F-abulous Names

Considering how many F-names seem to be trending (Finn and variants, Flynn, Ford, Fisher, Fletcher, Felicity, Fiona, Freya), I'm surprised there aren't any except Faith in the SSA Top 100--and it's down at #91! After that, it's Finn for boys at #204 and Finley for girls at #209.
F-names were all the rage at the turn of the century (Frank, Florence, Frances/Francis, Fred, Ferdinand, Floyd, Faye, etc), and I think it's time for a comeback. ;)

(this turned into a much longer list than I had expected. How is it that there are so many F-names world-wide, but so few in use in the US?)

Boys:

• Faolán (FWEE-lawn, FWAY-lawn, Irish)--prob. "little wolf"
• Faiz (FAH-eez, Arabic)--"victorious"
• Fanuel (FAHN-oo-el, Scandinavian)--from Hebrew, "face of God"
• Faramund (FAHR-ah-mund, Germanic)--"journey protection". Old Swedish form is Farmund.
• Faris (FEHR-is, Arabic; FAH-rees, Bosnian)--from Arabic, "knight"
• Farman (FAHR-man, Scandinavian)--"traveller". Also spelled Farmann. 
• Faustin (foh-STAHN, French; FOW ['ow' like "now"] -steen, Russian)--from Latin, "lucky". Other forms include Faustyn (FOW-stin, Polish) and Faustino (fow-STEEN-oh, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish). 
• Fen (FEN, Frisian)--nickname for Germanic frid names, "peace" [coincides with an English word for a type of wetland]
• Ferapont (fyehr-ah-PAHNT, Russian)--from ancient Greek, "servant, caregiver"
• Ferris (FEHR-ris, English [surname], Irish [surname])--from French, "ironworker", or a form of Fergus
• Fife (FIFE, Scottish)--from the Scottish region, origin unknown. Also spelled Fyfe.
• Finlo (FIN-loh, Manx)--"fair Lugh" [Irish god]
• Finnegas (FIN-eh-gas, Irish [mythology])--poss. "Finn the Seer". Also written as Finegas or Finneces.
• Finnvid (FIN-vid, [somewhat archaic] Swedish)--"Finn-tree" or "magician-tree"). Other forms include Finnevid (also somewhat archaic Swedish), Finnved (archaic Norwegian), and Finwith (old Danish, old Swedish)
• Fishel (FISH-el, Yiddish)--"little fish" [also sometimes used as a nickname for Ephraim]
• Fivos (FEE-vos, Greek)--modern masculine form of Phoebe, "light"
• Flemming (FLEM-ming, Scandinavian [esp. Danish!])--"from Flanders" [probably ultimately from Old Frisian "of the flowing water"]. Also spelled Fleming. 
• Flint (FLINT, English [surname])
• Fordel (FOR-del, Norwegian)--from Germanic, "advantage"
• Fosco (FOHS-koh, Italian)--prob. from Latin, "dark"
• Fraser (FRAY-zher, FRAY-zer, Scottish, English)--also spelled Frazier
• Fredmund (FRED-moond, Norwegian)--"peace protection"
• Frey (FRAY, Danish, Swedish)--masculine of Freya "lord". Also spelled Frej.
• Fulton (FUL-ton, English [surname])

Girls:

