Top 40 Boys

  1. Declan
    • Origin:

      Irish, meaning unknown, possible "man of prayer"
    • Meaning:

      "man of prayer"
    • Description:

      Declan is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Deaglán. St. Declan was one of the first missionaries to bring Christianity to Ireland, preceding St. Patrick. Originally from Wales, he founded the monastery of Ardmore in Ireland.
  2. Elijah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Yahweh is God"
    • Description:

      The Top 10 boys' name Elijah is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, composed of the elements ’el and yah, both of which refer to God. In the Old Testament, Elijah was the prophet who went to heaven in a chariot of fire, a story sure to inspire any young Elijah.
  3. Malachi
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "my messenger"
    • Description:

      An Old Testament name with a Gaelic lilt, Malachi entered the list in 1987.
  4. Hudson
    • Origin:

      English place-name and surname
    • Meaning:

      "Hugh's son"
    • Description:

      Hudson has risen quickly up the charts over the past 30 years, getting a lot of its style value from New York's Hudson River. That makes it a nature name and a place name that's also got the fashion gloss of New York City.
  5. Roman
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "citizen of Rome"
    • Description:

      Roman is an ancient name trending in a major way. A surprise hit name of recent years, Roman now ranks in the Top 100 not only in the US but throughout the English-speaking world, and is rising in other European countries as well.
  6. Bodhi
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "awakening, enlightenment"
    • Description:

      Bodhi is a Sanskrit name translated as "enlightenment" or "awakening" which relates to a Buddhist concept, wherein Bodhi is synonymous with the state of nirvana, being freed from hate, greed and ego. The Bodhi tree is a large fig tree under which the founder of Buddhism received enlightenment. Spelling variations include Bodie and Bode.
  7. Flynn
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "descendant of the red-haired one"
    • Description:

      Flynn, a charming Irish surname, is still used only quietly, despite its easygoing, casual cowboy charm, unlike Finn which is a star of this genre. Flynn was the choice of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr for their baby boy, and is also the middle name -- used as his first -- of a son of Miranda's fellow supermodel Elle Macpherson, of Gary Oldman's son Gulliver and Marley Shelton's daughter West.
  8. Spencer
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "house steward, dispenser of provisions"
    • Description:

      Spencer is a name that has everything: it's both distinguished sounding and accessible, dignified but Spencer Tracy-like friendly. Picked by several celebrities (a couple of times even for a girl), adding up to an enthusiastically recommended choice.
  9. Austin
    • Origin:

      English, shortened form of Augustine, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "great, magnificent"
    • Description:

      Austin is one of the most attractive city names for babies, with an appealing southwestern feel and place-name panache.
  10. Jackson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Jack"
    • Description:

      Jackson is one of those names that's much more popular than you think, coming in near the top of our annual Playground Analysis, which ranks names by grouping all their spellings together. Last year, more than 13,000 baby boys were named Jackson -- along Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaxxon, Jaxen, Jaxyn, Jaxsen, and Jaxsyn -- which counted together makes it the Number 5 boys' name.
  11. Tristan
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      "noise or sorrowful"
    • Description:

      Tristan -- known through medieval legend and Wagnerian opera -- has a slightly wistful, touching air. This, combined with the name's popular "an" ending, makes Tristan very appealing to parents seeking a more original alternative to Christian.
  12. Paxton
    • Origin:

      Latin and English
    • Meaning:

      "peace town"
    • Description:

      Paxton stands out from a lot of other two-syllable surname names for two reasons: the dynamic letter X in the middle, and its admirable peace association, providing the great nickname Pax.
  13. Preston
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "priest's estate"
    • Description:

      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.
  14. Kellan
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Kellen
    • Meaning:

      "swamp; slender"
    • Description:

      Kellan Lutz is the attractive young actor who plays Emmett Cullen in the Twilight series.
  15. Jayden
    • Origin:

      Variation of Jaden or Jadon, modern invention, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "thankful"
    • Description:

      Reminiscent of 70’s favorite Jason, and sharing sounds with the perpetually popular James, Jayden is one of the more enduring members of the -ayden trend.
  16. Brendan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "prince"
    • Description:

      According to Irish legend, Saint Brendan the Voyager was the first European to touch American soil, and his name has been established here for decades, peaking in the late 1990s.
  17. West
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      West is the most fashionable of what you might call the direction names, with North and East (or Easton and Easter) coming up behind, and South not yet on the map.
  18. Ephram
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Ephraim, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "fruitful, fertile, productive"
    • Description:

      The Ephram spelling, a phonetic spin on the original, may gain ground as it's the one used for the hero's name in the novel Ruby by Cynthia Bond, the new pick for Oprah's book club.
  19. Mekhi
    • Origin:

      Derivation and meaning unknown
    • Description:

      Fans of versatile, rising African- American actor Mekhi Phifer have begun to adopt his unusual first name for their sons.
  20. Brighton

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