The Best Steampunk Names For Boys

The Best Steampunk Names For Boys

Steampunk names for boys may seem a little out of place in the modern era of Cyberpunk, but it remains a popular genre. There are actually many different festivals celebrating the Steampunk lifestyle, in much the way as Cosplay and Comicons are held.

Yes, Cyberpunk is all the rage today, but with such a long and diverse history, Steampunk names for boys, and a little more information about the Steampunk way of life should both still have some audience. Besides, since literal physical attachment of bionic parts into humans is still so limited, there may not be any good Cyberpunk gatherings for at least a few years to come.

There are a surprisingly large number of Steampunk gatherings virtually every month. Many of these events offer their guests more fully immersive experiences, allowing them to live and function as Steampunks during the conventions and other affairs. This, in some ways, certainly seems more interactive than the active Cosplay community, though certainly with all the respect due to Cosplayers and the efforts they make.

In terms of Cosplay, the participants may have one, two, or even three days. For those with the more intense outfits, prepping for each day can take literally hours. It is certainly immersive to some degree for the Cosplay participants, but not quite the same as being able to live, eat, and remain within character for the entire time of the events, day and night.

The Steampunk conventions and other gatherings also tend to more restricted in nature. The Cosplay and similar conventions may be full of Trekkies and Star Wars fans, sometimes mutually appreciative, sometimes quite competitive and even argumentative. At the same time, characters from many popular anime and manga series are there in vast numbers. Conversely, Steampunk conventions are largely relegated to just Steampunks.

A Brief History Of Steampunk And Steampunk Names

The original Steampunk writings were from the early to mid 1800s in Victorian England. Bear in mind, the original Steampunk was more steam and much less punk. In some ways, it was the science fiction of the day. The genre was effectively introduced before the onset of the Industrial Revolution, which was in large part driven by the steam engines of the day.

Noisy, clanking steam engines, mechanical gears, and whole systems of levers, valves, and faucets were the height of technology during that day and age. At the time, little was known about electricity as a stable source of energy. Writers were merely taking the tech of the day and taking it to what would appear in hindsight, to be its natural conclusion.

The modern Steampunk genre is rightly credited to the 1980s as a separate and unique category. The introduction of more punk in addition to the steam and mechanics were first officially recognized as Steampunk here. The term Steampunk was first coined by science fiction author K. W. Jeter who was working to provide a more proper home for certain works of fiction in particular.

The term Steampunk comes from a desire to categorize four works, including Morlock Night and Infernal Devices both written by Jeter, The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers, and Homunculus by author James Blaylock. There are however many earlier works that also contain similar themes for the stories being told, including Japanese manga and anime going back to the 1940s.

Personally, I think Victorian fantasies are going to be the next big thing, as long as we can come up with a fitting collective term for Powers, Blaylock and myself. Something based on the appropriate technology of the era; like “steam-punks” —  K.W. Jeter

Did Cyberpunk Steamroll Steampunk

Some would claim that Steampunk has evolved to become Cyberpunk, though there are proponents and critics of this theory on both sides of the discussion. Where Steampunk has steam engines and mechanical gears and machinery, Cyberpunk tends to focus more on Cybernetics, bionic or robotic implants, and a much more technically advanced realm in terms of energy.

Critics claim that Cyberpunk is a natural evolution of modern science fiction introduced in the sixties rather than an extension of Steampunk, though the two do share some similarities. Both genres tend to focus largely on more dystopian societies and futures for humanity. Both are often filled with vast machines that have an undue authority over society.

Despite their similarities, and many efforts to combine the two genres, and even to introduce additional genres into the mix based on other similarities, they remain separate and unique, especially for die hard fans. In some of the more critical circles, there are claims that Cyberpunk has in fact tried to “replace” or even just to absorb other genres as well.

Ask any Manga fan what is wrong with most live action movies, and they may have many varying opinions. The same holds true with Anime as well. The worlds of manga and anime are unique in both texture and feel. Many people are enamored largely by the artistic style of both. Unfortunately, that does not always translate well into the real world or live action takes.

Perhaps the best examples of this are Ghost In The Shell and Battle Angel Alita, both of which were popular manga comics. The movies were both admirable in their own rights, but the movies were decidedly more Cyberpunk than Anime. While some people may confuse the different genres, Steampunk, and subsequently Steampunk names, remain quite a separate issue.

20 Steampunk Names For Boys

Artemis – Artemis Gordon did us all proud with his wondrous ways with mechanics and his innovative imagination. This was originally from the list of Greek names for girls based on her place in their mythology. However, in modern times, and during the Victorian Era, the name has primarily been used for males.

Booker – This English name for boys goes back to the early Anglo-Saxon days and the Olde English language. This Steampunk name for boys means a scribe or a bookbinder or maker. In Steampunk, the books tend to be very heavily bound in leather, and a Booker would definitely not lack for work in such an environment.

