Non-religious boys names

[loopdeelou]

DH and I are atheists and really struggling with boys names. I don't really like names that are too wacky or out-there but a lot of classic names that I like the sound of (e.g Samuel) are biblical and I'd like to avoid these if possible.

Does anyone have any suggestions of boys names which don't have religious connotations but also aren't too unusual?

Thanks!

Charles
Oliver
Alexander
Frederick
Albert
Richard
Edward
Edmund
Hugh
Milo
Albert
Felix
Leo
Adrian
Henry
Victor
Arthur
Laurence
Hector
Louis

Just off the top of my head...

Dylan
Stanley
Frederick
Albert
Alfred
Connor
Ryan
Edward (ok there are a few St. Edwards but not in the bible)
Max
Brian

Jack is a traditional nickname for John but has been a standalone name for a couple of generations. There was only 1 Jack in my son's school of 400+ pupils, so maybe not as popular as a few years ago.

Bit of a mix of styles there and possibly only Stanley and Frederick really that have the same vibe as Samuel.

Duncan
Calvin
Jasper
Felix

Lucifer??...

Dominic

Me and OH are atheists but our son’s name is in the bible. Do people still make religious connections to names? When I hear names like Noah and Samuel nowadays I don’t think of the bible at all, but I guess that’s because they are so popular. Moses I would lol.
Now you’ve mentioned it it’s hard to think of traditional boys names that aren’t in the bible

If you're looking for an 'atheist' name you'd better exclude any saints names too,and there are an awful lot of them,hundreds and hundreds.
There are the RC ones, Anglican, Orthodox,Lutheran for starters. Other religions also have their holy people / saints too so it could get tricky.
No St Darren as far as I know!

Check out all those Old Testament names too...so and so begat so and so ad infinitum...in case one slips through your net.

Tbh OP do you think you might be overthinking this a little? If you like Samuel just call him that. It's a lovely name and no one will give it a second thought.

I’m an atheist with a DS called Samuel.

Alexander
Henry
Arthur
George
Charles
Alfred
Edward
Frederick
William
Laurence
Albert
Leonard
Oscar
Robert
Louis
Oliver

There's been a saint by nearly every name you can think of, or a variation on the name. It's hard to find a classic name without being able to Google up a saint.

Lots don't instantly conjure up religious associations, but there's probably still a saint if you Google - there certainly are for most of the names above.

I'd just avoid the disciples and actually naming him Christian... Otherwise you have to give up on the classic names and go for Maverick or Saber or Smith or something...

Richard after Richard Dawkins.
Roman
Ronan
Harry

Stephen after Stephen Hawking

But of course there was a St Stephen

How about something from the Ancient Greeks?
Hector
Homer
Or Romans like
Virgil
Horace

I don't really see why you would want to avoid a name from the bible just because you don't believe in a god.

Are you afraid that people will think you're christians or something? Why does it matter?

Jack.

Roy
Raymond
Ronald
Kenneth
Darrell
Leighton
Denzil
Malcolm
Keith

Warren
Lloyd
Ross

Beowulf
Wulfric
Alaric
Idris
Arthur
Thorin
Sorin

Utred
Thor
Odin

There is a Felix in the Bible. He was an unpleasant character and married Herod's daughter!

err, Odin and Thor are the names of gods!

There's a Felix and an Alexander (I think more than one actually) in the Bible but iirc they're not Christians and more like bit players if that helps. I'm a Christian and so love a good Biblical name but remember not everyone in the Bible is actually a Christian so giving a child a name from the Bible isn't the same as giving a child the name of a Christian. Equally some Christian parents may choose to name their children after Christians they admire who don't have Biblical names eg George Elliott so its not clear cut and I wouldn't assume someone called Samuel for example had Christian parents.

If you name your child Samuel, no one is going to think you attend midnight mass, don't worry op what does it matter really

Some "Biblical" names are Greek/Roman names which predate the Bible. E.g. Lucas, Marcus, Paul.

Other Greeks/Romans:

Alexander (helper of men)
Philip (lover of horses)
Augustus (wise/dignified)
Julius
Lucius
Anthony (eg Marcus Antonius)
Magnus (great)

Good point Quiz, there are many people in the Bible who aren't Christian.

Judas
Herod
Nebuchadnezzar
Pilate
Goliath

... or perhaps not!