Boy Names Lists · International Baby Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
English nickname
"friend"
An upbeat and friendly nickname, Bud is more often reserved as a term of endearment, though it was once a Top 500 choice in the US and remained in the charts right up until the 60s. While long-form…
Modern nickname
An old-fashioned nickname in the Bud/Buzz/Biff mold; this one's kind of belligerent. Michelle Hicks and Jonny Lee Miller moved outside the box when they used it for their son--given the safer middle…
Variation of Rio or Rhoeo, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese
"river; flow, stream; graceful + cherry blossom"
Short, snappy, and stylish, Reo may be viewed in a number of ways:. It could be an alternative spelling of Spanish Rio or the Greek Rhoeo, both associated with rivers and flowing water.…
German surname and literary name
"from Gaddesby"
Gatsby is one of the most famous literary surnames, borne by the titular character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby . The book's Jay Gatsby gussied up his surname from Gatz, whose meaning is…
Native American, Cherokee, place-name
"bend in the river or meeting place"
When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size. Reese Witherspoon…
Turkish
"emperor, ruler"
A Turkish twist on the trend for ruler names. Spelled Håkan, this is the Swedish form of Haakon. It may also be a Native American name meaning "fiery".
North American Indian
"son of a chief"
The a ending gives it a feminine feel.
American place-name
This beautiful New Mexican pueblo locale has long attracted artists and skiers, and now may attract some baby namers as well.
English
"peacock"
An evocative unisex one-syllable name, Poe is most distinguished by its literary reference. Edgar Allan Poe was an influential American author and poet, credited with inventing the genres of…
American nickname
The original southern Good Ol' Boy.
Word name and literary name
Everybody knows Huckleberry Finn, the Mark Twain character named, Twain said, for the 19th century slang term for "humble." A few modern parents have put it on a birth certificate, including "Man Vs.…
English word name
Striker is one of the new gang of boys' names that have two syllables, end in -er, spring from words, and have a macho, even aggressive meaning and image. Other examples include Breaker, Heller, and…
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…
French
"brown-haired one"
The best-known bearer of this name by far is basketball superstar LeBron James. While LeBron James is a great athlete and American hero, only 19 baby boys were named LeBron or Lebron in 2021.
Occupational name
Any name that combines two big trends -- in this case, occupational and western names -- has potential.
Choctaw, Native American
"hunter"
Name bestowed on Choctaw men after a hunting achievement.
"kills next to it"
In Choctaw culture, new names were given after major life events. This would have been bestowed on a man following a hunting achievement.
Choctaw, Native American, meaning unknown
A traditional masculine Choctaw name.
A name from the Choctaw tribe of Mississippi and Alabama.
"Choctaw"
The Choctaw name for their own tribe, occasionally bestowed as a given name.
