Boy Names Lists
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 4 pages
of 4
Arabic
"growth and progress"
Closely associated with French soccer star Zinedine Zidane, who became the manager of Real Madrid after retiring from play. One of the Arabic names for boys with modern rather than Quranic origins.
Invented name
"the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own"
A neologism coined for the 2012 Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows , which aims to come up with new terms for emotions that currently lack words
Spanish and Catalan from Latin
"life, vital"
A zippy, lively name that has never been popular, but has never completely disappeared. It is best known for writer and wit Gore Vidal, and hairdresser Vidal Sassoon and his many products.
English
"one who lives near a grove of trees"
Forget the furry blue Muppet, forget corpulent President Cleveland (not too difficult), and consider this name anew. We think it's spunky, a little funky, and well worth a second look, similar in…
"lives where hawthorn hedges grow"
The great American novelist sets this above many other surnames (and nature names , for that matter), but it's still an imposing and adventurous choice. Do nicknames Hawk or Thorne make it more…
"dweller by the wood"
With the current taste for last names first, this sounds a lot cooler than Shawn; it also has creative connections to the great Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, novelist Irwin Shaw, and Big…
Igbo
"my father is alive"
In the Igbo culture of Nigeria, the name Nnamdi is given to baby boys who are thought to be reincarnations of their grandfathers. The name is familiar via Nnamdi Asomugha, a former NFL player married…
"someone who lives in a hollow; strong and hearty"
This name projects a sense of well-being, as in "hale and hearty", while also having a nature-adjacent meaning, referring to someone who lives near a hollow, a nook, or a remote area of land. Rhyming…
"where birches grow"
The Brits say BARK-lee, but we pronounce it the same as the name of the California college: either way it's quite pretentious and of another era.
English, diminutive of Moses
"delivered"
If Gus and Max have made it, why not Moe? Can it be the lingering Three Stooges effect? We think that Moe, like Joe, is one of the friendliest and most open of regular guy nickname names and should…
Slavic, Hebrew
"vigorous, lively; bright, radiant"
Ziven is a sleek choice with multicultural origins and a bright, energized feel to it. From its Slavic roots, it likely derives from the South Slavic word, živ meaning "alive, living", making it a…
"someone who lives or works near the barn"
This is a solid surname choice for people looking for a change from Cooper, Parker and Carson. Australian parents will probably instantly associate this name with famous rock legend Jimmy Barnes, but…
Germanic, Scandinavian
"lives on a hill; mountain region"
A Norwegian city name, heard much more often as a last name than a first, Bergen may nevertheless appeal as an alternative to Brogan, Keegan, Summit, or Brooks. Strong and rugged, it was given to 8…
Scottish, from French
"lives by the woods"
CEO name.
Hebrew word name
"tea, alive"
Pronounced CHY, it's a word name meaning tea in many Eastern languages. The Hebrew name is pronounced without the C as HAI.
Nahuatl
"blood"
A unisex Nahuatl name with a strong and stylish sound, but a meaning that some might find off-putting.
"someone who lives by a hill"
Simple and down-to-earth, but would probably work best as a middle name.
Russian variation of Vitalis, Latin
"life"
Lively Russian choice born by several saints.
Latin
Deriving from the Roman cognomen Vivianus , Vivian was originally a masculine name, with Vivien being a feminine soundalike coined by Alfred Lord Tennyson for the Lady of the Lake in his famous…
Hungarian
"sultan"
Though a common name in Hungary, with the spelling Zoltán, the relatively rare Z sound is striking to English speakers. Penn Gillette used the Zolten spelling for his son; it was also the name of…
