There are just under 200 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy names</a> that have been on the Top 1000 since 1880, when the U.S. Social Security office began tracking baby names. The classic boy names here — such as Oliver and William — are included among that elite group that has been perennially popular.
 
Along with Oliver and William, many of the other top names for boys have always appeared in the Top 1000, including Noah, Elijah, James, Benjamin, Mason, Alexander, Henry, and Jacob. You may be surprised to learn that less conventional names such as Troy, Jefferson, Harley, and Dallas have maintained their memberships to this exclusive club.
 
The number of boy names that have always been in the Top 1000 is almost double that of girl names. Boy names have traditionally been more stable in popularity, although now we are seeing a shift as boy names become more trend-driven. Names such as Willie, Ralph, Jerome, and Mike recently dropped out of the Top 1000, relinquishing their status, and Gerald, Reginald, Rodney, or Will (yes, Will!) could be the next to go.
 
If you’re looking for an unshakable classic name for a son, a boy name always in the Top 1000 is the right choice for you. Browse all 189 boy names that have always been in the Top 1000, below.

Boy Names ALWAYS in the Top 1000

Emmett, honest and sincere, laid-back and creative, is on the rise as a male cognate of the megapopular Emma and Emily, not to mention being a character in the popular Twilight series.
 Emmett originated in England as a masculine diminutive of the German Emma; the Hebrew characters pronounced eh-MEHT mean truth, so that might be considered another definition. Emmet is another, less popular spelling.
The death of young Emmett Till helped spark the civil rights movement.

Emmett

Alexander is derived from the Greek name Aléxandros, composed of the elements aléxein, meaning “to defend,” and aner, meaning “man.” According to Greek legend, the first Alexander was Paris, who was given the nickname Alexander by the shepherds whose flocks he defended against robbers. He was followed by Alexander the Great, aka Alexander III, who conquered much of Asia.
 
Alexander has been in the Top 25 since 1991. The noble Alexander has led to the popularity of so many spinoffs, such as Alex, Zander, Xan and Zan — not to mention all the female versions — that it almost feels as if the name world's been Alextrified out. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree.
 
A royal name in Scotland, Alexander is still highly popular there. In Gaelic, the name became Alasdair; in Spain, Alejandro; and in Italy, Alessandro.
 Among the many notable Alexanders in history, standouts are Hamilton, Graham Bell, Fleming, Pope and Haig.
 Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber's Alexander is known as Sasha.

Alexander

Elias, strong and charismatic, is following in the path of family members Elijah and Eli, and is also moving on up in popularity.
 Used by the English Puritans in the eighteenth century, Elias is the name of an oratorio about the prophet Elijah, composed by Felix Mendelssohn. There have been characters named Elias in novels by Sir Walter Scott, Anthony Trollope and Thomas Hardy. And in the inventors' Hall of Fame is Elias Howe, inventor of the sewing machine. It has also been the middle name of both Walt Disney and Robert Downey Jr's son Exton.

Elias

Jack is a derivative of John that originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack. The name was so common in the Middle Ages that Jack became a generic term for a man. 
 
Jack was, until 2011 when he was unseated by Oliver, for years the Number 1 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boy name</a> in England and is widely used in America as well, having returned to the Top 100 in 1996 and ranking as one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys_names/J">boy names starting with J</a>. Jack is a durable, cheery everyman form of John, and has been chosen for their sons by dozens of celebs, such as Luke Perry, Meg Ryan and Kirk Cameron.
 
Jack is familiar to all from earliest childhood via Jack and Jill, Jack Sprat, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Jack Horner et al. It is still a recent favorite for novel, TV and movie characters, including "24" 's Jack Bauer, "Lost" 's Jack Shepard and "30 Rock" 's Jack Donaghy. Dads especially seem to like Jack. 
 
Jack has been a top name across the English-speaking world, for well over a decade, and is currently still a highly popular name in Scotland and Ireland.
 
The jaunty Scottish version is Jock.

Jack

Isaac evolved from the name Yitzchaq, derived from the Hebrew word tzachaq, meaning “to laugh.” In the Old Testament, Isaac was the long-awaited son of the elderly Sarah and 100-year-old Abraham, so old that their news provoked laughter, giving the name its meaning. Isaac is used as a given name among Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.
 
Isaac has shaved off his biblical beard and leaped into the upper echelon of popular boys' names, outrunning cousin Isaiah. A favorite of the Puritans, Isaac went on to assume something of a rabbinical image. 
 
A baby given this name can point to many distinguished namesakes, including Isaacs (and Izaaks) Newton, Walton, Bashevis Singer, Asimov, Stern and Hayes. The name was somewhat rejuvenated by onetime heartthrob Isaac Hanson.
 
Isaac also boasts the cute nicknames of Izzy — now shared, however, with a bevy of Isabellas — and Ike.

