My Complete List of Boy's Names

This is my current complete list of my favorite boys' names, all 39 of them. To start, a breakdown of what each listing means.


(7) Simon (Sam) Hearing, listening.
Famous Bearers: Two apostles, Simon Peter and Simon the Zealot, as well as a man who carried Jesus's cross for him; Jewish hero Simon Wiesenthal, who survived 12 Holocaust camps and spent the rest of his life tracking down Nazis; the children’s game Simon Says; and the nursery rhyme character Simple Simon. Surname of songwriters Paul Simon and Carly Simon.
BNW: Lydia, Anna, Eliza, Julia, Eve, Julian, Miles, Calvin. Biblical, English, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 246. Widest Useage: 1890s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 7 points).

The first number in parentheses refers to how this name ranks in comparison with other names on my list. Simon is a 7, on a scale from one to ten. The name in parentheses on the first line is my preferred nickname(s) for the name. The information in italics is the meaning of the name, mostly gathered from the website Behind the Name (http://www.behindthename.com/).
The famous bearers lists notable people with this first name from the fields of art, literature, politics, math & science, popular culture, and religion. It occasionally includes interesting trivia facts associated with a particular name as well.
The next section of information is compiled from The Baby Name Wizard, by Laura Wattenberg. In her book, Wattenberg classifies a large selection of names into groups based on their history, ethnic background, and current useage trends. For example, Simon is listed in BNW in the Biblical, English, and Timeless groups: Biblical, for obvious reasons; English, because many Americans associate it with Great Britain; and Timeless because it is not dated to a particular era (compare it to names like Hilda and Tucker to see what I mean). Wattenberg used a computer program to determine the "brother and sister" names for each name listed in her book. These are names with the same general feel, to give parents more options. The names listed are the Brother and Sister names for Simon (or the names that have Simon listed as a brother) that appear on my list in their own right.
I also have the popularity data listed for America as of 2006 (names are ranked 1 to 1000). Widest Useage refers to when the name reached its popularity peak-- I determined this using another computer program of Wattenberg's, the Name Voyager, which is online here: http://www.babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/. In Use refers to how long this name has been in the top 1000 in America. Social Security tracking of names began in the 1890s, so that is the earliest possible era available. Lastly, I have calculated whether the name is moving up, down, or holding steady popularity-wise in America. Simon is currently on an upswing-- it has moved up 7 places in 2006. (Holding steady means the name has moved less than five places in either direction.) For names that do not appear in the American Top 1000, I may have popularity data from other countries as applicable.


(5) Abraham (Bram) Father of many.
Famous Bearers: The Biblical Abraham, seen as the father of both Judaism and Islam; President Abraham Lincoln, remembered for ending slavery in the U.S.; Abraham "Bram" Stoker, the author of Dracula; Abraham Ortelius, a cartographer who created the first modern atlas in the 1500s. Occasionally used as a surname, as with actor F. Murray Abraham.
BNW: Ezra, Jonas. Antique Charm, Biblical.
Popularity: In 2006: 183. Widest Useage: 2000s. In use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 10 points).

(3) Adrian (Ren) From Hadria (Northern Italy) or of the Adriatic Sea region.
Famous Bearers: Six popes; Flemish composer Adrian Willaert.
BNW: Marina, Damian, Dominic, Julian, Miles. Antique Charm, Saints, Shakespearean (The Tempest, Coriolanus).
Popularity: In 2006: 63. Widest Useage: 2000s. In use since the 1890s. Holding steady (up 2 points).

(4) August (Gus) Great or venerable.
Famous Bearers: The eighth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar. Sculptor Auguste Rodin; painter Auguste Renoir; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson; Swedish playwright August Strindberg.
BNW: Annora. Modern Meanings, Charms & Graces, Ladies & Gentlemen.
Popularity: In 2006: 618. Widest Useage: 1890s. In use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 16 points).

(6) Callum (Cal) Dove
BNW: Fiona, Maeve. Celtic, Why Not.
Popularity: Never in the Top 1000. In the top 20 in England and Scotland; in the top 100 in Australia and Ireland.

