Boy Names That End in -er

Fans of writer Paul Auster might consider this a worthy alternative to the trendy Austin.

Messer has trendy surname style, but a "messy" first syllable and sharp imagery may give some prospective parents pause. Reality star Stassi Schroeder named her son Messer Rhys in 2023, brother to Hartford Charlie Rose.

Rare Danish variant of Asbjorn or Esben.

Garner is an unncommon word and surname with some prospect of garnering popularity, especially now that Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have given it to son Samuel as his middle name, and Jessica Alba and Cash Warren have used it as the middle name of second daughter Haven. Garner is also Cash Warren's middle name. Gardner or Gardener is another, similar though unrelated possibility.

This eminent surname name belonged to one of the two leaders of the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the western part of the USA. The surname was originally given to someone with a sunny temperament.

Brewer is a surname turned first name that comes from the occupational name for someone who brews beer. Definitely a cool guy name.

Gomer is that rare beast, a unisex biblical name. Gomer was both a son of Japheth (and therefore grandson of Noah), and the wife of the prophet Hosea. It has lingering associations with the hayseed Gomer Pyle character, but may just about be ready for rehab.

With its slightly cocky feel, this well-used surname is not often heard as a first.

Will any English speaker spell your son Aleksander's name right on the first try? Nyet.

Two-syllable place-names are stylish, and this one is attached to a British city noted for its white chalk cliffs, but there are a couple of minuses: associated with the fish, Dover sole, and also rhymes with the doggy Rover.

A not uncommon surname in Northern England that remains uncommon as a first name everywhere.

Macallister as a first name is attracting new attention as the name chosen by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and venture capitalist Zack Bogue for their young son. Macallister is usually heard as a patronymic surname, meaning son of Alasdair or Alistair or any one of the spellings of the Scottish form of Alexander. Like all other names of this type, Macallister leads to the cute short form Mac.

Not as familiar and easy as Christopher, not as unusual and interesting as Christoph or Krzysztof.

Stylish way to name your son after basketball great Walt -- though Walt is sounding fresh again too.

Rochester was Jack Benny's famous valet and sidekick, played by early African-American comic Eddie Anderson.

Romer might be considered a streamlined spelling of the German surname Rohmer, whose root means fame or renown, or a name that was given to those who made pilgrimages to Rome, which is related to Romeo and its brothers. With the style value of other Rome names from Roman to Romy, this is one we predict we'll hear more of.

This handsome surname is used for boys in small numbers — for now. It's an energetic choice— literally, Renner is derived from the word rennen, meaning "to run".

British place-name unlikely to evoke much passion in any baby namer.

This common German-Jewish surname is not as common as the streamlined, gentile Fisher, although we like this spelling just as much. Both variations peaked around 2015, when Fischer was given to about 100 baby boys, and Fisher 300.

If you find the surname Rensselaer in your family tree, that indicates your ancestors were from the town of Rensselaer, Gelderland, Netherlands. Rensselaer is the name of a city and country in New York, named after Kiliaen van Rensselaer, a merchant from Amsterdam who helped found the Dutch West India Company and New Netherland colony of the US.