Isaac

Jacob comes from the Latin name Iacobus, which was ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Ya’aqov. In the Old Testament, Jacob was one of the most important patriarchs of the tribes of Israel. He was the youngest son of Isaac and Rebecca and the twin brother of Esau, as well as the husband of both Leah and Rachel. The 12 tribes of Israel evolved from his 12 sons.
 
Biblical Jacob ceded his Number 1 spot to biblical Noah, in 2013, after holding first place on the list of <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy names</a> from 1999 to 2012, having been given a huge boost by the Twilight phenomenon. Jacob is still among the most popular of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys_names/J">boy names starting with J</a>, along with James, Jack, and Jackson.
 
Jacob has widespread appeal to a range of parents, with an image of honesty and warmth. Another plus is the friendly nickname Jake — also given on its own to thousands of boys every year — which shares the cool appeal of equally stylish cousins Max and Sam. 
 
The downside is that Jacob is at this point way overused. Jacoby is a rapidly rising variation. Jakob, meanwhile, is an alternate spelling used by the Dutch, Scandinavians and Germans. Some interesting international versions include the Scottish Hamish, the Cornish Jago, and the Dutch Jaap.

Jacob

Vincent is a name with a complex image. After being quietly used for centuries, it is suddenly seeming stylish, along wih other V names. Even the nickname Vince has been given a reprieve via actor Vince Vaughn and country singer Vince Gill. Vin Diesel was born with the more prosaic name Mark Vincent.
 Vincent was popular during the Middle Ages, especially among the French, who brought it to England. There are a number of St. Vincents, most famous of whom is St. Vincent de Paul, a seventeenth century French priest who organized societies of laymen to help the poor.
 Vincent has always been a favorite of Roman Catholic families, particularly in the Italian community. Its most notable bearer was Vincent Van Gogh, but there also was philanthropist Vincent Astor, who gave it a patrician edge, and actors Vincent Price and Vincent D'Onofrio.
 Vincent/Vince/Vinny has appeared on screen as the central characters of My Cousin Vinny and Entourage. John Travolta had two key Vin-roles: Vinnie Barbarino in the TV series that launched him (Welcome Back, Kotter), and as Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction. Vincent was the gentle giant on TV's Beauty and the Beast, and Ethan Hawke played a Vincent in Gattaca.

Vincent

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.
 
Luke is a cool-yet-strong Biblical name with a relaxed cowboy feel, which has been on the rise since the advent of Luke Skywalker.
 
Later Lukes have included Luke Duke of The Dukes of Hazzard, Cool Hand Luke, half of the classic soap opera duo of Luke and Laura, contemporary actors Luke Wilson and Luke Perry, and a number of star athletes.
 Luke charts highly in the U.S., and is even more popular in Ireland.
 Other attractive forms of the name are Lucas and the French Luc. Lucius and Lucian have a different origin and meaning.

Luke

Simon is pure and simple (not in the nursery rhyme sense), and an appealingly genuine Old and New Testament name that's not overused – making Simon a stylish choice. In the Bible, Simon was the second son of Jacob and Leah and the original name of Saint Peter, as well as the name of several New Testament figures. Historically, Simon Bolivar is known as The Liberator of Latin America.
 

The New Testament spelling of Simon (rather than Simeon) was probably influenced by the unrelated Greek name Simon, meaning "flat-nosed". The Hebrew Shim'on or Simeon means "He has heard". Later, it was also conflated with the Old English name Sigemund ("victory-protection") — so there's an element of several origins and meanings in the name.

 Simon was one of the more appealing characters in Lord of the Flies, then became part of the British invasion of names that hit U.S. shores along with the Beatles. Other recent notable Simons include Simon Templar, aka The Saint; Simon Cowell, snarky judge on The X Factor; Simon Le Bon, lead singer of Duran Duran; and Simon Baker, Australian-born star of The Mentalist. 

 Simon is currently very popular in several European countries, including Austria, Denmark, France, Sweden, Switzerland and Belgium.

Simon

William is derived from the Germanic name Wilhelm, composed of the elements wil, "will," and helm, referring to a helmet or protection. The name was introduced to England by William the Conqueror, with William being the Norman variation of the name. In Central and Southern France, it was translated as Guillaume.
 
William has been among the most enduring of classics. It's among the most popular boys' names, as American parents see it as being ideally conservative yet contemporary, and hands-down the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys_names/W">baby name beginning with W</a> of all time. For 400 years, William has been second only to John as the most popular name in the English-speaking world. And now of course, it's also a newsy name—thanks to Britain's high-profile Prince William.
 
In terms of short forms, yesterday's Bills and Billys have given way to today's Wills—or Williams, with no diminutive—though a few hip Billys, including Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton's, have surfaced recently. But Irish spinoff Liam is the most stylish William nickname and has now superseded William, becoming the most popular boy name in America. Riding the William bandwagon is the Dutch Willem, which comes with the unique nickname Pim.
 
