User-created list
Boys' Names
Across 2 pages
of 2
The names
Oliver
Germanic, Latin
"elf army; ancestor's relic; olive tree"
Oliver is an international star, ranking near the top of the charts throughout the English-speaking world and in a host of European and Latin American countries, from Norway to Chile, Slovenia to…
James
English variation of Jacob, Hebrew
"supplanter"
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'…
William
German
"resolute protection"
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…
Sebastian
Latin from Greek
"person from ancient city of Sebastia, venerable"
With international flair and elegance, Sebastian is a saintly, Shakespearean and Disney-inspired choice: refined, classic-yet-unconventional, and totally in tune with other popular choices like…
Leo
Latin
"lion"
Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for fourteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US. Brave but sparky, Leo has ranked in the Top 20 in the US,…
Michael
Hebrew
"who is like God?"
Michael was the Number 1 American boys' name for almost half a century. While Michael has moved out of the Top 10 baby boy names , it's still widely used. How has Michael racked up this phenomenal…
John
Hebrew
"God is gracious"
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…
Ryan
Irish
"little king"
Ryan’s use as a given name was inspired by the surname Ryan, a variation of the Irish O’Riain meaning "son of Rían." Rían is composed of the Irish-Gaelic elements rí , meaning "king" and an , a…
Adam
Hebrew
"son of the red earth"
Adam -- a primal Old Testament name -- was revived as a 1960s cowboy name. Adam is not as popular as it once was and feels ready for a respite, replaced by newer A names like Aidan/Aiden, Avery and…
Parker
English occupational name
"park-keeper"
One of the first generation of surname names, along with Porter and Morgan, Parker's still one of the most appealing and remains firmly in the Top 100 for boys. About three times as many boys as…
Austin
English, shortened form of Augustine, Latin
"great, magnificent"
Austin is one of the most attractive city names for babies , with an appealing southwestern feel and place-name panache. Austin has been an Anglo-Saxon surname and a first name since medieval times.…
Nathaniel
Hebrew
"gift of God"
Nathaniel was derived from the Hebrew name Netan’el, meaning "gift of God," composed of the elements natan , meaning "to give," and ’el , in reference to God. The name is featured several times in…
Ivan
Russian variation of John
"God is gracious"
Though some might find it a bit heavy-booted, Ivan is one of the few Russian boys' names to become fully accepted into the American naming pool. Ivan is, of course, ubiquitous in Russian culture.…
Jason
Greek
"to heal"
Jason, the Number 3 name for the entire decade of the 1970s -- thus the title of our original baby-naming book, Beyond Jennifer & Jason -- is more likely to be dad's name now than baby's, but it's…
Franklin
English
"free landholder"
A doubly Presidential name, via Pierce and Roosevelt, Franklin was given an initial boost via the fame of Benjamin Franklin. It also has a literary tie to the main character of the Wilkie Collins…
Edwin
English
"wealthy friend"
Some might be surprised to learn that Edwin has been a consistent presence on the popular names list since statistics have become available. The most famous Edwin in history was a seventh century…
Lee
English
"pasture, meadow"
A name that has a bit of a shouldn't-I-be-a-middle-name sound, though still in use as a first for both genders. Lee might be a good choice if you want something that sounds at once traditional yet…
Neil
Irish
"cloud"
Always the top spelling of the name; Neil peaked in the 1950s, but then enjoyed a second coming following the fame of such Neils as astronaut Armstrong and singers Sedaka, Diamond, and Young. Now…
Indio
Spanish
"Indian"
This name of a California desert town, used by Deborah Falconer and Robert Downey, Jr. for their son, makes a much livelier and more individual – not to mention more masculine – improvisation on the…
Carl
German variation of Charles
"free man"
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.