Boy Names

By bcredit · Updated June 2022

Names19

Total Names19

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About this list

A collection of "maybe's" for number three. With big brothers Thomas Edward and Ulysses August there is a focus on strong, traditional and slightly unusual little boy names.

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The names

Showing 1–19 of 19

Ezra
Hebrew
"help"
Ezra has a lot going for it: the strength of its heroic Biblical legacy, its quirky sound, and its fresh but familiar feel. Ezra is now at its highest point ever, but its intuitive streamlined…
Alexander
Greek
"defending men"
Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree. Alexander is derived from the Greek name Aléxandros, composed…
Archer
English
"bowman"
Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the…
Harrison
English
"son of Harry"
Harrison, a name made viable by Harrison Ford, is increasingly popular with parents who want an H name that's more formal than Harry or Hank but doesn't veer into the stiff Huntington-Harrington…
Sawyer
English
"woodcutter"
Sawyer is a surname with a more relaxed and friendly feel than many others, and is one of the hottest occupational names right now, with the Nameberry seal of approval. Sawyer is becoming one of the…
George
Greek
"farmer"
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…
Rhett
English from Dutch
"advice"
Rhett has been more tied to Gone with the Wind than even Scarlett, but now we're hearing rumblings of its finding new and independent favor among parents, perhaps emboldened by the growing popularity…
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…
Benson
English
"son of Ben"
Benson has outgrown its long association with a wisecracking TV butler with a fresh new association: singer songwriter Benson Boone. Parents may see it as an alternate route to nickname Ben, very…
Edwin
English
"wealthy friend"
Some might be surprised to learn that Edwin has been a consistent presence on the popular names list since statistics have become available. The most famous Edwin in history was a seventh century…
Gunnar
Scandinavian variation of Gunther
"bold warrior"
A key figure in Norse legend and a traditional Scandinavian favorite making inroads here.
Ansel
German
"with divine protection"
Ansel, primarily associated with the great western photographer Ansel Adams, famed for his magnificent photographs of the Yosemite Valley, could make a creative artist-hero choice. For Adams it was a…
Mattias
Scandinavian, spelling variation of Matthias
"gift of God"
This particular spelling was chosen by Will Ferrell for his son, brother to Magnus. These names are both popular in Sweden, birthplace of their mother, Viveca Paulin.
Torin
Irish, Spanish, French
"little chief, little hill, mound; holding fast; bull"
Though it has a Scandinavian ring (a la Thorfinn), Torin is in fact a multicultural choice, an occasional feature in the UK Top 1000, and given to around 150 boys in the US each year. Connected to…
Garrison
English
"son of Garret"
As Harrison is to Harry, Garrison is to Gary: both of the longer versions sound more modern and appealing. NPR's Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor was born Gary.
Riordan
Irish
"bard, royal poet"
Has a legitimate first name history in its native land and an appealing meaning, but pronunciation is far from obvious.
Trygg
Norwegian
"safe"
Sarah Palin spelled it Trig, as in the nickname for trigonometry, but Trygg is a genuine Norwegian word name for boys.
Alben
Latin
"white, or, man from Alba"
More often spelled ALBAN, Alben is an ancient and highly unusual name. Alben Barkley was Harry Truman's vice president.
Galt
Norse
"high ground"
A literary surname that's short, to the point, and very rare. It combines several origins: Scandinavian meaning "high ground", Scottish meaning "stranger", and English meaning "wild boar" (hello,…

Boy Names

About this list

The names

Ezra

Alexander

Archer

Harrison

Sawyer

George

Rhett

Emerson

Benson

Edwin

Gunnar

Ansel

Mattias

Torin

Garrison

Riordan

Trygg

Alben

Galt