• Fabia (FAH-bee-ah, Latin, Italian)--other forms include Fabiana (fah-bee-AH-nah, Latin, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish), Fabienne (fah-bee-EN, French), and Fabiola (fah-bee-OH-lah, Spanish, Italian).
• Fadime (fah-dee-MAY, Turkish)--form of Fatima
• Faina (fah-EE-nah, Russian)--poss. from ancient Greek Phaenna, "shining"
• Faiza (FYE-zah, Arabic)--"victorious"
• Fanchon (FAN-shawn, French)--nickname for Françoise/Frances
• Fanélie (fah-nay-LEE, French)--form of Françoise/Frances or Stéphanie
• Fara (FAH-rah, Italian, Scandinavian)--nickname for Germanic fara names, "journey"
• Fausta (FOW ['ow' like "now"] -stah, Latin, Italian)--from Latin, "lucky". Other forms include Faustine (foh-STEEN, French), Faustina (fow-STEEN-ah, Latin, Italian), and Faustyna (fow-STIN-ah, Polish). 
• Favonia (fah-VOH-nee-ah, Latin)--"favored"
• Fedea (fed-eh-ah, Basque)--"faith"
• Femke (FEM-keh, Dutch, Frisian)--nickname for Germanic frid names, "peace". [coincides with the Frisian word for "girl"]
• Fenareti (fen-ah-REH-tee, Greek)--"shining virtue". Also transliterated as Fainareti. 
• Fenna (FEN-nah, Dutch, Frisian)--another nickname for Germanic frid names, "peace". Also spelled Fenne. 
• Feray (feh-RYE, Turkish)--poss, "radiance of the moon"
• Ffion (FEE-on, Welsh)--"foxglove"
• Fia (FEE-ah, Scandinavian)--short form of Sofia
• Fiadh (FEE-ah, Irish)--"wild" or "deer"
• Fiadhnait (FYAH-nat, Irish)--"fawn"
• Fiamma (fee-AHM-mah, Italian)--"flame"
• Fiammetta (fee-ahm-MET-tah, Italian)--"little flame"
• Fiorenza (fee-oh-REN-tsah, Italian)--form of Florence. Other forms include Florentia (floh-REN-tee-ah, Latin; floh-REN-shah, English) and Florencia (floh-REN-see-ah, Spanish). 
• Fira (feer-AH, Russian)--nickname for Esfir/Esther
• Flavia (FLAH-vee-ah, Latin, Spanish, Italian)--from Latin, "golden, yellow". Other forms include Flavie (flah-VEE, French), Flavienne (flah-vee-EN, French), and Flaviana (flah-vee-AH-nah, Latin, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese).
• Freydis (FRAY-dis, Norwegian)--"lady goddess". Another form is Frøydis (FROOY [somewhere between English "ay" and "oy"] -dis). 

Unisex:

• Farah (FAH-rah, Arabic)--"joy". Also spelled Farrah. 
• Firdaus (FEER-dohs, Arabic; fur-DOHS, Persian)--"paradise". Also transliterated as Firdos. [definitely unisex, although more common for boys, in Arabic; might be exclusively masculine in Persian]

-Ric Rollin'

Haha, now that song's in your head!

I love a good -ric name. And unlike many constructions, this one is pretty much exclusively male (well, I did turn up modern unisex word-name Lyric, Irish girls' name Aifric, and Thai girls' name Bundarik, but that's it!).
Eric was a 70s/80s staple, Frederick's been on the downswing for the last century, Patrick is my age (or my parents'), and Maverick is quickly scaling the US charts.
While relatively uncommon today, -rich/ric names used to be fairly widespread in Europe, thanks to good ol' Proto-Germanic, where '-rich' meant "ruler" or "power".

