Boy Names Lists

American Boy Names

American boy names range from place names to hero names to Native American names to boy names with a Western ring.

Names from Ancient Rome are enjoying a major style revival. The fashion for Roman boy names was influenced by Hunger Games and by the HBO series Rome. Many of these names, such as Cyrus and Julius, had been buried for centuries, only to seem fresh and new in the modern US.

Attitude Names for Boys

Attitude names for boys take the idea of cool baby names one step further: they're a little bit badass, a little bit distinctive, and a lot cool.

Attitude Nicknames for Boys

Attitude nicknames? We never thought about it until we noticed someone searching for them, and decided, Well, yes, there are attitude nicknames for boys. (And for girls too, but one at a time). Here, some boys' nicknames with attitude.

Best Boy Names Starting with Vowels

Boy names that start with vowels are among the most popular and coolest names today. Boy names starting with A are second only to J in popularity, with all the versions of Aiden and Alexander leading the pack. Next up are Boy names that start with E, led by Ethan and Elijah. The best boys' names beginning with I include Isaac, Isaiah, and Ian. Popular names for boys that being with O are being used more often every year, with Oliver and Owen at the head of the line. While boy names starting with U are the most unusual in the alphabet, that group includes some unique choices. Of course, you can browse our complete lists of boys' names that start with A, E, I, O, and U, but here is our pick of the best vowel names for baby boys.

Best British Boy Names

British baby names have a style all their own, and fashionable English names are often a step or two ahead of American baby names. Some of the hottest baby boy names in England, Scotland, and Wales are still cool and underused choices in the U.S., as seen below.

Best One-of-a-Kind Names for Boys

Unique names that nobody -- and by nobody, we mean zero people in the US the last year counted -- is using for their baby boys in America include the following fascinating boy names.. On this list are many unusual yet classic boys' names as well as fresh, creative choices. If you are looking for truly unique names for your baby boy, any of these would be excellent choices.

Bible Names for Boys

Bible names for boys have dominated the US popularity list for its entire history, with Biblical names Jacob and Noah taking the top spot for nearly twenty years until recently, when Liam took over.

Bold Bohemian Names for Boys

Bohemian names for boys may reference artistic or political heroes, inspiration spiritual qualities, or the natural world. Bohemian boy names might be antique or modern, traditional or invented. But to qualify as bohemian, these names, such as Felix and Fox, definitely have an indie feel.

Boy Baby Names Moving Up Fast

Boys' baby names moving quickly up the popularity ladder, according to our deep dive into US statistics, include:

Boy Names ALWAYS in the Top 1000

There are just over 200 baby boy names that have been on the Top 1000 since 1880, when the U.S. Social Security office began tracking baby names. The classic boy names here are included among that elite group that has been perennially popular. For the full group plus analysis, see our blog on perennially popular boy baby names.

Boy Names Dads Like More Than Moms

All parents bring their experiences with their own names to bear on the naming of a child, which is why dads may sometimes have stronger feelings about boy names while moms may be more sensitive around names for girls. Traditionally, dads have a preference for strong classic or he-man names for their sons, names that confer a clear measure of masculinity on a baby boy. Dads may also be more likely to favor names that reference athletes or sports, cool guys or rock gods, like the choices here.

Boy Names Kids Consider Cool

What are the cool boy names from the point of view of other kids? Choosing a name that other kids consider cool may be more important than one you think is cool yourself.

Boy Names That Mean Life

Boy names that mean life are an elite group, but one that includes several excellent choices. None of the boy names that mean life are particularly popular or even well-known, but you may consider the meaning more important than style or popularity. Also included here are many names that refer to the place or the setting where the person lives. Life is a wonderful meaning for a name, one that may inspire and uplift a child of any gender.

Boy Names Trendier Than You Think

The trendiest baby boy names may be a very different group than you'd guess, especially for the first-time parent new to recent baby-naming fads and trends. We've analyzed several years of official name popularity lists to pinpoint the boys' names that are make fast strides up the charts. Some of these names have vaulted into the Top 1000, others are getting ready to break through. Here, some surprisingly trendy baby names for boys.

Boy Names Uncommon in the US

There are many thousand boy names uncommon in the US that are nevertheless widely used in their native lands. Does that mean they're ripe for import? Perhaps. Many unusual names for boys and girls here are anything but rare in their cultures of origin. The international boy names uncommon in the US but popular in their own countries include the following.

Classic Boy Names

Classic baby names for boys, those that have been well used in the English-speaking world over time, are an elite group. Classic boy names may come from the Bible, be traditional saints' names or royal names, or be names with roots in ancient languages, such as Jacob and Alexander.

Colonial Names for Boys

Many of the baby names that were widely used during colonial times have fallen out of favor for long enough now to sound fresh and even cool again. If you like historic baby names but want to move beyond the Victorian and biblical choices we've heard so much of in recent years, consider these names culled from Revolutionary War rolls and eighteenth-century town histories. The only caveat: The choices are much wider and more appealing for boys than for girls.

