By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 755 pages
of 755
Latin
"friend"
One of those place and surname names that hasn't be used much as a first name yet -- but could soon. You could think of it as a fun, one-syllable twist on Amos. Ames is also notable as a surname that…
English
"from the rabbit meadow; eagle's woodland; noble"
Similar in sound to Harley, Marley, and Arlo, this surname-style name is familiar in Brazil and a Top 1000 choice in England and Wales. Pronounced as AHR-lee in English and ahr-LAY in Latin America,…
"the royal settlement"
Although Kenton has the trendy K beginning and on ending, and a jazz reference to Stan Kenton, it still manages to sound stiff and old-fashioned.
Keyler is a modern masculine name that has emerged in recent decades, likely as part of the trend toward occupational surnames and names with the popular '-ler' ending. It may have evolved as a…
English variation of Maurice
"dark-skinned"
Morris is as quiet and comfortable as a Morris chair, and has the same vintage feel. Once a Top 100 name in the early 1900s, Morris fell completely off the roster in 1995, probably due to lingering…
Turkish
"great leader"
Particularly popular in Turkey towards the end of the 20th century, this was the name of a 14th-century sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The name Orhan jumped in use in 2022, given to 81 babies in the…
Variation of Ryan or Hindi
"little king"
South African adventurer Riaan Manser introduced this name to the American and European world. After bicycling the entire coast of Africa and rowing with his girlfriend from Morocco to New York, he…
Variation of Xavier
"new house"
A spin on the Basque name Xavier, Xavian was likely created with names like Damian, Adrian, and Julian in mind. Also spelled as Xavion, Zavion, and so on. A recent year saw 92 boys receive the name,…
English place name from Dutch
"sea land"
Sunny and energetic, but with a hint of cool cowboy, Zealand has been sparingly used since the 2000s, Zealand but shot up the charts in 2021 after YouTube family The Labrants gave it to their son the…
Hebrew, Kurdish, Armenian, Thai
"high elevated, fortress; calm; child of the sun; glittering, temple"
Aram is a popular Armenian name with a pleasing sound that became known in this country through the works of William Saroyan, namely the 1940 book of short stories, My Name in Aram , centering on…
English or Irish
"people of Cana or wolf cub"
Channing is a sophisticated surname name whose use is probably linked to actor Channing Tatum and Channing Crowder, former linebacker for the Miami Dolphins.
Arabic
"eternal"
Khaled is a widely-used Arabic and Muslim name with a strong appealing meaning. Khalid is another popular spelling. Both versions are among the most familiar Arabic names for boys , perhaps thanks to…
Kyzen is a modern masculine name that appears to be a contemporary invention. It has no clear historical or linguistic roots in traditional naming systems, suggesting it was likely created for its…
Variation of Malcolm, Scottish
"devotee of St. Columba"
This may be a phonetic variation of Malcolm, but it just looks...wrong. Be prepared for spelling corrections.
Anglicized form of Ó Riagáin, Irish
"son of Riagán; son of the little king"
A rugged and contemporary choice, Riggins fits in with the likes of Briggs, Bridger, Riggs, Ridge, and Collins: surname style names with an outdoorsy feel. Riggins, however, is currently more quietly…
"wide valley"
Like its cousin Braden, Braydon has been falling in popularity in recent years, perhaps signaling a weakening of the 'aden'-name epidemic. There are thousands of young Bradens and Braydons out there,…
"wealthy, fortunate ruler"
An Old English name that went out of style in the 11th century, but has been brought back into style, perhaps by Edrick Lee, the Australian Rugby player. Given to 84 boys in 2023, Edrick is sometimes…
Hebrew
"oak tree"
The boys' name Elon is best known today as the name of Elon Musk, eccentric billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX. With Canadian singer Grimes, Elon Musk has a son with an even more unusual name, X…
Hindi
"dawn"
Haroon, also styled as Aroon and Harun, is the mythic charioteer of the dawn.
English, Dutch, German
"gray, black; hare"
Hazen is a variation of the Dutch surname Hasin, which has two separate origins. The first is as a nickname for Haso, a Germanic given name derived from haswa , meaning "gray" or "black." Hasin was…