• Adalrich (AHD-al-rik, Germanic)--"noble ruler"
• Alaric (AL-ah-rik, English)--from Germanic "ruler of all"
• Alberich (AHL-beh-rikh, German)--original form of Aubrey
• Aldric (ahl-DREEK, French)--from Germanic "old power". Other forms include Aldéric (ahl-day-REEK) and Audric (oh-DREEK).
• Amalric (AHM-al-rik, ah-MAHL-rik, Germanic, ah-mahl-REEK, French)--from Germanic "work power". One of the possible sources for Emmerich/Emery.
• Ardaric (AR-dah-rik, Germanic)--poss. "brave power"
• Athanaric (ah-THAN-ar-ik, Germanic)
• Baderich (BAH-der-ik. Germanic)--"battle ruler"
• Baldric (BAHL-drik, English)--from Germanic "bold power"
• Berich (BEHR-ik, Germanic)--"bear ruler"
• Brunric (BROON-rik, Germanic)--"armor ruler" or poss. "brown ruler"
• Bystrík (BIS-treek, Slovak)--poss. "quick-witted"
• Cedric (SED-rik, English)
• Cenric (KEN-rik, Old English)--"bold power". One of the sources of surname Kendrick. 
• Cyneric (KIN-eh-rik, Old English)--"royal power". Another possible source for Kendrick.
• Eboric (EB-or-ik, Germanic)--"boar power"
• Edric (ED-rik, Old English)--"wealth ruler"
• Elric (EL-rik, English)--either from Old English Alfric (AL-frik) "elf power" or Athelric (ATH-el-rik) "noble power"
• Embrik (EM-brik, Norwegian)
• Erchamrich (EHR-kam-rik, Germanic)--"chief ruler"
• Ermenrich (EHR-men-rik, Germanic)--"great ruler" Another possible source for Emmerich/Emery.
• Emmerich (EM-er-ikh, German)--other forms include Émeric (ay-meh-REEK, French) and Aymeric (eh-muh-REEK, French).
• Garrick (GEHR-ik, English)--from Occitan "oak tree", or possibly Germanic "spear power"
• Genseric (GEN-ser-ik, Germanic)--poss. "spear power". Variants include Gaiseric (GYE-ser-ik), and Geiserich (GYE-ser-ikh, German)
• Godric (GAHD-rik, English)
• Guerric (gehr-REEK, French)
• Gumerich (GOO-mehr-ik, Germanic)--"ruler of man"
• Gunderic (GOON-deh-rik, Germanic)--"war ruler"
• Heinrich (HINE-rikh, German)--original form of Henry "home ruler". Other forms include Henrik (HEN-rik, German, Scandinavian) and Hendrik (HEN-drik, Dutch). Another possible source for Kendrick, as well as a possible source of Emmerich/Emery.
• Hilderich (HIL-der-ik, Germanic)--"battle ruler"
• Imrich (IM-rik, Czech, Slovak)--form of Emmerich/Emery
• Isanric (EE-san-rik, Germanic)--poss. "iron ruler". Also written as Isenric.
• Jarich (YAH-rikh, Frisian)--poss. from Germanic "spear"
• Landrich (LAHN-drik, Germanic)--"land ruler"
• Leofric (lee-OF-rik. Old English)--"beloved ruler"
• Lorik (LOHR-ik, Albanian)--poss. "quail"
• Merrick (MEHR-rik, English)--from Welsh Meurig (a form of Maurice) or Germanic "famous ruler".
• Odrich (AHD-rik, Germanic)--"ruler of riches". Variants include Audéric (oh-day-REEK, French).
• Osric (OZ-rik, Old English)--"god power"
• Pierrick (PYEHR-eek, French)--form of Pierre/Peter
• Roderick (RAHD-er-ik, English)--from Germanic, "famous ruler". Other forms include Rörik (ROH-rik, Swedish), Rorik (ROH-rik, Old Danish), and Rurik (ROO-rik, Russian).
• Romaric (RAHM-ah-rik, Germanic; roh-mah-REEK, French)--poss. "famous power"
• Serik (SEHR-ik, Kazakh)--"support"
• Shurik (SHOOR-ik, Russian)--diminutive of Alexander
• Sigerich (SEE-geh-rik, Germanic)--"victory ruler"
• Siserich (SEE-ser-ik, Germanic)--"song ruler"
• Tarık (TAHR-ik, Turkish)
• Theodoric (thee-AHD-oh-rik, Germanic)--"ruler of the people". Variants include Dietrich (DEET-rikh, German), Diederich (DEE-der-ikh, German), Dederick (DED-er-ik, English), and Dedrick (DED-rik, English).
• Ulrich (OOL-rik, German, ool-REESH, French)--variants include Olric (OHL-rik) and Odalric (OH-dahl-rik). 
• Volkrich (VOHL-krik, Germanic)--"people's ruler"
• Waldrich (VAHL-drik, Germanic)--"ruler of power". Other forms include Waldric (WAHL-drik, English) and Gaudéric (goh-day-REEK, French), and Galdric (gahl-DREEK, French).
• Wilrich (VEEL-rik, Germanic)--"willful ruler"
• Winrich (VEEN-rikh, German)--from Germanic, "friend ruler"
• Wirich (VEER-ikh, German)--from Germanic, "war ruler"
• Witteric (VEET-er-ik, Germanic)--poss. "forest ruler"
• Wulfric (WOOL-frik, Old English)--"wolf power". Another form is Ulfric (OOL-frik).
• Yorick (YOHR-ik, English, Dutch)--form of George. Other spellings include Jorick (YOH-rik, Dutch) and Jorik (YOH-rik, Dutch)

