Two Syllable Boy Names

Messer has trendy surname style, but a "messy" first syllable and sharp imagery may give some prospective parents pause. Reality star Stassi Schroeder named her son Messer Rhys in 2023, brother to Hartford Charlie Rose.

Junius is one of those names that's growing on us, along with many of its Roman countrymen such as Julius and Atticus. We once thought it was a combination of the least attractive elements of Junior and Julius but now we think...well, we think it's okay. Not great, but okay.

The name of the father of the sea nymphs -- or one of its shorter forms such as Nereo or Nerio -- would be somewhat easier for a child to carry than Neptune. The name Nereus is largely forgotten but it certainly can rise again along with Atticus and Cassius and other ancient Greek brethren.

Used much more often for girls -- about 1000 girls were named Saylor or Sailor last year, versus about 100 boys -- Saylor is a medieval German surname that means ropemaker, which is also related to the occupational name Sailor.

Iago, the villain of Shakespeare's Othello, was so treacherously evil that his name has hardly ever been heard offstage. Try the much-more-benign Inigo.

Didier is kind of a Desiree for boy--a lively, confident name that's widely used in France and has definite possibilities here. It's the name of an early French saint.

Italian classic Luigi, though it lacks the modern style of Nico, Enzo, and Rocco, does have some notable namesakes, such as Nobel Prize winning author Luigi Pirandello and composer Cherubini..

Other wild animals like Fox, Wolf and Bear are catching on as baby names, and Tiger is a rarer option with several famous namesakes, including golf champ Tiger Woods, who was born Eldrick. Other famous Tigers include Indian actor Tiger Shroff, born Jai, and British actor Tyger Drew-Honey, who spells his name with a Y.

This particular spelling of Talmadge is strongly linked to James E. Talmage, an English chemist and early leader of the LDS Church. The majority of babies named Talmage are born in Utah.

A cup-shaped flowerhead in botany, which could lead to the super cool nickname Cal.

This authentic form of the name of an Irish mythological hero with the power to make women fall instantly in love with him would work far better here as the Anglicized Dermot.

Isra is a gender-neutral Arabic name. The name of a chapter of the Quran, it refers to the Prophet's journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.

Not your typical jovial Irish surname; but has a dark, craggy appeal, and Tag as a nickname.

Nimbus is a word from nature for a type of cloud that has occasionally -- very occasionally -- been used for a human. But it's evocative and upbeat and certainly makes an intriguing and stylish nature name.

Kyro is an even more modern twist on the stylish place name, Cairo. It entered the US Top 1000 in 2019 and has been rising quickly ever since. Less popular than Kairo and Cairo, Kyro is nevertheless given to around 450 boys each year.

Lexi is technically unisex though used much more often for girls in the US, where it ranks among the female Top 100.

Melor is the name of a Breton saint who in legend was also a prince, suggesting he was the son of a Cornish king (Mylor is the Cornish variation of the name). Melor was said to have a foot and hand made of silver,

Similar to Andrew, but with a refreshingly different origin and meaning.

Egyptian mythology place-name with an intriguing sound and appealingly peaceful meaning. Update for Aaron?

Gray-bearded name heard primarily in Sweden and Germany.