Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's middle name could make an interesting pick for music-loving parents--if only in middle place. Amadeus is the title of a Peter Shaffer play which became an award-winning film in 1984.
 German-born tennis ace Boris Becker chose Amadeus for the name of his fourth son.

Amadeus

Asher—an excellent, soft and sensitive Old Testament choice—is a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy name</a> on the rise, and is a Nameberry biblical favorite. 
 
Asher's ascent is especially amazing given that the took a century-long hiatus from the Top 1000, from the 1890s until it reappeared in the 1990s. Asher has been in the US Top 100 for more than a decade now.
 
In the Bible, Asher was one of Jacob's twelve sons who gave their names to the tribes of Israel. Asher is derived from the Hebrew word osher, which means "happiness." Rabbinical scholars claim that the Asherites lived up to this meaning, as they had the most oil, wisdom, and male children compared to the other tribes.
 
The novel My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, often taught in schools, is the story of a New York Hasidic Jewish boy with artistic aspirations.
 
Oh—and another plus for Asher: the handsome diminutive Ash.

Asher

Parents who like Ben and Benjamin but find those forms too popular sometimes consider Benedict as a more distinctive choice. Unlike the Old Testament Benjamin, Benedict is the name of the saint who formed the Benedictine Order and of fifteen popes,including a recent one. 
 Shakespeare used a variant form--Benedick--for the character in Much Ado About Nothing. Other options are Bennett and Benno.
Benedict Cumberbatch is a rising British stage, film and TV actor, who has been seen as Stephen Hawking, William Pitt, Dr. Frankenstein, Frankenstein's monster, and currently as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series.
 Just one caveat: There is the link to that infamous traitor Benedict Arnold.

Benedict

Originally a form of the saint's name Blaise, though now more likely to be a hot word name used for both sexes, though heavily weighted toward the boys. It has been in the boys' Top 1000 since the year 2000.
 br>On the pop culture side of things, Blaze Bayley is a singer and musician who has been connected to the bands Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden.

Blaze

Cadmus is the name of the serpent-slaying hero of Greek mythology who also founded the city of Thebes and is credited with inventing the alphabet. Its ancient feel might appeal to modern parents &mdash; especially since Cadmus Peverell is a human Harry Potter character, one of the three original owners of the Deathly Hallows.

Cadmus

Cato conjures up images of ancient Roman statesmen and southern antebellum retainers; it could have revival potential, with its 'O' ending and the current interest in the names of Greek and Roman antiquity.
 The Roman statesman known as Cato the Elder was born Marcus Portius, the Cato added in tribute to his natural sagacity, practical wisdom and political expertise.
 Cato appears in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and, to go from the sublime to the ridiculous, in the Pink Panther movies--and Kato was The Green Hornet's valet. Cato is also a 21st century Hunger Games name, which could do more to spur its popularity than all its past history.

Cato

For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis. 

Draco

A simple one-syllable name that has been on the popularity list since the mid-1980s, Drake is most associated today with the single-named rapper (born Aubrey). The name peaked at Number 197 in 2010 and has since been on a slow decline, but it still can be counted among the stylish contemporary <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/d">boy names starting with D</a>.

Drake

The sophisticated Edmund and its nearly-identical French twin Edmond are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name.
 Edmund has had an enviable history, as evidenced by these quotes: "There is nobleness in the name of Edmund," says a Jane Austen character, and the poet John Keats once bemoaned, "Had my name been Edmund, I would have been more fortunate."
 Famous bearers include the English astronomer Edmund Halley, after whom the comet was named, poet Edmund Spenser, great Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean, and New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary. Literary Edmunds appear in King Lear,, Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, and Dickens's Little Dorrit.
 Edmund reached its highest point of popularity in the U.S. in 1914, when it was Number 130; it hasn't appeared on the list since 1997--making it even more attractive as an uncommon alternative to Edward.
 Eamon is the cheery Irish version.

