One Syllable Names for Boys
Across 170 pages
of 170
Zyon
Spelling variation of Zion, Hebrew
"highest place"
With its sharp Z initial and similar sound to Ryan, Zion has shot up the charts in singer Lauryn Hill used it for her son in 1997. Following on in its footsteps, spelling variant Zyon entered the Top…
Meir
Hebrew
"bringer of light"
The original form of the Hebrew Meyer.
Jon
Variation of John or Jonathan
"God is gracious; or gift of Jehovah"
Streamlined version of the classic boys' names, sometimes a short form of Jonathan, which is in fact an entirely different name from John attached to a different Biblical personage. Jon feels more…
Gian
Italian, diminutive of Giovanni
"God is gracious"
Gian sounds (almost) like John, so there's some potential for confusion, but the spelling makes it unmistakeably Italian. It could be a solution if longer names like Gianni and Gianluca aren't your…
Van
Dutch
"of"
Whether it's used as a short form or on its own, this jazzy midcentury name is poised for a comeback along with brothers Ray and Walt. More often heard as a surname prefix (e.g. Vincent van Gogh,…
Gage
French
"oath, pledge"
Gage was part of the craze for one-syllable surnames, with associations to tasty green gage plums and the mathematical gauge. Gage was first noticed as a character in Stephen King's Pet Semetary…
Joan
Catalan, Occitan variation of John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
There are now more boys than girls given the name Joan each year in the US, although the two are distinct names. The masculine version, pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable, is among…
Blaine
Irish and Scottish
"yellow"
Attractive Scottish and Irish surname name of a seventh-century saint, associated with the illusionist and escape artist David Blaine.
Joe
Diminutive of Joseph
"Jehovah increases"
Joe is still the ultimate good-guy name, not at all diminished by its longevity or popularity or its everyman rep as Regular Joe, Cowboy Joe, G.I. Joe, Joe Exotic, Joe Blow, Joe Millionaire, Average…
Bennt
Bennt is an unusual masculine name that appears to be a variant spelling of Bent or Bennett. It likely has Germanic or Scandinavian origins, where Bent is a traditional name derived from Benedict,…
Bendt
Bendt is a masculine name with Scandinavian origins, particularly common in Denmark. It represents a Nordic variant of Benedict, which derives from Latin 'benedictus' meaning 'blessed.' The name has…
Benke
Hungarian diminutive of Benjamin and Benedek
"son of the right hand; blessed; little Ben"
An old diminutive of Benjamin and Benedek (the Hungarian form of Benedict), Benke can mean "little Ben" making it a charming and unexpected way to honor a Ben
Benes
Benes is an uncommon masculine name with multiple potential origins. It may derive from the Czech name Beneš, a shortened form of Benedict, meaning 'blessed.' Alternatively, it could be connected to…
Ary
Ary is a masculine name with multiple possible origins. It could be a shortened form of larger names like Aryeh (Hebrew for 'lion'), Aristotle, or Aryan. In Hebrew contexts, it directly relates to…
Aki
Japanese; Finnish
"born in the autumn; ancestor"
A name known in several cultures, also through animated book character Tiger Aki. Finnish author Aki Ollikainen is another notable bearer.
Dick
Diminutive of Richard
"dominant ruler"
Dick was a once-common short form of Richard; replaced by Rick or Richie, and finally by the full name itself. Rude meaning -- make that two rude meanings -- pretty much knocks this one out of…
Dix
Latin
"tenth"
Once a birth order name, now might work as a cool x-ending nickname. But be warned that it sounds very close to an unfortunate slang term.
Arve
Arve is a masculine name of Scandinavian origin, particularly common in Norway. The name derives from the Old Norse elements "arn" or "örn" meaning "eagle" and "vig" meaning "battle," thus conveying…
Beng
Beng is a masculine name with origins in several Southeast Asian cultures, particularly in the Philippines and parts of Malaysia. In Filipino contexts, it often serves as a nickname for names like…
Bence
Hungarian variation of Vincent, Latin
"conquering"
Bence has been the most popular boy name in Hungary for over a decade — it’s held the top spot since 2003, the year Hungary began releasing its baby name data. Bence is the Hungarian translation of…