My fave Edgy Boys names

Elias

Greek variation of Elijah, Hebrew

"Yahweh is God"

Strong, charismatic, and sleek, Elias has followed in the footsteps of Elijah and Eli to become a popular choice among parents today. While it may sound cool and fresh, Elias is a name with history…

Asher

Hebrew

"fortunate, blessed, happy one"

Asher—an excellent, soft and sensitive Old Testament choice—is a baby boy name on the rise, and is a Nameberry biblical favorite. Asher's ascent is especially amazing given that the took a…

Everett

English variation of the German Eberhard

"brave as a wild boar"

Everett is a preppy but outdoorsy name, with wintery New England vibes. In the last decade, it’s had a leap in popularity, perhaps because of its similarity to trendy girls’ names like Ava and…

Archer

English

"bowman"

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…

Jaxon

Spelling variation of Jackson

"son of Jack"

Jaxon has been mostly climbing in popularity since it entered the Top 1000 in 1997, proving that many parents have decided to rev up the cool factor of Jackson by giving it this streamlined spelling.…

Ryder

British surname

"cavalryman, messenger"

Ryder, one of the current favorite er-ending boys’ names , has been in the spotlight since Kate Hudson and her rocker husband Chris Robinson chose it for their son in 2004. Very popular in several…

Jett

Mineral or word name

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…

Cole

English

"swarthy, coal black"

Cole -- a short name that embodies a lot of richness and depth -- has long been associated with the great songwriter Cole Porter. It's quite popular in Scotland. Old King Cole -- which refers to a…

Knox

Scottish

"round hill"

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…

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…

Xander

Diminutive of Alexander, Greek

"defending men"

Xander is a diminutive of Alexander, the Latin variation of the Greek Alexandros. Its meaning, "defending men," is taken from the Greek roots aléxein , "to defend," and andros , "men." Zander,…

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…

Kaleb

Spelling variation of Caleb

"devotion to God"

Kaleb is one of several boys' names starting with k that started life as a classic C name, Caleb. Kevin Federline named his boy Kaleb Michael Jackson.

Clayton

English

"place with good clay"

Clayton is one of those names that feels like it could be recently popular but does in fact have a long history of use. It has made the US Top 400 every year since the records began, and though more…

Everest

Place-name, world's tallest mountain

"from Évreux"

This twist on the popular Everett takes it to lofty heights and gives it a geographical and nature-inspired link. The snow-capped Everest could make a name that stands out without feeling too out…

Thatcher

English occupational name

"roof thatcher"

Thatcher is an open and friendly freckle-faced surname, fresher sounding than Tyler or Taylor, that dates back to the days of thatched-roof cottages. It is catching on with modern parents—it reached…

Aston

English

"eastern settlement"

Has an upscale aura, perhaps due to the luxury James Bond Aston Martin car.

Gray

Color name, also diminutive of Grayson

The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Gray (or Grey), is one exception, which could make for a soft and…

Grover

English

"one who lives near a grove of trees"

Forget the furry blue Muppet, forget corpulent President Cleveland (not too difficult), and consider this name anew. We think it's spunky, a little funky, and well worth a second look, similar in…

Devon

English place-name

Devon, spelled like the lovely seaside county in Britain that inspired the name, has crashed since its heyday around the Top 100 in the 1990s. Despite its use as a female name, for example for Devon…