Somebody once said, “Words have meaning, and names have power.” But a name’s strength isn’t only in the sound, the real potency can be found in its meaning. We’ve looked into the most handsome boy names that Hooray Heroes fans used while making their personalized books. Here’s our list of the best international picks, inspired by Spanish and Latin-American customers.
1. Ulises
Ulises is a Spanish variation of the English name Ulysses. It derives from the Greek Odysseus, the name of the hero of Homer’s epic poems Odyssey and Iliad. The legendary king of Ithaca, Odysseus, is known for his intelligence, wit, and resourcefulness. The exclusively male name Ulises still carries the positive connotation of a strong, determined spirit who may take 10 years to get home, but he will, as the legend of Odysseus tells us. To sum up, whether you go with the European spelling Ulises or the classic American Ulysses, your baby is destined to be a strong-willed baby boy.
FUN FACT: The 18th president of the United States was called Ulysses (Ulysses S. Grant).
2. Izan
This name originates from Hebrew and means “steadfast,” “enduring,” or “firm.”
The name is present in the Old Testament, where it is used by at least three characters. Izan is also believed to be a form of the name Isador or Izidor, also popular in Slavic countries, meaning “gift of Isis” or simply “gift”. Finally, the meaning of the name Izan can also be linked to the Basque word “izan”, meaning “to be”. Be it Hebrew or Basque, the name Izan is packed with beautiful meanings and great characteristics for a boy.
DID YOU KNOW? In Spanish, the name Izan uses the same English pronunciation as its alternative spelling Ethan.
3. Iñigo/Inigo
The Spanish and Portuguese name Inigo derives from its Castilian variation Íñigo and the medieval Basque name Eneko. While Inigo and Íñigo are linked to the meaning “my little (love)”, the meaning of Eneko is “fiery”. Both variations of the name are most common in Spanish-speaking countries, the exclusively male name is also gaining popularity in the United Kingdom. Dare to bring the name to the United States too and name your little one Inigo.
TIL: The iconic movie The Princess Bride features a swordsman named Inigo Montoya. Also,
St. Ignacius of Loyola, the founder of the Catholic Jesuit order, was born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola.
4. Caleb
The popular boy’s name Caleb is of Hebrew origins with its meaning being interpreted as either “faithful,” “whole-hearted,” “bold,” or “brave.” The name is believed to either derive from the Hebrew kelev, meaning “dog,” or from the Hebrew components “kal” and “lev”, which together mean “whole heart.” The name was brought into popular culture through the Bible. Although there is a reference to more than one Caleb in the Bible, the most famous one is the spy that was sent to Canaan by Moses to bring back the report of the conditions there. The name was very popular with the Puritans for whom the name signified devotedness and faithfulness due to the name’s connection to the Hebrew word for dog. Cute nickname ideas for your little Caleb include: Cal, Cale, and Cay.
Famous examples from American literature: Caleb Trask, a major character in the John Steinbeck novel East of Eden
5. Niko
This beautiful gender-neutral name with multiple variations originates in Greek where it’s considered a short form of Nikodemos. The name is composed of the elements nikē, meaning “victory”, and dēmos, meaning “people” or “population” hence, “victory of the people.” Used throughout Europe in different forms, it’s currently most popular in Finland, where it’s spelled Niko. Italy follows Finland closely with Nico being used as a short version of Niccolo.
Nico in pop culture: Nico is the stage name of the German Velvet Underground singer born Christa Päffgen who also appeared in one of Andy Warhol‘s films. However, over 90% of the American babies named Nico today are boys.
6. Leandro
Leandro is the Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish variant of the English name Leander. It’s a compound of two Latin words: leo which means “lion” and andro meaning “man”. Together it can be translated as “lion man” which suggests the name bearer’s pride, courage, and strength.
In addition to that, the name Leandro also has a romantic connotation. Leander is a protagonist of the Greek myth of Hero and Leander. Leander was a young man who fell in love with Hero,
one of Aphrodite’s priestesses. Every night, Leander would swim across the Dardanelles (then called Hellespont) to be with her. He followed the light of a lamp that Hero would light at the top of her tower to find his way. One stormy winter night, the wind blew out Hero’s lamp and Leander lost his way and drowned. In the morning, Hero saw his dead body and threw herself over the edge of the tower. Their bodies washed up on shore together in an embrace. They were buried together in a lover’s tomb on the shore.
7. Gerard
The name Gerard is a boy’s name of English origin meaning “spear strength”. With its strong, masculine meaning and gentle sound, the name Gerard is gaining popularity throughout Europe. For now, you can still be sure that your little Gerard will be the only one in his class. Unless you live in Catalonia, where Gerard is among the top 10 most common boy names of the last decade.
Famous Gerards include: Gerard Piqué, a Spanish professional footballer (and Shakira’s ex-husband) who plays as a center-back for FC Barcelona.
Gerard Butler (born 13 November 1969), a Scottish actor and film producer.
8. Hugo
Hugo is both a first name and surname of Germanic origin, meaning “mind” or “intellect”. The English version of the name is Hugh, and the Italian version is Ugo. Hugo is currently enjoying mass popularity in several European countries, including Spain, France, and Sweden, and it is very fashionable in the UK alongside other names ending in o, like Arlo, Milo, etc. The name is perfect for sons of all you Potterheads out there, have since
Ron and Hermione name their son Hugo in the seventh Harry Potter novel. And if you’re more of a Batman franchise fan, Hugo Strange is a longtime adversary of Batman.
Real-life Hugos include: Hugo Chavez, the late president of Venezuela, and the fashion designer Hugo Boss. Among the carriers of the surname Hugo is the famous
French Romantic writer and politician Victor Hugo, wrote
Les Misérables.
9. Gael
The name Gael is both a girl’s and a boy’s name of Welsh and Breton origin meaning “Gaelic”. It is believed to be an ethnolinguistic term, which was used to refer to people who spoke Gaelic. This cross-cultural name, found in Wales, Brittany (spelled Gaël there), and Spain, has been gaining popularity in the U.S. in recent years, probably because of the handsome Mexican actor Gael García Bernal who starred in the critically acclaimed movie And Your Mom Too (original title Y tu mamá también) and The Motorcycle Diaries where he portrayed the
Argentine Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara.
FUN FACT: Gael was the name of Robin’s Argentinian rebound boyfriend in the hit TV series How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by the singer Enrique Iglesias.
10. Kilian
Last but not least, the nameKilian is a German variation of the Irish name, Cilian. In German, their spelling can be linked to “church” whereas the Irish name means to be “bright-headed”. The name is a perfect choice for parents of either German or Irish roots who would like to pay a tribute to their heritage. Kilian is popular throughout Europe including in Spain, France, Austria, and Switzerland. There were multiple forms of the name popular in Ireland through time, including Cillín, Cillian, Ceallach, Kilian, Kiliaen, Kilian, Killion, Kileen, Cilléne, Cillín. Pick your favourite one for a little of the vibrant Irish flair!
DID YOU KNOW? Kilian Hennessy was a French business magnate of Irish descent, and the founder of the Hennessy cognac company.
Expecting twins and looking for girl names too? Check out the 5 prettiest international girl names inspired by nature and 10 meaningful Italian names for your baby girl.
