100 Most Common Names for Boys
Updated Mon Apr 01 2024
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The most common names for boys are not the same as the most popular popular names. Common male names are those most often found among the total population for the past century.
Along with James and William, other common boy names that remain in the US Top 50 include Alexander, Benjamin, David, Gabriel, Henry, Jacob, Noah, and Samuel. The common names for boys that have fallen the farthest in popularity include Ralph, Willie, Gerald, and Billy.
Some popular names for boys today, such as Number One Liam, don't yet make it onto the list of the century's most common male names. Over time, older names such as Gary and Eugene will pass away, to be replaced by names such as Aiden and Jackson given to so many baby boys today.
The 100 most common names for males in the US in the past century are James at the top of the list, followed by John, Robert, Michael, and William. This list is ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Henry
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
Henry is well and truly back in style. The classic returned to the Top 10 in the US in 2021 for the first time in over a century, and as of 2024, sits at Number 6. Like James and Theodore, Henry is a strong, traditional name that also manages to feel stylish and gentle.
- Arthur
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
" bear"Description:
Arthur, once the shining head of the Knights of the Round Table, is, after decades of neglect, now being polished up and restored by stylish parents, inspired perhaps by the new generation of royals. Arthur has led the list of possible names for the young British princes, chosen as a middle name for Prince Louis, son of William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales.
- James
Origin:
English variation of Jacob, HebrewMeaning:
"supplanter"Description:
James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys' baby names, and is the most common male name, counting people of all ages, in the US.
- Noah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"rest, repose"Description:
Noah is nearly a patriarch of popular baby names at this point, going from Old Testament graybeard to Top 10 name in 2009, hitting Number 1 in 2013, and now settled into second place in the US for the past eight years.
- William
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
William is one of the most enduring of classic names for boys. It's also among the most popular boys' names, as American parents see it as being ideally conservative yet contemporary, and hands-down the most popular baby name beginning with W of all time.
- Gabriel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is my strength"Description:
Gabriel is a Biblical favorite, an angelic choice that's lighter and less patriarchal than some of his Old Testament brethren. Derived from the Hebrew name Gavri'el, Gabriel combines the elements elements gever, meaning "strong," and 'el, in reference to God.
- Jack
Origin:
English, diminutive of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of the most popular boy names starting with J.
- Vincent
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"conquering"Description:
Vincent is a name with a complex image. After being quietly used for centuries, it is suddenly seeming stylish, along wih other V names. Even the nickname Vince has been given a reprieve via actor Vince Vaughn and country singer Vince Gill. Vin Diesel was born with the more prosaic name Mark Vincent.
- Thomas
Origin:
AramaicMeaning:
"twin"Description:
A solid classic with plenty of history, Thomas strikes the balance between strength and gentleness. A favorite in the UK, a staple in France, and Australia, and never absent from the US Top 100, Thomas feels like a safe bet and a name that fits into any era.
- Carl
Origin:
German variation of CharlesMeaning:
"free man"Description:
This no-nonsense German variation of Charles is strong and sturdy. A top choice throughout the 20th century, Carl is now verging on falling off the charts.
- Logan
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"small hollow"Description:
According to exclusive Nameberry data, Logan is officially the Number 1 gender-neutral name in the US, but that statistic is somewhat misleading given that nearly 90 percent of the baby Logans born in 2024 were boys.
- Alexander
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree.
- Benjamin
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"son of the right hand"Description:
Benjamin is a biblical name that has enjoyed widespread favor for decades, ranking in the US Top 50 for almost half a century and the Top 10 from 2015 until 2023.
- John
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
John reigned as the most popular of all boys' Christian names for 400 years, from the time the first Crusaders carried it back to Britain until the 1950s. Then American baby namers finally seemed to tire of this straight-arrow, almost anonymous John Doe of names, replacing it with fancier forms like Jonathan and the imported Sean and Ian.
- Louis
Origin:
French, GermanMeaning:
"renowned warrior"Description:
Kate and William shocked the world when they announced that they'd named their third child Louis, or Prince Louis Arthur Charles, to be more precise. But we've been predicting a comeback for this classic name for a long time.
- Ethan
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"strong, firm"Description:
Ethan is a name that succeeds in being at once classic and fashionable, serious and cheery, strong and sensitive. Given a big boost via the name of the Tom Cruise character in the Mission Impossible film series, Ethan has fallen from its peak at Number 2 in 2009 and 2010, but is still popular in the US along with several other countries.
- David
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
David is an enduring worldwide classic, used from ancient times to the present day.
- Zachary
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"the Lord has remembered"Description:
Zachary, a Top 20 name throughout the 90s, is now sliding down the rankings though it remains in the Top 200. With its ancient roots and modern feel, it's easy to understand why Zachary has been such a longtime winner.
- Matthew
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Matthew was the third most popular boys' name in America throughout the 1980s and '90s, and is still one of the top boy names starting with M. The New Testament Matthew is the epitome of the fashionable classic—safe and sturdy, yet with a more engaging personality than John or William.
- Walter
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"army ruler"Description:
Walter was seen as a noble name in the Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Walter Scott era, but it then spent decades in baby name limbo. Now quite a few independent-minded parents are looking at it as a renewable, slightly quirky, classic, stronger and more distinctive than James or John, second only to William among the handsome classic boy baby names starting with W.
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