Transmasc Nonbinary Name Shopping List

Henry

German

"estate ruler"

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…

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 at its highest point ever. Why do so many parents love Owen? It's a classic with a genuine…

Theo

Diminutive of Theodore

"gift of God"

See the popularity graph below for the name Theo? It's been heading straight uphill since 2010, when it hopped back onto the Top 1000 after a 60+ year absence. Now in the Top 100 in this form, Theo's…

Jude

Latin diminutive of Judah, Hebrew, Arabic

"praised; to be generous, to be good to others"

Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity — but not TOO much popularity, in the US at least. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", both responsible for…

Elliott

English diminutive of Elias, Greek

"Yahweh is God"

One of the four perfectly proper spellings of this name ranging from the spare (but poetic) Eliot to the full-blown Elliott. Elliott and Elliot are the two most popular, and they have given to almost…

Joel

Hebrew

"Jehovah is his God"

In the Old Testament, Joel was one of King David's 'mighty men' and the name was taken up by the Puritans of the sixteenth century. In the mid 1960s, Joel entered the Top 100, and stayed there for…

Dallas

Place name, surname and Irish

"meadow dwelling, valley house, skilled"

A laid-back cowboy name which feels both cool and gentle, Dallas has ranked in the US Top 500 since records began in 1880. Never super popular but surprisingly never out of style, Dallas is given to…

Emerson

English

"son of Emery"

Emerson is a dignified, somewhat serious name associated with transcendental thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson. Much more popular now for girls since Desperate Housewife Teri Hatcher used it for her…

Rhys

Welsh

"ardor"

Rugged but gentle, Rhys is the traditional Welsh spelling of this name, which can also be anglicized as Reese or Reece. Up until 2010, Reese was the preferred spelling in the US, perhaps because…

Dal

Dal is a concise masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In Welsh traditions, it means 'meadow,' suggesting open spaces and natural beauty. In Slavic languages, particularly Russian, it…

Moss

English

"descendant of Moses"

This evocative green nature name, heard much more frequently as a surname, is associated with playwright Moss Hart (born Robert), who co-wrote (with George S. Kaufman) such enduring Broadway comedies…

Newt

English

"a small salamander"

Rarely used on its own and irrevocably tied to former House Speaker Gingrich -- who was christened Newton.

Oren

Hebrew

"laurel or pine tree"

Soft and sensitive name often heard in Israel.

Willem

Dutch variation of William

"resolute protector"

Common in Holland, the appealing Willem (as in de Kooning and Dafoe) makes William fresh and distinctive.