One Syllable Middle Names for Boys

Huck

Diminutive of Huckleberry, word name

Though forever tied to Huck, short for Huckleberry, Finn, this is an undeniably cute short form that may have some life as part of the hipster taste for names like Duke and Bix.

Lou

Diminutive of Louis or Lewis, French and German

"renowned warrior"

Lou, all by itself, is become fashionable for girls, which usually makes a name LESS fashionable for boys. But Lou, like Bill or Jim, is rarely used on its own for boys anyway. (You wouldn't name a…

Pax

Latin

"peaceful"

Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son.…

Locke

English

"enclosure or fortified place"

Usually adding an e to the end of a name makes it more feminine, but Locke is at most recent count used only for baby boys. Still, this stylishly strong one-syllable name is theoretically…

Croix

French

"cross"

Pronounced "crwa", this unusual name was chosen by Cedric the Entertainer for his son.

Oak

English tree name

"tree from the genus Quercus"

Oak, a symbol of solidity, strength, and longevity, is joining Cedar and Pine as a viable name, one that would work especially well in the middle. If you'd prefer to take the longer route to the…

Hart

English

"stag"

Hart could be the hero of a romantic novel, but on the other hand, it's short, straightforward, and strong sounding. The most famous bearer of the name was tragic poet Hart (born Harold) Crane, but…

Knight

English word name

" a mounted man-at-arms serving a feudal superior"

Knight (as opposed to Night) is a name clad in shiny armor. This high-ranking word name was introduced by singers Kelis and Nas. Knight might join brothers King, Royal, and Noble in a new definition…

Blue

Color name

Among the coolest of the cool color names, particularly popular with celebs as a unisex middle name. While most famous as the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy, more than 60 percent of…

Penn

English

"enclosure"

This simple, elegant name offers something for many kinds of parents, from writers and history buffs to photographers to Pennsylvania dwellers. Most famous bearers are comedian Penn Jillette and…

Ryle

English surname

"rye hill; roe deer hill"

Ryle, rhymes with Kyle, was used by author Colleen Hoover for the neurosurgeon hero of her bestselling novel, It Ends With Us. Twenty-nine baby boys were named Ryle in the US in 2023, with many more…

Cale

Diminutive of Caleb or surname

This up-and-coming single-syllable name has a few famous bearers, including baseballer Cale Iorg and Canadian hip-hop musician Cale Sampson. Sounding like Kale, this name also has a crunchy, hipster…

Quill

Irish, English

"lion; scribe, writer with a quill pen"

First appearing in the US stats back in 2013, this wordy choice fits in with the likes of Sonnet, Poetry, Fable, and Story as a literary option for writers, fans of classic literature, and those who…

Art

Diminutive of Arthur

"noble one; bear man"

Though short and brisk, no nickname name could have a more creative image. Comic actor Chris O'Dowd named his son Art, as in his native Ireland it's used as a name on its own, separate from Arthur.,…

Oz

Hebrew, English, Irish

"strength, powerful, courageous; god's warrior; deer friend"

While some may think of ruby slippers and a yellow brick road, Oz is a legitimate Hebrew name denoting power. An element in a number of names including Ozni, Oziel, and Ozias, it may also be used as…

Tadhg

Irish

"poet"

The name of several ancient kings and princes of Ireland, Tadhg became so common at one point that it was used to represent a kind of Irish Gaelic everyman, or man in the street, as Paddy and Mick…

Xane

Spelling variation of Zane, variation of John, Hebrew

"God is gracious"

As Zane and Zayn (and Zayne) get more popular, can Xane be far behind? Xane is one of the names that have risen the most on the charts since the turn of this century, though it's still under the Top…

Wright

Wright is a masculine name that originated as an English occupational surname referring to a craftsman or builder—specifically a woodworker or carpenter (from the Old English "wyrhta," meaning…

Chaz

Diminutive of Charles

The jazziest nickname for Charles.

Raj

Raj is a name of Indian origin that means 'king' or 'royal' in Sanskrit. It has been used throughout South Asia for centuries as both a standalone name and as part of compound names. The name carries…