Boy Names Kids Consider Cool
What are the cool boy names from the point of view of other kids? Choosing a name that other kids consider cool may be more important than one you think is cool yourself. A name that is cool from a kid’s perspective — even if it is rare or unusual — can support a child in being accepted and well-liked by their peers. Some of the coolest boy names right now (as chosen by kids we polled!) include Wyatt and Mac.
Along with Wyatt and Mac, other boy names kids consider cool in the US Top 1000 include Banks, Cruz, Dallas, Lachlan, Koa, Maximus, Oakley, and Rory. Kids also think that name they’re familiar with from pop culture are cool, such as Granger, Madden, Ryder, and Kylo.
Although there is overlap between names kids consider cool and names adults consider cool, kids might be more likely to appreciate more surprising or unusual names, such as Indiana, Ziggy, and Mars. Kids also love names that have interesting and rare letters in them, such as X and Z.
Below, view our list of boy names that kids consider cool. But the best thing to do might be to ask the children in your life.
Along with Wyatt and Mac, other boy names kids consider cool in the US Top 1000 include Banks, Cruz, Dallas, Lachlan, Koa, Maximus, Oakley, and Rory. Kids also think that name they’re familiar with from pop culture are cool, such as Granger, Madden, Ryder, and Kylo.
Although there is overlap between names kids consider cool and names adults consider cool, kids might be more likely to appreciate more surprising or unusual names, such as Indiana, Ziggy, and Mars. Kids also love names that have interesting and rare letters in them, such as X and Z.
Below, view our list of boy names that kids consider cool. But the best thing to do might be to ask the children in your life.
- Soren
Origin:
Danish, NorwegianMeaning:
"stern"Description:
This gentle Scandinavian name, soft and sensitive, is being discovered in a major way by parents in the US. It's most closely identified with the nineteenth century philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, but there have been modern fictional Sorens as well, in The Matrix Reloaded and the book series Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Charlie and Lola, and Underworld.
- Oliver
Origin:
GermanicMeaning:
"olive tree"Description:
Oliver derives from Olivier, the Norman French variation of the Ancient Germanic name Alfihar ("elf army") or the Old Norse Áleifr ("ancestor's relic"), from which comes Olaf. Olivier emerged as the dominant spelling for its associations with the Latin word oliva, meaning "olive tree." Oliver was used as a given name in medieval England after the spread of the French epic poem ‘La Chanson de Roland,’ which features a character named Olivier.
- Hugo
Origin:
Latinized form of HughMeaning:
"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.
- Arlo
Origin:
Irish or EnglishMeaning:
"between two hills"Description:
Arlo has many possible derivations along with its Irish and English roots. It may be a shortened form of the Italian name Carlo or the Spanish Carlos, and in Basque-speaking regions it is the word for area. In English, Arlo was used as a place name, Arlo Hill, by Edmund Spenser in his epic poem The Faerie Queene and is thought to derive from the Celtic word Aherlow, meaning “between two highlands.”
- Caspian
Origin:
Place nameMeaning:
"white"Description:
One of the most romantic of appellations, as well as being a geographical name of the large salty sea between Asia and Europe that probably inspired C.S. Lewis to use it for the name of the hero of his children's novel, Prince Caspian, part of the Chronicles of Narnia series.
- Otto
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"wealthy"Description:
Cutting-edge parents have revived this German name a la Oscar.
- Milo
Origin:
Latin and Old GermanMeaning:
"soldier or merciful"Description:
Milo is most commonly considered to be Germanic name derived from the Latin word miles, meaning "soldier." However, there is evidence to suggest it also may have independently spawned from the Slavic root milu, meaning "merciful." Milo predates brother name Miles, a variation that evolved when the name immigrated to the British Isles in the Middle Ages. Mylo is an alternate spelling.
- Sebastian
Origin:
Latin from GreekMeaning:
"person from ancient city of Sebastia"Description:
Sebastian is derived from the Greek Sebastianos, meaning “from Sebastia.” Sebastia was a city in Asia Minor—modern day Sivas, Turkey. Sebastian is a name with a substantial history, first as the third-century martyr whose sufferings were a favorite subject of medieval artists, then as the name of memorable characters in such varied works as Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and The Tempest and Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited.
- Finn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"fair or white"Description:
Finn is a name with enormous energy and charm, that of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as well for his wisdom and generosity.
- Magnus
Origin:
Scandinavian from LatinMeaning:
"greatest"Description:
Magnus is a Latin name, literally meaning “greatest,” that has a Scandinavian feel. It dates back to Charlemagne being called Carolus Magnus, or Charles the Great. Norwegian king Magnus I, named after Charlemagne, introduced it to his culture, and thus Magnus was the name of six early kings of Norway and four of Sweden. It is still a highly popular name in Denmark and Norway.
- Evander
Origin:
Scottish; GreekMeaning:
"bow warrior; strong man"Description:
Evander is a name that could build on the popularity of shorter form Evan, and could work and play well with schoolmates like Zander and Xander.
- Archie
Origin:
Diminutive of Archibald, TeutonicMeaning:
"truly brave"Description:
Archie made global news as the surprise first name of the newborn royal baby, son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex aka Harry and Meghan. Archie has now officially transcended Archie Bunker and Riverdale's Archie to take the, um, throne as the quintessential retro nickname name.
- Rory
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"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.
- Lachlan
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"from the fjord-land"Description:
Lachlan is as Scottish as haggis and tartan plaid kilts—a favorite used throughout England, Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand—and just beginning to be noticed in the US: it reached the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013. An ancient name, Lachlan was originally used to describe the Viking invaders of Scotland, those from the land of the lochs.
- Everett
Origin:
English variation of the German EberhardMeaning:
"brave as a wild boar"Description:
Everett is a statesmanlike, wintry New England name whose recent leap in popularity can be credited to its similarity to trendy girls’ names such as Eva and Ava. Its high point was about a century ago, when Everett was a Top 100 name.
- Beau
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"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.
- Xavier
Origin:
BasqueMeaning:
"new house"Description:
Xavier originated is use as a given name after Saint Francis Xavier, cofounder of the Jesuit order, who got his name from the Spanish-Basque village where he was born. His birthplace was Javier, the name of which was derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria, meaning “castle” or “new house.” Many Americans pronounce the initial X, as in ex-ZAY-vee-er, but it's equally accepted to pronounce the name ZAY-vee-er, closer to the French pronunciation.
- Knox
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"round hill"Description:
Knox is an old Scottish surname that Brad Pitt (whose great-great-grandfather was named Hal Knox Hillhouse) and Angelina Jolie took out of the back cupboard, dusted off, and elevated to coolness--to the point where it entered the popular baby names list in 2009. Knox now ranks among the most influential celebrity baby names.
- Aziel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is my strength"Description:
Aziel is a rarely used name that connotes zeal and may become more familiar thanks to its fashionable initial A and z in the middle.
- Luke
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"man from Lucania"Description:
Luke originated as a short form of Lucas, a Latin derivation of the Greek name Loukas. The most famous bearer of the name is the first-century Greek physician—an evangelist and friend of Saint Paul, as well as the author of the third Gospel of the New Testament—who was also supposed to have been a portrait painter. He thus became the patron saint of doctors and artists.