Edmund

Ephraim is an Old Testament name we would place high on the list of neglected Biblical possibilities, solid but not solemn.
 In Genesis, Ephraim is the second son of Joseph, and founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The name also appears as characters in Oliver Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield, Charles Dickens's novel Little Dorrit, and in works by Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. More recently, Ephraim Black was a character in the Twilight saga, a shape-shifter who was the great-grandfather of Jacob.
 Father and son violinist and actor Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. and Sr, simplified the spelling.

Ephraim

Finn is a name with enormous energy and charm, that of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as well for his wisdom and generosity. 
 Finn was chosen by cool couple Christy Turlington and Ed Burns for their son, and also by Jane Leeves and Autumn Reeser. Played by Cory Monteith prior to his death, Finn Hudson was a prominent character on Glee.
Other up-and-comers in the same family: Finlay and Finley, Finian and Finnian, Finnegan and Finnigan, and, from Germany, Fynn.

Finn

Gale for boys is more a storm name than a short form of Abigail. Since Gale has resurfaced as the name of Liam Hemsworth's daring character in The Hunger Games, it has new force for boys.

Gale

Hyperion

Ignatius? Good gracious! This is a name making a truly surprising return, sparked by its selection by not one but two celebrities--Cate Blanchett and Julianne Nicholson. Ignatius, the name of several saints including the founder of the Catholic Jesuit order, was considered more apt to be borne by churches and schools than babies in the recent past, though it was not unusual from the late nineteenth century to 1930; it ranked as high as Number 602 in 1913.
 The nickname IGGY definitely brings Ignatius down to earth. But if you find Ignatius appealing yet can't quite go all the way, you might want to consider Inigo. 
 Ignatius is the middle name of Percy Weasley in the Harry Potter books, and is a major character in John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces.

Ignatius

James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys' baby names, and is the most common male name, counting people of all ages, in the US.
 James, which reentered the Top 5 in 2016, is a current favorite among fashionable parents looking for a baby name that has both style and substance. Like Henry and Theodore, it manages to combine these two stellar qualities.
 
An English derivation of the Hebrew name Jacob, James is biblical (the name of two apostles in the New Testament), royal (kings of both England and Scotland), and presidential (with more U.S. Chief Executives -- six -- than any other name). The name James is also shared by countless great writers and entertainers.
 
There are fewer Jimmys, Jimbos or even Jamies these days; the most fashionable form of the name is James itself. Several stylish celebrities have chosen it in recent years for their sons, including Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Liz Phair, Colin Farrell and Isaac Hanson. Brendan Fehr thought out of the box and named his daughter James, which has now become a fashionable middle names for baby girls..
 James has some interesting foreign variations: Diego and Jaime (Spanish), Jacques (French), Giacomo (Italian), Hamish (Scottish), Jaako (Finnish), Seamus (Irish), Jaap (Dutch) and Jago (Cornish).
 Along with being one of the most popular first names in the US, James is also one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/top-last-names-in-the-us">most common American last names </a>.

James

Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity -- for more than a decade now. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
 Saint Jude was the apostle who interceded for people with problems and became the patron saint of lost causes.Kelsey Grammer has a son named Jude Gordon. Jude is occasionally used for girls (as in Martha Stewart's granddaughter)--but more often as a shortened form of Judith/Judy.
 Jude's old connections to the traitorous Judas Iscariot and Thomas Hardy's tragic Jude the Obscure have mostly faded from memory, though don't be shocked if Grandma objects to the name on these grounds.

