Boy Names

Hudson

English place-name and surname

"Hugh's son"

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…

Brooks

English

"of the brook"

A nature name, a word name, and a surname name, Brooks has plenty of cool factor. It gives off cowboy vibes and a sporty feel, while also maintaining a smart, collected image. Used occasionally as a…

Walker

English occupational name

"cloth-walker"

Walker is both a Waspy surname name—as in the W in George W. Bush—but it also has a gentle ambling quality and a creative connection to such greats as writer Walker Percy and photographer Walker…

Beckett

English and Irish

"bee hive, little brook or bee cottage"

Beckett is one of the big baby name hits of the decade. A handsome name with an attractively brisk sound, and rich in literary associations via major Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, it is especially…

Brock

English

"badger"

Brock is a rock solid name, with a touch of preppy sophistication. It ranked solidly in the 200s-300s from 1975 until 2014, but has since tumbled a bit. Among Brocks who lived up to their name are…

Landry

French and English

"ruler or king of the land"

St. Landry was a seventh century bishop of Paris, founder of the city's first hospital, though in the US, it may be better connected with legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, an association…

Branson

English

"son of the raven"

Branson is a fairly recent addition to the Top 1000, first breaking in at Number 988 in 1995. While it may not be a common sighting yet, it fits the trend of more popular cousins Mason, Grayson,…

Brennen

Brennen is a masculine name with Irish and Gaelic origins, derived from the surname Brennan, which means 'descendant of Braonán' (Braonán being a personal name meaning 'sorrow' or 'moisture'). This…

Gray

Color name, also diminutive of Grayson

The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Gray (or Grey), is one exception, which could make for a soft and…

Ollie

Diminutive of Oliver, Latin

"olive tree"

Ollie is the versatile go-to nickname for the hugely popular Oliver, though the large majority of parents prefer to have the more formal name on the birth certificate. Even in the UK where nickname…

Jenson

Scandinavian

"son of Jens"

The surname name Jenson is in the British Top 100 thanks to champion race car driver Jenson Button. Jenson might be an honorific for an ancestral John, the English form of Jens or Johannes, or even…