Transport your reader with the perfect aesthetic name for your male characters.
1. Royce
Meaning: "Famous" or "Rose"
Origin: English
This surname as first name has two potential origins. The Germanic name Hrodohaidis meaning "famous type" came into Norman French as Roese and Rohese. After that it was influenced by the word Rose. The flower name came from Latin rosa.
2. Percival
First seen in this form in the poem by Chrétien de Troye (written Perceval). Percival is a boy from Wales who comes a knight in King Arthur's court. For this reason, his name may be inspired by Peredur, another young knight in Arthurian legend.
A chronicler writting at a similar time to de Troye, Geoffrey of Monmouth, dubbed Peredur a king of Britian. Prior to that the name Peredur had appeared in Welsh poems, as the name of a Cumbric chieftain.
Origin: Arthurian Legend
Nicknames: Percy, Val
3. Milian
Meaning: "Greatest"
Origin: Swedish
A shortened form of Maximilian, in itself drawing from the Roman Maximilianus, ultimately from Maximus. It could be a mix of Maximus and Aemilianus, another Roman surname. It can been born by several kings and emperors.
The name Maximus meaning "greatest" in Latin.
4. Rosaire
Meaning: "Rosary" "Garland of Roses"
Origin: French
The Rosary is both a series of prayers primarily used in Catholicism as well as the string of beads used in the prayers. The word "rosary" comes from Latin rosarium meaning "garland of roses".
5. Damasian
Meaning: "to tame"
Origin: Greek
Damasian comes from the Ancient Greek name Damasos. This name derived from the Greek word meaning "to tame" damazo. The modern form of Damasos is Damian.
This variant is more elaborated and therefore perfect for a fantasy lead.
This form harkens to the word Damascene, which either refers to a person or object originating in Damascus. Or meaning "an important moment of insight".
6. Lysander
Meaning: Liberator (releasing + man)
Origin: Ancient Greek
Most commonly found in fantasy in the feminine form Lysandra, the male version was borne by a famous general and naval commander from Sparta. The name combines two elements: lysis "releasing" and andros "man (genitive)".
7. Apollinaire
Meaning: Apollo
Origin: French
A rare French variant of Apollinaris, ultimately derived from the name of the god Apollon (Apollo). Apollo is the Ancient Greek god of prophecy, medicine, music, art, law, beauty, the sun, light and wisdom.
Apollinaris was the name of several early saints.
8. Caio
Meaning: "to rejoice"
Origin: Portuguese, Italian
The name Caio has a long history. While most "Roman" names we see in the modern world were original Roman surnames, this one was actually a personal name (like Marcus!).
In Ancient Roman, there were twenty or so commonly used boy names. These include Marcus, Lucius, Paullus, Quintus and... Gaius. Interestingly, the Romans did not always have the letter "G" instead they could write Gaius as Caius.
It was the first name of many notable Roman leaders such as Julius Caesar (these are both surnames!) and Augustus (this is a title as a name, meaning "the Majestic").
The modern descendant of Gaius is typically Kai, but adding the O on the end makes it a little less like the very popular boys name!
9. Rigan
Meaning: "little king"
Origin: Irish
This is the Old Irish form of Ríoghán combining rí "king" plus a diminutive án, translated as "little".