Aggressive Boy Names

This Dutch nickname has been in use for hundreds of years in the Netherlands, and is as energetic as they come. Of course, the jokes practically write themselves.

Ruger is a German surname most famous as a gun name, which explains its popularity as a baby name in the US. If Cannon, Gunner, and Pistol are your type of name, you might like Ruger -- but we're not inviting him for a playdate.

Is Thrasher a totally violent choice, or a cool, edgy, and triumphant name, shared with a skateboarding magazine? It's up to you, though it does sound fairly harsh in our opinion. Nevertheless, five boys were named Thrasher in 2024, suggesting at least five parents have decided it was badass.

This name might be too, well, triggering.

Superhero names are fit for humans today, and there's no reason Rambo can't take his place among a generation of babies named Loki, Odin, and Atlas.

A new, rising word name for boys that has the advantage of sharing sounds with more common names like Bryson and Braydon. And the disadvantage of getting confused with them.

Could a child named Warrior be anything but fierce and willful? We count Warrior among our Magic Names, those that are chosen for their ability to influence and protect their bearers. We see Warrior rising significantly in the next few years, joining current favorites like Legend, Hero, and Saint.

Caliber belongs to the class of tough boy names — along with Shooter, Wesson, and Trigger — that are given to a small but notable number of boys each year. We generally discourage parents from using such violence-promoting names — there are better routes to the nickname Cal.

Best reserved for pets, mascots, bear,s or a nickname, Grizz nevertheless made its US debut in 2024 when it was given to six boys. Likely borrowed from the name of a North American bear species, the term grizzly may refer to something that is grizzled, or gray-tipped or to something considered gruesome or fear-inspiring.

Power is one of the new crop -- Justice, Liberty, Peace -- of strong, clear-cut, declarative choices, though this one carries more assertiveness than virtue.

A German occupational surname with links to justice and the legal system, but possibly more associated with the Richter Scale, used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes.

It doesn't matter if Savage is a surname on your family tree — it's a highly controversial choice for a first name with connections to racism and colonialism. Despite this, over a dozen sets of parents named their sons Savage in a recent year.

One of the boastful, ultra-modern word names soaring in popularity right now. Though it's a bit more popular for girls than boys -- the "cy" ending reads a little feminine -- it's solidly unisex, with over 100 baby boys being named Legacy in 2017. This is one of the many uplifting words that make unique unisex names.

Cutter was an old-fashioned term for a tailor or barber that was eventually adopted as a surname. That gives it more legitimacy than many of the other aggressive boy names — Striker, Shooter, Breaker, et al. — but Cutter remains equally threatening.

The y helps a bit, but still a painful image.

Sarge is plausibly one of the new aggressive, militaristic names favored by parents hoping for a bossy son.

Asking for trouble.

A commanding word name that feels occupational like Miller, Palmer, and Shepherd, while also fitting in with ambitious choices like Legend, King, Major, Maverick, and Saint. Referring to someone who takes the lead and holds influence and responsibility, Captain has links to team sports, the military, seafaring, superheroes, and the police.

Cooper would be a more engaging C-starting occupational choice.

Bolt is more popular for dogs (a la the 2008 Disney movie of the same name) but debuted on the American charts as a boy name in the 2020s. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt may well have inspired some parents to reconsider it.