William has long reigned as a royal name in the U.K. There are tons of worthy namesakes called William, including William Shakespeare, Bill Gates and four U.S. presidents.

William

Eli derives from the Hebrew ’aly, meaning “high.” In the Old Testament, Eli was the high priest and last judge of Israel, who trained the prophet Samuel. While Eli is a full name on its own, it can be a shortened form of Elijah, Elias, Eliezer, or even Elliot. Eli is used as a feminine name—most often as a nickname for Elisabet or Elin—in some Scandinavian countries.
 
Eli—a solid Biblical name with lots of spirit and energy—shot up the popularity charts in the 90's and 00's, but has plateaued a bit in popularity since. 
 
CNN anchor Campbell Brown and SNL alum Rachel Dratch chose Eli for their baby boys.

Julian was derived from Iulianus, which in turn came from Julius, a Roman family name. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthfu"; Greek ioulos, meaning “downy-bearded”; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".

 ,br/>Julian was a 4th century Roman emperor, and St. Julian the Hospitaller is the patron saint of travelers. In Medieval England, Julian was considered a unisex name, eventually giving rise to the feminine given name Gillian.

 
Julian is a rising star, having overcome the somewhat pale, aesthetic image it projected in the past and become a solid, handsome, recommended choice, and now solidly in the Top 50.

 
Julian has numerous historic and cultural references. In addition to St. Julian and the emperor there are activist/politician Julian Bond, singer Julian Lennon, novelist Julian Barnes and painter/filmmaker Julian Schnabel, as well as the hero of Stendhal's The Red and the Black and characters on such TV shows as "Alias" and "Law & Order."

 In addition to being inside the Top 50 in the U.S., Julian has been enjoying an international resurgence in recent years, ranking high in places like the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden. 

 Celebrities who have chosen Julian for their sons include Robert De Niro, Lisa Kudrow, Jerry Seinfeld, and Paula Patton and Robin Thicke.

 Jolyon is an interesting variant form, Julien is the French spelling, and Giuliano is the attractive Italian version.

Julian

Gabriel was derived from the Hebrew name Gavri’el, taken from the elements gever, meaning "strong," and ’el, in reference to God. In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is the archangel who heralded the news of Jesus' birth, and appears in Christian, Jewish and Muslim texts. He presides over Paradise, serving as the angel of mercy, life, joy, judgment, truth and dreams. 
 The name has become a biblical favorite, and has been a highly charting choice in the 21st century. In addition to all his other responsibilities, Gabriel is the patron saint of broadcasters and diplomats, and he governs Mondays and the month of January, making Gabriel one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/629/71-wonderful-names-for-january-babies">January baby names</a>. Gabriel has proven itself a friendly and appealing alternative to Michael, that other, long-reigning archangel.
 Parents of Gabriels of varying ages include Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, Daniel Day-Lewis and Isabelle Adjani, Jason Alexander, Meredith Vieira, and Mia Farrow.

Gabriel

Samuel was derived from the Hebrew name Shemu’el, meaning “told by God.” In the Old Testament, Samuel was one of the great judges and prophets of the Israelites, destined for a holy life from birth. He established the Hebrew monarchy, anointing both Saul and David as kings.
 
Samuel has long been a popular biblical classic and is still a highly popular choice for boys. Its continued use is somewhat propelled by the likability of the friendly nickname Sam, which returned to favor along with fellow former cigar-chomping movie moguls Max and Jake. Sam is now often used on its own, for girls as well as boys.
 
High-profile celebs who have chosen Samuel for their sons include Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, Jack Black, and Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber.

Samuel

Elijah is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, composed of the elements ’el and yah, both of which refer to God. In the Old Testament, Elijah was the prophet who went to heaven in a chariot of fire. Elias is the related, Greek variation of Elijah.
 
Elijah has become a fashionable biblical choice. The name is rising in popularity and is near the top of the charts, and if it heats up any more, it could challenge Noah for the Number 1 spot.
 After long neglect, Elijah was suddenly rejuvenated when Cher and Greg Allman bestowed it on their son Elijah Blue in 1976, and got another shot of youth serum via young actor Elijah Wood.
Among other celebrities who have chosen Elijah for their boys are Donnie Wahlberg, James Spader, Tracy Nelson, Wynonna Judd and Bono (who followed it with <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a> Bob Patricus Guggi G.).
 Elijah figures in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. There are numerous songs containing the name, and Elijah also figures in many books—including Charles Dickens's Martin Chuzzlewit—and in films.

