Boy Names Always in the Top 1000

Nelson

English

"son of Neil"

Nelson is a rather stiff and dated surname name that is sometimes used to honor distinguished South African activist Nelson Mandela, as Celine Dion did for one of her twin boys. Other notable…

Jefferson

English

"son of Jeffrey"

The name of the third U.S. President sounds, like Harrison and Jackson, more modern and stylish now than its root name. Used as a first name long before our surname-crazed era, Jefferson was most…

Roger

German

"famous warrior"

In the World War II era, Roger had nothing but the most positive associations, actually used by military personnel to mean 'Received and understood'--or A-OK, and though it is now on extended…

Alvin

English

"noble friend, friend of the elves"

Alvin has a sturdy, no-frills sound that belies its somewhat whimsical meaning. Interesting potential namesakes include British rocker Alvin Stardust, and US footballer Alvin Williams, and…

Alfred

English

"wise counselor; elf counsel"

Alfred is up off his recliner! If you're looking for a path to Fred, you can go directly to Frederick or take the long way around with the so-out-it's-in-again Alfred. Alfred is quite popular in…

Ben

Hebrew

"son of"

Ben, the diminutive of Benjamin or Benedict, can easily stand on its own as a simple, strong, nice-guy choice, though it's somewhat attenuated. Ben is this generation's Bob or Bill.

Neil

Irish

"cloud"

Always the top spelling of the name; Neil peaked in the 1950s, but then enjoyed a second coming following the fame of such Neils as astronaut Armstrong and singers Sedaka, Diamond, and Young. Now…

Ramon

Catalan variation of Raymond

The Latin Ramon has been in the U.S. Top 1000 since the beginning of baby-naming time, i.e. the past 130+ years. Ramon is the perfect blend of worldly and familiar, with a rocker edge via The…

Eddie

Diminutive of Edward et al

"wealthy"

Most parents today call their Edwards Edward -- and we tend to think that's the right call. But it's worth noting that Eddie has been in the Top 1000 every year since records began in 1880; indeed,…

Stanley

English

"near the stony clearing"

Although Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire personified brute force, most Stanleys have been portrayed as meek milquetoasts. It has a totally "old-man" or "grandpa" vibe that may appeal to…

Reuben

Hebrew

"behold, a son"

Reuben is derived from the Hebrew words ra’a , meaning "to see, to understand," and ben , "son." As a phrase it translates to "behold, a son." In the Bible, Reuben is Jacob's first-born son by Leah…

Jerry

Diminutive of Gerald or Jerome, German or Greek

"ruler with the spear or sacred name"

Jerry is one of those short forms that, like Mike and Debbie, rose to popularity on the coattails of their formal versions. The equivalents today are nickname names like Ellie and Theo. Though Jerry…

Eugene

Greek

"wellborn, noble"

Eugene is a classic that has rather lost its way. On the one hand, it's a grandpa, even great-grandpa name that hasn't been one of the cool kids recently—or to quote Jim Carrey, who bears this name…

Mitchell

English variation of Michael

"who is like God"

Mitchell has had something of a roller coaster ride, showing some panache in the forties and fifties, when it was seen as a sharper alternative to Michael with its cool Mitch nickname, slipping a…

Melvin

English and Scottish

"council protector"

This once perfectly respectable surname has suffered decades of abuse, not least by Jerry Lewis's character in the fifties. NFL running back Melvin Gordon stars for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Mathew

Spelling variation of Matthew

There was a time in the early twentieth century when Matthew and Mathew were closer together in terms of popularity; today, Matthew is America's clear preference. Mathew is also the standard Welsh…

Byron

English

"barn for cows"

For centuries, this name had a romantic, windswept image due to its strong connection to the poet Lord Byron, who inspired its use as a first name. It is one of those surprise names that's appeared…

Curtis

French

"courteous, polite"

Curtis is an attractive if somewhat dated surname name that has been borne by several significant musicians and athletes--think Curtis Mayfield, Curtis James Jackson III--aka 50 Cent, and also…

Harold

Scandinavian

"army ruler"

The name of the last Anglo-Saxon king of England before the Norman conquest, and a name that's long been associated with a pipe-smoking, bespectacled grandpa or uncle. After years in style limbo,…

Joe

Diminutive of Joseph

"Jehovah increases"

Joe is still the ultimate good-guy name, not at all diminished by its longevity or popularity or its everyman rep as Regular Joe, Cowboy Joe, G.I. Joe, Joe Exotic, Joe Blow, Joe Millionaire, Average…