And don't let the -richs scare you off! ;) There's plenty of precedent to Anglicize those German/Germanic names by changing the '-rich' to '-ric/rick' or '-ry'.
So for instance, Winrich would logically be Winric/Winrick (WIN-rik), or Winry (WIN-ree) in Modern English.
(Full Metal Alchemist fans rejoice! :p )

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Remy

Remy/Remi is another in a long line of traditionally-masculine-but-sounds-feminine-to-modern-ears names that seems to be on the rise for both genders (see also: Avery, Reese/Reece/Rhys, Emery, etc). Although it is (again) a full name in its own right, having a gender-specific full name for a (now) unisex nickname isn't a bad idea.

Boys:

• Jeremy (JEHR-eh-mee, English)--form of Hebrew Jeremiah "God has uplifted". Another form is Jeremias (German, Portuguese, Spanish).
• Raymond (RAY-mond, English; ray-MAWn, French)
• Remaliah (rem-ah-LYE-ah, English)--from [Biblical] Hebrew, "exaltation of God"
• Rembert (REM-bert, Dutch, German)--from Germanic "bright advisor"
• Rembrandt (REM-brahnt, Dutch; REM-brant, English)--from Germanic "sword advisor"
• Remiel (REM-ee-el, English)--from [Biblical] Hebrew, "mercy of God"
• Remigio (rem-EE-jyoh, Italian, Spanish)--form of Remy/Remi. 

Girls:

• Mirembe (mee-rem-beh, Luganda)--"peace"
• Raymonde (ray-MAWND, French)
• Remedios (reh-MEH-dyohs, Spanish)--"remedies". Catalan form is Remei (reh-MAY)
• Remigia (reh-MEE-jyah, Latin)--feminine of Remigius/Remigio/Remy
• Remina (reh-MEE-nah, Frisian)--short form of Ragn-names (Germanic, "advise")

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Ed/Eddie

I admit, I love most of the Ed-names. There's just something about them. Edward is easily the most common,  but there are lots of ways to get to Eddie and the more archaic nicknames of Ned & Ted.

• Edelmiro (eh-del-MEER-oh, Spanish)--from Germanic, "noble and famous"
• Eder (eh-dehr, Basque)--"handsome"
• Edgar (ED-gar, English)--from Germanic, "blessed spear". Other forms include Edgard (French) and Edgardo (Spanish)
• Edis (EH-dees, Norwegian)--form of Giles/Aegidius. Older form is Edias. 
• Edison (ED-ih-son, English)
• Ediz (eh-DEEZ, Turkish)--"high"
• Edlef (ED-lef, Germanic)--"blessed wolf"
• Edmar (ED-mar, Scandinavian)--from Germanic, "wealthy and famous"
• Edmund (ED-mund, English)--from Germanic, "blessed protector". Other forms include Edmond (French), Edmao (Limburgish), Edmondo (Italian), & Edmundo (Portuguese & Spanish)
• Ednar (ED-nar, Norwegian)--masculine of Edna
• Edric (ED-rik, English)--from Germanic, "blessed ruler"
• Edsart (ED-sart, Frisian)--from Germanic, "brave sword"
• Edur (eh-door, Basque)--"snow"
• Edwin (ED-win, English)--from Germanic, "blessed friend"

Same Name?!--Guy

Guy is a bit odd. Most people today consider it a slang term rather than a name, and that's not completely unreasonable, since it's probably one of the oldest bits of slang in use today--coined in the mid 1800s! Guy was a name long before that, most famously borne by Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up Parliament in 1605. It's also thanks to him that guy is now a term for "man"--his tale was romanticized in a popular book, and guy entered general terminology meaning "shabby man", later expanded to any male.
Despite this, Guy remained in common use for quite some time, only dropping off the US charts 5 years ago.

