Keiran

Keiran (KEE-rin)

Origin: Anglicized version of Ciaran, meaning "dark man".

Syllables: 2

Style: Celtic, Bell Tones, The -ens, Saints

Popularity: 516 (rising, slowly)

Variants: Ciaran

Sisters: Caitlin, Maeve, Alannah, Marin, Ainsley

Brothers: Declan, Kane, Rowan, Kilian, Cormac

* Ciaran is an old name. It runs deep through Irish history, a name of saints and heroes dating back more than 1000 years. In modern Ireland, it's a popular choice to honor tradition. To Americans, though, grand old Ciaran is unfamiliar and frankly unpronounceable. That's where the Anglicized spelling comes in. Kieran is a fresh burst of 21-st century sound with strong Irish underpinnings.

Middle Name Pick: Keiran Daniel

Jonas

Jonas (JOH-nuhs)

Origin: The Greek form of Jonah, which means "dove" in Hebrew.

Syllables: 2

Style: Biblical, Antique Charm

Popularity: 379

Variants: Jonah

Sisters: Ivy, Halle, Naomi, Lucia, Eliza

Brothers: Ezra, Isaac, Tobias, Judah, Silas

* Jonah is the form of this name that you'll hear most today, but the Greek Jonas has historically been the preferred English version. That gives Jonas a double punch: it's less common and has a throwback, pioneer style.

Middle Name Pick: Jonas Mason

Eli

Eli (EE-liy)

Orgin: Means "ascension" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, he was the high priest of Israel and the teacher of Samuel. In England, Eli has been used as a Christian given name since the Protestant Reformation.

Syllables: 2

Style: Biblical, Antique Charm, Short and Sweet, Nickname Proof

Popularity: 90 (rising)

Sisters: Ivy, Lily, Hannah, Maya, Zoe

Brothers: Levi, Noah, Owen, Jake, Caleb

* As a rule, to get a gruff, old-time manly sound you reach for the hard-edged letters. You want name with high Scrabble value: Jake, Levi, Max. But Eli gives you the same style in a softer form. No good for Scrabble, but high scoring in the real world.

Middle Name Pick: Eli Christopher

Cornelius

Cornelius (kohr-NEE-lee-us)

Origin: Roman family name which possibly derives from the Latin element cornu, "horn". In Acts in the New Testament Cornelius was a centurion who was directed by an angel to seek Peter. After speaking with Peter he converted to Christianity, and he is traditionally deemed the first gentile convert. The name was also borne by a few early saints, including a 3rd-century pope. In England, it came to use in the 16th century, partly due to the Dutch influence.

Syllables: 4

Style: Ladies and Gentlemen, Exotic Traditional, Shakespearean, Classical, Biblical

Nicknames: Con, Connie, Corny, Neil, Corey

Variants: Cornell, Cornelis

Sisters: Cordelia, Nola, Philomena, Viola, Iona

Brothers: Ferdinand, August, Archibald, Conrad, Marcellus

* Cornelius is a name straight out of Ancient Rome. If you're tempted to pronounce it with an Irish accent, though, you're not alone. The name was popular in Ireland as a variant on the Gaelic Conchobar (much like the contemporary favorite Connor). Choose a strong nickname like Con or Neil to counteract the "corny" sound.

Middle Name Pick: Cornelius Marvin

Benjamin

Benjamin (BEHN-juh-min)

Origin: From the Hebrew name Binyamin which means "son of the south" or "son of my right hand". Benjamin in the Old Testament was the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named Ben-oniy meaning "Son of my sorrow" by his mother Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father.

As an English name, Benjamin came into general use after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher.

Syllables: 3

Style: Timeless, Biblical

Nicknames: Ben, Benno, Benji, Benny

Sisters: Rachel, Sarah, Victoria, Leah, Emily

Brothers: Nicolas, Samuel, Jonathan, Adam, Alexander

* Benjamin is a name of perfect balance. It's popular, but not trendy. It's biblical, but not conspicuously antique. It's manly, but not heavy or blunt. The full Benjamin is handsome, Benji is cute, and Ben's an all around good guy. You're all set.

Middle Name Pick: Benjamin Reilly

Anthony

Anthony (AN-thuh-nee)

Origin: Anthony is a masculine name of English origin: The English form of the Roman family name Antonius, which is of unknown Etruscan origin. The most notable member of the Roman family was the general Marcus Antonius (called Mark Anthony in English), who for a period in the 1st century BC ruled the Roman Empire jointly with Augustus. When their relationship turned sour, he and his mistress Cleopatra were attacked and forced to commit suicide.

The name became regularly used in the Christian world due to the fame of Saint Anthony the Great, a 3rd century Egyptian hermit who founded Christian monasticism. Its popularity was reinforced in the Middle Ages by the 13th-century Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of Portugal. In English, it has commonly (but incorrectly) associated with the Greek anthos meaning "flower", which resulted in the addition of the h in the 17th century.

Syllables: 3

Style: Timeless

Popularity: 10 (falling)

Nicknames: Tony, Tonio

Variants: Antony, Antonio, Anton, Antoine

Sisters: Rachel, Andrea, Rebecca, Natalie, Laura

Brothers: Andrew, Daniel, Matthew, Patrick, Benjamin

* Robust, timeless--and Italian. Despite generations of steady use across all ethnicities, Tony remains the classic Italian-American name in our cultural imagination. That may account for its continuing freshness in an age where most of the English men's classics are losing steam. In fact, you were probably surprised to learn Anthony is as popular as it is, since it does not feel overused.

Middle Name Pick: Anthony Warren

This or That W Names

Wanda or Wilhelmina

Willa or Winifred

Winona or Winter

Walden or Wallace

Walton or Wilbur

Willis or Winslow

Wolf or Wynn