of Uncle Remus. Though because of that "ream" first syllable, we prefer Romulus.

Rochester was Jack Benny's famous valet and sidekick, played by early African-American comic Eddie Anderson.

He was the original Roman, Remus's twin and a founder of Rome. But parents attracted to this name are advised to read the legend first. Romulus does have some less than savory characteristics, including killing his twin brother and making Rome in his own image, and is later deified as Quinnius. Romy and Quinn might make good twin names.