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New Boy Names

Pamela Redmond
By Pamela Redmond
Updated Fri Feb 02 2024
New Boy Names

New boy names, name derived from words or places or nature or surnames, are constantly being added to the lexicon.

New names for baby boys in the US Top 1000 include the Sanskrit Bodhi, the Greek god name Apollo, and invented Star Wars name Anakin.

New baby names can come from other cultures or periods in history. Or you might turn a word that isn't a name into a first name. You can also invent a new spelling or an entirely new name.

Here's a list of possible new names for your baby boy, invented or borrowed or rediscovered, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Boy Names

Unique Names

  1. Soren

    • Origin:

      Danish, Norwegian

    • Meaning:

      "stern"

    • Description:

      This gentle Scandinavian name, soft and sensitive, is being discovered in a major way by parents in the US. It's most closely identified with the nineteenth century philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, but there have been modern fictional Sorens as well, in The Matrix Reloaded and the book series Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Charlie and Lola, and Underworld.
  2. Caspian

    • Origin:

      Place name

    • Meaning:

      "white"

    • Description:

      One of the most romantic of appellations, Caspian is a geographical name referring to the large salty sea between Asia and Europe. It's also the name of the hero of C.S. Lewis's beloved Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian.
  3. Atlas

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bearer of the heavens"

    • Description:

      Atlas is one of those names that was previously thought too powerful for a baby boy, who would have to be strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Now Atlas has joined the pantheon of Greek and Roman god and goddess names in the realm of possibility, along with Mars, Zeus and Apollo.
  4. Enzo

    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Henry, German

    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"

    • Description:

      You may be surprised to know that Enzo is now a Top 100 boy name in the US and the UK, where it has been climbing straight uphill since the turn of this century.
  5. Finley

    • Origin:

      Irish and Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "fair-haired hero"

    • Description:

      A hugely popular choice for boys in England and Wales, Finley has been used for both sexes in the US since the early 2000s, and has since become one of the most popular unisex names. Until recently, it was tilting slightly towards the girl side, however, as of 2024, it leans more masculine.
  6. Lachlan

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "from the fjord-land"

    • Description:

      Lachlan is as Scottish as haggis and tartan plaid kilts—a favorite used throughout England, Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand—and just beginning to be noticed in the US: it reached the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013. An ancient name, Lachlan was originally used to describe the Viking invaders of Scotland, those from the land of the lochs.
  7. Orion

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "boundary, limit"

    • Description:

      Orion is a rising star, with both mythical and celestial overtones.
  8. Archer

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "bowman"

    • Description:

      Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the cool nickname Archie.
  9. Wren

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "small bird"

    • Description:

      Wren may not be as time-honored a bird name choice as Robin or even Lark, but it's more fashionable and fresh, with a gentle and earthy vibe.
  10. Bodhi

    • Origin:

      Sanskrit

    • Meaning:

      "awakening, enlightenment"

    • Description:

      Bodhi is a Sanskrit name translated as "enlightenment" or "awakening" which relates to a Buddhist concept, wherein Bodhi is synonymous with the state of nirvana, being freed from hate, greed and ego. The Bodhi tree is a large fig tree under which the founder of Buddhism received enlightenment. Spelling variations include Bodie and Bode.
  11. Zephyr

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "west wind"

    • Description:

      If you're looking for a name that's light and breezy, this could be it. A name from mythology: Zephyrus/Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind, and with its similarity in sound to the likes of Stefan or Seth, its zippy Z initial and cool Y, it is primed to rise up the US charts.
  12. Niko

    • Origin:

      Finnish variation of Nichoals; diminutive of Nikolaos, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "victory of the people"

    • Description:

      Popular in Croatia, Spain, New Zealand, and Slovenia, Niko has also been rising up the US popularity charts for boys since the late 2000s. Fresher than Nicholas, spikier than Nico, it currently ranks just outside the US Top 300.
  13. Koa

    • Origin:

      Hawaiian

    • Meaning:

      "warrior; flowing tree native to Hawaii"

    • Description:

      The international popularity of Noah has led to some parents searching for alternatives and the rhyming Koa is now attracting more attention than ever. With it's cool K initial and summery, nature-inspired feel, this punchy three letter name has risen more than 600 places since it entered the US charts in 2017.
  14. River

    • Origin:

      Nature name

    • Description:

      River shares the tranquil feeling of all the water names, and seems to have pretty much escaped its past strong association with River Phoenix and his unfortunate fate. Actor Joaquin Phoenix named his son with actress Rooney Mara after his brother River.
  15. Hayes

    • Origin:

      English surname and nature name

    • Meaning:

      "hedged area"

    • Description:

      One of those simple, straightforward English surnames -- and with a presidential pedigree -- that's easy to translate into a first. Chosen by both Kevin Costner and Jessica Alba for their sons, it has been climbing the US charts since 2009.
  16. Jett

    • Origin:

      Mineral or word name

    • Description:

      Short, sharp, and cool, Jett is a contemporary choice that connotes both gemstones and jet engines. Rarely used before the 90s, John Travolta, and then George Lucas, helped to put the name on the map by choosing it for their sons.
  17. Phoenix

    • Origin:

      Arizona place-name and Greek

    • Meaning:

      "dark red"

    • Description:

      Effortlessly cool with a hint of the mystical, Phoenix rolls a lot of trends into one: it's a place-name and a bird name, it ends in the stylish letter x, it's got in-built nicknames, and it's unisex too. Familiar but not over-popular, Phoenix ranks in the US and UK Top 1000s.
  18. Flynn

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "descendant of the red-haired one"

    • Description:

      Flynn, a charming Irish surname, is still used only quietly, despite its easygoing, casual cowboy charm, unlike Finn which is a star of this genre. Flynn was the choice of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr for their baby boy, and is also the middle name -- used as his first -- of a son of Miranda's fellow supermodel Elle Macpherson, of Gary Oldman's son Gulliver and Marley Shelton's daughter West.
  19. Nash

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "by the ash tree"

    • Description:

      Nash is an English surname whose sound puts it right in step with currently trendy names like Cash, Dash and Ash. It first came to prominence via TV character Nash Bridges, portrayed by Don Johnson in the late nineties, and also via mathematician John Nash, played by Russell Crowe in the acclaimed film A Beautiful Mind.
  20. Ren

    • Origin:

      Japanese, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "water lily, lotus, romantic love, move forward; reborn"

    • Description:

      A very popular unisex name in Japan, Ren is a concise and versatile choice that could work across multiple languages. A rising star in England and Wales where it ranks in the Top 1000, it is also on the rise in the US where it was give to nearly 90 girls and 200 boys in a recent year.