Names Ending in M for Boys

The Ephram spelling, a phonetic spin on the original, may gain ground as it's the one used for the hero's name in the novel Ruby by Cynthia Bond, the new pick for Oprah's book club.

Tim is a boyish short form very rarely given on its own.

Popular name in the Netherlands that's arguably more attractive than the original Shem, who was one of the biblical sons of Noah. A Sam alternative, though you'll forever be explaining it.

Muhammad approved all ninety-nine attributes of Allah as worthy names, and this is one of the most popular. It was in the US Top 1000 for the first time since 1998 in 2016, when it was one of the 10 fastest-rising boys' names. Perhaps the most well known person in America with the name is former Houston Rockets center and Basketball Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon.

Laid-back and humble, with a distinctive down-home charm.

A softer take on Joaquin or a quirkier version of Joachim, depending on how you look at it.

Lem is a corn-cob pipe-smoking, back porch-rocking nickname name. But we predict as Sam and Gus become ho-hum, more parents will look to Lem.

An underused Biblical name borne by a New Testament prophet, Nahum feels like a good option for parents looking for a rare but traditional name that fits in with current trends.

Elam is the name of no fewer than eight Old Testament figures. The most notable was a grandson of Noah whose followers were dubbed the Elamites. Elam is commonly used in Amish communities today.

A bit slight to put directly on the birth certificate, but Dom is a pleasant nickname for a boy or a girl.

Cameron is still more popular as a boy's name than a girls and this simple, snappy short form works well for either sex.

One of the most familiar, and assertive, names found throughout the Middle East and India, with a macho soap opera aura in this country.

Shyam is one of the alternate names of Hindu God Krishna.

Popularized in Scotland by Tam O'Shanter, the hero of one of Robert Burns' most famous poems, it's associated in the U.S. with the plaid cap he gave his name to.

Slim may be too on-the-nose for the child of two beautiful models, but it's the name Nara Pellman and Lucky Blue Smith chose for their son, Slim Easy. Smith, who has daughters named Gravity Blue and Rumble Honey, is known for choosing outrageous word names. But Slim — when pronounced as "SLEEM" — can also be a short form of the Arabic name Slimane. This origin is shared with Pellman's middle name, Aziza.

With Levi in vogue and country names on trend, Denim could fit in among the Waylons, Walkers, Coltons, and Rhetts. As a boys name, it brings to mind the qualities of the fabric: hardworking, cool and versatile. Singer Toni Braxton chose this name for her son in 2001, and parents have been using it for boys and girls ever since.

The Old Norse god Óthinn was also known by the epithet Grímr — translated into Middle English as Grim.

If you want to go waaaaay beyond William, consider this Welsh form, which can also be spelled Gwilym, Gwilim, or Gwillym.

Peaked in the 1940s, but still an amiable classic, a la Joe and Tom -- though rarely used on its own.