Names of Nobel Prize Winners

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

The K is silent in this royal but common Scandinavian name that is, in this country, linked to a single figure -- Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. Could easily be confused with Newt.

This Akan day name is very much associated with Kofi Annan, the seventh secretary general of the United Nations. The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. Most Ghanaians have a name using this system.

German, Scandinavian and Polish spelling of Konrad, borne by several German and Polish rulers throughout history, as well as the German chancellor Konrad Adenauer.

A name that defines itself, a bit more curt in the harder K version.

Lars is a perfect candidate for a cross-cultural passport: it has been heard often enough here to sound familiar and friendly, yet retains the charisma of a charming foreigner.

First used for Norse invaders, this name, along with the similar Lachlan, is an attractive, worldly, and unusual choice — despite connections to the Nevada gambling resort.

Lawrence is the dominant spelling in the US, but in the UK Laurence and Lawrence are given in almost equal numbers each year, often with the adorable nickname Laurie or Lawrie. British actor Sir Laurence Olivier is a famous bearer.

Lech (brother of Czech and Rus) was the mythical father of the Poles, and also the name of the Polish worker-president Lech Walesa, but it still isn't a name that travels well.

A name that has a bit of a shouldn't-I-be-a-middle-name sound, though still in use as a first for both genders. Lee might be a good choice if you want something that sounds at once traditional yet modern, unisex but not newly-minted.

Popular in the first half of the 20th century, Leland briefly fell out of favor in the late 90s. After a short break from the US charts, it returned in the mid-2000s, with actor Brendan Fraser choosing it for his youngest son, possibly making it feel cool again. Given to around 500 boys each year, Leland is in the Top 600.