Jude

Liam is the top boys' name in the US, holding the Number 1 spot for the past seven years and also ranking as one of the most popular boys' names around the western world.
 Liam originated as a short form of Uilliam, the Irish variation of William. William is an English name from Germanic roots that was brought to Ireland when the British fled England following the Norman Conquest. The Irish began using English names, including William, which led to the development of Uilliam and its short form, Liam.
 Internationally, Liam is enjoying great popularity not only in the U.S. and its native Ireland, but in countries as diverse as Italy and Israel, Chile and Croatia. If you're looking for a boys' name that will easily translate across many languages and cultures, you can't do better than Liam.
 Irish-born actor Liam Neeson was instrumental in driving Liam up the charts, as was former Oasis member Liam (born William) Gallagher, and, more recently, One Direction member Liam Payne. Celebrities who have chosen Liam for their sons include Tori Spelling, Calista Flockhart, Rod Stewart, Kevin Costner and Craig Ferguson.
 Jaunty and richly textured, Liam holds solidly to the title of most popular boys' name starting with the letter L.

Liam

Lior is a unisex name frequently heard in Israel, capturing the popular light theme through its meaning.  For English speakers, the one down side is possible pronunciation confusion with "liar," though it's really lee-OR, with a long e sound and emphasis on the second syllable.

Lior

The related Lucas and Luke are both hugely popular boy names in the US and internationally, and now Luca has joined them on boys' popularity lists around the world.

That's an astonishing success story for a name that was virtually unknown a generation ago. Only 13 baby boys were named Luca in the US in 1980, and by 1990 it was still only 32. But by the turn of the century, Luca took off and has now surpassed his more familiar brother Luke in the US.

Boy names ending in vowel sounds may have felt too feminine to early generations who lived by more conventional gender rules. And that old school he-man America also may have rejected names like Luca for being too "foreign". But in this era of Noah and Mateo, Elijah and Ezra, Luca has finally found widespread acceptance.
Along with its popularity in the US, Luca ranks highly in a range of countries that speak English, Spanish, French, and German, among others. While Luca is technically related to Luke and Lucas and so takes their ancient Roman habitational meaning, you might also see it as a relative of Lucius or Lucian, meaning light.
 Colin Firth and his Italian wife chose Luca for one of their sons, as did Hilary Duff, Vincent d'Onofrio, Rebecca Minkoff, and Jacinda Barrett and Gabriel Macht.

Luca

Morgan, once split evenly between the sexes, is a strong and attractive Welsh favorite, still a common <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a> in Wales. Morgan is now more often a girls' name in the U.S. – about 2000 girls were given the name in one recent year, vs. 362 boys – though it's one of the most traditional unisex choices. Morgan was actually a Top 200 pick for boys in Victorian Britain!
 Distinguished actor Morgan Freeman is a worthy male namesake.

Morgan

Niall is pronounced nye-al--something like Neil, but this Irish spelling of the name makes it much more current and cool.
 This is an ancient name borne by several of the high kings of Tara, the most famous of whom was the powerful semi-mythological fifth century king known as Niall of the Nine Hostages, ancestor of all the O'Neills and MacNeills that followed.
 Niall Ferguson is a respected English historian, one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2004.

Niall

Noah is nearly a patriarch of popular baby names at this point, going from Old Testament graybeard to Top 10 name in 2009, hitting Number 1 in 2013, and now settled into second place in the US for the past seven years. 

Noah was derived from the Hebrew name Noach, which itself came from the root nuach, meaning "rest." In the bible, Noah was deemed the only righteous man of his time, singled out by God to survive the great flood sent to punish the world. He built his famous ark, onto which he herded a pair of every animal.
 
A generation or two ago, Noah seemed far too antiquated to become a popular name. But now, along with brethren Abraham, Moses, and even Elijah, it's eminently baby-worthy. 
 
Noah's popularity is widely international, ranking highly in all English-speaking countries along with France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Noah is also a top name in countries as diverse as Belgium and Brazil, Norway and Chile.
 
Actor Rupert Graves and singer Michael Buble both have sons named Noah. Billy Ray Cyrus, responsible for the name Miley, crossed gender lines to call another of his daughters Noah. 
 
The feminine homonym Noa -- which isn't a form of the Biblical male Noah (it's a separate female name from the Old Testament) -- is currently the most popular girls' name in Israel. And Noah itself, with its vowel ending, is evidence of the trend toward softer sounds in boys' names, along with brothers Joshua and Asher.
While variation Noa is an actual girls' name drawn from a female figure in the Bible, it is sometimes used as a sleekened spelling of Noah.

