5 Letter Boy Names

One of several blunt B names just this side of the gender divide. While its short and to-the-point sound may feel modern, it has been declining steadily since the 1980s.
 David Brent is Ricky Gervais's character in the UK version of The Office.

Brent

With the contemporary sounds of Azai and Messiah, Masai feels like a totally modern choice. It has its roots in the name of the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania and translates to "people who speak Maa".
 
The name has been on the rise in the US since the 2010s, and in 2024, it was given to nearly 90 boys. A notable bearer is basketball executive, Masai Ujiri.

Masai

While it may sound a little dated, Lamar is a name that has never been outside the US Top 1000, but it is in danger of falling off the list.
 Lamar Odom is a retired professional basketball player.

Lamar

This Anglicized form of Bearach or short form of Finbarr was in the Top 200 in the USA for 50 years until the early 80s when it rapidly fell out of favor. Barry has not yet found popularity in the modern era - but that may well change as people rediscover their love of classic figures like musician Barry White, baseballer Barry Bonds or even Barack Obama, whose nickname as a young man was Barry. 

Barry

Although often connected to the men's magazine title, Maxim is a chic and powerful name for a little boy. It's proving moderately popular too, having been in the Top 1000 in the US since the year 2000.

Maxim

A portmanteau name that freshens up 90's favorite Tyler by blending it with the multicultural, currently stylish Amir. A modern way to honor a Tyler or a Tim, Tymir is an invented name that looks like an established choice, along the lines of Vladym and Timur. In fact, it is very similar to the Ukrainian form of the latter, Tymur.
 
As a compound name, Tymir could be interpreted as "tile maker for the prince" based on Amir's Arabic roots, or "tile maker from the treetops" from its Hebrew ones. Alternatively, however, some sources suggest Tymir could be a variation of Turkish Timur, meaning "iron" or a form of Tamir, a name that means "tall" in Hebrew, "date (fruit)" in Arabic, and "strong" in Mongolian. 
 
Its use in the US however is more likely down to its Tyler/Amir connections, with nearly 120 boys given the name in a recent year.

Tymir

Darrell and all its variations was a trendy name in the 1950s and 1960s, an update on David and Daniel that began to fall out of favor by the 1970s and fell out of the Top 1000 completely at the turn of this century.

The Daryl spelling is most closely identified with actress Daryl Hannah, making this a unisex choice in theory, though last year about 75 baby boys were named Daryl....and no baby girls.

Daryl

Though used quite often for babies of both sexes, Khari, meaning "kingly," was traditionally a boys' name. Musical couple Fetty Wop and Masika Kalysha, however, named their daughter Khari.

Khari

Adnan in the Muslim religion was an ancestor of Muhammad. More recently, the name was introduced to many Westerners via Adnan Syed, the young man at the center of the sensational Serial podcast.

Adnan

<a href="https://nameberry.com/list/428/scottish-baby-names">Scottish names</a> that started as surnames are a class unto themselves. This old Scottish surname name debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2016 -- bolstered, no doubt, by the extreme popularity of Easton, just one letter away.

Eason

Monty, a name with a World War II feel, is rarely used on its own in the US.  But we're hearing rumblings of a comeback and think that Monty, whatever it's short for, is an adorable vintage nickname name of the future. It's already a hit in the UK. 

Monty

Eternally tied to the surname Chase, via the old English battle and ballad, the DC suburb, and the goofy SNL pratfaller (who was born Cornelius). It entered the US Top 1000 in 2014.

Chevy

This Welsh surname was taken up as a first in the English-speaking world in the early twentieth century, originally as a nickname for someone gray-haired. The original Welsh nickname was Llwyd, pronounced LHOO-eed, and is the Welsh word for the color. 
 
A name with 'grandpa vibes', it fell out of the US Top 1000 back in the early 2000s, however it still ranks in England and Wales, albeit in the 900s. 
 
Actor Beau Bridges was christened Lloyd after his actor father, while other notable Lloyds include comedian and actor Lloyd Griffith, footballer Lloyd Kelly, singer Lloyd Cole, and rapper Lloyd Banks. Theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and former UK Prime Minister David Lloyd George are other associations.

Lloyd

Ruger is a German surname most famous as a gun name, which explains its popularity as a baby name in the US. If Cannon, Gunner, and Pistol are your type of name, you might like Ruger -- but we're not inviting him for a playdate.

More than 100 baby boys were named Ruger in the US last year.

Ruger

Honest and sincere, laid-back and creative, Emmet is a male cognate of the megapopular Emma and Emily, but the more common spelling is Emmett. Emmet dropped off the US Top 1000 in 1934 and reentered the list in 2014; Emmett, on the other hand, has never been off the charts.

Emmet

A variation of Kyson, Kaison, Kayson and co., Kysen combines the stylish 'Ky' sound with a slightly softer looking -en ending. While a number of its sound-alikes rank in the US Top 1000, Kysen has yet to feature and has been trending downwards since it peaked in 2020 when it was given to 137 boys. Now, with so many other spelling options available, it has fallen to the wayside a little, though it still captures the same contemporary energy and will feel just as popular. 
 
Baseball player Slade Heathcott chose this spelling for his son in 2015.

Kysen

Paulo suffers in comparison to the richer and more authentic-sounding Paolo. 

Paulo

Rylen is the more-unusual spelling variation of Rylan and the even more popular Ryland.  It also takes a cue from the long-trendy surname-name Riley and adds the newly-trendy n ending.

Rylen

In the nineties there was a "One Life to Live" soap opera character named Suede, but few fans picked up on it. Now however, parents may be reconsidering Suede, given its similarity in sound to Sage, Wade, and Zade and the recent interest in Denim, and unique word names more generally. The term for the velvety leather material comes from the French phrase gants de Suède or "gloves of Sweden", and is often used to make shoes
 
47 boys (and 18 girls) were called Suede in a recent year in the US, meaning it has quadrupled in use since 2020.

Suede

Kacen is a modern masculine name with several possible origins. It may be a contemporary spelling variation of Cason or Kasen, which themselves derive from English surnames. Alternatively, it could be a creative adaptation of names like Casey or Keegan. This distinctive spelling emerged primarily in the 1990s and gained modest popularity in the 2000s, particularly in the United States. Kacen embodies the trend toward unique spellings of familiar sounds. The name has a strong, contemporary feel with its crisp consonants and clean ending. Parents choosing Kacen often appreciate its balance between uniqueness and accessibility—uncommon enough to stand out but straightforward to pronounce and spell.

Kacen

Boy names with 5 letters are a populous group, containing some of the top names for boys throughout the Western World, from James to Jakob to Jules.

The classic James is the leading five letter name for boys in the US

. Along with James, three other five letter names rank among the Top 10 names for boys in the US: Lucas, Mason, and Logan. The British Top 10 includes five-letter boy names Harry and Oscar.

 are Elias, Jonas, and Felix. Along with Lucas at Number 1, 

, while in France the top five-letter names for boys are Lucas (again!) and Jules.

 classic boy names that contain five letters

 include Henry, Jacob, and Peter, with other countries featuring such five-letter variations as Henri, Jakob, and Pedro.

 that we recommend include Atlas, Bodhi, Linus, and Urban.



If you're looking for a five-letter name for your baby boy, here's our complete collection, ranked according to their current popularity on Nameberry. 

Five letter boy names, including popular and unique boy names with five letters, including meanings, origins, and current popularity (Page 23)

Five Letter Boy Names