Cool Boy Names From Ancient Cultures

Cool boy names are the order of the day, yet why invent a unique name when there are so many ancient names -- from Rome and Byzantium, from Olde England and Germany -- that deserve to be unearthed in the interest of cool? Here's a selection of worthy ancient choices, from a range of eras and places, that make cool unique baby names for boys.

Cool Boy Names From Around the World

Cool boy names from Italy and Ireland, Scandinavia to the Middle East and beyond include a wide variety of choices. Some of these names, such as Cruz and Orion, are cool in the US and abroad, but many have yet to be discovered by American parents.

Cool Boy Names—Rare, Unique and Unusual

Cool boys’ names can have deep roots or be modern inventions but work best when they relate to other stylish names while remaining relatively undiscovered. To make this list, these cool names for boys had to be used for 25 or fewer baby boys, guaranteeing they are considered unique baby names across the US. This list of cool boys’ names features some of our favorite possibilities. For more, take a look at our collections of boys’ names and unusual names.

Cool Classic Boy Names — 100+ below the Top 1000

These classic boy names include choices from ancient cultures and the Bible, names sailing out of style along with those heading in. How can a name be cool and classic at the same time? It's deeply rooted in history, but it's also unusual, and these boys' names qualify on both counts. Our list of uncommon classic boys’ names includes such treasures as Amias, Rockwell, and Edmund. If you're looking for cool classic names for a baby boy, check out these 100+ options.

Cool Cowboy Baby Names

Cool baby names that say cowboy boots and stirrups are as hot in Brooklyn as they are in Bozeman. The romanticized image of a cowboy and all that it stands for – heroism, adventure, and dashing good-looks – has inspired parents to seek out names that embody those ideals. Names for cowboys are rugged, casual, and handsome, such as Wyatt and Luke.

Cool Guy Names

Many of us name babies based on who we want them to grow up to be, and all of these names nudge your son toward cool guy status. Many of us name babies based on who we want them to grow up to be, and all of these names nudge your son toward cool guy status. It’s hard to picture a man named Dash or Rhett as being anything but exceptionally rad, and that’s exactly the point.

Country Boy Baby Names

Country boy baby names are favorites on the US popularity list. Along with such classic country boy names as Wyatt and Levi, other country names in the US Top 100 for boys include Jackson and Hunter, Landon and Maverick.

Crazy Nicknames for Boys

What crazy nicknames have been given to boys over the years? We think these are some of the most unusual.

Cute Baby Names for Boys

Cute baby names mix up the informal and the unexpected. They're names sometimes found on pets and comic strip characters, but most of them would wear well on a real boy, too. Formal name options can make these even more wearable for the long haul. For more information and many more names, check out our complete guide to cute names for boys and girls.

Dutch Baby Names for Boys

Popular baby names for boys in The Netherlands range from familiar English nicknames such as Tom and Nick to Latinate choices like Guido and Adrianus to fashionably short European baby names like these.

Finnish Baby Names for Boys

Although Finnish baby names are Scandinavian, they sound a lot quirkier to the American ear than Swedish, Norwegian and Danish baby names do. Here are some of the more accessible.

Forever Geeky Names

Some baby names just seem irredeemably geeky, on a permanent no list for the modern child. The baby names here qualify for now on the boys' side -- though we've learned in the world of baby naming, to paraphrase Heidi Klum, one day you're out, and the next day you may be very very in.

French Baby Names for Boys

Charming French baby names for boys, far beyond old-fashioned Jean and Jacques, are just waiting to be discovered. Here: some of the best new French baby names for boys.

Geek Chic Names for Boys

Cool names for boys come in all shapes, sizes and styles. There are some evergreen classic boys' names which never go out of style: think traditional mainstays of the US (and UK, NZ, and Austalian) Top 100 boy names, like James, William, and Joseph. Other cool boys' names — like thick black-rimmed spectacles and heavy oxfords — are so out they're in. These are the clunky, old-school vintage boys' names that are starting to feel fresh, funky and a little bit daring, but still rooted in tradition.

Hipster British Baby Names for Boys

Hipster British baby names for boys feel fresher and funkier than the classic royal names most often associated with the British Isles. These quirky British boy names are popular — though, naturally, not *too* popular! — with hipster parents from London to Liverpool. There are some clear trends to be seen here: lively -o and -ee ending sounds are big with the Brits, old man chic is most definitely in, and nicknames as given names are everywhere. If you're looking for a great British baby boy name beyond James or George, you'll find a wealth of wonderful options in this list — no matter whether your taste leans more toward Milo or Marmaduke!

