Boy Names Lists · Popular Names and Name Trends
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 20 pages
of 20
Word name
Alternative to Prince, Duke, King, or Earl, but not an improvement on them.
English word name
"wave"
Wave made, well, waves when it was revealed to be the name of Cardi B and Offset's son. Evocative of crashing waves at the beach, large surfing barrels, and tumultuous and stormy seas, Wave is a name…
Irish
"rough, fierce"
The additional syllable makes Lark a masculine surname name, borne by poet Philip Larkin.
Berkley is a masculine name derived from an English surname and place name, originally meaning 'birch tree meadow' or 'birch clearing' in Old English. This nature-inspired name carries associations…
Branch is an attractive name with associations both with trees and with branching out into brave new worlds. Baseball's Branch (born Wesley, with Branch as his middle name) Rickey broke the color…
English occupational name
"bailiff, sheriff, local official"
Cool and dignified, sophisticated and modern, Reeve might be seen as alternative to long-familiar Reese. A medieval occupational name, a reeve was an English manor officer responsible for overseeing…
Nature name
Though some forward-looking parents are now choosing wood-related names like Oak, Pine, and Ash, this generic option would be even more avant garde.
Place-name and Native American
"the great one"
Alaska's Denali National Park is the home of the highest mountain in the US, officially renamed Denali in 2014, endowing the name with a lofty feel. There were 20 boys and 55 girls given the name in…
Scottish
"son of the fair hero"
New Presidential name, if you're ready to move beyond Lincoln and Jefferson. At the turn of the last century, during the original McKinley's heyday, as a first name it almost reached the Top 100.
English from Latin tree name
"young"
Juniper is a nature name that we really like. While it's trendiest for girls -- about 2500 baby girls were named Juniper in 2022 versus 34 baby boys -- the most notable Juniper in history was the…
American word name
Royalty is a super-hot name for girls, but there's no reason it can't be used for boys too. In fact it is, but only about 5 percent of the time, making it one of those unisex names whose usage is…
English
"stag meadow"
Smart and sharp but with a touch of heart and charm, Hartley is a surname style name that could work as an alternative to Harley, Harvey, Artie, or Harry. Quietly used as a masculine name throughout…
English surname or variation of Suede
"soft leather material; Swedish; swath, track"
Swade can be read in two ways: a creative respelling of word name Suede, or, as a surname-style choice. As a respelling, it relates to a soft leather material that's often used to make shoes and…
Loyalty is one of the Modern Virtue Names on the rise for both genders, but in this case mainly girls. About 85 percent of the babies named Loyalty are female and 15 percent male, but there's no…
Jamaican
"positive and powerful"
Irie is an upbeat and modern name that originated as a Rastafarian term for "positive and powerful."
English word name, Swedish variation of Louis
"fondness, beloved; renowned warrior"
In the Anglophone world, Love is more likely to be perceived and pronounced as an English word name than the Swedish form of Louis, which is pronounced LOO-veh. Nevertheless, Love is a popular name…
Poet is a new entry in both the trendy word and occupational categories as well as a member of the growing group of gender neutral names . A handful of baby boys received the name in the US last…
Diminutive of Dexter
"dyer; right-handed"
Dex, the nickname for Dexter that is sometimes used on its own, has lots of energy and dynamism. It was chosen by comedian Dana Carvey for his now grown son. With the growing popularity of Dexter, we…
Promise is a meaningful masculine virtue name that directly expresses the concept of commitment and hope. As an English word name, it carries transparent meaning, representing assurance, potential,…
Variant spelling of Indy
