Boy Names Lists · Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
English, diminutive of Roderick and Rodney
Macho-er than thou.
Rube is a masculine name that originated as a diminutive form of Reuben, a Hebrew name meaning 'behold, a son'. Historically, it gained recognition in American culture as a nickname and eventually as…
Diminutive of Saxon
Rhythmic and sensual -- maybe too sensual, in terms of playground teasing. Sax Rohmer was the nom de plume of the prolific English novelist who created Dr.Fu Manchu.
English word name or diminutive of Slimane, Arabic
"man of peace"
Slim may be too on-the-nose for the child of two beautiful models, but it's the name Nara Pellman and Lucky Blue Smith chose for their son, Slim Easy. Smith, who has daughters named Gravity Blue and…
English word name
"a very large nail"
Spike is part mid-century nickname-name, ala Buster or Buck, and part word name, with an all-over cool creative dude feel thanks to directors Spike Lee and Spike Jonze. Mike Myers named his son…
Diminutive of Tolliver or Bartholomew
Tolly is an antique short form that is not only jolly but makes Bartholomew usable in the modern world, when Bart is too Simpsonesque. For the adventurous nicknamer, Tolly might even be a novel short…
Toy is a short, distinctive masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In English, it evolved from a nickname possibly derived from the Middle English word for "fun" or "amusement." In Thai…
English word and nickname
One of the magical words of childhood (and beyond), and associated with actor Treat (born Richard) Williams, whose nickname came from ancestor Robert Treat Williams, a signer of the Declaration of…
Diminutive of Irving
Actor Rhames's imaginative shortening of the prosaic Irving, giving it new life and energy.
Diminutive of Wilton, English
"place by a stream"
Basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain (born Wilton) lends a sort of mythic quality to his name. Few have ventured to use it since it is so tied to the famed Chamberlain, but it could make an inspired…
Nickname for Milton
"settlement with a mill"
If you'd like to name your baby after Gov. Romney, Mitt isn't it: his birth name is Willard. Mitt is an inherited nickname from Milton Romney, a favorite cousin of his father's who was a Chicago…
Algie is a vintage masculine name that originated as a diminutive of names beginning with 'Alg-' such as Algernon or Albert. With Old French and Germanic roots, it gained modest popularity in the…
Word name or short form of Axel
Ax makes a somewhat threatening short form of the popular Axel, given to more than 3000 baby boys last year. It can also be used on its own, though it usually isn't. There were, however, seven baby…
Word or occupational name
"outlaw, thief"
We hesitate to call Bandit an occupational name, any more than Rogue or Vandal are occupational names, yet its use by one of the bandmembers of My Chemical Romance (for his daughter: we're thinking…
Word name or short form of Barnaby or Barnabus
"son of comfort"
Once you get past thinking of it as a red-painted building where they keep cows and hay, has a nice plainspoken country-like feel and may make a cooler diminutive than the still-purple Barney.
American nickname
The quintessential midcentury nickname, famously found in Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman." Biff is late 19th century slang meaning to "hit", so Biff may have originated as a nickname for a…
Short form of Abijah, Hebrew
"God is my father"
The Biblical Abijah might be temporarily lost to time, but this antiquated short form could move with it into the modern era.
German
"kettle-shaped hollow"
When Kate Hudson named her second son Bingham and announced that she would be calling him Bing, it put this zingy nickname name out on the table. Before that, there was only one, further nicknamed…
Word name or nickname
Boo as a first name first achieved notoriety as the name of the child-man in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Arthur "Boo" Radley was meant to be frightening, but only in a simple, non-threatening…
Modern nickname, also color name
Has too many slangy connotations to be considered.