And for such a short name, it has a surprising amount of variation from language to language. This is partially because its original form sounded almost identical to a Latin name, Vitus, and where the two languages overlapped, they were treated as the same name. Consequently, it's difficult to separate which modern form evolved from Vitus, and which from Wido.

Original Germanic form: Wido (VEE-doh)
Modern French form: Guy (GEE)

Other forms:

• Guido (GEE-doh)--German
• Guido (GWEE-doh)--Italian
• Gvidas (GVEE-dahs)--Lithuanian
• Veit (FITE)--German
• Vid (VEED)--Croatian, Slovene. Feminine is Vida.
• Wide (WEE-deh)--Frisian
• Wit (VEET)--Polish

Same Name?!--Mary

I admit, I've been putting this one off for a while--Mary is easily one of the most widespread & translated names of all time!
Often held up as the prime example of a "boring" name, it's still surprisingly common for new babes. Spin-offs Mariah, Maria, Maia, Mia, & Malia are more popular in the U.S., but there's still even more versions ready for use!

Original Hebrew form: Miryam [מִרְיָם] (meer-YAHM)
Latin transliteration: Maria (mah-REE-ah)

Modern forms:

• Maia (MY-ah)--Basque
• Maike (MY-keh)--Frisian
• Mair (MIRE)--Welsh
• Maire (MOI-rah)--Irish. Anglicized as Moira or Maura.
• Majken (MY-kyen)--Swedish
• Malia (mah-lee-ah)--Hawaiian
• Mareike (mah-RYE-keh)--German, Dutch
• Mariam (MAIR-ee-am)--Greek
• Marian (MAIR-ee-an)--English
• Mariel (MAIR-ee-el)--English
• Marietta (mahr-ee-ET-tah)--Italian
• Marika (MAH-ree-kah)--Estonian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish
• Marike (MAH-ree-keh)--Dutch
• Mariska (mah-REESH-kah)--Hungarian
• Maritta (mah-REET-tah)--Finnish
• Marjatta (mahr-YAHT-tah)--Finnish
• Maryla (mahr-IL-lah)--Polish
• Maryse (mah-REESE)--French
• Maureen (maw-REEN)--Irish. Anglicized from Maírín.
• Meike (MYE-keh)--German
• Meryem (MEHR-ee-em)--Turkish
• Mirele (MEE-reh-leh)--Yiddish
• Miren (MEER-en)--Basque
• Moirrey (MUR-ra or MOHR-reh)--Manx
• Molly (MOL-lee)--English

Usual Name, Unexpected Nickname--Katherine

There are about as many different ways to form nicknames as there are cultures. While many nicknames for our most enduring classics seem out of date or boring, an imported diminutive can be fresh & fun.
The first name I'm tackling in this new series is Katherine. Kate & Katie are just as popular as ever, Kathy is so 30 years ago, Kitty is somewhere between cobwebs and vintage-cute, while Kat is indie-cool.
That's about it for the usual English nicknames, I think, so how about....

• Cadi (KAH-dee)--Welsh
• Caja/Kaia/Kaia (KYE-ah)--Scandinavian
• Cato (kah-TOH)--Dutch
• Kadri (KAH-dree)--Estonian
• Kai (KYE)--Scandinavian
• Kaisa (KYE-sah)--Finnish, Estonian
• Kari (KAHR-ee)--Norwegian
• Kasia (KAH-shah)--Polish
• Kata (KAH-tah)--Croatian, Finnish, Hungarian
• Katenka (kah-TEN-kah)--Russian
• Käthe (KET-eh)--German
• Katia/Katja/Katya (KAHT-yah)--Dutch, German, Russian, Scandinavian
• Kay (KAY)--English
• Nienke (NEEN-keh)--Frisian
• Nine (NEE-nah)--Frisian
• Rina (REE-nah)--Dutch, Italian
• Trine (TREE-neh)--Danish

Same Name?!--Alice

This is one of my favorite name families! Like Elizabeth, Alice has some pretty surprising variants--or should I say, is, a surprising variant. The original form was the Germanic Adelheidis, and over time various syllables were cropped out in a plethora of ways.