Noah

Oliver is an international star, ranking near the top of the charts in the US and throughout the English-speaking world, along with a host of European and Latin American countries, from Norway to Chile, Slovenia to Switzerland.
 
Long a popular choice in England, Australia and New Zealand, Oliver entered the list of Top 100 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy names</a> in the U.S. for the first time in 2009, but has already jumped to the top of the charts. Why? Because Oliver is energetic and good-natured, stylish but classic, with a meaning symbolizing peace and fruitfulness. 
 
Oliver derives from Olivier, the Norman French variation of the Ancient Germanic name Alfihar ("elf army") or the Old Norse Áleifr ("ancestor's relic"), from which comes Olaf. Olivier emerged as the dominant spelling for its associations with the Latin word oliva, meaning "olive tree."

Oliver was used as a given name in medieval England after the spread of the French epic poem ‘La Chanson de Roland,’ which features a character named Olivier. It lost favor after the seventeenth century rule of Oliver Cromwell, then was revived in the nineteenth century. 

Oliver's biggest boost in this country came from the hit book and movie Love Story, which also catapulted the name Jennifer to stardom. Notable namesakes range from Oliver Wendell Holmes to Oliver Hardy to Oliver Stone. In fiction, there is Oliver Twist, and Oliver is also a Harry Potter name.
 Oliver works particularly well with single-syllable surnames, as in Oliver Stone, North and Puck (son of Wolfgang). Other celebrities who have chosen Oliver include Bridget Fonda, Fred Savage, Stephen Stills, and Taylor Hawkes. 
 International forms include the French Olivier, the Spanish Olivero, and the Italian Oliviero.
 Parents considering Oliver for their sons might consider that with Olivia at the top of the charts for girls, there will be an awful lot of children with names starting with Oliv-.

Oliver

Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones.
 The Greek mythological Orion was the legendary hunter who pursued the seven daughters of Atlas, was slain by the goddess Artemis, and then placed as one of the brightest constellations in the night sky by Zeus.
 Mark Twain had a brother named Orion, and Chris "Big" Noth picked the name for his son. It is also a Harry Potter name.
 Orion's Gaelic connection to O'Ryan/Ryan makes it familiar as well as unusual.

Orion

Perseus is a godly Greek hero (he was a son of Zeus) whose ancient name just might have modern possibilities along with other so-old-they're-new-again names such as Atticus and Orion. 

Perseus

Effortlessly cool with a hint of the mystical, Phoenix rolls a lot of trends into one: it's a place-name and a bird name, it ends in the stylish letter x, it's got in-built nicknames, and it's unisex too. Familiar but not over-popular, Phoenix ranks in the US and UK Top 1000s.
 
The name Phoenix is associated with an immortal bird from Greek and Egyptian mythology, which having lifted for several centuries would catch fire, then rise from its own ashes. This cycle would endlessly repeat, and therefore, Phoenix is tied to fresh starts, rejuvenation and beginning again after loss. 
 
Phoenix is also linked to the US city in Arizona, named as such because the area was abandoned when settlers found it, and it was seen as a new city born from the ruins of another.
 
Phoenix is a statistically unisex name, though it does tilt slightly towards the boys' side. In 2023, it was given to 1200 boys compared to 860 girls.

A celebrity favorite and a regular feature in pop culture, from Phoenix Wright in video game franchise, Ace Attorney, to a song by the Gorillaz, Phoenix remains an approachable but cool option.

Phoenix

Rupert is a charming-yet-manly name long more popular in Britain (where it's attached to a beloved cartoon bear) than in the U.S. Yet we can see Rupert as a more stylish, modern way to honor an ancestral Robert.
 Rupert has been more visible in this country of late via Rupert Grint, portrayer of Harry Potter's Ron Weasley and the character Rupert Giles, mentor of Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as actors Rupert Everett and Rupert Graves--not to mention media mogul Rupert Murdoch. 
 Off the US popularity lists since the early fifties, Rupert ranks high on Nameberry--at Number 170.

