Aggressive Boy Names

Aggressive Boy Names

Aggressive boy names aren't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but more and more parents are seeking out these bold, boisterous names for their baby boys.

These range from the tame and familiar, like Hunter, Archer, and Gunner, to truly out-of-this-world choices like Shooter, Havoc, and Arson — each given to over 5 babies last year.

Many of the aggressive names for boys on this list do not have violent roots, but still come with similar badass connotations, such as Ransom, Rocky, and Remington. Others are more literal wacky word names like Alpha, Rowdy, Danger, and Rogue.

If you're looking for a rough-and-tumble name for your little one, check out this list, ordered by current popularity on Nameberry.

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Badass Boy Names

Gun and Weapon Names

  1. 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.
  2. Danger
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "exposure to injury, pain, harm, or loss"
    • Description:

      Prime example of the aggressive word names that are an off-the-grid branch of the new macho names. Makes Cannon, Maverick, and Ranger feel almost soft and sensitive by comparison.
  3. Maverick
    • Origin:

      American
    • Meaning:

      "independent, nonconformist"
    • Description:

      It's ironic that the name Maverick is not such a maverick anymore. Heard first in a 1950s James Garner western TV series, and then as the Tom Cruise character in Top Gun, Maverick symbolizes an unfettered, free spirit.
  4. Apollo
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Meaning:

      "destroyer; strength; father's light"
    • Description:

      With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, and melodic option. Similar in style to Atlas and Atticus and similar in sound to Arlo, Paolo, Paul, and Ollie, Apollo entered the US Top 1000 back in 2012, and was propelled upwards after it was chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale in 2014.
  5. Wilder
    • Origin:

      Surname or word name
    • Meaning:

      "wild, untamed, uncontrolled"
    • Description:

      Rugged, outdoorsy, and full of energy, Wilder entered the US Top 1000 back in 2015. Part bad boy, part Western, part preppy, and part nature-loving, Wilder is given to nearly 800 babies each year.
  6. Crash
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "colliding violently; sudden loud sound"
    • Description:

      Crash is a particularly calamitous entry in the badass boys' name category, taking Wilder and Maverick one -- or maybe a dozen -- steps further. But we can think of at least a dozen reasons you shouldn't name your baby Crash: crash test dummies, car crashes, economic crash, crashing out, just to name a few
  7. Bear
    • Origin:

      Animal name
    • Meaning:

      "bear"
    • Description:

      Bear has suddenly lumbered onto the baby name landscape. Perhaps inspired by British adventurer Bear Grylls (born Edward Michael), first celebrity chef Jamie Oliver used it as the middle name for his boy Buddy, and Alicia Silverstone called her son Bear Blu, followed by Kate Winslet's Bear Blaize.
  8. Gage
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "oath, pledge"
    • Description:

      Gage was part of the craze for one-syllable surnames, with associations to tasty green gage plums and the mathematical gauge.
  9. Wolf
    • Origin:

      Animal name or diminutive of Wolfgang, German
    • Meaning:

      " traveling wolf"
    • Description:

      Wolf is a name with a split personality. It can be seen as one of the fierce animal names, like Fox and Bear and Puma, with a touch of the werewolf, or it can be viewed as a quieter, Wolf Blitzer kind of name, fairly common in German (where is pronounced Vulf) and Jewish families, sometimes as a short form of Wolfgang, or even Wolfram or Wolfhart.
  10. Hunter
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "one who hunts"
    • Description:

      Hunter has been dropping a bit for the past few years but is still one of the leaders of a distinctive band of boys' names that combines macho imagery (Hunter, Austin, Harley) with a softened masculinity. Hunter was for years attached to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson; Josh Holloway used it for his son.
  11. Lucifer
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "light-bearer"
    • Description:

      Lucifer is the name of the archangel cast into hell and while theologians disagree on whether he and Satan are separate beings, it long been on the list of forbidden names for religious and non-religious parents alike. With connotations of hell and devilry so strongly attached to it, the name is officially banned in some places, including New Zealand.
  12. Tripp
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      The extra p makes Tripp more of a name and less of a Trip. Usually a nickname of a boy who's a third, but Tripp is sure to get more attention in its own right now as the name of Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol and Levi Johnston's son.
  13. Fox
    • Origin:

      Animal name
    • Description:

      Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files. Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting middle name.
  14. Arson
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "deliberately setting fire to property"
    • Description:

      Sure, Arson is a crime, but anecdotally, many of the parents who choose this name do so because Arson = "our son."
  15. Rocky
    • Origin:

      English, Italian
    • Meaning:

      "rock or rest"
    • Description:

      How many decades will it take for Rocky to triumph over its association with Sylvester Stallone's battered but not beaten boxer? The moment may have come, now that Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. have named their son Rocky. It helps, too, that Madonna's son Rocco helped make the name child-appropriate again.
  16. Blaze
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "fire"
    • Description:

      Originally a form of the saint's name Blaise, though now more likely to be a hot word name used for both sexes, though heavily weighted toward the boys. It has been in the boys' Top 1000 since the year 2000. On the pop culture side of things, Blaze Bayley is a singer and musician who has been connected to the bands Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden.
  17. Harley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "hare clearing"
    • Description:

      You can ride one, you can use it as a baby name – or, as is often the case, both! Harley is currently trending up for girls and down for boys in the US, although it remains predominantly masculine in the UK. A lesser-used -ley ending choice for boys, Harley has a current sound but an old-school biker appeal.
  18. Talon
    • Origin:

      French word name
    • Meaning:

      "large claw of a bird of prey"
    • Description:

      Despite its somewhat menacing meaning, this name has been widely used in recent years, probably due to the appeal of its trendy on ending.
  19. Storm
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Windswept and dramatic, but perhaps asking for trouble. Quite popular in Denmark and Sweden, where it derives from Stromr, which is a fairly common surname. Storm Thorgerson is a famous bearer of the name - he designed iconic album covers for Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, the Cranberries, Anthrax, and Pink Floyd.
  20. Ransom
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "shield's son"
    • Description:

      Ransom may be rakish and handsome, but it carries an unavoidable association with holding someone for ransom. But that kind of bad boy image might be exactly what attracts you to Ransom in the first place.