One Syllable Names for Boys
Across 170 pages
of 170
Mat
Short form of Mathew or Matthew, Hebrew
"gift of God"
This short form of the biblical Matthew relates most directly to the shorter, rarer spelling Mathew. (About 7000 baby boys were named Matthew in the US, versus about 250 called Mathew.) Nearly 50…
Sim
Scottish diminutive of Simon
"the listener"
The Biblical Simon has been rediscovered and this appealing short form, an alternative to Sam, might be a way to make your Simon even more special.
Christ
English from Greek
"anointed, messiah"
Meaning "anointed one" in Greek, this was a title applied to Jesus by early Greek-speaking followers. It has been used as the English form of both Christos and Chrestos, which means "good".
Lige
Diminutive of Elijah, Hebrew
"Yahweh is God"
If default nickname Eli is too common for your tastes, you may consider resuscitating the antique nickname Lige for your little Elijah. Lige Conley, born Elijah Crommie, was an American silent film…
Wm
Abbreviation of William
Were boys really named Wm at the turn of the last century, or was the old-timey abbreviation of William simply what was noted on the official records? We're guessing the latter, but as the Social…
Young
Young is a masculine name that originated as a surname in English, derived from the Old English word 'geong,' meaning 'young' or 'youthful.' As a given name, it has been most commonly used in East…
Mont
Diminutive of Montgomery or French
"mountain"
Monty Burns, on The Simpsons , smashed to pieces any goodwill for his first name leftover from Monty Python . But if you drop the "y," you're left with a distinctly Gallic sounding nickname name. If…
Cloyd
Cloyd is a masculine name with Germanic origins, likely derived as a variant of 'Claude,' which comes from the Latin 'Claudius' meaning 'lame' or 'limping.' The name has a distinctive sound that…
Fate
Short form of Lafayette, French, English word name
"faith; predestined, destiny, chance"
Briefly in the US Top 1000 in the late 19th century, Fate likely emerged as a short form for the old French name, Lafayette. In the contemporary landscape however, it may well be perceived as a word…
Gabe
Short form of Gabriel, Hebrew
"God is my strength"
Gabe ranked in the Top 1000 from 1880 until 1905, when it fell into obscurity. There are fewer than 100 boys named Gabe, just plain Gabe, each year in the US, compared with over 10,000 named Gabriel.…
Lum
Diminutive of Columbus, English from Latin
"dove"
A forgotten nickname for Columbus, which itself is becoming ever rarer. Radio comedy program Lum and Abner , which ran for over two decades beginning in 1931, featured a character named Columbus…
Wong
Chinese surname
"jade; yellow; king; vast; flood"
Wong is a common romanization of the pinyin Chinese family names Huang and Wang, as well as rarer surnames such as Heng and Hong.
Doc
English word name
A boy with this name is certain to be bombarded with "What's up, doc?" every day of his life. Even Doctor would be preferable.
Guss
Guss is a brief, punchy masculine name that typically functions as a nickname for names like Augustus, Gustave, or Angus. This shortened form carries a folksy, unpretentious charm with its…
Hamp
Hamp is a masculine name with English origins, primarily derived as a shortened form of Hampton, which was originally a place name meaning "home town" or "settlement." It may also function as a…
Lafe
Variation of Leif, Diminutive of Lafayette, Scandinavian, French
"heir, descendant; faith"
In the 18th century, Lafe was the common short form of the French surname name Lafayette. A notable bearer was Lafe McKee, who acted in over 400 films during the first half of the 19th century.…
Flem
Flem is an extremely rare masculine name that likely originated as a short form of Fleming, a surname referring to someone from Flanders (a region spanning parts of Belgium, France, and the…
Hoy
Hoy is an uncommon masculine name with multiple possible origins. In Scottish contexts, it derives from a place name meaning 'high land' or 'high island.' It may also have Chinese origins where it…
Mart
Diminutive of Martin, Latin
"warlike"
Fresher and snappier than Marty and Martin, could Mart be successful as an independent baby name? It certainly has in the Netherlands, where it featured in the Top 300 in a recent year, outranking…
Press
Press is an uncommon masculine name that originated as an English surname. It likely derived from occupational roots, referring to someone who operated a press (such as a wine press, printing press,…