Isaac

Although the meaning of the name Isaac is not certain, it is most often said to mean "he laughs." In the Old Testament Isaac was the son of Abraham, the husband of Rebecca, and the father of Esau and Jacob. Isaac was popular among the Jews of the Middle Ages and beyond, and the Puritans of the 17th century. Today the name is used by both Jews and Christians, and is currently enjoying a popularity spike throughout the English-speaking world. Isaac has been a top 100 name for boys in the U.S. since 1995. Famous Isaacs include Sir Isaac Newton, and Isaac Asimov.

Wesley

Wesley comes from the combination of the directional word west, and the word lea, which means "meadow," "field," or "clearing." So Wesley can mean the clearing to the west, or the western field, etc. Wesley is a surname which signified someone who lived in such a place, or who was from one of the places in England which were given the name Westley. Many surnames have been transferred to use as given names, and the use often began as a means of naming a child for his mother's family, with her maiden name used as her son's given name. Wesley is one of these, but also received a boost in use from the founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, with many Methodists choosing name their sons Wesley in his honor. Interestingly, Wesley has been a top 200 name in the U.S. for well over 100 years, with very little real variation--it has never been used enough to become over-used and too common, yet has never been rare. This may be partly due to the Methodist factor, but is probably also due to the fact that Wesley is a reasonably masculine and distinguished sounding name, common enough to not be "outlandish," yet it doesn't really invite nicknames or familiar forms that would bring it into more common use. Consequently, it's often used as a middle name. Famous Wesleys include Wesley Snipes, and the character Wesley from television's Star Trek: The Next Generation. (Before someone yells at me for forgetting him, the character played by Cary Elwes in the movie The Princess Bride was named Westley, which is a simple spelling variation that makes sense for the setting of the book and movie.)

Elmer

Elmer comes from an Old English name which was comprised of the elements ædhel ("noble") and maer ("famous.") Although Elmer was not used much as a given name after the Norman Conquest, but it did survive as a surname. When Elmer is used as a given name today it represents an instance of a surname being used as given name. The practice of using surnames as given names, particularly for boys, and especially the use of the mother's maiden name as a son's given name, was particularly popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and Elmer's popularity coicides with this practice. Elmer seems to be a rare name today, but in the first two decades of the 20th century, Elmer was a top 50 name for boys in the U.S. From the 1920's onward, Elmer's popularity steadily declined until the 1980's, when it more or less stabilized without ever dropping out of the top 1000. Elmer is still given to newborn baby boys enough today that it remains in the top 1000, but it shows no signs of regaining popularity. Elmer's early popularity could have led to its decline in use, due to overuse, and the eventual perception of the name as old-fashioned, but Elmer has more working against it than that. The popularity of Warner Brothers cartoon character Elmer Fudd keeps the name in the public conciousness, while also discouraging its use for babies. Elmer Fudd is so famous and so beloved that Google even has a feature that sort of allows you to search the internet like Elmer Fudd would. Famous and beloved, yes, but still not a character most people would choose to name their sons for. In addition to reminding everyone who hears his name of Elmer Fudd, a child named Elmer might also have to contend with another famous close association with his name, Elmer's Glue. Although Elmer is unlikely to regain much popularity as a name for a child as long as Elmer Fudd is well-known (which we can hope is always,) its still a great name for a pet, particularly for a dog, (or maybe a snake or hamster.)

Sylvia

Sylvia is a variant spelling of Silvia, but of the two, Sylvia is now more often used. Ultimately, it comes from the Latin word silva which means "woods" or "forest." Sylvia was one of the "classical" names that enjoyed popularity in the late 19th century, and into the early years of the 20th century. From 1909 through 1923 the name was in the top 100 for girls in the U.S., and it was again in the top 100 through most of the 1930's and 1940's. Consequently, Sylvia is currently considered a somewhat old-fashioned name, and is in the bottom half of the top 1000. The most well-known Sylvia was probably Sylvia Plath. Sylvia is both pretty to the ear and to the eye, and will most probably return to popularity in the next decade or so. In the meantime, Sylvia is also a wonderful name for a cat.

Keanu

According to Ask Oxford's Consise Dictionary of First Names, Keanu is a Hawaiian name, and means "cool breeze blowing down from the mountains," but others dispute the meaning. Whatever the meaning, Keanu has appeared in the U.S. top 1000 names for baby boys consistently since 1994, almost entirely owing to the fame of actor Keanu Reeves. Some names have been popularized by movie stars and gone on to become standard names--Gary for instance--but it's doubtful that this will happen with Keanu. I'd recommend it more for naming a dog or cat than for a child.

Sebastian

Sebastian comes from the Latin Sebastianus, which means "man from Sebaste." Sebaste was a town in Asia Minor, and its name came from the Greek sebastos which meant "august" or "venerable," so it is reasonable enough to give Sebastian that meaning as well, if "man from Sebaste" isn't meaningful enough for you. Sebastian was the name of a 3rd century saint. He was an officer in the Imperial Roman Army, and was tied to a tree and shot multiple times with arrows by his own fellow officers after being charged with being a Christian. More about him can be found here. Sebastian is a more popular name than you might think. In the U.S. the name has been steadily in use enough to nearly always appear in the top 1000, and since the year 2000, Sebastian has been consistently in the top 100. It is similarly popular in other English-speaking countries including Australia and Canada, and is even more popular (top 50) in Sweden and Norway. The usual popularity of the name in prior decades can be largely attributed to its status as a saint name, and as a surname but why it is currently enjoying a popularity rise, I haven't got a clue.

Michelle

Michelle is simply a French feminine form of Michael. Michael means "who is like the Lord," so this can also be taken to be the meaning of Michelle. Michelle's popularity in the English-speaking world has been phenomenal. The name first appeared in the U.S. top 1000 in 1938, first appeared in the top 100 in 1954 and has consistently remained in the top 100 ever since. From 1966 through 1980, Michelle was in the top 10. The incredible popularity of Michelle over so many decades means that there are a lot of women and girls out there named Michelle. If you wonder why it is that you don't seem to personally know a ton of Michelles, try asking women and girls with which you are aquainted, "What is your middle name?" You will most likely find that you know a lot more Michelles than you realized. The extreme popularity of Michelle is no doubt partly influenced by the extreme popularity of the Beatles song "Michelle," but it could be that the extreme popularity of that song is influenced by the fact that there were so many Michelles out there who love to be sung about. Nicknames for Michelle include Chelle, Shell, Shelley, and any other variation or respelling of that second syllable you can think of, some of which have become quite popular as names in their own right.. I also have personally known one Michelle who went by the first syllable of her name, which wound up sounding something like "Meesh." Although Michelle is a relatively new entry to the name game in the English-speaking world, it is probably here to stay, and might be considered a new classic which will never go out of style.

Randall

Randall comes from the name Randolf, a Norman given name which means "shield wolf" or possibly "raven wolf." Randall is the vernacular form of Randolf that was used in medieval times--which simply means that the spelling "Randall" represents how "Randolf" was pronounced. The surname Randall comes from the use of Randolf as a given name in medieval times, and more modern use as Randall as a given name in its own right is a result of the surname. Randall enjoyed some real popularity in the middle decades of the 20th century, but has been steadily falling in popularity since the 1960's. It is still used often enough to almost make the top 500 list in the U.S., however, and could eventually regain some popularity. The main drawback to the name is the fact that its most obvious nickname, Randy, is a slang term in England meaning "horny."