Original Germanic form: Adelheidis (ah-del-hye-dis)
Modern English form: Alice (AL-is)

• Adelaide (AD-el-ayd)--English
• Adélaïde (ad-el-ah-EED)--French
• Adelaide (ad-el-IDE-eh)--Italian
• Adelais (AH-del-ay-ees)--Germanic
• Aileas (AH-les or EH-les)--Scottish 
• Ailís (AY-leesh)--Irish 
• Aleida (AH-lye-dah)--Dutch, German
• Alica (ah-LEE-tsah)--Slavic
• Alicia (ah-LEE-sha or ah-LEE-syah)--English, Spanish 
• Alida (ah-LEE-dah)--German
• Alisa (ah-LEE-sah)--Russian 
• Alison (AL-ih-son)--English, French
• Alix (ah-LEEKS)--Medieval French
• Aliz (AH-leez)--Hungarian
• Alys (AL-is)--Welsh
• Elke (EL-keh)--Frisian
• Heidi (HYE-dee)--German, Scandinavian

Same Name?!--Jacob

Jacob--a seeming contradiction; both traditional and trendy. It was a top name back when the SSA started keeping track over 120 years ago, but was steadily on the decline. For some reason, it shot back to the top in the 1970s, and has been there ever since. Jacob wasn't exactly the most honorable of Biblical characters to be sure, but he has that eye-catching J up front, that fun-to-say 'ay', that crisp 'c', and that rare 'ob' ending. The mixture of familiar and unusual is probably what's kept him so appealing for so long. Jacob is also the original form of another perennial boys' name--James.

Original Hebrew form: Ya'aqov [יַעֲקֹב] (ya-ah-kov)
Greek form: Iacobus [ Ιακωβος] (ya-COH-boos)
Later Latin form: Iacomus (YA-coh-moos)

Modern versions:

• Cobus (KOH-bus)--Dutch
• Diego (dee-AY-go)--Spanish (via Santiago, an elision of Santo [Saint] Yago)
• Giacomo (JAH-koh-moh)--Italian
• Hamish (HAY-mish)--Scottish (from James)
• Iago (ee-AH-goh)--Galician & Welsh
• Jacques (ZHAHK)--French
• Jago (JAY-goh)--Cornish
• Jaime (HYE-may)--Spanish (from James)
• Jaime (ZHIME)--Portuguese (from James)
• James (JAYMZ)--English (via the late Latin Iacomus)
• Japik (YAH-pik)--Frisian
  
• Jaume (ZHOW-meh)--Catalan (from James)
• Jem (JEM)--medieval English (from James)
• Kimo (kee-moh)--Hawaiian (from James)
• Seamus (SHAY-mus)--Irish (from James)
• Tiago (tee-AH-go)--Portuguese (via Santiago)
• Xanti (SHAHN-tee)--Basque (via Santiago)
• Yago (YAH-goh)--Spanish
• Yacov (YAH-kof)--Bulgarian & Russian
  

Feminine forms:

• Giachetta (jah-KET-tah)--Italian
• Jacomina (ZHAK-oh-mee-nah)--Dutch
• Jacqueline (zhak-a-LEEN)--French
• Jamesina (JAY-meh-SEE-nah)--Scottish (from James)
• Jayma (JAY-mah)--English (from James)
• Zaklina (zhak-LEE-nah)--Croatian & Polish

Same Name?!--Katherine

Ah, Katherine. Literally one of the oldest names on earth. It's so old that it's original meaning has been lost to time. Many baby books & websites will tell you it means "pure", but that's only partially true. The original recorded form was Aikaterine, which has several possible origins. But when Christianity became really big in ancient times, it was altered because of its "heathen" roots, and thus became Katharina--closely resembling the Greek word for "pure".

