15 favorite boy names

Ethan

Hebrew

"strong, firm"

Ethan is a name that succeeds in being at once classic and fashionable, serious and cheery, strong and sensitive. Given a big boost via the name of the Tom Cruise character in the Mission Impossible…

Owen

Welsh

"young warrior; well-born"

Owen, a resonant Celtic name, has ranked among the Top 100 boys' names in the US for 20 years and is now at its highest point ever. Why do so many parents love Owen? It's a classic with a genuine…

Beau

French

"handsome"

Beau suggests someone devilishly handsome, with a large measure of southern charm—a nice image to bestow on your boy. Often solely a nickname in the past, it's now standing firmly on its own. Beau…

Kai

Hawaiian, Frisian, Chinese

"sea; warrior; triumph"

Kai is an internationally flexible name with many possible origins and meanings, growing in popularity in the US and a diverse range of European countries. In the US, the name Kai is most commonly…

Elliot

English diminutive of Elias, Greek

"Yahweh is God"

Elliot (which boasts several spellings depending upon how many 'l's or 't's you want to use) is a winner -- it has the ideal quality of being neither too common nor weirdly unique. Elliot had a style…

Ryker

German

"rich"

As a stylish name, Ryker has three big things going for it: its Ry beginning (as in Riley, Ryder, and Rylan), its two-syllable rhythm, and its er ending. A nice surprise for many is it's "rich"…

Zachary

Hebrew

"the Lord has remembered"

Zachary, a Top 20 name throughout the 90s, is now sliding down the rankings though it remains in the Top 200. With its ancient roots and modern feel, it's easy to understand why Zachary has been such…

Paxton

Latin and English

"peace town"

Paxton stands out from a lot of other two-syllable surname names for two reasons: the dynamic letter X in the middle, and its admirable peace association, providing the great nickname Pax. One well…

Anderson

English from Scandinavian

"son of Anders"

Rugged and tough, Anderson shot up quite a bit on the pop list in the 2000's, no doubt in large part due to the prominence of white-haired cable newsman Anderson Coopers, more recently, it has…

Desmond

Irish

"one from south Munster"

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. Another notable Desmond is…

Rylan

English and Irish

"Rye land"

Parents seeking alternatives to popular Ryan have flocked to this soundalike name, which peaked at #146 in 2011. Blending in elements of Nolan and Riley too, it remains in the US Top 500, and is…

Issac

Hebrew

"laughter"

A play on the spelling of Isaac that's somehow been in the Top 1000 every year since 1880. (If only by a hair: In both 1926 and 1962, it came in at number 999.) It hit an all-time peak at Number 377…

Quentin

Latin

"fifth"

Quentin, an offbeat name with lots of character, relates to the Latin for the number five and is by far the subtlest and most usable of the Latin birth-order names, masculine as well as stylish and…

Bradyn

Variation of BRADEN

Braydn, an imaginative spelling of Braden and cousin of all the other aden-ending boys' names, has been on the popularity lists since 2002, though its star is fading.

Iver

Norwegian variant of Ivar

"yew wood, archer, warrior"

Iver is a popular name in its native Norway, but parents in the U.S. are starting to take note of this rugged yet gentle name. Stemming from the original Norse name Ívarr , it is part of a small…