(5) Calvin (Cal) Bald.
Famous Bearers: President Calvin Coolidge; Bill Watterson's comics character, Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes. Also used as a surname, as in John Calvin, leader of the Protestant Reformation.
BNW: Elaine, Susanna, Lydia, Rosemary, Simon. Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 220. Widest Useage: 1920s. In Use since the 1890s. Holding steady. (3)

(3) Conrad (Rad, Kurt) Bold counsel.
Famous Bearers: Five German kings in the Middle Ages; poet Conrad Aikens; Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotel chain. Occasionally used as a surname, as with the novelist Joseph Conrad.
BNW: Frances. Ladies & Gentlemen, Shakespearean (Much Ado About Nothing).
Popularity: In 2006: 788. Widest Useage: 1930s. In Use since the 1890s. On a sharp upswing (up 45 points).

(2) Damian (Dimi) One who tames or subdues.
Famous Bearers: Father Damien, a Catholic famous missionary to the lepers; the name of the Son of Satan in the 1976 film The Omen.
BNW: Anastasia, Adrian, Dominic, Elias. Exotic Traditional, Saints.
Popularity: In 2006: 136. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1950s. On an upswing (up 20 points).

(9) David (Vid, Davy) Beloved.
Famous Bearers: The Biblical King David, the most righteous king of Israel and a forebearer of Jesus Christ; the name of Michelangelo's famous sculpture, inspired by the Biblical character; David Ben-Gurion, founder and first prime minister of the nation of Israel; David Sarnoff, founder of NBC; Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume; early director David W. Griffith; writer and novelist David Herbert (D.H.) Lawrence; director David Lean; musician David Bowie; talk show host David Letterman; playwright David Mamet; humorist David Sedaris; the hero of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield.
BNW: Maria. Biblical, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 13. Widest Useage: 1960s. In Use since the 1890s. Holding steady.

(3) Desmond (Des) From South Munster (a province in Ireland).
Famous Bearers: South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner.
BNW: Malcolm. African American, Celtic, Exotic Traditional.
Popularity: In 2006: 464. Widest Useage: 1990s. In Use since the 1950s. On a slight upswing (up 9 points).

(6) Dimitri (Dimi) Follower of Demeter (the Greek goddess of agriculture).
Famous Bearers: Dmitriy Mendeleev, the Russian chemist who devised the periodic tables; composer Dmitri Shostakovich.
BNW: Anastasia, Dominic. Exotic Traditional, Greek, Slavic.
Popularity: Not in the Top 1000. Widest Useage: 1990s. In Use since the 1990s. Fell out of the Top 1000 in 2006.

(7) Dominic (Nico, Nick, Dom) Of the Lord.
Famous Bearers: The name of several saints, including the founder of the Dominican Order (a Catholic religious group famed for its intellectual traditions); Dominica and the Dominican Republic are island nations in the Caribbean. Traditionally given to a child born on a Sunday.
BNW: Anastasia, Genevieve, Julian, Adrian, Elias, Dimitri. Antique Charm, Exotic Traditionals, Saints.
Popularity: In 2006: 85. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1890s. Holding steady.

(8) Edmund (Ned) Wealthy protector.
Famous Bearers: Explorer Edmund Hillary (first to summit Mount Everest); the English poet Edmund Spenser; philosophers Edmund Burke and Edmund Husserl; astronomer Edmund Halley, for whom Halley's Comet is named; and the jealous, villainous younger brother in Shakespeare's King Lear.
BNW: Matilda, Estella. English, Ladies and Gentlemen, Saints, Why Not.
Popularity: Not in Top 1000. Widest Useage: 1910s. In Use since the 1890s. Fell out of the Top 1000 in 1997.

(4) Elias (Eli) My God is Yahweh.
Famous Bearers: Inventor of the sewing machine, Elias Howe.
BNW: Julian, Dominic, Damian, Ezra. Antique Charm, Exotic Traditional, Greek, Saints.
Popularity: In 2006: 186. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1890s. Holding steady (up 3 points).

(5) Elliott (El, Elly) My God is Yahweh.
Famous Bearers: Songwriter Elliott Smith; famous FBI agent Eliot Ness; the young hero of the film E.T. Occasionally used as a surname, as with the poet T.S. Elliot.
BNW: Celia, Susanna, Miles. Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 388. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 26 points).