Elijah

Benjamin is derived from the Hebrew name Binyamin, from the elements ben, meaning “son” and yamin, “right hand.” In the Old Testament, Benjamin was the youngest of the twelve sons of Jacob and Rachel in the Book of Genesis, and he was one of the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. Nicknames for Benjamin include Ben, Benny, Benji, and Benno.
 
Benjamin is a biblical name that has enjoyed widespread favor for decades—and is attractive and strong enough for it to break into the top 10 for the first time ever in 2015. It has stayed near the top of the charts since. One of those golden boys' names that feels traditional as well as sensitive and stylish, Benjamin has the further advantage of the friendly, accessible nickname Ben.
 There have been numerous notable Benjamin namesakes, from Benjamin Franklin to Dr. Benjamin Spock. The name's popularity spiked after the release of The Graduate in 1967, with Dustin Hoffman playing the iconic Benjamin Braddock.
 Two recent, high-profile baby Benjamins were born to Kelly Preston and John Travolta, and to Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady.

Benjamin

Nathan was derived from the name Natan, which came from Hebrew verb natan, meaning “gave.” In the Old Testament, Nathan was the name of a prophet and also that of one of King David's sons. Nathaniel and Jonathan are related names.
 
Nathan is an Old Testament name that's been steadily on the upswing for forty years. Strong, solid, and attractive, Nathan was chosen for his son by Jon Stewart. It's a name familiar to every schoolchild through Nathan Hale, the Revolutionary War spy.
 
Nathan is mega popular in Europe right now, especially in France and Belgium.
 Nat and Nate (as featured on TV shows like Six Feet Under and Gossip Girl) are just the kind of friendly, old-fashioned nicknames that are now very much in style.
 Nathans have starred in some classic films — it was the name of the character played by Kevin Kline in Sophie's Choice, by Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, and Frank Sinatra was Nathan Detroit in the film version of Guys and Dolls. Nathan Zuckerman is the protagonist of several novels by Philip Roth.
 In the public eye right now is Nathan Fillion, who portrays TV's Castle.

Nathan

Charlie derives, of course, from the classic name Charles which, in turn, comes from a German word meaning "free man." Charles became very popular in France during the Middle Ages due to the fame of Charles the Great, also known as Charlemagne. Charley is an alternate spelling.
 
Charlie is one of the friendliest names on the planet, and Good-time Charlie is back. More and more parents (of babies of both genders) these days are opting to put the friendly, genial Charlie on birth certificates. 
 
Charlie has dozens and dozens of pop cultural references, from Charlie Chaplin to Charlie McCarthy to "Charlie's Angels" to Charlie Parker to Charlie Sheen to Charlie Rose. 
 
Putting nicknames on the birth certificate is very much a growing trend. Current celebs who have chosen Charlie for their sons include Tiger Woods, Mimi Rogers, Soledad O'Brien and Sarah Chalke.

Charlie

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.
 
Max was transformed from cigar-chomping grandpa to rosy-cheeked baby in the 1980s, along with card-playing partners Sam and Jake. Never quite as popular as it seemed, Max is now close to the the highest it's been on the Social Security list since 1917, after which German-sounding names went out of favor. 
 
Max has been a popular starbaby name for decades, most recently for the sons of Christina Aguilera, Cynthia Nixon and Charlie Sheen, while other celebs, such as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, have used more formal appellations--Maximilian, Maxwell, Maxfield--on the birth certificate to get to the nickname Max. Skater Scott Hamilton put his own spin on it by maximizing the spelling of his son's name to Maxx.
 
Warning: Max has long been among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/dogs">most popular dog names</a>.

Harrison, a name made viable by Harrison Ford, is increasingly popular with parents who want an H name that's more formal than Harry or Hank but doesn't veer into the stiff Huntington-Harrington territory. 
 As a surname, Harrison has both presidential and Beatle connections.

Harrison

top 1000 boy names - child lifted in father's arms

top 1000 boy names

There are just under 200 baby boy names that have been on the Top 1000 since 1880, when the U.S. Social Security office began tracking baby names. The classic boy names here — such as Oliver and William — are included among that elite group that has been perennially popular.

Along with Oliver and William, many of the other top names for boys have always appeared in the Top 1000, including Noah, Elijah, James, Benjamin, Mason, Alexander, Henry, and Jacob. You may be surprised to learn that less conventional names such as Troy, Jefferson, Harley, and Dallas have maintained their memberships to this exclusive club.

The number of boy names that have always been in the Top 1000 is almost double that of girl names. Boy names have traditionally been more stable in popularity, although now we are seeing a shift as boy names become more trend-driven. Names such as Willie, Ralph, Jerome, and Mike recently dropped out of the Top 1000, relinquishing their status, and Gerald, Reginald, Rodney, or Will (yes, Will!) could be the next to go.

If you’re looking for an unshakable classic name for a son, a boy name always in the Top 1000 is the right choice for you. Browse all 189 boy names that have always been in the Top 1000, below.