4 Letter Boy Names

This sleek, warm-hued spelling spin on Rowan was chosen by Sharon Stone for one of her three sons back in the 2000s and it has since risen in popularity in the US. While it remains a long way behind its sometimes sound-alike Rowan, it was still given to more than 140 babies in a recent year.
 
A name of multiple origins and meanings, Roan could simply be a contracted form of stylish Rowan, which is itself a name with more than one meaning. On one hand, it's a nature nature, denoting a red-berried tree, while on the other, it is an Anglicized form of the Irish Ruadhán, meaning "little redhead". In this case, it would be said with two syllables.
 
Alternatively, Roan is a Frisian name, ultimately from the Old German hraban, meaning "raven". As such, it's a familiar option in The Netherlands where it ranked in the Top 150 in a recent year. 
 
Roan could however be an English word name, used to describe an animal that has a coat comprised of two different colors interspersed together. Again, it would be pronounced with just one syllable, to rhyme with Joan or lone. 
 
Singer-songwriter Chappell Roan may well make Roan a more visible and familiar choice, meaning we may well see more little Roans in coming years.

Roan

A handsome Irish name for boys, very popular in that country, but in the US this traditional spelling might cause pronunciation problems. Still, whether Cian or Kian, it's simple and straightforward enough for the initiated. Cian is rising in the British popularity charts. 
This was the name of several legendary figures, including Cian, son of the god of medicine. His own son was Lugh, the sun god and father of the Ulster warrior Cuchulain and Cian is also the name of the son-in-law of the high king Brian Boru. So very well connected.

Cian

A unisex Hebrew name sometimes given in Israel to kids born under the goat sign of Capricorn; it's also spelled Yael/Ya'el. 

Jael

Classic Arabic name seen as both a first name and a surname. The pre-Islamic Arabian Sword is also called the Saif.

Saif

The name of the Greek winged god of love (usually romantic and sexual love) may seem a lot to live up to, but like other deity names, it's on the rise. In a recent year, it was given to more than 130 boys in the US.
 
The name appears in DC comics as an ally of Wonder Woman, and is the alias of Marvel's Starfox character. Eros is also the name of an asteroid in our solar system. The name is more popular in Italy, where it's been in the Top 200 in recent years.
 
Entourage actor Adrian Grenier and Jordan Roemmele chose Eros as one of their son's middle names in 2025.

Eros

Though familiar to all via such childhood icons as Hans Brinker, Hans(el) and Gretel, and Hans Christian Andersen, few Americans have chosen this name for their sons because of its intractably Old Country image. 

Hans

With Ares trending upwards, this modern spelling is following in its footsteps, most notably in the UK where it climbed 200 places in a recent year. Also in the charts in France, it can be considered a variation of Ares, the Greek god of war, whose name means "ruin, bane", however, it that meaning doesn't appeal, it is considered a short for of Aristoteles, meaning "the best purpose".
 
Aris may also be used as a Dutch name, as a diminutive of Adriaan. In this case, it would be pronounced A-rihs, and hold the meaning "man of Adria".
 
While Aris is favored in England and Wales and ranks in the Top 400, Ares is preferred in the US. The latter ranks in the Top 1000, while Aris was given to 117 boys and (82 girls) in a recent year.

Aris

Short and friendly in sound but with a strong meaning, Hadi is a name of Arabic origin, that appears in one of the names of Allah, al-Hadi. 

Hadi

The supreme Olympian god represents a mighty image for a little fella to live up to, but more and more parents are beginning to consider it seriously.  The Roman equivalent Jupiter has also come down to earth.  And Zeus wasn't just the supreme god, he was also the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, and fate, among other weighty responsibilities.

Zeus

Entered the vernacular with the rising star of Shia LeBeouf.  The meaning and origin of the name are disputed, though the actor has been quoted as saying he's embarrassed by its meaning in French: another four-letter word starting with s.

Shia

Like many short forms now popular as full names in the Netherlands, Coen—also spelled Koen—originated as the diminutive of the more old-fashioned Coenraad, the Dutch Conrad. In this case, it would be pronounced as KOON, with a short oo sound. 
 
Alternatively, it may be used in the US as a variation of Cohen, which stems from the Jewish surname designating a priest, and thus pronounced as CO-uhn. Additionally, it may also relate to the Irish surname McCown ("of Connacht") or to the Australian place name, Coen, meaning "thunder" from its Indigenous roots. 
 
 Aussie footballer Lydia Williams chose it for her baby, born in 2026.

