Non-religious boys names

I think the religious connotations with saints' names are generally weaker than for biblical names (in the UK at least), with the exception of the most famous saints like St Patrick, St Christopher etc. There are just so many of them. There's also big difference between names associated with well-known biblical figures like Moses, Noah, Joseph, Abel or the apostles, and the names of minor figures who get a passing mention.

Generally, I think the religious connotations are stronger with Old Testament names than New Testament ones. Either way I wouldn't make assumptions about your religiosity - most biblical names are just part of our cultural heritage in the UK and nowadays are simply names.

And we haven't even started on girls names, I mean how many people hear, Phoebe, Chloe, Bethany, Jemima, Keziah, Julia, Lois, Tabitha, Susanna, Rhoda etc and automatically think Bible

Yep it's funny how some immediately spring to mind as biblical, such as Noah, Saul, Joseph, Gideon, Benedict etc, whereas Luke and Mark are fairly prominent but you'd not immediately think "bible" if you came across one. I think it's the names that have routinely been used by everybody (regardless of religion) for centuries that fly below the radar tbh.

I think what this thread shows is that the average mumsnetter/person on the street doesn't often know what is a Biblical name and what isn't. Not many people know that names like Alexander, Felix, Jason and Ethan are biblical but even names like Andrew, Philip, Timothy and Pablo (Paul) have been assumed to have no biblical connection when they actually belong to fairly central Biblical characters so I think its unlikely people will notice whether your baby has a biblical name or not.

You are going to end up with something naff like Trevor or Kevin!
Sorry to all the Trevors and Kevins!

I agree - occupation (not son of) based surnames can work. Are they classic forenames though?

Tailor
Smith
Cooper

...

Freya is a norse fertility goddess

Are we avoiding religion generally?

Or perhaps use Russian ones ?

Feofil
Fedya
Feofan
Bogdan
Bogomil

This thread is getting funnier.

Why?

Felix?

I would think more people think of a cat before the bible for this name...

Timothy is very definitely a Biblical name as is Jason, Tiberius gets a mention in the Bible but only briefly. I think your best bet if you want a 'non-religious' name is to go down the surname route but even some of them have 'religious' connections eg Davis- King David in the Bible and Calvin- John Calvin, famous theologian and reformer, though these are a little tenuous.

Timothy? Sebastian? Calvin? Felix?

This thread is getting funnier.

Ace, Aspen, Blaine, Blair, Chester, Calvin, Felix, Kai, Leo, Mason, Miller, Orion, Owen, Pax, Rhys, Travis, Spencer, Wren

Frederick
Dawson
Jones
Davis
Timothy
Max
Rylan
Jason
Sebastian
Tiberius

Iain is Gaelic for John. I think as long as you go mainstream then it really won't be particularly associated with the Bible. Or you need to go more unusual. I'd also ignore if it's a saints name as those are just too numerous. I think maybe non biblical is Keir, Lewis maybe?

There are definitely saints called Lawrence and Leonard, and you can't get much more religious than Cuthbert!

I agree that you might be overthinking it, most people don't think of Samuel as a "religious" name these days. It's not like you're secretly yearning to call him Methuselah or Ham, is it?

Andrew is one of the apostles. Theo is all over the Bible, though not as a boy's name, just, you know, as the word for God.

Ethan is a Biblical name.

Anyway, it’s all mixed up with a lot of unquestionable truth. Thijs mars be lucky for Iain ?

Ian
Edmund
Amby
Alex
Phil
Tom
Dick
Harry
Bob
Lucky
Taffy
Nicky
Cuthbert
Dogbert
Alby
Polydore
Ralph
Gus
Swith
Stace

...... about forty like that I think.

You’re safe with Blake, Brody, Grant, Mowgli and Keanu. The rest of that list are mostly saints or in the bible.

St. Kevin

I can't find a St. Simba though.

I was going with non Bible. Loads of random arbitrary names are saints and people don't realise.

Ones that definitely aren't then

Dawson
Pacey
Grant
Curtis
Blake
Brody
Kiefer
Keanu
Mowgli
Simba
Perry
Kevin
Keith
Dexter
Colin

At least half of those are saints names, MrStark.

OP said no religious connotations.
Rules is rules!

Henry
Wesley
Andrew
Graham
Ian
Lawrence
Gregory
Ethan
Heath
Hayden
Harvey
Hamish
Eric
Freddie
Ewan
Owen
Gus
Robert
Theo
Alfie
Edward/Edmund
Aidan

And these are ones that just sprang to mind on ten mins, there are literally a ton of traditional boys names that aren't Bible

Yep as an atheist the bible is just a book but I wouldnt go for anything too "bibley" such as Noah or Saul, but Thomas, David, Matthew, Mark Simon and Paul etc would all be up for grabs. I have Scottish/irish names for my DC to reflect our culture so is something like that appropriate?

How about:

Alastair
Gregor
Fergus
Andrew