User-created list
By Fiery~Red~Fox · Updated May 2023
Across 4 pages
of 4
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…
English
"from Scotland"
A cool, windswept, surfer babe-magnet in 1965, a nice dad -- or even granddad -- today.
Scottish, English, French
"from the brushwood thicket"
Bruce is a Norman place name made famous by the Scottish king Robert the Bruce, who won Scotland's independence from England in the fourteenth century. Hugely popular in the 40s and 50s, it has since…
English, diminutive of Samuel
"told by God"
Sam has long been used on its own for boys, as accepted standing by itself as it is as a short form of Samuel. Straightforward and down-to-earth, Sam is the name of the son of the co-stars of The…
English word name
"fire"
Originally a form of the saint's name Blaise, though now more likely to be a hot word name used for both sexes, though heavily weighted toward the boys. It has been in the boys' Top 1000 since the…
Diminutive of various Ty-beginning names
As Tyler has begun to recede, a number of parents, including the Wayne Gretzkys, have cut straight to the livelier short form. One thing that may be holding the name back is the tarnished legacy of…
Irish
"descendant of the red-haired one"
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…
Hebrew
"son of"
Ben, the diminutive of Benjamin or Benedict, can easily stand on its own as a simple, strong, nice-guy choice, though it's somewhat attenuated. Ben is this generation's Bob or Bill.
Animal name
"bear"
Bear has suddenly lumbered onto the baby name landscape. Perhaps inspired by British adventurer Bear Grylls (born Edward Michael), first celebrity chef Jamie Oliver used it as the middle name for his…
Latin
"king"
Now that many dogs are named Max, it's safe to use this sleek, solid, regal name again for your child. And with the charm of its final x , its regal meaning, and its offbeat simplicity, Rex is…
Variation of John or Jonathan
"God is gracious; or gift of Jehovah"
Streamlined version of the classic boys' names, sometimes a short form of Jonathan, which is in fact an entirely different name from John attached to a different Biblical personage. Jon feels more…
"steel"
This steely surname has a macho image that might feel more appropriate for a romance novel than a baby. But on the upside, it's also sleek and modern, familiar yet unusual, given to only around 100…
Diminutive of William
"resolute protector"
Will has definitely replaced Bill, not only as a nickname for William but as a stand-alone name as well, partly thanks to England's Prince William, also known as Wills. Currently outside the Top 1000…
English, diminutive of Michael
Unlike Jake or Sam, few parents put Mike on the birth certificate.
German, Dutch, and Scandinavian, diminutive of Johannes
Though familiar to all via such childhood icons as Hans Brinker, Hans(el) and Gretel, and Hans Christian Andersen, few Americans have chosen this name for their sons because of its intractably Old…
"the flooder"
This strong single-syllable boys’ name has been finding favor with parents since the fifties, though it's been slipping in recent years; it fell out of the Top 500 for the first time since 1959 in…
Greek mythology name
The supreme Olympian god represents a mighty image for a little fella to live up to, but more and more parents are beginning to consider it seriously. The Roman equivalent Jupiter has also come down…
Short form of Vincent, Latin
"conquering"
Vince is not a short form that often stands alone on the birth certificate, the way Jack or even Joe does, but it has certain credibility as the name always used for football great Vince Lombardi.…
Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files . Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting…
Short form of Zachary or Zachariah
As the common short form of Zachary or, more unusually, Zachariah, Zack is less intuitive than Zach or Zac in terms of spelling but clearer in terms of pronunciations. Maybe because it rhymes with…