Italian Baby Boy Names Beyond Giovanni & Giuseppe

Italian baby boy names are heard more often in Rome, Italy than Rome, New York, but are eminently usable here as Italian baby names continue to grow in favor.

Literary Names for Boys

These literary baby names for boys are derived from characters in books from all genres. Some of these literary heroes and anti-heroes, such as Romeo and Tristan, come from works of fiction written centuries ago, while others, like Kafka and Edmund, are contemporary.

Middle Names for Boys

Middle names for boys are traditionally family names – father's or grandfather's first name as an honorific, mother's maiden name, or perhaps a first name or surname from further back in the family tree, be it Charles or Lennox.

But increasingly, parents are looking to their son's middle name as a way to honor a hero, symbolize a passion, or indulge a taste for a more unusual name they may not want to put in first place.
Along with Charles and Lennox, other baby boy middle names common as first names in the US Top 1000 include Atlas, Cash, Fox, Henry, Maverick, Orion, River, and Sam. Middle names for baby boys that are more unique include Bravery, Drummer, Lior, and Yale.

Most Common Names for Boys

Common names are not the same as popular names: Common names are those most often found among the total population or for a certain period of time, as opposed to those popular for babies born in any one year. These are the 100 most common names for males in the US in the past century, with James at the top of the list, followed by John, Robert, Michael, and William. Some popular names for boys today, such as #1 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.

Mythology Boy Names

Baby names inspired by myth and legend are on the rise, inspired by the use of mythological names for boys in the Hunger Games series. The pantheon of Greek and Roman deities, such as Orion and Apollo, and other figures from Irish, Norse, African, Hindu, and other myths and legends can provide an abundant source of audacious baby names, all combining deep history with not-heard-in-a-long-time freshness.

Nameberry's Top Boy Names of the 2010s

These are Nameberry's Top 100 boys' names for the decade of the 2010s. Our most popular names list is calculated on which boy names received the most page views on Nameberry. These are not necessarily the most popular names received by baby boys over the decade, but the names parents searched for most on our site. While there may not be a direct correlation to the official popularity lists in the US or any other country, this represents a guide to the most stylish, intriguing names for boys of the past decade.

Names No Boy May Be Cool Enough For

You have to be pretty damn cool to name your kid Elmer, cool in that I-like-it-and-I-don't-care-what-the-world-thinks kind of way. Except you're not the one who's going to have to deal with having the name Elmer when you play Little League. You're not the one who's going to have to introduce yourself as Elmer to girls at parties. In fact, if you think it's so cool, maybe you should change your own name to Elmer rather than laying it on a poor little kid. The point: While we can appreciate the contrarian cool inherent in these clunky names, we fear that few children at this point in time are cool enough actually to live with them.

Names That Mean Handsome

Baby names that mean handsome can help your little boy's self-image. A number of names imply good looks, from Keeley and Keefe to Bello and Beau. Names for good-looking babies come from many cultures, including Japan, Ireland, and Hawaii. Any of the names on this list would be appropriate for your beautiful baby boy. Handsome baby names for boys include:

Names to Substitute for Max

Love the name Max but fear it's overused? Consider these alternatives with a similar sound, feel, or flavor.

Nicknames for Boys

Suddenly, nicknames for boys are cool again. Not the cutesy Jerrys and Larrys, Randys and Andys of the '60s and '70s, but cooler short forms that might be modern or vintage, such as Dash or Theo. These names needn’t any full forms – sorry, Dashiell and Theodore – but that is up to your discretion.

Old Man Names

Old man names have been used for so long now that they've morphed into popular baby names: Henry and Samuel rank among the top names in the US, while in the UK, Harry, Leo, and Oscar are all among their most popular baby names.

One-Syllable Middle Names for Boys

While we are happy to see baby namers move beyond boring middle names that were mere connective tissue, there are still times -- like when first and last names are elaborate -- when you want a short, strong middle name. Here, some cool one-syllable middle names for boys. Or expand your horizons with our master list of more than 900 middle names of every type.

Popular English Boy Names

English names for boys -- that is, names that originate in the English language -- are used around the world. Many of the top boys' names today are English. These popular English boy names include occupational names such as Hunter and Mason and surname-names like Auden and Colton, as well as English word names such as the newly-trendy Bear. Some classics such as James and Edward are English, as are many common nicknames such as Joe, Jim, and Mike. Here are the most popular English names for boys around the world. For the complete roster, browse our master list of English boy names.

Prince Names

The prince names here are those chosen by royal families around the world for their little boys over the past decade or so. Your idea of prince names can be expanded to include those used over past generations—Charles and William, say—and to extend to fictional princes such as Phillip or...well, maybe not Charming.

Relaxed Baby Boy Names

These are baby boy names that are casual, laid back and friendly.

Royal Names for Boys

Royal names for boys on this list are those used by the British royal family for over a thousand years. Charles, William, and George, the names of the male heirs to the throne, are in use in the UK right now, as well as Andrew, Edward, Philip, Louis, and James. These are also very common in the US.

