Invented Boy Names
Invented boy names start off as totally unique, but the best among them spread like wildfire (just ask Jax, Jamir, and Jiraiya).
In addition to Jax and Jamir, other invented boy names in the US Top 1000 include Kashton, Braylen, Kason, Kyler, Raylan, Jamari, Zaiden, and Dax.
Some made-up boy names are so well-established, you may not even know they were invented. Among the most surprising: Cedric, Percival, and Kyrie.
Many trending invented boy names come from video games and fantasy media, such as Star Wars' Kylo and Anakin, Naruto's Jiraiya, and Game of Thrones' Renly and Rhaegar.
Many celebrities have given their sons invented names in recent years, including Anne Hathaway's son Jonathan Rosebanks, Kat Von D's son Leafar, and Adam Rodriguez's baby Bridgemont.
Many made-up boy names are a combination of trendy prefixes and suffixes, such as Bray-, Ja-, -son, and -den.
Below, see our entire collection of invented names for boys. You may also be interested in Invented Names for Girls, or our masterlist of Invented Baby Names.
- Cedric
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"bounty"Description:
Cedric was invented by Sir Walter Scott for the noble character of the hero's father in Ivanhoe, presumed to be an altered form of the Saxon name Cerdic. The name was later also given to Little Lord Fauntleroy, the long-haired, velvet-suited, and lace-collared boy hero of the Frances Hodgson Burnett book, who became an unwitting symbol of the pampered mama's boy.
- Percival
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"one who pierces the valley"Description:
There are several Percivals scattered through the Harry Potter series, which might help transform the old-fangled, fussy image it has accrued. Actually, the original Percival was the one perfectly pure Knight of the Round Table, a worthy hero. The name was invented in the twelfth century by a poet named Chretien de Troyes, for his ideal knight in the poem Percevale, a Knight of King Arthur.
- Rylan
Origin:
English and IrishMeaning:
"island meadow"Description:
Parents seeking alternatives to the overexposed Ryan have flocked to this soundalike name, which peaked at #146 in 2011.
- Draven
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Inspired by Brandon Lee's character in The Crow and Cuba Gooding Jr.'s in In the Shadows, this name, with its Wiccan feel, was used by a member of Linkin Park. It has ranked in the US Top 1000 since 1995.
- Atreyu
Origin:
Literary inventionMeaning:
"son of all"Description:
German author Michael Ende created the name Atreyu for the protagonist of his 1979 novel The Neverending Story. In the original German translation of the book, the hero was Atréju — Atreyu is the Anglicized variation. Atreyu was orphaned as an infant and raised by his village — his name is said to mean "son of all" in the local language.
- Jaziel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God apportions"Description:
Jaziel and spelling variation Jahziel are unique baby names from the Bible—he was the son of Nephtali and a grandson of Jacob and Leah—that are being rediscovered by a new generation of parents in search of names that are both unusual and traditional. And that middle z adds zest and cool. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015.
- Kylo
Origin:
Variation of KyleDescription:
Kylo Ren is the villain played by Adam Driver in the seventh Star Wars movie, released in December 2015. The original Kyle has sparked many variations, including Kylie and Kyler. Kylo, which takes on the fashionable o ending, is sure to follow for those who don't mind crossing to the dark side. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2016 -- and indeed, was the year's fastest rising boys' name.
- Anakin
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, is the antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy. The name Anakin first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. Its meaning is unknown but is thought to be an homage to a friend of George Lucas.
- Jaxon
Origin:
Spelling variation of JacksonMeaning:
"son of Jack"Description:
Jaxon has been mostly climbing in popularity since it entered the Top 1000 in 1997, proving the point that many parents have decided to rev up the cool factor of Jackson and give it this streamlined spelling. (Though we still prefer the original.) Kristin Cavallari used it for her son. Jaxson is another popular spelling.
- Astrophel
Origin:
Literary nameMeaning:
"star lover"Description:
Invented by 16th-century English poet Sir Philip Sidney for the hero of his sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella, this name is derived from the Greek elements aster “star” and philos “lover”. Sidney’s heroine, and Astrophel’s love-interest, is Stella — whose name means “star”.
- Bryson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Brice"Description:
A surname name that can transition to first -- it entered the Top 1000 in 1980 and is now firmly in the Top 100. Actress NeNe Leakes chose it for her son. R&B singer Bryson Tiller's popularity may have played a part in accelerating Bryson's rise.
- Jiraiya
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"young thunder"Description:
The name Jiraiya was created in 1806 for yomi-hon — a type of book from the Edo Period — called Jiraiya Monogatari. The character was revived later in the century for a folk tale series Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari, in which Jiraiya, a ninja, shapeshifts into a giant toad.
- Namor
Origin:
Invented nameDescription:
Invented in 1939 as the name of Marvel Comics character Namor the Sub-Mariner. Bill Everett, the creator, decided on Namor after writing noble, dignified names in reverse—Namor is Roman spelled backwards.
- Azari
Origin:
American variation of Azariah, HebrewMeaning:
"helped by God"Description:
Azari is a rising name for both sexes, hitting a bunch of style trends at once — three syllables, strong Z, and an I ending. It's technically an invented name, likely inspired by the fashionable Hebrew name Azariah.
- Cormoran
Origin:
English invented nameDescription:
Cormoran first popped up as the name of a Cornish giant in the 18th century fairy tale Jack the Giant Killer, which drew on ancient British folklore. Today, though, it is more familiar as the name of the protagonist of J.K. Rowling's detective novel The Cuckoo's Calling, published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Its proximity to Cormorant, a family of seagoing birds, gives it extra appeal to nature lovers.
- Cru
Origin:
Spelling variation of Crew or short form of Cruz or CrusoeDescription:
The short, clipped Cru is one of those modern names that's starting to find favor -- it was given to nearly 50 boys last year, while Crew has vaulted onto the Top 1000. One inspiration is undoubtedly the Spanish name Cruz, which came to wider attention via the third son of Victoria and David Beckham. Cru has a handsome sound and a modern feel.
- Jaxson
Origin:
Variation of Jackson, EnglishMeaning:
"son of Jack"Description:
One of several phonetic spellings of Jackson moving up the charts, Jaxson entered the Top 100 in 2013 and has remained there since. It's also picking up steam in England and Wales.. Actor Eric Mabius used it as his son Rylan's middle name.
- Daxton
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
More and more parents are turning to this name as a route to the cool nickname Dax.
- Kyler
Origin:
DutchMeaning:
"bowman, archer"Description:
A favorite among younger parents, this is one of the names that rose to the surface when Tyler and Kyle started to sink.
- Axton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"sword stone"Description:
Macho to the max. But with the rise of x as a fashionable letter anywhere it appears in a name, ala Jaxson or Maxon, we may be hearing more of Axton.