English Names for Boys

New is a middle name name with meaning: Your baby, after all, is new to the world and you may hope will continue to approach life and experience as if everything is new and exciting.

Stowe, the name of a beautiful mountain town in Vermont as well as the surname of the great author Harriet Beecher, is one of the oldest last names on record.  The meeting place the name Stowe refers to is part of a church.  Stowe might make a distinctive and meaningful middle name for skiers or Uncle Tom's Cabin fans.

Stowe

Mailer is one of the more unusual of the on-trend occupational surnames.  Recommended for fans of the macho writer Norman Mailer.

Mailer

The unisex word name Bean, distant cousin of the infamous Apple, was used for the name of a child in Louise Penny's novel "A Rule Against Murder." A cute choice, it's likely best reserved for a nickname, a middle name, or as a pet's name.
 
Bennett, Benjamin, Eben, Bernard or Benson might be direct routes to the nickname.

Bean

Wrecker is a new entry to the newly trendy group of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/404/badass-baby-names">badass baby names</a> -- names mostly for boys that sound wild (or Wilder) and summon the kind of kid that races around (Racer), breaking things (Breaker), and yeah, why not, being a Wrecker while he's at it. Actor Cam Gigandet introduced this one, with a more phonetic spelling, when he named his son Rekker.

Wrecker

Rekker comes to us thanks to actor Cam Gigandet, who gave his son this phonetic spelling of badass word name Wrecker.  Use at your own peril.

Rekker

Also spelled as Swithun, this rare choice was notably borne by a 9th-century bishop who became the patron saint of Winchester (England) and of the weather. Said to be the one to pray for during a drought, St. Swithin is perhaps best known for his feast day (July 15th), which is used as a weather predictor.
 
According to an old English proverb which states whatever the weather on St. Swithin's Day, will hold for the next 40 days: a rainy July 15th means a rainy August; a sunny one means sunshine over the next month. It may sound fanciful, but there is scientific backing: the feast day tends to coincide with the jet stream above the UK settling into a pattern that typically continues until the August, in turn leading to steadier weather). 
 Blending the Old English elements, swiþ and hun, Swithun is an animal and nature related choice, meaning "strong bear cub". Neither the Swithin or Swithun spelling have appeared in the US stats, though Swithin was given to three boys in England and Wales in 2008.
 
Thomas Hardy used the name for one of the central characters of his 1882 novel, Two on a Tower , in which it's borne by astronomer Swithin St. Cleeve.

Swithin

More than 300 babies have been named Shooter in the US since 2002, which, depending on who you ask, is arguably about 300 too many. One of the violent names for boys that have gained traction in recent years, the most optimistic view perhaps is that parents were thinking about sports or honoring a family connection to the militiary when choosing this name.
 
Previously known only as the nickname of musician Waylon "Shooter" Jennings, Jr., the word became a "proper" name when painter Julian Schnabel used it for his newborn son with gallerist May Andersen back in 2013. The name was given to at least 24 other boys the same year, though it has never been used to the same extent since.
 
Joining ranks with Cannon, Caliber, Gunnar, and Trooper, it might be worth typing "shooter" into your news app and having a flick through the latest headlines before you commit to using the name. Plus, the aforementioned options might give you the same feel, but with just a bit more subtlety. 
 
You could also check out this list of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/1755/aggressive-boy-names>similar, aggressive names for boys</a> including Gage, Wolf, Blaze, Radar, Mace, and Chief.

Shooter

Boo as a first name first achieved notoriety as the name of the child-man in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Arthur "Boo" Radley was meant to be frightening, but only in a simple, non-threatening way. More recently, Boo has been used as the middle name of one of chef Jamie Oliver's children and the nickname in the middle of television's Honey Boo Boo. Boo is also the name of the world's cutest dog and of the adorable little girl in Monsters Inc. In a more basic way, Boo is a term of endearment.

This is an occupational surname for one who made nails and has been used by one Berry to honor a Canadian World War I hero, Col. George Nasmith. Other related names with the same meaning nclude Nayler, Naismith, Naysmith and Neasmith.
Trivia note: Dr. James Naismith is considered the inventor of basketball.