Ruling Roman God Names

Roman god names for baby boys are in the forefront of fashion, with playgrounds in trendy neighborhoods full of little boys named Jupiter and Apollo, whose playmates are Odin, Juno, and Freya. Roman names for gods are among the best-known mythological names, thought they haven't been used much for baby boys until recently. It does seem rather grand for a little boy to carry such a big name, but the fascination with mythology and ancient cultures makes Roman god names more possible now than ever before. You may want to consider one of these male names from Roman mythology for your little god, or explore the wider range of mythological names for boys.

Names of Roman Gods

Saints' Names For Boys

It is tradition, though no longer a requirement, in the Roman Catholic Church for a child receiving baptism to be given a saint's name. However, even parents who don't find themselves particularly religious have begun to take interest in the rare, uplifting, and sometimes unheard-of names of saints for their sons and daughters. Names of notable saints such as St. Sebastian and St. Jude are listed here, as well as those of lesser-known saints.

Son Baby Names

Baby names that end in son originated just the way you think: they designated that the person—Jackson, say, or Jefferson—was the son of Jack or Jeffery. Son makes a stylish first name ending today, mostly for boys but since the era of Allison, also for girls. Son baby names can make for an original way to honor an ancestor or relative while slightly varying the name. Some prime examples:

Spanish Baby Names for Boys

Spanish baby names for boys include lots of choices widely known through the Western World: Juan and Jose, Pablo and Pedro. The parent who wants to find Spanish boys' names that move beyond the obvious choices still has a lot of attractive options. Some of these Spanish names for boys are popular in Spain: Hugo and Iker, for instance, while others, such as Angel, are popular in the US.

Strong Boy Names That Mean Power

Powerful boy names might be those that literally mean power or strength, such as Andrew and Ethan, or those that simply sound macho: Rock is an exaggerated example.

Top Boy Names That End in S

Boy baby names that end in S are a fashionable group. The S ending is commonly found in Roman names such as Atticus and Linus, stylish now for boys, as well as other fresh, cool choices. Along with James, boy names ending in S in the US Top 100 includes Lucas, Thomas, Charles, Elias, Nicholas, and Miles. Atticus and Silas are the most popular boy names with an S ending on Nameberry. This list is a select group of the most popular and stylish boys' names ending in S. For a complete list of the 1600+ s-ending boys' names on Nameberry, click here.

Top Boy Names Today

The top boy names today are likely to be a mix of the boys' names most popular in the official ranks along with baby boy names rising quickly through the charts. We looked at the most popular names in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, along with other countries and Nameberry's own statistics to compile this list of the leading names for boys.

Unique Boy Names: Unusual and Rare

Unique names for boys are more widely used now in than ever before. Fifty years ago, the Top 20 boys' names represented 41% of all male children; by contrast now, the Top 20 boys' names represented less than 15% of all baby boys, meaning there are many more rare and unusual boy names in general use.

Unique Middle Names for Boys

Unique middle names may be a way to add character and distinction to a son's name, especially if his first name is a more traditional name or a conservative family choice. Unique middle names can include word names, place names, surname names, names of heroes from history or the arts. A select group of unique baby names that work in the middle for boys is here, or you can search further with our master list of more than 900 middle names for boys and girls.

Video Game Names for Boys

Movie- and TV-character names may seem both inspired and inspirational to parents at the beginning of the twenty-first century, but what of the next generation of parents-to-be, those raised not on movies and television but on video games? Their idea of a cool name is sure to be way wilder than that of parents today. Some of these video game character names, such as Duke and Jax, are more name-worthy than others—can you imagine a baby boy named Kazooie?

Vintage Boy Names

Vintage boy names are in style now, combining the gravitas of a name with traditional roots with the freshness of one that hasn't been heard for decades. While not all vintage boy names make the fashion grade – sorry, Herbert and Melvin – new choices such as George and Theodore are being added to the roster all the time.

Vintage Nicknames for Boys

There's a group of nicknames for boys that were used in distant past and might be worth a fresh look. Some of these vintage nicknames for boys are still heard occasionally: Augie or Cy, for instance. Other vintage nicknames are so antiquated they are not heard at all, such as Con and Fate. And then there are those nicknames you might not want to use for a modern boy: We can't see Ham going over so well on the playground. But if you're tired of the same old Jacks and Sams, you might want to consider these vintage boy nicknames. You may also want to consult the larger list of Nicknames for Boys.

Yupster Baby Names for Boys

Yupsters -- a blend of yuppies and hipsters -- prefer baby names that are to the left of the most popular list but far to the right of most choices on this site. The Yupster Baby Names are classic as well as cool, embodying style along with history. The only problem is that you may hear them far more than you want to in the years to come.