Boy names short names

Owen

Welsh

"young warrior; well-born"

Owen, a resonant Celtic name, has ranked among the Top 100 boys' names in the US for 20 years and is now trending ever-so-slightly downhill, good news for Owen-lovers who might rightly have feared…

David

Hebrew

"beloved"

David is an enduring worldwide classic, used from ancient times to the present day. David is derived from the Hebrew name Dawid, believed to come from the root dôwd , meaning "beloved". The first…

Wyatt

English surname

"brave in war"

Wyatt has been hot, which is to say cool, for several years now. With its easy Wyatt Earpish cowboy charm, it's relaxed but still highly respectable. Wyatt is a lot more classic a name than you might…

Nolan

Irish

"champion"

The friendly and sporty feeling Nolan blends some of the best qualities of other popular boy names. With the gentle but energetic sounds of Noah, a hint of the classic Nicholas, and the cool,…

Eli

Hebrew

"ascended, uplifted, high"

With its sharp, succinct sounds and cool, laidback style, Eli is a popular choice among parents today. Compact and punchy, it is a Biblical name with plenty of charm. Derived from the Hebrew ’aly ,…

Dean

English

"church official"

Dean may sound to some like a retro surfer boy name, but it is once again climbing up the popularity chart in the USA. For decades it was associated with Dean (born Dino) Martin; more recent…

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,…

Wade

English

"at the river crossing"

Wade has never been outside the US Top 1000 for boys - there's a reason for that. It has a clean spelling, fresh sound and is neither too trendy (unlike Kade or Cade) or too old-school (like Richard…

Zander

Diminutive of Alexander

"defending men"

On the rise as an independent name: Zander and Xander are both widely used can increasingly be found as characters in movies and on TV.

Corbin

English and French surname

"crow, raven"

Corbin, the name of the castle where the Holy Grail was said to be hidden, came to the fore in the 1980s via actor Corbin Bernsen when he was the high profile star of LA Law , but its use is only now…

Troy

Greek, French

"of Troyes"

Troy shot to popularity as a first name in tandem with that of 1960s heartthrob Troy (born Merle) Donahue; its image has now, thanks in part to the Brad Pitt-starring epic, Troy , receded back to…

Cannon

Word name

Cannon sits amongst other weapon names like Colt, Pistol, Lance, and Remington. Definitely a name that offers bombast.

Canyon

Spanish word name

Canyon is a unique baby name evocative of natural splendor and the old Steve Canyon comic-strip heroism, making it an intriguing new word-name possibility. Similar but less word-like: Kenyon.

Saber

Word name

Weapon-related names like Saber have been on the rise in recent years. In 2014, ten baby boys in the US were named Saber and five Sabre. The name may also relate to the Arabic Sabir, though to…