Nasmith

Crusoe, as in castaway hero Robinson, is a literary invention by author Daniel Defoe. In the novel, the character says his name is an Anglicization of the German Kreutznaer, which may be a place name or refer to a crossing of the river Nahe. Alternatively, it may translate to "dweller by the cross", from Kreuzbewohner.
 
Short form Cru was given to over 100 boys in the US in a recent year, while Crue was chosen for around 440. Crusoe, however, has only ranked occaionally, most recently in 2021 when it was given to 10 boys.

Crusoe

Innovative architect, inventor, and thinker Buckminster (universally known as Bucky) Fuller makes this vaguely possible. 

Buckminster

This scary word name was given to five baby boys in the US in 2013, entering the lexicon for the first time.  Are the boys named Vice destined for a life of crime, or the creation of a media empire?

Vice

A contemporary choice, Pistol entered the stats in the US back in 2010 for boys and then in 2013 for girls too. Given to around 80 babies throughout the 2010s, it has fallen out of favor in the 2020s.
 
While it could be positively spun as a word name for an enterprising and spirited person, most people will only think of the small handheld firearm. For fans of Gunner, Hunter, Thrasher, Blade, and similar, this would be part of the appeal, though it might be worth bearing in mind that Pistol combines a violent (or rugged) image with an unfortunate first syllable.
 
You could alternatively consider a Pistol brand name, like Colt, Remington, Bond, Kimber, or Zenith.

Pistol

Riggan found fame as the first name of the hero of the Oscar-winning film Birdman, played by Michael Keaton.  Riggan has the two-syllable n-ending surname feel so trendy for boys' names today.  It may be a variation of Reagan or Regan or it may be a play on the word rigging.

Whatever its origin, we bet this is one fictional name that will find wider use in real life.

Riggan

While Ivy Blue has made the color a more popular choice for girls, Blues — as in the musical style — could feel more masculine. While some may find it a sad and gloomy choice, thanks to the phrase "having the blues", the musical connection gives it greater potential. It could make for a laid-back name that oozes cool and works as an alternative for those wanting to avoid more obvious choices like Indigo or Hendrix.
 
 In August 2024, Justin and Hailey Bieber announced the birth of their son, Jack Blues Bieber, which could draw people's attention to the name in coming years.

Blues

The final e adds a big purple bow to what has already become a pink name.  Try Brook or better, Brooks.

Brooke

Darnel, the plant from which this name derives, is an intoxicating plant, which used to be grown to make medicines and poisons. 

Durnell

Bromley is an English surname-name that's more possible as a first name now than ever before. The -ley suffix has been adopted for many names, and surnames such as Bromley are fashionable.

A short form of Bromley, Brom, is the uni-name of the bestselling author and illustrator of Krampus, among other fantasy works. Author Christopher Paolini named the hero of his bestselling book Eragon Brom after the writer-illustrator.

Bromley

Attached to one of the heroes of Christopher Paolini's megapopular fantasy novel Eragon, this name sounds strong yet sensitive. 

Paolini's character is named after another bestselling fantasy author and artist, the uni-named Brom (which is actually his last name).
The word broom in the name's meaning refers not to something you sweep with but to a yellow bush or plant that grows wild and is considered invasive.

Brom

English names for boys dominate the popularity lists of the US, the UK, and other English-speaking countries, with William and James ranking highly in the US, and Jack, Oscar, and Charlie reigning in the UK.



Many English names for boys drawn from surnames are currently trending in the United States: Jackson, Cooper, Lincoln, Hunter, and Landon, for instance. And then there are English word names from Royal to Loyal that have become fashionable for baby boys.

 include Carter, Grayson, Julian, Mason, Parker, Robert, Sawyer, and Wyatt. Trending English names for boys include surname names such as Reeve and Miller and antique names such as Auberon and Anson.

Baby boy names of English origin popular in the UK

 include Oliver — a top name throughout the United Kingdom — Harry, Leo, and Alfie. The English name Tom ranks highly in France, while James is favored in The Netherlands and Oliver is popular in Spain.



Some of the straightforward boys’ names we think of as English — like the royal Charles, William, Henry, George, and Louis — all have non-English roots but may carry nicknames like Charlie or Bill that are distinctively English.

English Names for Boys rank highly throughout the English-speaking world, including William, James, Jack, Oscar, and Charlie. (Page 66)