Oldest known form (Greek): Aikaterine [Αικατερινη] (eye-kat-ehr-EEN-ee)
Original Latin form: Katerina (kaht-er-EEN-ah)

Modern versions:

• Cadi (KAH-dee)--Welsh
  
• Caitlin (KAHT-leen)--Irish
• Catalina (kah-tah-LEE-nah)--Romanian & Spanish
• Cateline (kah-tel-een)--medieval French
• Cato (ka-TOH)--Dutch
• Catrin (KAHT-reen)--German
• Catrin (KAT-rin)--Welsh
• Catriona (kah-TREE-uh-nah)--Irish & Scottish
• Kadri (KAH-dree)--Estonian
• Kaia/Kaja (KAH-ya)--Scandinavian
• Kaisa (KYE-sah)--Estonian & Finnish
• Kalena (kah-leh-nah)--Hawaiian
• Karen (KEHR-en or KAHR-en)--Danish
• Katell (KAH-tel)--Breton
• Katina (kah-TEE-nah)--Greek & Macedonian
• Katrina (kah-TREEN-ah)--Dutch, German, & Swedish
• Katya (KAHT-ya)--Russian
• Kotryna (koh-TRIN-ah)--Lithuanian
• Nienke (NEEN-keh)--Frisian

More Subtle than Blaze, Jagger, or Hawke

The girls sure do have the advantage when it come to word-names, don't they? Name your little girl 'Rose' or 'Honor' and it's "Awww!", but name your son 'Briar' or 'Valor' and it's "Are you a hippy?" Here're some more 'covert' ideas for giving your son a well-meaning moniker.

• Adalwin (ad-AHL-win, Germanic)--"noble friend"
• Alaric (AL-ah-rik, Germanic)--"ruler of all"
• Alvar (al-VAHR, Swedish & Finnish)--"elf warrior"
• Ansel (AN-sel, English)--"helmet of God"
• Andor (AHN-dor, Norwegian)--"Thor's eagle"
• Aurelio (aur-EY-lee-o, Italian & Spanish)--"golden"
• Basil (BAH-sil, Arabic)--"brave"
• Basil (BAZ-il, English)--"king"
• Brennus (BREN-nus, Celtic)--"prince"
• Cato (CAY-to, Latin)--"wise"
• Conall (CON-all, Irish)--"strong wolf"
• Conrí (CON-ree, Irish)--"wolf king"
• Duncan (DUN-kan, Scottish)--"brown warrior"
• Edric (ED-rik, English)--"blessed ruler"
• Egon (EY-gon, German)--"edge of a sword"
• Eilert (EYE-lert, Frisian)--"brave sword"
• Elric (EL-rik, English)--"noble rule" 
• Evander (ev-AN-der, Latin)--"good man"
• Ezio (ETS-ee-o, Italian)--"eagle"
• Frey (FRAY, Norse)--"lord"
• Gerard (jer-AHRD, English)--"brave spear"
• Haytham (HYE-tham, Arabic)--"young eagle"
• Ivar (EYE-var or EE-var, Irish & Scottish)--"bow warrior"
• Kavi (kah-vee, Indian [Hindi])--"wise man"
• Kekoa (keh-koh-ah, Hawaiian)--"the brave one"
• Leander (lee-AN-der, English)--"lion man"
• Levent (lev-ent, Turkish)--"handsome"
• Lyall (lye-ALL, English)--"wolf"
• Perun (PERH-uhn, Slavic)--"thunder"
• Roald (ROO-al, Norwegian; ROE-ald, English)--"famous ruler"
• Savio (SAH-vee-o, Italian)--"clever"
• Shea/Shay (SHAY, Irish)--"admirable"
• Yorath (YOR-ath, Welsh)--"handsome lord"