Cute, girly boy names
- Stacey
Origin:
Greek diminutive of EustaceDescription:
Became completely feminized in the unisex name revolution of the seventies.
- Stellan
Origin:
Swedish, meaning unknown, possibly "calm"Meaning:
"calm"Description:
Stellan is a strong, attractive, Scandinavian possible up-and-comer, known through actor Stellan Skarsgard, and his namesake, the son of Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany. Its trendy 'an' ending and the similarity in sound to the popular Kellen/Kellan make it all the more accessible.
- Sunny
Origin:
Nickname nameDescription:
Upbeat nickname-name that can't help but make you smile, along with its soundalike Sonny.
- Sylvan
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"wood, forest"Description:
One of the many variations of Silvanus, the name of the Roman forest god, and a little-used member of the freshly stylish Sylv- family of names. Silvan is the sleek German and Dutch form. Given to less than 100 boys each year in the US, it's nevertheless in the Nameberry Top 500.
- Teagan
Origin:
Irish or WelshMeaning:
"little poet or fair"Description:
Teagan is a cousin of trendy names Reagan and Keagan now given to girls about six times as often as boys. As an Irish name, it's a diminutive of the original Tadhg. Teagan may also be a variation of the Welsh Tegan, a saint's name that means fair.
- Tew
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"warrior god"Description:
Tew many conflicting word spellings.
- Tiarney
- True
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Many parents seeking a return to more basic values and a simpler lifestyle are turning to such virtuous girls' names as Grace, Faith, and Hope, but there are a handful that work just as well on boys, including True.
- Umber
Origin:
Color nameDescription:
Conjures up the rich brown colors of raw and burnt umber, but it may be too close to girls' Amber.
- Vivian
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"life"Description:
Deriving from the Roman cognomen Vivianus, Vivian was originally a masculine name, with Vivien being a feminine soundalike coined by Alfred Lord Tennyson for the Lady of the Lake in his famous poetic adaptation of the legend of King Arthur. It has since become a much more popular choice for girls in the US, but retains a refined British charm which sees it cropping up occasionally for boys in the Telegraph birth announcements.
- Winter
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
The girls have dibs on Spring, Summer, and Autumn, leaving this name evocative of snowy landscapes as the one possible seasonal choice for boys. And naturally, it's one of the most obvious names for winter babies.
- Wolfgang
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"traveling wolf"Description:
Chef Wolfgang Puck has helped soften this thunderous Germanic name; music-lovers will appreciate its association with Mozart, though the composer's middle name Amadeus is more appealing.
- Xen
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"meditation"Description:
Xen and Zen, both pronounced the same way, are two hip new spiritual word names from Buddhist practice. Among the celebrity set, Corey Feldman has a Zen and Tisha Campbell Martin's son is Xen.
- Yancey
Origin:
Native AmericanMeaning:
"yankee"Description:
A fancy TV western name that didn't catch on like fellow cowboys Luke and Josh, but definitely has a certain amount of charm. It is also spelled Yancy, as in the 1950s series Yancy Derringer. It was first spotted in the Edna Ferber novel Cimarron, which became a popular movie.
- Yoshi
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"good, respectful"Description:
A classic Japanese name known to kids around the world as a Nintendo video-game character.
- Zelig
Origin:
Yiddish, variation of SeligMeaning:
"blessed, happy"Description:
Woody Allen introduced us to the name Zelig as the ever-morphing title character of his 1983 film. Zelig does have an upbeat meaning, and nickname Zelie makes it accessible for a girl, though it's an undeniably quirky choice for either gender.
- Zia
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"light"Description:
While this is an ancient male name, it's too similar to modern girls' choices like Mia and Pia to work for a boy today.
- Zola
Origin:
Literary surnameDescription:
Authors or Francophiles – or both – could consider this zippy name in honor of renowned French writer Émile Zola, author of Germinal, Thérèse Raquin and the infamous open letter J'Accuse...!.
- Zooey
Origin:
Literary nameDescription:
The original Zooey, hero of J.D. Salinger's Franny & Zooey, was male, but nowadays the name is more closely associated with actress/singer Zooey Deschanel. With Zoe at number 31 for girls and Zoey in the Top 50, the related Zooey feels more female than ever. But it's distinctively quirky for either sex.