One Syllable Names for Boys
Across 170 pages
of 170
Maine
American Place-name
Strong, spare, and highly unusual -- there were no babies recorded of either gender receiving this name in one recent year -- place-name referring to the northernmost state in New England. All state…
Rein
Variation of Reign or Rain; English word name
"royal authority; water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere"
Rein, along with Reign, have taken over from Rain as a trendy word name. Should you rein it in or let it rein? Okay, bad puns we know, but that's the downside of word names. This is a true unisex…
Brace
English word name
"to prepare; to reinforce; to strengthen"
Brace yourself? You're going to hear that one a lot if you choose this word name for your baby son, as a handful of parents in the US did in a recent year. One reason for this word is being used as a…
Ode
Word name or medieval English form of Otto, German
"a lyric poem; wealthy"
Ode could be part of the extended Otto/Otis family, or it might be a literary term, referring to an elaborate lyric poem, such as Keats's Ode to a Nightingale. .
Malthe
Danish
"Rule / Power"
This name has been used in Denmark since the 13th Century, and is once again very popular there, now being in the Top 10. We don't see it crossing the Atlantic anytime soon, despite the strong…
Nohr
Danish
"north"
For those who can't bear to use a Kardashian name, perhaps the translation Nohr might be an option. Nohr is currently in Denmark's Top 50 and so is one of those Danish names prime to travel to the…
Lauge
Danish
"fellow / partner"
Lauge is unheard of in most English-speaking countries, but is in the Top 50 in many Nordic countries. Despite is lovely meaning, Lauge's pronunciation and spelling issues are unlikely to make it…
Ayal
Hebrew
"stag, gazelle"
Ayal is a boys' name used in modern Israel but virtually unknown in the US. Even more popular in Israel is the female form, Ayala.
Jarl
Swedish variation of Earl
"nobleman"
Just as in English, the name Jarl is a noble title. Jarl was also the name of a figure in Norse mythology who, along with his wife Erna, raised a brood of eleven sons, who all became warriors.
Xoan
Galician variation of John
X names are always intriguing, and this Galician version of John is no exception...except, it seems like an awful lot of complication. Other variations of John that might prove more wearable in an…
Stieg
Variation of Stig
The late Swedish novelist Stieg Larsson, author of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo , introduced his Swedish name to the wider world -- not that too many people outside Scandinavia have adopted it.
Mayur
Sanskrit
"peacock"
An interesting choice for people looking for a nature name that is off the beaten track. Mumbai-based actor and songwriter Mayur Puri is a notable bearer of this name.
Shyam
Sanskrit
"dark, black, blue"
Shyam is one of the alternate names of Hindu God Krishna.
Shah
Shah is a masculine name of Persian origin that means 'king' or 'ruler.' Historically, it was used as a title for the monarchs of Iran (Persia) until the 20th century. As a personal name, Shah…
Kush
Though mountain climbers may want to honor the famed Central Asian mountain range known as the Hindu Kush, associations with marijuana and Jared Kushner make this a hard sell.
Shiv
Northern Indian form of Shiva, Hindi
"benign, kind"
A short, snappy form of the name Shiva, this name is associated with the Hindu god of destruction and restoration. Currently a rising choice in England and Wales.
Sep
Sep is a concise masculine name with multiple cultural origins. It can be a shortened form of Joseph ("God will add") or September (the seventh month in the ancient Roman calendar). In Persian…
Leave
Leave as a masculine given name is extremely unusual and unconventional. Unlike most names, it doesn't have a clear etymological history as a personal name in any major naming tradition. The word…
Fiete
German short form of Friedrich or Frederick, German
"peaceful ruler"
Fiete is an extremely popular German name for boys that has not migrated to the English-speaking world. But it ranks among Germany's Top 100 boy names.
Jonte
Jonte is a modern masculine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variation of Jontae or Jonte', which emerged in American naming patterns in the late 20th century. The name could also…