Two Syllable Boy Names

Ancient name, near obsolete now, but could make a good alternative to Owen for the adventurous baby namer.

One of the many names with a strong "er" sound, like Bertram and Ernest, that was huge in the 1920s and is languishing in style limbo now. One famous bearer is the physicist Erwin Schrödinger, as in Schrödinger's cat.

Two prominent literary namesakes make Gregor a somewhat risky choice. On the highbrow side, there's Gregor Samsa, the Kafka character who woke up one day to find himself turned into a cockroach. And then there's Gregor Clegane, one of the most feared and purely evil characters in the world of Game of Thrones.

Rarely used, and for good reason. Alonzo is a preferable choice.

The Latin Ramon has been in the U.S. Top 1000 since the beginning of baby-naming time, i.e. the past 130+ years. Ramon is the perfect blend of worldly and familiar, with a rocker edge via The Ramones. A cool name classic, if there ever was one.

A nature name from the Hawaiian islands that's vaguely reminiscent of trendy names like Luke and Luca. However, it's also the name of a Swedish company that makes mechanical lifts used in medical settings to move mobility-impaired patients.

The most outlandish Beatles-inspired name, if Lennon or McCartney are too tame for you. Ringo Starr is the stage name of drummer Richard Starkey, taken from his nickname Ringo (because he wore lots of rings) and the first part of his surname. A bold rock-n-roll inspired choice!

A classic Italian name still heard in the Italian-American community. Once tainted by the association with the Spanish dictator, it's now more likely to call up actor James Franco.

Lester is one of the British surname names that were popular in the US in the early decades of the twentieth century: it was in the Top 100 through 1931, reaching a high of Number 52 in 1906. But dropping of the list in the late 1990s, along with Hester and Sylvester, we don't see much hope for a return visit.

To many people, Ronald is off playing shuffleboard with Donald, though others aren't swayed by its old man image. In the Top 10 in the late 1930s through the mid-1940s, the name later came to be strongly associated with President Reagan, along with his nicknames, Ron and Ronnie—as well as with the McDonald franchise mascot. A more youthful bearer is the likable character Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series. In the early days of Hollywood, Ronald Colman was a dashing matinee idol.

Attractive, simple Japanese choice that, while not strictly unisex, could work even better for a girl, especially now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use it as the nickname for their daughter North. Nori is also the name of an edible seaweed used in wrapping sushi.

Popular in the Scandinavian countries, but in this country it would surely bring to mind the very feminine Halle Berry.

Lisa was so popular for girls in the late sixties and early seventies that according to government statistics some parents chose it for their sons, too. Either that or there were some serious mixups in the records bureau.

Very popular in France and Belgium, this name -- pronounced mat-tees, like the surname of the painter Matisse -- might make an appealing new way to say Matthew here.

Paolo is an irresistibly lush Italian name for boys, worlds more romantic than its spare English equivalent.

A less-known member of the Sasha-Misha family, deriving from Yakov, the Russian form of Jacob.

Though it was used by the Puritans in the sixteenth century, the founding of the modern Jewish state in 1948 transformed Israel from a traditional favorite into an icon of Judaism.

A charming Welsh name with a great meaning, borne by E. B. White, author of Charlotte's Web.

Names of royal ranks -- King, Prince, and yes, Baron -- have become more widely used in recent years, though they're outlawed in several countries. This spelling, the same as that of the financial publication Barrons, was used by Donald and Melania Trump for their son.

This modern Greek spelling is currently in the Top 1000 in England and Wales, and in France.