Coen

Zael is a concise masculine name with possible Hebrew origins, potentially derived from a name meaning "God has delivered." Its compact, single-syllable structure gives it a modern, streamlined feel, while the uncommon letter 'z' adds a distinctive edge. The name may also have connections to angelic names in some traditions. With its combination of the trendy initial 'Z' and short length, Zael fits contemporary naming preferences for boys that favor brief, impactful names with unusual sounds. While relatively rare in usage, the name's straightforward pronunciation and spelling make it accessible despite its uniqueness. Zael offers parents a name that stands out without being difficult to use in everyday contexts.

Zael

Though a variation of Dion, this name made it into 2013's Top 1000 while the original did not.

Deon

Closer to the original Norse name Ívarr, it is part of a small group of names with similar roots: Ivor, Iver, Ivo, Ives, and Evander, which all make rugged yet gentle feeling choices. Used throughout Scandinavia, Ivar is in the Swedish Top 100 and is also on the rise in the UK, outranking the English variation, Ivor. 
 
Deriving from the Old Norse elements, ýr meaning "yew tree" or "bow" and herr meaning "warrior", the name relates to archery and soldiers who carry bow and arrows. It was brought to England by Scandinavian settlers in the Middle Ages, and to the US by in the 19th century. Willa Cather features an Ivar in her novel O Pioneers! which tells the story of a family of Swedish-American immigrants.
 
Used by just a handful of boys each year in the US until 2016, the TV series Vikings may have brought it to more people's attention, when it featured the historical figure, Ivar Ragnarsson (or "Ivar the Boneless"). In 2023, it was given to around 125 boys -- the highest number of Ivars born in a single year as yet.

Ivar

Amar is a masculine name found across India and Pakistan. It is popular in expatriate and diaspora communities, especially in Great Britain.

Amar

A light and breezy nature name that's currently in style limbo, despite its pleasant meaning, Dale was originally a surname, used for someone who lived near a valley. It was a Top 100 choice in the US between the 20s and 70s, though it has been out of the Top 1000 since the 2000s.
 
Given to just shy of 150 boys in a recent year, it makes a familiar-but-unique option.

Dale

Depending on how you look at it, a variation of the word name Colt or an abbreviated form of Kolton.

Kolt

The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Gray (or Grey), is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative--if slightly somber-- choice, especially in the middle. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney recently named their son Leo Grey.
 A common surname, Gray/Grey is still an unusual first name choice--it hasn't made it into the Top 1000 in this century--while longer forms Grayson and Greyson are climbing rapidly, with Grayson at Number 97, and his twin at 200.
 The best known bearer of the name, former Governor Gray Davis of California, was born Joseph Graham Davis, Jr, and others with Gray names include Graydon Carter (born Edward Graydon), editor of "Vanity Fair," and Grayer, the child in "The Nanny Diaries."

Gray

Bodi is a succinct and friendly looking name, with a number of possible origins. One one hand, it could be a diminutive of the Hungarian Boldizsár, which ultimately derives from the Babylonian Belshazzar or Balthazar, in turn lending it a regal quality.
 
Alternatively, it could derive from a number of Slavic names, such as Božidar, meaning "divine gift" or Bogdan, meaning "given by God". As Slavic translations of Theodore and Theodotus, Bodi, in a way, feels like an equivalent to the English Teddy.
 
Another possibility is that it is a modern variation on the Sanskrit Bodhi, and it is likely that this is the reason for its increased usage in the US. An obscure choice before the 2000s, Bodi began to see more significant use in the mid-2010s, around the same time that Bodhi - and similar Bodie - were accelerating up the charts. By dropping the H, parents may feel like they're separating the name from its spiritual ties, while still keeping hold of that interesting -i ending.

Bodi

Is Haze a spiky, contemporary form of Hayes or is it an obscure, slightly trippy word name? Is it what Blaze is to Blaise and Jaxon to Jackson or is it more in line with Misty, Stormy, Rainy, and Rocky, Dizzy and Merrily?
 
As a variation of Hayes, it would mean "hedged area" while as a word name, it would mean "obscurity in the atmosphere", "foggy, misty, or cloudiness", or "a state of mental confusion",
 
This form was given to 126 boys in a recent year.

Haze

Four letter boy names have topped the popularity list for several years now, with Liam taking over for longtime favorite Noah.

 boys' names with four letters in the US Top 100

 include Levi, Ryan, Ezra, Owen, Luke, Jack, Evan, Axel, Jace, and Jose.



John and its short form Jack, two of the top male names of all time, both have four letters. Other

 include Abel, Adam, Amos, Carl, Eric, Mark, and Paul.

 on our recommended list include Beau, Cove, Elio, Ford, Hart, Huck, Land, Nico, Otis, Pike, Rafi, and Shaw.



View our entire list of boy names with four letters here, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry. 

Four letter boy names including meaning, origin, and popularity, with top four letter boy names Noah and Jack and unique four letter names for boys (Page 11)

1900+ Four Letter Boy Names