Bron – This is another entry for Steampunk names from the list of English names for boys and means someone who is supernaturally gifted, generally in battle. The term may also indicate an Elf skilled in battle in line with the old English traditions and myths. The name is a contracted form of the old English name Auberon, though both were popular in 19th century England.

Conan – This name is derived from the ancient Celtic words for a great dog, often used to describe a large wolf. Wolves commonly found in England could be as large as 200 pounds, thus this entry from the list of Celtic names for boys was generally reserved for the largest and most healthy babies.

Davin – This is a name for boys that means bright or brightness. In its historical use in the ancient lands of Britannia it was thought to mean one who served as a shining example of an entire people, though that definition is based on ancient Finnish traditions as well.

Enoch – This is an ancient Hebrew name and means someone who is well-trained and experienced, often in terms of war. It may be most commonly associated with the Biblical names for boys and was commonly used among the Puritans during the Protestant Reformation.

Felton – This name comes from the English names for boys that mean a settlement or village in one form or another. In this particular case, the name Felton refers to a field settlement, though variations may also exist such as Fenton which means a settlement located in a marsh or swamp, or even in the moors of England.

Gaspar – This name has its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, brought down through history in the Persian language. The most common variant is Jaspar or Jasper, and the name literally means one who guards the treasure. As a Steampunk name for boys, this would likely be one of those individuals going through the dumps to find various items to sell, and maybe even something of a tinkerer.

Hugo – This is primarily a Portuguese name for boys in the modern age variant Hugh, with interesting roots. The name was generally only part of a longer name, and could be used to indicate the heart, body, mind, or even the spirit of an individual. It was generally used as a reference to strengths in these areas, but may have potentially been used as part of a name indicating character flaws as well.

Inver – This is yet another selection from the Steampunk names for boys from the Celtic language and means someone who is originally from the estuary or from the woods near the oceans. It may indicate a person who is talented across different realms and capable of functioning in virtually any environment.

Jusa – This pick comes from the list of Latin names for boys and means someone who is righteous and fair in all their dealings. As a Steampunk name for boys, this would likely be one of the characters who got betrayed. Whether it would serve as a catalyst for motivating the protagonist through their death, or one who would ultimately share in revenge with the protagonist depends on the author.

Lazaro – This selection is from the list of Italian names for boys and is a variant of the Biblical name Lazarus from the ancient Hebrew language. The name is also still very popular in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking portions of the world. The name means one who God has blessed, or who has been helped by God.

Manvil – This entry comes from the list of French names for boys and means one who is from a great state. In the example given from Battle Angel Alita, or Alita, Battle Angel if you do not know the manga series, this would be one of the people hailing from Zalem, the Sky City whose occupants literally dump their waste on those below and expect them to be grateful.

Narve – This is an old Scandinavian name for boys from Narve, or Mimir, god in Norse mythology. Mimir or Narve was said to be the wisest of the gods of the Aesir. The name was likely introduced to Middle England through both the many viking incursions as well as the ultimate Norman Conquest of England in 1066 by the grandson of Duke Rollo of the History Channel series Vikings.

Orth – Orth is an old English name for boys that means honest and humane, though the name has not been exceptionally popular in the modern age. As one of the entries into the Steampunk names for boys, this may be the character who runs the store, restaurant, or other location favored by the protagonist. It is likely that this character may serve as the confidante, if not the conscience of the protagonist.

Peel – This is another entry from English boy’s names that means a tower, a castle, or other fortification. The name would originally have been given to someone who was from such an area, though born there and likely part of the ruling family of the time. Thus, as a Steampunk name for boys, this character would probably be on the side of the antagonist.

Recks – This is the poor man’s variant of the name Rex which means a king. This character may be the leader in the community where the protagonist is from, or a leader along the path of their character development who has greatly influenced them in their journey.

Salazar – This is originally a name for boys in the Basque language and it means the old hall. This character in a dystopian Steampunk setting would be the out-of-the-way loner who either assists the protagonist, or saves them from some certain fate in an isolated area.

Taran – This is yet another selection for the Steampunk names for boys from the Celtic language and means someone who is from the hills. The associations with the name as a Gypsy language name for boys, from both a historical and literary point of view may imply that this would be the character that sold out Salazar for helping the protagonist, likely for personal gain which would ultimately be lost somewhere later in the plot development or storyline.

Wighard – If you pronounce it without the ‘h’ sound and place the accent on the second syllable, this German name for boys that means brave would probably be an excellent name for the protagonist. This name actually means someone who is both brave and a hearty person, likely very stout but at the same time very humble when given the occasion. Once pushed however, this Steampunk character may very well push back much harder. And finding our hero, perhaps that is as good a place as any to end this list of Steampunk names for boys.