Big List of Boys

  1. Jay
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "jaybird"
    • Description:

      Though this feels like a modern invention, Jay has been in use for centuries. Early Jays often were named in honor of founding father John Jay, whose surname derived from the jaybird. A popular mid-century choice, Jay was in the Top 100 from 1956 to 1970. In the last couple of decades he was replaced by such more elaborate forms as Jayden, Jaylen, and Jayce. But Jay could make a comeback in tandem with cousins May, Kay, Fay, and Ray.
  2. Jonah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "dove"
    • Description:

      Jonah, the name of the Old Testament prophet who was swallowed by the whale, only to emerge unharmed three days later, is increasingly appreciated by parents looking for a biblical name less common than Jacob or Joshua, yet not too obscure. Plus, Jonah comes with a ready-made nursery-decorating motif.
  3. Killian
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "war strife or church"
    • Description:

      Killian – aka Cillian – is a spirited yet resonant Gaelic name that was borne by several Irish saints and could make a distinctive replacement for the dated Kelly. Kylian is another spelling that's gaining traction, thanks to French soccer star Kylian Mbappé. Possible downsides: an unsavory first syllable and a connection to the trendy brew.
  4. Kingsley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "king's meadow"
    • Description:

      Kingsley is a sophisticated Harry Potter name that entered the US Top 1000 in 2013.
  5. Knox
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "round hill"
    • Description:

      Knox is an old Scottish surname that Brad Pitt (whose great-great-grandfather was named Hal Knox Hillhouse) and Angelina Jolie took out of the back cupboard, dusted off, and elevated to coolness--to the point where it entered the popular baby names list in 2009. Knox now ranks among the most influential celebrity baby names.
  6. Koda
    • Origin:

      Japanese, Sioux
    • Meaning:

      "friend"
    • Description:

      A word in the Yankton-Yanktonai and Santee dialects of the Lakota Sioux language, meaning "friend" or "ally", used for one of the main characters in the movie Brother Bear. Also a common Japanese surname or a respelling of the musical name Coda.
  7. Khronos
    • Kodiak
      • Leo
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "lion"
        • Description:

          Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for thirteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.
      • Levi
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "joined, attached"
        • Description:

          Levi, lighter and more energetic than most biblical names, with its up vowel ending, combines Old Testament gravitas with the casual flair associated with Levi Strauss jeans.
      • Liam
        • Origin:

          Irish short form of William
        • Meaning:

          "resolute protection"
        • Description:

          Liam is the top boys' name in the US, holding the Number 1 spot for the past seven years and also ranking as one of the most popular boys' names around the western world.
      • Logan
        • Origin:

          Scottish
        • Meaning:

          "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 2023 were boys.
      • Lorenzo
        • Origin:

          Italian; Spanish, variation of Laurence
        • Meaning:

          "from Laurentium"
        • Description:

          Latinizing Lawrence gives it a whole new lease on life. Like Leonardo, Lorenzo has been integrated into the American stockpot of names, partly via actor Lorenzo Lamas. Other associations are with Lorenzo de' Medici, the Florentine Renaissance merchant prince and art patron, Renaissance artists Ghiberti and Lotto, and the upstanding young man who married Shylock's daughter Jessica in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
      • Lucian
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "light"
        • Description:

          Lucian is a sleeker, more sophisticated version of Lucius that is climbing in tandem with other Lu-starting names.
      • Luther
        • Origin:

          German
        • Meaning:

          "army people"
        • Description:

          Once restricted to evangelical Protestants honoring the ecclesiastical reformer and theologian Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant revolution. In more recent times it has been favored by parents wishing to honor civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr. Luther was a Top 100 name at the turn of the last century, but fell off the list in the early 1990s.
          Luther Burbank was an eminent botanist and Luther Vandross was a popular R&B artist. It's the name of a main character on the Disney series Zeke and Luther. The name was given a shot of contemporary energy via Idris Elba's dynamic performance in the eponymous BBC crime drama.
      • Lobo
        • Luger
          • Mack
            • Origin:

              Scottish or Irish
            • Meaning:

              "son of"
            • Description:

              Mack, when "formalized" with the final k, makes an engagingly amiable choice, a far more uncommon alternative to the ubiquitous Max and Jack, with a nice, every-guy feel. Mack entered the popularity list in 2009 for the first time since 1989 and continues to climb. However, it's still far from its peak — it was a Top 100 name in 1900.
          • Marcel
            • Origin:

              French variation of Marcellus
            • Meaning:

              "little warrior"
            • Description:

              Marcel, despite distinguished namesakes including Proust and Duchamp, suffers from a terminal headwaiter image in this country. But along with its sister name Marcella and French variation (and Jolie-Pitt pick) Marcheline, Marcel may be on the brink of a style renaissance.
          • Mason
            • Origin:

              English occupational name
            • Meaning:

              "worker in stone"
            • Description:

              Mason is an occupational surname that ranked among the Top 10 name for boys throughout the 2010s, after its choice as one of the first Kardashian baby names.