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Badass Boy Names

Pamela Redmond
By Pamela Redmond
Updated Thu Mar 07 2024
Badass Boy Names

Badass boy names are those that carry a rough, tough, badass image.

Some of the most badass names for boys are badass in an obvious way. Word names like Gunner, Striker, and Rowdy are in-your-face badass.

Other badass names for baby boys simply have a badass sound or feel. We count names like Max and Jax in this category.

And then there are those names of badass characters that can be used for baby boys. Mythological names, such as Atlas, Loki, and Mars, are totally badass. Modern badass characters like Django, title character of the Quentin Tarantino movie, and Severus after Harry Potter's Severus Snape count here too.

Some letters are intrinsically badass, like X and Z and K. Hard, harsh sounds can make a name badass too.

Here's our complete list of badass boy names, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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  1. Jude

    • Origin:

      Latin diminutive of Judah, Hebrew, Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "praised; to be generous, to be good to others"

    • Description:

      Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity, in the US at least. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
  2. Atticus

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "from Attica"

    • Description:

      Atticus, with its trendy Roman feel combined with the upstanding, noble image of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, is a real winner among boy names. Atticus entered the US Top 1000 in 2004 and is a firm Nameberry favorite.
  3. Miles

    • Origin:

      English form of Milo, Latin and Old German,"soldier or merciful"

    • Meaning:

      "soldier or merciful"

    • Description:

      Miles, which has a permanent veneer of cool thanks to jazz great Miles Davis, is a confident and polished boys' name that's an American classic. Always ranking in the US Top 1000, it's been drifting up the charts for the past half century and now ranks at its highest point ever, in the Top 50.
  4. Kai

    • Origin:

      Hawaiian, Frisian, Chinese

    • Meaning:

      "sea; warrior; triumph"

    • Description:

      Kai is an internationally flexible name with many possible origins and meanings, growing in popularity in the US and a diverse range of European countries.
  5. Hugo

    • Origin:

      Latinized form of Hugh

    • Meaning:

      "mind, intellect"

    • Description:

      Hugo, the Latin form of Hugh, has more heft and energy than the original -- and of course we love names that end (or begin, for that matter) with an o. This one is especially appealing because it's backed up by lots of solid history and European style.
  6. Rory

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "red king"

    • Description:

      This spirited Gaelic classic, which became popular in Ireland via the illustrious twelfth century king Rory O'Connor, makes a highly energetic choice, now used for either sex. Rory's gender split is still trending boyward; it's one of the coolest boys' names starting with R.
  7. Otto

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "wealthy"

    • Description:

      Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers.
  8. Atlas

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bearer of the heavens"

    • Description:

      Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo.
  9. Cyrus

    • Origin:

      Persian

    • Meaning:

      "sun"

    • Description:

      Cyrus is one of those surprising names that have always ranked among the Top 1000 boy names in the US. On an upward trend since the mid-90s, Cyrus now sits in that comfortable place between too popular and too unusual.
  10. Zephyr

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "west wind"

    • Description:

      If you're looking for a name that's light and breezy, this could be it. A name from mythology: Zephyrus/Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind, and with its similarity in sound to the likes of Stefan or Seth, its zippy Z initial and cool Y, it is primed to rise up the US charts.
  11. Nico

    • Origin:

      Italian diminutive of Nicholas, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "people of victory"

    • Description:

      Nico is one of the great nickname names, full of charm, energy and effortless cool -- a neo Nick.
  12. Enzo

    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Henry, German

    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"

    • Description:

      You may be surprised to know that Enzo is now a Top 100 boy name in the US and the UK, where it has been climbing straight uphill since the turn of this century.
  13. Ozias

    • Origin:

      Greek, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "my strength is God"

    • Description:

      A cool Biblical option that entered the US Top 1000 for the first time ever in 2024, Ozias gets extra points for its user-friendly nicknames Oz and Ozzie or Ozzy. Given to around 280 boys in 2024, it is five times more popular than it was in 2014.
  14. Archer

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "bowman"

    • Description:

      Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the cool nickname Archie.
  15. Roman

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "citizen of Rome"

    • Description:

      Roman is an ancient name trending in a major way. A surprise hit name of recent years, Roman now ranks in the Top 100 not only in the US but throughout the English-speaking world, and is rising in other European countries as well.
  16. Orion

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "boundary, limit"

    • Description:

      Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones.
  17. Cassius

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "hollow"

    • Description:

      Cassius, a Shakespearean name rooted in antiquity, is trending in a major way. It's one of a raft of Cas-starting names for both boys and girls, including Caspian, Cassian, and Cassia, that are enjoying a new moiment in the sun.
  18. Lucian

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "light"

    • Description:

      Lucian is a sleeker, more sophisticated version of Lucius that is climbing in tandem with other Lu-starting names.
  19. Max

    • Origin:

      English and German diminutive of Maximilian or Maxwell

    • Meaning:

      "greatest"

    • Description:

      Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby namers. Max is a widely used name internationally.
  20. Beau

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "handsome"

    • Description:

      Beau suggests someone devilishly handsome, with a large measure of southern charm—a nice image to bestow on your boy. Often solely a nickname in the past, it's now standing firmly on its own. Beau has been on the Social Security list non-stop since 1969.