If You Like X, You'll Love... · Boy Names Lists
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 3 pages
of 3
Scottish
"devotee of St. Colomba"
Malcolm is a warm and welcoming Scottish appellation (originally Mael-Colium) that fits into that golden circle of names that are distinctive but not at all odd. A royal name in Scotland, Malcolm is…
English
"ruler of the elves"
Avery is a unisex name that is used four times as often today for girls as for boys. But while Avery's popularity is starting to soften for girls, it continues to get stronger for boys -- in keeping…
"red-haired"
The Reid spelling is the most popular by half, probably because it feels more like a name than Reed, which looks more like a word. It's used occasionally for girls but this name is firmly in the…
"hollow valley"
Holden is a classic case of a name that jumped out of a book and onto birth certificates--though it took quite a while. Parents who loved J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye are flocking to the…
Irish
"broad meadow or large-chested"
The Irish name given to Miranda Hobbes's son on the dearly departed Sex and the City is a friendly and energetic choice. You well might want to make your son part of the Brady bunch. Brady has been a…
Irish and Scottish
"fair-haired hero"
A hugely popular choice for boys in England and Wales, Finley has been used for both sexes in the US since the early 2000s, and has since become one of the most popular unisex names . Until recently,…
Dutch and German, from first name Hendrik
"estate ruler"
Hendrix is one of those hip rock and roll names, like Lennon, Jagger and Presley, that have been used by fellow celebs and others, to honor the seminal guitarist/singer/songwriter Jimi. And this one…
"free landholder"
A doubly Presidential name, via Pierce and Roosevelt, Franklin was given an initial boost via the fame of Benjamin Franklin. It also has a literary tie to the main character of the Wilkie Collins…
"house steward, dispenser of provisions"
Spencer is a name that has everything: it's both distinguished sounding and accessible, dignified but Spencer Tracy-like friendly. Picked by several celebrities (a couple of times even for a girl),…
Latinized form of Hugh
"mind, intellect"
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…
"friend's town; joy stone"
Long associated with the Churchill family and common in the West Indies, the distinguished Winston is back in style having been slightly neglected in the US after its brief flash of popularity during…
"wealthy friend"
Some might be surprised to learn that Edwin has been a consistent presence on the popular names list since statistics have become available. The most famous Edwin in history was a seventh century…
French from Latin
"oarsman"
Remy is one of the hottest names today for both boys and girls, sometimes spelled Remi. . It entered the popularity list in 2009 and has quickly become one of the fastest-rising names on the list.…
Welsh
"ardor"
Rugged but gentle, Rhys is the traditional Welsh spelling of this name, which can also be anglicized as Reese or Reece. Up until 2010, Reese was the preferred spelling in the US, perhaps because…
Diminutive of Henry, German
Hank is a midcentury guy nickname (which actually dates back to the seventeenth century) of the Al/Hal/Dick school, which has been on recess from the playground for decades. Now it's just beginning…
German
"peaceful ruler"
Frederick, and friendlier nickname Fred, seemed almost to have disappeared, leaving just the memory of Freds past such as Astaire, Mr. Rogers and Flintstone. But today's parents are beginning to…
"meadow land"
Popular in the first half of the 20th century, Leland briefly fell out of favor in the late 90s. After a short break from the US charts, it returned in the mid-2000s, with actor Brendan Fraser…
Greek
"vigilant, a watchman"
The Greek name of sixteen popes and fifteen saints, the gregarious Gregory became big in the United States with the emergence of admirable actor Gregory Peck (born Eldred) in the late 1940s. From…
French
"estate of the fifth son"
Quirky in the way that all Q names are quirky, Quincy was once a buttoned-up, patrician New England name, an image countered in recent years by the talented and ultracool musician Quincy Jones…
English from German, Irish
"mind, intellect; fiery one"
Tough yet gentle in look and sound, Hugh was a Top 100 choice in the US back in the late 19th-century and while it's never reached those heights again, it has always managed to remain in the Top 1000…
