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Boys First Names List

My personal favourite first names for boys. There's not really a theme for these, they are just my favourites!
  1. Liam
    • Origin:

      Irish short form of William
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

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

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "rest, repose"
    • Description:

      Noah is nearly a patriarch of popular baby names at this point, going from Old Testament graybeard to Top 10 name in 2009, hitting Number 1 in 2013, and now settled into second place in the US for the past eight years.
  3. Oliver
    • Origin:

      Germanic, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "elf army; ancestor's relic; olive tree"
    • Description:

      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 Switzerland. Why? Because Oliver is energetic and good-natured, stylish but classic, with a meaning symbolizing peace and fruitfulness.
  4. Theodore
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"
    • Description:

      Classic and elegant but with boyish charm, Theodore has become hit name in recent years, vaulting into the US Top 10 in 2021 for the first time ever and into the Top 5 in 2024. A favorite in English speaking countries, it also ranks highly across the UK and Ireland, and in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
  5. Henry
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"
    • Description:

      Henry is well and truly back in style. The classic returned to the Top 10 in the US in 2021 for the first time in over a century, and as of 2024, sits at Number 6. Like James and Theodore, Henry is a strong, traditional name that also manages to feel stylish and gentle.
  6. William
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

      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 the most popular baby name beginning with W of all time.
  7. Benjamin
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "son of the right hand"
    • Description:

      Benjamin is a biblical name that has enjoyed widespread favor for decades, ranking in the US Top 50 for almost half a century and the Top 10 from 2015 until 2023.
  8. Elias
    • Origin:

      Greek variation of Elijah, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Yahweh is God"
    • Description:

      Strong, charismatic, and sleek, Elias has followed in the footsteps of Elijah and Eli to become a popular choice among parents today.
  9. Luca
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Luke and Lucas
    • Meaning:

      "man from Lucania"
    • Description:

      The related Lucas and Luke are both hugely popular boy names in the US and internationally, and now Luca has joined them on boys' popularity lists around the world.
  10. Daniel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my judge"
    • Description:

      Daniel is one of only a handful of male names that sounds both classic and modern, strong yet approachable, and popular but not cliched. It also has a solid Old Testament pedigree. The only real downside: There are about 10,000 Daniels named each year, making it a less than distinctive choice.
  11. Joseph
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"
    • Description:

      Joseph is one of the most classic names in American nomenclature, popular with parents from many ethnic backgrounds and having dual-religious appeal.
  12. Alexander
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree.
  13. Matthew
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"
    • Description:

      Matthew was the third most popular boys' name in America throughout the 1980s and '90s, and is still one of the top boy names starting with M. The New Testament Matthew is the epitome of the fashionable classic—safe and sturdy, yet with a more engaging personality than John or William.
  14. 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.
  15. Gabriel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my strength"
    • Description:

      Gabriel is a Biblical favorite, an angelic choice that's lighter and less patriarchal than some of his Old Testament brethren. Derived from the Hebrew name Gavri'el, Gabriel combines the elements elements gever, meaning "strong," and 'el, in reference to God.
  16. Dylan
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "son of the sea"
    • Description:

      Dylan still feels poetic and romantic after years of popularity. It still ranks highly on the charts, among the top boy names starting with D, so if you choose it, be aware that yours may not be the only Dylan in his class.
  17. Jacob
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      Biblical Jacob ceded his Number 1 spot to biblical Noah, in 2013, after holding first place on the list of baby boy names from 1999 to 2012, given a huge boost by the Twilight phenomenon.
  18. Isaac
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "laughter"
    • Description:

      Isaac has shaved off his biblical beard and leaped into the upper echelon of popular boys' names, outrunning cousin Isaiah. A favorite of the Puritans, Isaac has never dipped below Number 400 on the US list of top boy names.
  19. 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 2024 were boys.
  20. Josiah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God supports, heals"
    • Description:

      Josiah—a biblical name with lots of quaint, old-fashioned charm—makes a much fresher sounding alternative to either Joseph or Joshua, combining the best of both. Josiah is among the several Biblical boys' names that have been on the rise this decade.

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