15,000+ Two-Syllable Boy Names

Ryle, rhymes with Kyle, was used by author Colleen Hoover for the neurosurgeon hero of her bestselling novel, It Ends With Us. Twenty-nine baby boys were named Ryle in the US in 2023, with many more named all variations of Riley, along with many spellings of Rylen, Ryler, and Rye.

Rarely used independently, it's more often the start of a multisyllabic German mouthful.

Everyone has heard of Genghis Khan, 12th century warrior and founder of the Mongol empire. The name was brought into the modern world by soccer star Hope Solo and football player Jerramy Stevens, who chose it as the middle name for their son Vittorio, whose twin sister is named Lozen after a female Apache warrior.

Kato gained a lot of attention during the O. J. Simpson trial via witness Kato Kaelin (born Brian). It is also the name of a fictional character in "The Green Hornet." Spelled Cato, it has a lot more credibility as an ancient name.

In the garden of herb names, Rosemary and Basil are perennials and Sage is a new upshoot, but Fennel is a real rarity. The aniseed-tasting plant, used to add flavor to dishes around the world, gets its name from the Latin word feniculum, meaning "little hay".

This form of Joseph is an enduring classic in Italy where it remains in the Top 20. In the States it's been hovering under the radar for decades, but its spirited, distinctive-yet-familiar sounds might help it catch on, as Giovanni has

Yet another winning international form of Peter.

Would fit right in with the currently popular in/an/en/on-ending boys' names.

Adare is a masculine name of Irish origin, derived from a place name in County Limerick, Ireland. The name comes from the Irish 'Áth Dara' meaning 'ford of the oak tree,' combining 'áth' (ford) and 'dara' (oak). As a given name, Adare is quite uncommon, giving it a distinctive quality for parents seeking something unique with authentic Irish roots. The name carries associations with the natural world through its oak tree connection, symbolizing strength and endurance. Adare has a crisp, modern sound despite its ancient origins, consisting of two flowing syllables that are easy to pronounce across different languages. The name's place-name origins also make it appealing to families with connections to Irish heritage or to Limerick specifically.

Stalwart Italian classic, completely at home in this country.

A last name as a first name that also has the feel of nicknames like Sully and Cole, Cully could derive from an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Colla. Meaning "descendent of Colla", Colla being a form of Connla, meaning "wolf or hound warrior", Cully's meaning may well appeal to those who want a softer sounding name but with a strong meaning.

Darrell and all its variations was a trendy name in the 1950s and 1960s, an update on David and Daniel that began to fall out of favor by the 1970s and fell out of the Top 1000 completely at the turn of this century.

A name heard in Puritan times -- Cotton Mather was a minister involved in the Salem witchcraft trials -- which really deserves modern consideration as it blends nature and softness into a really trendy and wearable masculine name.

A sweet, simple name with roots in several cultures. In Lithuanian, Aras is a poetic bird name, while in Persian and Kurdish it is both a word ("equal"), and the name of a river that flows through Turkey, Armenia, Iran and Azerbaijan. It is one of the most popular boy names in Turkey, and also ranks in the Netherlands and England and Wales.

A smart and simple unisex Japanese name meaning "sky". It actually has a second nature meaning in Finnish, albeit a slightly less appealing one: "gravel".

Short yet impactful, this Japanese name with has two appealing meanings, depending on which kanji are used. It may be associated with joy, or with a wintery scene.

The name Jiraiya was created in 1806 for yomi-hon — a type of book from the Edo Period — called Jiraiya Monogatari. The character was revived later in the century for a folk tale series Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari, in which Jiraiya, a ninja, shapeshifts into a giant toad.

With Norse (and pseudo-Norse) names such as Thor, Odin and Magnus growing in popularity, this one, which refers to warriors destined for Valhalla on account of their bravery, might have some appeal outside Scandinavia. Its slightly Eeyore-ish sound is balanced out by connections to some major historical figures, including a Norwegian prime minister.

Parents who love the great English novelist Jane Austen may choose this spelling of the popular name Austin to honor the author of Emma and Pride and Prejudice.

This shortened variation of Aaron—it was Elvis's middle name—is now a widely used choice.