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A-Z Top picks - Boys

jjustice5710
By jjustice5710
Updated Sun Aug 07 2022
If I had to choose my top name for each letter of the alphabet.
  1. Augustus

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "great, magnificent"

    • Description:

      Parents are beginning to look at imposing, somewhat fusty-sounding names like this one with fresh eyes: they definitely make a strong statement.
  2. 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.
  3. Caius

    • Origin:

      Variation of Gaius, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "rejoice"

    • Description:

      Caius is classical and serious but also has a simple, joyful quality. There was a third century pope named Caius, as well as an early Christian writer, several Shakespearean characters, and a Twilight vampire. We would pronounce the name to rhyme with eye-us though at Cambridge University in England, where it's the name of a college, it's pronounced keys.
  4. Desmond

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "one from south Munster"

    • Description:

      Desmond is a sophisticated and debonair name, with noble ties to 1984 Nobel Peace Prize-winning Bishop Desmond Tutu, and with some great nicknames: Des/Dez, Desi/Dezi.
  5. Edmund

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "fortunate protector"

    • Description:

      The sophisticated Edmund and its nearly-identical French twin Edmond are coming out of mothballs now that Edward, inspired by Twilight, is once again a hot name.
  6. Felix

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "happy, fortunate"

    • Description:

      Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks ranks with the standard Franks and Freds. Felix is also an international darling, ranking in the Top 100 in several European and English-speaking countries.
  7. George

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "farmer"

    • Description:

      Iconoclasts though we may be, we like Fred, we like Frank, and we like George, which was among the Top 10 from 1830 to 1950, when the number of little Georges started to decline. Solid, strong, royal and saintly, yet friendly and unpretentious, we think that George is in prime position for a comeback, especially since it was chosen by Britain's royal couple.
  8. Henry

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"

    • Description:

      Henry is back. The classic Henry climbed back onto the Top 10 in the US in 2021 for the first time in over a century, and now stands at Number 6.
  9. 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.
  10. Jack

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of John

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of the most popular boy names starting with J.
  11. Kalvin

    • Description:

      Kalvin is a masculine name that serves as a modern variant of Calvin, which derives from Latin 'calvus' meaning 'bald.' The K-spelling gives the traditional name a contemporary edge while maintaining its recognizable sound and heritage. Calvin gained popularity through various cultural references including the theologian John Calvin and the comic strip character Calvin from 'Calvin and Hobbes.' The Kalvin variant emerged as part of the trend toward distinctive spellings and has been moderately used since the 1990s. The name projects reliability and intelligence while the K spelling adds a touch of uniqueness. Kalvin combines traditional substance with modern styling, appealing to parents wanting a familiar name with a slight twist.

  12. Leo

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "lion"

    • Description:

      Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for fourteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.
  13. Miles

    • Origin:

      English form of Milo, Latin and Old German,"soldier or merciful"

    • Meaning:

      "soldier or merciful"

    • Description:

      Miles, which has a permanent veneer of cool thanks to jazz great Miles Davis, is a confident and polished boys' name that's an American classic. Always ranking in the US Top 1000, it's been drifting up the charts for the past half century and now ranks at its highest point ever, in the Top 50.
  14. Nile

    • Origin:

      River name, color name, or variation of Niall, Irish

    • Meaning:

      "champion"

    • Description:

      Water names are a cool category these days, and this one of the famous Egyptian river is no exception. It streamlines the fussier Niles and also may be thought of as a color name, meaning dark blue or indigo.
  15. 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.
  16. Phillip

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "lover of horses"

    • Description:

      Spelling variation of Philip. Exactly as many baby boys were named with the single 'l' spelling in 2017.
  17. Quincy

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "estate of the fifth son"

    • Description:

      Quirky in the way that all Q names are quirky, Quincy was once a buttoned-up, patrician New England name, an image countered in recent years by the talented and ultracool musician Quincy Jones (middle name: Delight; nickname: Q).
  18. Roscoe

    • Origin:

      Norse

    • Meaning:

      "deer forest"

    • Description:

      Fairly popular a hundred years ago but out of sight now, the quirky Roscoe deserves a place on every adventurous baby-namer's long list. It joins Rufus, Roman, Remy, Romulus, and Ray as one of the R names that sound fresh again after too many years of Robert, Richard, and Ronald.
  19. Simon

    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "he has heard; flat-nosed"

    • Description:

      Simon is pure and simple (not in the nursery rhyme sense), and an appealingly genuine Old and New Testament name that's not overused. These factors make Simon a stylish yet classic choice.
  20. 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.