(6) Ezra (Ez) Help.
Famous Bearers: Biblical prophet and author of the Book of Ezra, who led Israelite exiles from Babylon to their home city of Jerusalem; poet Ezra Pound; Ezra Cornell, a co-founder of Western Union and Cornell University; alt rock band Better than Ezra.
BNW: Hugo, Jonas, Elias, Moses, Abraham. Antique Charm, Biblical, Exotic Traditional.
Popularity: In 2006: 340. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 9 points).

(9) Frank Spear; or Frenchman.
Famous Bearers: Musicians Frank Sinatra and Frank Zappa; architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry; director Frank Capra; authors L. Frank Baum and Frank McCourt; poet Frank O’Hara; Alabama judge Frank Johnson, who presided in many landmark Civil Rights cases; Broadway composer Frank Loesser. Occasionally used as a surname, as in the diarist Anne Frank. The Franks were a tribe of people in ancient Europe who formed an empire in what is today France and Germany.
BNW: Henry. Nicknames, Solid Citizens.
Popularity: In 2006: 245. Widest Useage: 1890s. In Use since the 1890s. On a downswing (down 14 points).

(8) George (Georgie, Geo) Farmer.
Famous Bearers: The patron saint of England, famous for slaying a dragon representing Satan; three US presidents (Washington and the two Bushes); baseball player George "Babe" Ruth; inventor George Eastman, founder of Kodak; playwright George Bernard Shaw; director George Cukor; composers George Frideric Handel and George Gershwin; musician George Harrison; actor George Clooney; comedian George Carlin; and the children's book character Curious George. Used as a pen name by authors George Orwell, George Sand, and George Eliot.
BNW: Mary, Henry, Walter. Ladies and Gentlemen, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 153. Widest Useage: 1890s. In Use since the 1890s. On a downswing (down 14 points).

(5) Henry (Hal, Hank, Harry) Home ruler.
Famous Bearers: Eight kings of England, seven kings of Germany, and six kings of France; authors Henry James, Henry Fielding, Henry David Thoreau, Henry Louis (H.L.) Mencken, and Henry Miller; poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; artists Henri Matisse, Henri Toulosse-Latrec, and Henri Rousseau; industrialist Henry Ford; actor Henry Fonda; baseball player Henry "Hank" Aaron; and four historical plays by William Shakespeare, based on kings Henry IV, V, VII, and VIII.
BNW: Eleanor, Anna, Sophie, Celia, George, Walter, Frank. Ladies and Gentlemen, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 95. Widest Useage: 1890s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 7 points).

(5) Hugo (Go) Heart, mind, or spirit; bright in mind; a thinker.
Famous Bearers: Author Hugo Gernsback, called the Father of Science Fiction, for whom an award honoring the genre's authors is named; actor Hugo Weaving. Surname of author Victor Hugo.
BNW: Eliza, Clementine, Ezra, Oscar. French, Ladies and Gentlemen, Latino/Latina.
Popularity: In 2006: 371. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1890s. Holding steady.

(8) Isaiah (Ike, Zay) God is salvation; salvation of god.
Famous Bearers: A major prophet of the Old Testament and the author of the Book of Isaiah; political philosopher Isaiah Berlin.
BNW: Raphael. African-American, Antique Charm, Biblical.
Popularity: In 2006: 40. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 5 points).

(10) James (Jamie, Jem, Jimmy) Holder of the heel, supplanter.
Famous Bearers: Two apostles in the New Testament; five kings of Scotland and two kings of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland; six U.S. presidents (Garfield, Buchanan, Madison, Monroe, Polk, and Carter); novelists James Joyce and JM Barrie; poet James Wright; actors James Stewart and James Dean; musicians James Taylor, James Brown, and Jimi Hendrix; directors James Cameron and James L. Brooks. Surname of author Henry James and singer Etta James.
BNW: Mary, Thomas. Biblical, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 16. Widest Useage: 1940s. In Use since the 1890s. Holding steady (up 1 point).

(7) Jonas (Joe) Dove.
Famous Bearers: Jonas Salk, the scientist who developed the first polio vaccine; the young hero of Lois Lowry's The Giver.
BNW: Eve, Eliza, Abraham, Ezra. Antique Charm, Biblical.
Popularity: In 2006: 357. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 30 points).

