User-created list
Favourite Boys First Names
Across 6 pages
of 6
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…
Bryson
English
"son of Brice"
A surname name that can transition to first -- it entered the Top 1000 in 1980 and is now firmly in the Top 100. Actress NeNe Leakes chose it for her son. R&B singer Bryson Tiller's popularity may…
Elliott
English diminutive of Elias, Greek
"Yahweh is God"
One of the four perfectly proper spellings of this name ranging from the spare (but poetic) Eliot to the full-blown Elliott. Elliott and Elliot are the two most popular, and they have given to almost…
Connor
Irish
"lover of hounds"
Connor, the appealing name of an early semi-legendary king of Ulster in Irish mythology, sits firmly in the Top 100 and taken together with its alternate spellings would rank even higher. In its…
Judah
Hebrew
"praised"
Judah is the strong, resonant Old Testament name of the son of Jacob who was the ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel, and from whom the word Jew is derived. Some of the names' popularity might be…
Max
English and German diminutive of Maximilian or Maxwell
"greatest"
Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby…
Ashton
English
"ash trees place"
The recent ascent of this English surname is due to two things: the megapopular Ash beginning and TV/movie hottie Ashton Kutcher. The name peaked at Number 76 in 2004, a year after Ashton Kutcher's…
Rory
Irish
"red king"
This spirited Gaelic classic, which became popular in Ireland via the illustrious twelfth century king Rory O'Connor, makes a highly energetic choice, now used for either sex. Rory's gender split is…
Caden
English, Celtic
"battle; round, barrel"
Caden is a key member of the rhyming contingent that includes Aiden, Jayden, Kayden, Brayden et al. It may derive from the Celtic Cadan or Irish Cathán, both from the same root meaning "battle". It…
Finn
Irish, Scandinavian, Norse
"fair, white; from Finland"
Finn is a name with enormous energy and charm, that of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as…
Riley
English, Irish
"rye clearing; courageous"
Riley -- one of the most popular unisex names -- is trendier now for girls though for boys it's a classic, ALWAYS ranking in the US Top 1000. In fact, after a decade of softening, Riley has recently…
Maddox
Welsh
"son of Madoc"
Maddox, a previously obscure Welsh family name with a powerfully masculine image, suddenly came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie chose it for her son in 2003. By the following year it was in…
Tyler
English occupational name
"maker of tiles"
The presidential Tyler rocketed up popularity charts in the late 1980s and early 1990s (it ranked Number 9 for that entire decade), along with cousin Taylor, becoming almost pandemic across the…
Griffin
Welsh, variation of Griffith
"strong lord"
Griffin is one of the newer and most appealing of the two-syllable Celtic surnames. In English, griffin is the name of a mythological creature, half eagle, half lion. It re-entered the list in 1983…
Ellis
English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or Welsh
"my God is Yahweh; benevolent"
Ellis is a former Old Man Name turned gender-neutral choice for the 21st century. It's one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family, unless you're in the UK, where it's a Top 100…
Ronan
Irish
"little seal"
Ronan is the compelling legendary name of twelve Irish and Scottish saints that is now drawing some deserved attention; this cousin of the ascending Roman and Rowan was chosen by actor Daniel…
Marcus
Latin
"warlike"
Though ancient, Marcus now sounds more current than Mark, in tune with today's trend towards us-ending Latinate names. Marcus, which is thought to be related to Mars, the god of war, was commonplace…
Tobias
Greek from Hebrew
"God is good"
Tobias is one of a number of s-ending boys' names that are riding a wave of popularity. With its Old Testament-Dickensian feel, it's a name with a distinguished pedigree. Tobias is the Greek form of…
Kenneth
Scottish and Irish
"born of fire, handsome"
Kenneth may have lost much of its luster now, but Kenneth has had its moments of glory. The first king of Scotland was Kenneth, and Sir Kenneth, a Christian crusader, was the hero of the Sir Walter…
Preston
English
"priest's estate"
Britney Spears put this old-fashioned surname name back on the map when she chose it as her son Sean's middle name, which the family uses as his first. One of the most popular names of its genre,…