Rupert

Sebastian is an ancient martyr's name turned literary, and Little Mermaid hero—think Sebastian the Crab—that's more popular than ever, as a classic-yet-unconventional compatriot for fellow British favorites T Theodore and Oliver.
 Sebastian is derived from the Greek Sebastianos, meaning "from Sebastia." Sebastia was a city in Asia Minor—modern day Sivas, Turkey. Sebastian is a name with a substantial history, first as the third-century martyr whose sufferings were a favorite subject of medieval artists, then as the name of memorable characters in such varied works as Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and The Tempest and Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited.
 Sebastian is high on the lists in countries as widespread as Austria, Denmark, Romania, Australia and Chile. Some more down-to-earth nicknames for the relatively elaborate Sebastian not often heard in this country are Seb, Baz and Bas. 
Several celebs have chosen the sophisticated Sebastian for their sons, including James Spader, Kim Fields, Malin Akerman and Tommy Hilfiger.

Sebastian

The name of several ancient kings and princes of Ireland, Tadhg became so common at one point that it was used to represent a kind of Irish Gaelic everyman, or man in the street, as Paddy and Mick would later. Tadhg has seen a major resurgence in recent years and is also now ranked in England. 

It is sometimes used as the Irish equivalent of Timothy and is also anglicized as Teague and Thaddeus. Tadleigh and Thad are pet forms. Pronunciation is like tide ending with a g.

Tadhg

A solid classic with plenty of history, Thomas strikes the balance between strength and gentleness. A favorite in the UK, a staple in France, and Australia, and never absent from the US Top 100, Thomas feels like a safe bet and a name that fits into any era. 
The Greek form of the Aramaic name Ta’oma, Thomas means “twin.” It came about in the Bible because there were too many apostles called Judas, and so, Thomas became the “twin”, to reflect his close brotherhood with Jesus. 
Known as “Doubting Thomas” due to his initial skepticism of Jesus’s resurrection, he went on to become a martyr, and there was no need to doubt Thomas’s potential as a given name. 
Brought into common usage by the Normans, it was then always among the 5 most common English names for boys at any point between the 13th and 19th century. 
While it has fallen down the US charts in recent years, it remains a familiar and trusted choice. Given to over 6000 boys every year, it has made a steady climb back into the Top 50. 
Across the pond in the UK, both Thomas and Tommy make the Top 30, while Tom, Tommy-Lee and Tommie have made their mark in the Top 1000. 
As a well-established classic, Thomas naturally comes with plenty of noteworthy namesakes. “Thomas the Tank Engine” might appeal to you kids, but there’s also the theologian, Sir Thomas Aquinas, the cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson. the philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, and the writer, Thomas Hardy. 
More recent namesakes for those who aren’t into history include actors Tom Hardy, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hiddleston, singers Tom Parker and Tom Fletcher, Olympic diver Tom Daley, and Thomas Sanders, of YouTube fame. 
A timeless all-rounder, Thomas comes with the intuitive nicknames, Tommy and Tom, which feel sweet for a child but not too cutesy for a grown-up. For more unexpected options, you could try the nature-inspired Moss or Scottish Tam. 
Unlikely to go out of style anytime soon, Thomas is a refined but approachable choice. If the popularity does give you pause, however, you could try the surname-inspired Thompson, or an <a href=“https://nameberry.com/list/492/100-classic-boys-names--below-the-top-1000/all”> underused classic</a> like Marius, Rufus, or Phinneas. 
Alternatively, there is a wealth of interesting variants to ponder, from Italian Tommaso and Scottish Tavish to Croatian Tomo– and for girls, there’s Thomasina, Tomine and Tamsin.

Thomas

Kyla12's list "Handsome Gentlemen" of 30 great name ideas: Amadeus - Thomas!