(6) Julian (Jude, Jules) Downy-beared or youthful.
Famous Bearers: Two Roman emperors; evolutionary biologist Julian Huxley, co-founder of the World Wildlife Fund; Nobel Prize-winning physicist Julian Schwinger.
BNW: Anna, Adrian, Dominic, Elias, Miles, Simon, Vincent. Antique Charm, English, Saints, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 65. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 9 points).

(6) Kieran (Kier) Little dark one.
Famous Bearers: Anglicization of Ciaran, the name of five Christian saints; actor Kieran Culkin.
BNW: Maeve. Bell Tones, Celtic, The -Ens, Saints.
Popularity: In 2006: 566. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1990s. On an upswing (up 7 points).

(7) Leo Lion.
Famous Bearers: A constellation of the zodiac, used in astrology to represent those born from July 23-August 22. Thirteen popes; six Byzantine emperors; novelist Leo Tolstoy; Leo Baekeland, the inventor of plastic; pioneering ad exec Leo Burnett; physicist Leo Szilard, who conceived the nuclear chain reaction.
BNW: Lucy, Sophie, Flora, Sam, Oliver, Theo. Antique Charm, Guys and Dolls, Saints.
Popularity: In 2006: 236. Widest Useage: 1900s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 23 points).

(3) Malcolm (Mal, Cal) St. Columba's disciple.
Famous Bearers: Malcolm X, a black civil rights leader; four kings of Scotland, one of whom appears in Shakespeare's Macbeth; actor Malcolm McDowell; publisher Malcolm Forbes; the lead character in the cancelled TV sitcom Malcolm in the Middle.
BNW: Fiona, Desmond, Miles. African American, Celtic, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 545. Widest Useage: 1920s. In Use since the 1890s. On a slight downswing (down 6 points).

(4) Miles (Milo) Possibly soldier, merciful, or eager to please.
Famous Bearers: Musician Miles Davis; military advisor to the Pilgrims, Miles Standish; a unit of measurement for distance.
BNW: Sophie, Lydia, Eve, Simon, Malcolm, Julian, Adrian, Elliott. Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 202. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 8 points).

(10) Moses (Mose, Mo) Son; saviour; delivered; saved from the water.
Famous Bearers: A Biblical prophet who led the Jews out of captivity in Egypt and received the Ten Commandments from God. Traditionally considered the transcriber of the first five books of the Bible, he is also an important prophet in the Islamic faith. Jewish philosopher Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, famous for his pioneering 12th century writings on logic, mathematics, medicine, and law; Rabbi Moses de Leon, author of the Zorah, the foundation of the Jewish mystical tradition Kabbalah.
BNW: Ezra. Biblical, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 445. Widest Useage: 1890s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 82 points).

(5) Oliver (Liv) Olive tree; or possibly elf army.
Famous Bearers: English military and political leader Oliver Cromwell; comedian Oliver Hardy of Laurel & Hardy; poet Oliver Wendell Holmes; director Oliver Stone; writer Oliver Goldsmith; the reformed villian of Shakespeare's As You Like It; the protagonist in Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, made into the musical Oliver! Surname of poet Mary Oliver.
BNW: Lucy, Sophie, Georgia, Nora, Leo. Antique Charm, English, Saints, Shakespearean (As You Like It).
Popularity: In 2006: 173. Widest Useage: 1890s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 36 points).

(7) Oscar Deer lover, or possibly god spear.
Famous Bearers: In Irish legend, the son of the poet Oisin and the grandson of the hero Fionn mac Cumhail; writer Oscar Wilde; lyricist Oscar Hammerstein; Holocaust hero Oskar Schindler, the basis of the film Schindler's List; the children's TV character Oscar the Grouch; the nickname for the most prominent film award in the United States; and Oscar Mayer, a brand of processed meat products.
BNW: Lucy, Lydia, Maeve, Hugo. Antique Charm, Latino/Latina, Scandinavian.
Popularity: In 2006: 118. Widest Useage: 1890s. In Use since the 1890s. Holding steady (down 2 points).

