Boys Names U Through Z

Xan

Diminutive of Alexander

"defending men"

With the plethora of Alexes around, Xan (and Xander) have emerged as hot new nicknames for Alexander. Xan also stands well on its own. It can be found--not surprisingly--in several computer games.

Yair

Hebrew variation of Jair: "he shines"

"he shines"

Both Jair and Yair have been in and out of the US Top 1000 since the 2000s, and while both are currently taking a break from the charts, Yair in particular is quietly gathering attention. Given to…

Yamir

Sanskrit

"moon"

Attractive lunar name with the unique initial Y.

Yarden

Hebrew

"to flow down, descend"

The name from which Jordan arose, Yarden has a nice combination of river imagery and a sound connoting a garden. Like Jordan, used for both sexes.

Yarrow

Botanical name, English

"rough stream"

Highly unusual as a baby name for either gender, Yarrow is an herb that grows wild and has long been used for its medicinal property. It's named for the mythical Achilles, who was said to carry…

Yedidya

Hebrew

"beloved of the Lord"

Modern Hebrew spelling (and pronunciation) of the biblical Jedidiah, another name of King Solomon.

Yishai

Yishai is a masculine name of Hebrew origin, representing the original form of what became 'Jesse' in English translations. In the Bible, Yishai was the father of King David, giving the name…

Yorick

English literary name

Alas, poor Yorick, your name is fated to remain locked forever as a skull in Hamlet .

York

English

"from the yew estate"

Brisk, preppy York is an underused classic with the potential to really shine in the 21st century. It's most familiar as a place name — York is a city in England — and surname. New York City and…

Ysai

Spanish variation of Isaiah, Hebrew

"salvation of the Lord"

Ysai is a less-known variation of the popular Isaiah.

Yuri

Russian variation of George

Common Russian name familiarized here via cosmonaut Yury Gagarin and a character in Dr. Zhivago , but we don't see it ever gaining permanent resident status.

Zacharias

Greek form of Hebrew Zachariah

"the Lord has remembered"

One of several more venerable names that get to the nickname Zack if you're tired of Zachary. In the New Testament, Zacharias was the husband of Elizabeth and father of John the Baptist.

Zack

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…

Zak

Diminutive of Zachary, Hebrew

"the Lord has remembered"

This zippy short form of Zachary is more and more often standing on its own -- sometimes as Zac, Zach, Zack, or even Zakk -- but this simple-yet-straightforward version may be the very best.

Zakkai

Hebrew

"pure"

Yochanan Ben Zakkai is a prominent figure in Jewish history.