Invented Boy Names
Updated Sat Sep 14 2024
Share
Copy link
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, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- 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.
- 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.
- Azari
Origin:
American variation of Azariah or Azhari, Hebrew, MalayMeaning:
"helped by God; shining, brilliant"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, or by the Malay Azhari. Given to around 100 boys in 2023, it is currently used four times as often for girls.
- Kyren
Origin:
Persian, IrishMeaning:
"king, ruler; little dark one"Description:
With its cool, modern sound, Kyren was one of the fastest-rising boy names of 2023, and a newcomer to the US Top 1000. It appeals thanks to its short form Ky, its on-trend K initial, and perhaps because it feels like an update on Kyle.
- Jax
Origin:
Modern invented name, EnglishMeaning:
"God is Gracious"Description:
With its cool -X ending, Jax is an update on the classic nickname Jack, likely inspired by the rise of Jackson. It garnered attention in the US thanks to the game, Mortal Kombat II back in the '90s, and was pushed up the charts when it was used in the show Sons of Anarchy, in which Jackson "Jax" Teller is the central character.
- Rylan
Origin:
English and IrishMeaning:
"Rye land"Description:
Parents seeking alternatives to popular Ryan have flocked to this soundalike name, which peaked at #146 in 2011. Blending in elements of Nolan and Riley too, it remains in the US Top 500, and is given to around 850 babies each year.
- Brayden
Origin:
Spelling variation of Irish surname BradenMeaning:
"salmon"Description:
Brayden is the top spelling of one of the epidemically popular rhyming cousins of Aiden, hitting the Top 100 in 2005.. It has dipped a bit recently, but is still widely used. Other popular spellings include Braden, Braeden, Braydon, Braiden, Braedon and Bradyn. Take your pick.
- Greyson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of the steward"Description:
Greyson and Grayson, nephews of Jason, are both on the fast track. Both variations have made their way all the way up to the Top 100 since 2016. Gray/Grey makes a nice nickname. The name of the child in The Nanny Diaries is Grayer, and actor Tyler Christopher opted for the unusual spelling of Greysun for his son. Some parents are considering Grayson -- or Gracen or Gracyn -- for girls as an androgynous spin on Grace.
- Kayden
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
This member of the aden/ayden extended family is a popular choice not only in the US but across the pond in England, Wales and Scotland as well. Angie Everhart has a son named Kayden Bobby.
- Jaxx
Origin:
Modern invented name, EnglishMeaning:
"God is Gracious"Description:
Unusual letters like X and Z are often considered badass and cool, so by that logic, does having two Xs in one name make it next level awesome? This seems to have been the thinking of the parents to nearly 3000 babies named Jaxx in America since the spelling first came into use in the 90s.
- Kaden
Origin:
Spelling variation of Kayden, modern invented nameMeaning:
"round or barrel"Description:
A popular member of the -ayden family, Kaden ranks alongside Kaiden, Kayden, Kasen, Kade, Caiden, Cade, and Caden in the US Top 1000. A 90s invention that took off in the 2000s, Kaden is concise and modern, with its popular K initial.
- Kyler
Origin:
DutchMeaning:
"victory of the people"Description:
Kyler was once a creative solution for 90s parents who enjoyed the sounds of Kyle and Tyler but didn't want to use anything so popular. Now a well-established name on the US charts, it is given to more than 1000 babies every year.
- Kamari
Origin:
Variation Qamar, ArabicMeaning:
"moonlight"Description:
A melodic name, popular among the African-American community, where it joins sound-alikes Amari, Jamari, and Damari. It ultimately derives from the Arabic Qamar, meaning "moon", and is also used by Swahili speakers and those from Comoros and Somalia. It could also be considered a Greek place name, from a coastal village in Santorini.
- 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 that many parents have decided to rev up the cool factor of Jackson by giving it this streamlined spelling. (Though we still prefer the original.)
- Kaizen
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"good change"Description:
Kai is one of the hottest names out there in recent years, climbing quickly into the Top 100. This combined with a surge of Japanese names gaining popularity in the US, like Kenji, Raiden, and Kenzo, and you've got a hit. Kaizen is of Japanese origin meaning "good change" — a term used for the Japanese business practice of continuous improvement in performance. It entered the US charts for the first time in 2022, and was among the fastest-rising names in 2023 as well.
- Daxton
Origin:
Modern invented nameMeaning:
"from Dax town"Description:
Following in the footsteps of Weston, Braxton, Clayton, and Paxton, Daxton has been climbing the US charts since the late 2000s. While recent years have seen it decline slightly, it remains a Top 500 choice, with the cool possibility of nickname Dax.
- 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.
- Sonder
Origin:
Invented nameMeaning:
"the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own"Description:
A neologism coined for the 2012 Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, which aims to come up with new terms for emotions that currently lack words
- 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.