(6) Peter (Pet, Piet, Terry) Stone or rock.
Famous Bearers: The most prominent of Jesus's disciples, considered by some to be the first pope; Peter the Great, czar of Russia; artist Peter Paul Rubens; actors Peter O'Toole and Peter Sellers; directors Peter Jackson and Peter Weir; journalist Peter Jennings; the boy hero of the play Peter Pan; the main character in Beatrix Potter's children books, Peter Rabbit; the eldest of the Pevensie children in the Narnia series; and the alter ego of Spiderman, Peter Parker. Peter is occasionally used as a euphemism for a penis. As a verb, it refers to diminishment or reduction.
BNW: Mary, Thomas. Biblical, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 167. Widest Useage: 1950s. In Use since the 1890s. On a downswing (down 6 points).

(7) Raphael (Rafe, Raph, Rafa) God has healed.
Famous Bearers: One of the seven archangels in Christian tradition; the prolific Renaissance painter and architect.
BNW: Marina, Susanna, Isaiah. Biblical, Exotic Traditional, Saints, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 681. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since the 1890s. On a downswing (down 14 points).

(8) Ronan (Rone) Little seal.
Famous Bearers: Twelve Christian saints.
BNW: Celtic, Saints, The -ens.
Popularity: In 2006: 598. Widest Useage: 2000s. In Use since 2001. On an upswing (up 7 points).

(4) Sam (Sammy) Short form of Samuel, which means name of God or God has heard.
Famous Bearers: Soul singer Sam Cooke; directors Sam Raimi and Sam Mendes; businessman Sam Walton, who founded Wal-Mart; Uncle Sam, an advertising icon created to represent the U.S. government; the loyal and protective sidekick Sam(wise) Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings series.
BNW: Celia, Nora, Leo.
Popularity: In 2006: 463. Widest Useage: 1900s. In Use since the 1890s. Holding steady (down 1 point).

(7) Simon (Sam) Hearing, listening.
Famous Bearers: Two apostles, Simon Peter and Simon the Zealot, as well as a man who carried Jesus's cross for him; Jewish hero Simon Wiesenthal, who survived 12 Holocaust camps and spent the rest of his life tracking down Nazis; the children’s game Simon Says; and the nursery rhyme character Simple Simon. Surname of songwriters Paul Simon and Carly Simon.
BNW: Lydia, Anna, Eliza, Julia, Eve, Julian, Miles, Calvin. Biblical, English, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 246. Widest Useage: 1890s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 7 points).

(4) Theo (Teo) God.
BNW: May, Nell, Leo. Antique Charm, Nicknames, Why Not?
Popularity: Not in the Top 1000 in 2006. Widest Useage: 1900s. In Use since the 1890s. Fell out of the Top 1000 in 1939.

(10) Thomas (Tom, Tommy) Twin.
Famous Bearers: An apostle who doubted the resurrection of Jesus, giving rise to the expression Doubting Thomas; President Thomas Jefferson, who authored the Declaration of Independence; noted inventor Thomas Edison; philosophers Saint Thomas of Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes, and Thomas More; novelists Thomas Hardy, Thomas Malory, Tom Wolfe, and Thomas Pynchon; actor Tom Hanks; musician Tom Petty; journalist Tom Brokaw. Surname of poet Dylan Thomas and actress Kristen Scott Thomas. In popular slang, a Peeping Tom is a voyeur. An Uncle Tom is a pejorative term for an black man seen as behaving subserviently toward white people.
BNW: Mary, Peter, James. Biblical, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 51. Widest Useage: 1940s. In Use since the 1890s. On a downswing (down 11 points).

(5) Vincent (Vin) To conquer.
Famous Bearers: Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh; actor Vincent Price; Saint Vincent de Paul, whose name is associated with an international aid organization; musician Vince Gill; director Vincente Minnelli; poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (called Vincent by family and friends).
BNW: Julia, Marina, Miles, Julian. French, Saints, Timeless.
Popularity: In 2006: 108. Widest Useage: 1910s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 3 points).

(6) Walter (Walt) Ruler of the army.
Famous Bearers: Poets Walt Whitman and Sir Walter Scott; cartoonist Walt Disney; British adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh, who established the first English colony in the New World; news anchor Walter Cronkite, actor Walter Matthau; pioneering physician Walter Reed; auto company founder Walter Chrysler; major labor union leader Walter Reuther.
BNW: Frances, Henry, George. Ladies and Gentlemen.
Popularity: In 2006: 355. Widest Useage: 1890s. In Use since the 1890s. On an upswing (up 21 points).