9 Letter Boy Names

No matter how much you love the novels of Papa H., don't saddle your son with this unwieldy appellation.

Spartacus is the famous name of an ancient Roman slave -- and star of his own eponymous TV series! -- who led a slave revolt and became a renowned gladiator, only to die in the ring. Not considered baby-appropriate for centuries, Spartacus just might rise again along with the names of his fellow gladiators.

Dark.

Hippolyte is the name of an Amazonian princess AND her son, both unfortunate mythical figures. The name Hippolyte, later borne by several saints, is a not an uncommon boys' name in France, but has barely set foot on American soil and is unlikely to do so. It was the middle name of famed French playwright Jean Giraudoux.

For die-hard Fleetwood Mac fans, though Fleet is definitely a cool short form.

Androgeus was a Cretan prince—the son of King Minos. He is known for being murdered in Athens, although the way in which he died is contested.

This uppity name has been a fast climber in recent years, but we still think it's a bit much. Even abroad, where the connection to the prestigious university will be weaker, any name beginning with "Prince" will sound pretentious.

Old southern name too close to "philanderer".

Highly unlikely philosophical choice.

This bold name may derive either from Latin vesper "west, evening" or vespa "wasp". It was borne by a 1st-century Roman emperor, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, the founder of the Flavian dynasty.

The bright yellow weed lends itself to a creative baby name, although we don't recommend the nickname Dandy.

This name of an early Greek Christian philosopher comes with a wizened, ancient air about it. Still, perhaps the nickname Ari might help it work for a baby to grow into.

One of several more venerable names that get to the nickname Zack if you're tired of Zachary. In the New Testament, Zacharias was the husband of Elizabeth and father of John the Baptist.

Sovereign is a new addition to the baby name lexicon, recently used by such celebrity parents as Cam Newton and Usher for their daughters. But don't mistake it for an exclusively feminine name — part of Sovereign's appeal is its gender-neutral status, as it's given to roughly equal numbers of girls and boys each yera.

Dutch form of Valentine

No guarantee of a fellowship.

Knowledge is a word name that's on an upward trend for boys, in 2021 hovering just below the Top 1000 in the US. And if Maverick, Legend, and Justice can be popular baby names, why not Knowledge? It's an important quality for any child to possess, via their name as well as their brain.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an Akkadian poem from Mesopotamia and one of the oldest works of literature that survives today. It follows the story of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian king who journeys to find the secret to immortality. Gilgamesh's name is so strongly tied to the epic, that it would be difficult to wear by anyone else.

One of the rarest Bert names, Engelbert has been used at least since the time of Charlemagne and is the name of several saints. But mostly, it's impossible not to associate it with Engelbert Humperdinck, both the German composer and the British pop singer (born Arnold Dorsey) who borrowed his name.