My favorite Boys Names
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- Silas
Origin:
Aramaic, Latin, GreekMeaning:
"of the forest; or prayed for"Description:
Sleek and smart, with a hint of mystique about it, Silas is a recent addition to the US Top 100. Both mythological and Biblical in origin, Silas joins the ranks of Isaiah, Atlas, Elias, and Sebastian: polished and contemporary feeling names with plenty of history.
- Theodore
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Classic and elegant but with boyish charm, Theodore has become hit name in recent years, vaulting into the US Top 10 in 2021 for the first time ever and into the Top 5 in 2024. A favorite in English speaking countries, it also ranks highly across the UK and Ireland, and in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
- Everett
Origin:
English variation of the German EberhardMeaning:
"brave as a wild boar"Description:
Everett is a preppy but outdoorsy name, with wintery New England vibes. In the last decade, it’s had a leap in popularity, perhaps because of its similarity to trendy girls’ names like Ava and Scarlett, or perhaps because it offers a fresh alternative to 90’s style Evan and Brett.
- Oliver
Origin:
Germanic, LatinMeaning:
"elf army; ancestor's relic; olive tree"Description:
Oliver is an international star, ranking near the top of the charts throughout the English-speaking world and in a host of European and Latin American countries, from Norway to Chile, Slovenia to Switzerland. Why? Because Oliver is energetic and good-natured, stylish but classic, with a meaning symbolizing peace and fruitfulness.
- Evander
Origin:
Scottish; GreekMeaning:
"bow warrior; strong man"Description:
Evander is a name that could build on the popularity of shorter form Evan, and could work and play well with schoolmates like Zander and Xander.
- Robert
Origin:
English from GermanMeaning:
"bright fame"Description:
Robert was the Number 1 boys' name in the US in both 1925 and 1950, and in fact was in the Top 25 for more than a century, giving it true classic status. Strong if not quite stylish, Robert remains in the Top 100 for baby boys as a family favorite.
- Emmett
Origin:
English masculinization of Emma, GermanMeaning:
"universal"Description:
Emmett, honest and sincere, laid-back and creative, is on the rise as a male cognate of the megapopular Emma, not to mention being a character in the popular Twilight series.
- Max
Origin:
English and German diminutive of Maximilian or MaxwellMeaning:
"greatest"Description:
Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby namers. Max is a widely used name internationally.
- Percy
Origin:
French surname from place name Perci-en-AugeDescription:
Percy is an adorable old name that is finally shedding its pampered Little Lord Fauntleroy image in this new era of boys with soft yet traditionally male names like Jasper and Elijah. Originating as an aristocratic Norman name, Percy became fairly widespread in England--and to some extent in the US--as an offshoot of the fame of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
- Artemis
Origin:
Greek, diminutive of ArtemiosMeaning:
"safe; butcher"Description:
Best known as the the Greek Goddess of the hunt and the moon, Artemis could now be considered one of the few traditionally feminine names that are currently being used for boys. Alternatively though, when pronounced ahr-TEH-mis, it is a valid Greek masculine name – a diminutive of Artemios.
- Casey
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"brave in battle"Description:
Casey is a name with a big wide grin, Irish, friendly, and open, and associated with several American folk heroes--Casey Jones, the engine driver of the Cannonball Express who gave his life to save his passengers, and the legendary Casey at the Bat.
- Lewis
Origin:
English variation of LouisMeaning:
"renowned warrior"Description:
Lewis is the best spelling to choose if you want this pronounced with the S. It was a Top 100 name in the US from 1880 to 1930, reaching Number 30 in 1880 and while it has declined in use, it has remained in the Top 1000 since stats began.
- Cole
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"swarthy, coal black"Description:
Cole -- a short name that embodies a lot of richness and depth -- has long been associated with the great songwriter Cole Porter. It's quite popular in Scotland.
- Quinn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"Description:
Quinn is an engaging Celtic surname, zippy, concise and strong. While it may now lean feminine in the US, given to girls about 80% of the time, it is still given to a substantial number of boys: 615 in a recent count.
- Aaron
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"high mountain; exalted, enlightened"Description:
Aaron is a name of subtle contrasts: an unusual spelling that is easily recognizable; a solid Biblical choice that doesn’t feel exclusively tied to religion; a well-established name for boys but sometimes confused with the girls’ name, Erin; used internationally but with notably different pronunciations; classic like Andrew but not out of place with recent favorites like Weston or Jayden.
- Drew
Origin:
Diminutive of AndrewMeaning:
"strong and manly"Description:
Drew, which projects a polished, somewhat intellectual impression, is rapidly becoming the Andrew nickname of choice, replacing the past favorite, Andy. It is fully capable of standing on its own, which it has for many decades, non-stop since 1942.
- Mason
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"worker in stone"Description:
Mason is an occupational surname that ranked among the Top 10 name for boys throughout the 2010s, after its choice as one of the first Kardashian baby names. It remained a Top 10 choice in the US until 2020 when it began trending downwards and a recent year saw it rank at #42, the lowest it's placed since 2005.
- Adam
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"son of the red earth"Description:
Adam -- a primal Old Testament name -- was revived as a 1960s cowboy name. Adam is not as popular as it once was and feels ready for a respite, replaced by newer A names like Aidan/Aiden, Avery and Axel. Its most prominent current bearers include Adams Sandler, Levine, Brody and Driver -- who plays a character named Adam on Girls.
- Billy
Origin:
English, diminutive of WilliamMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
Cute kid with freckles, bouncing a Spalding ball. Cool couple Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton put the name Billy Burton on their son's birth certificate. While the classic William, name of the future king of England, may in fact be German, the nickname Billy along with such other classic short forms as Jim and Joe are authentically English names for boys.
- Jackson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Jack"Description:
Jackson is one of those names that's much more popular than you think, coming in near the top of our annual Playground Analysis, which ranks names by grouping all their spellings together. Last year, more than 13,000 baby boys were named Jackson -- along Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaxxon, Jaxen, Jaxyn, Jaxsen, and Jaxsyn -- which counted together makes it the Number 5 boys' name.
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