Josh Names

  1. Anson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Anne"
    • Description:

      Anson has always been rare, though you might think of actor Anson Williams, best known for playing Potsie Weber on 1970s sitcom Happy Days. As a direct result of the show's popularity, Anson charted in the US Top 1000 from 1976 to 1981.
  2. Bailey
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "law enforcer, bailiff"
    • Description:

      Extremely amiable, open-sounding surname that's gradually being taken over by the girls.
  3. Benson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Ben"
    • Description:

      Benson has outgrown its long association with a wisecracking TV butler. Parents may see it as an alternate route to nickname Ben, very different in image than the biblical Benjamin. Benson also carries the patronymic theme made popular by Jackson, Harrison, and Jefferson. More recently, Olivia Benson of Law and Order: SVU has reclaimed this as a surname. On a less salubrious note, Benson is still connected to the cigarette brand Benson and Hedges.
  4. Boaz
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "swiftness"
    • Description:

      Now that such Old Testament patriarchs as Elijah and Moses fill the playground, Boaz seems downright baby-friendly, having more pizzazz than many of the others, perhaps as a successor to Noah.
  5. Bryant
    • Origin:

      Variation of Brian, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "strong, virtuous, and honorable"
    • Description:

      Bryant has a longer history as a first name in the US than its father name Brian, ranking among the Top 1000 since the list began in 1880 while Brian only jumped on in 1925.
  6. Caleb
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "dog; whole heart"
    • Description:

      Caleb is an attractive Old Testament name that has been in the US Top 100 for nearly three decades now. Consistently popular but never too popular, Caleb feels more like a classic than a momentary trend.
  7. Carter
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "transporter of goods by cart"
    • Description:

      Carter has ranked in the Top 100 since the the turn of the millennium, but despite its recent popularity, it's not a trendy new name. In fact, Carter is one of those names that just misses ranking in the US Top 1000 for its entire 140+ year history.
  8. Conner
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Connor.
    • Description:

      This variation of Connor was practically unused before the 1990s.
  9. Cooper
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "barrel maker"
    • Description:

      The genial yet upscale and preppy Cooper was one of the first occupational last names to catch on -- and Cooper remains a pleasing option.
  10. Corby
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Corbin
    • Description:

      A casual take on Corbin.
  11. Cotton
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      A name heard in Puritan times -- Cotton Mather was a minister involved in the Salem witchcraft trials -- which really deserves modern consideration as it blends nature and softness into a really trendy and wearable masculine name.
  12. Dallas
    • Origin:

      Place name, surname and Irish
    • Meaning:

      "meadow dwelling, valley house, skilled"
    • Description:

      A laid-back cowboy name which feels both cool and gentle, Dallas has ranked in the US Top 500 since records began in 1880. Never super popular but surprisingly never out of style, Dallas is given to nearly 1400 boys in the US every year.
  13. Dustin
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "brave warrior, or Thor's stone"
    • Description:

      Dustin's popularity in recent years has probably had more due to its similarity to Justin than to idolization of Dustin Hoffman -- himself named after silent screen cowboy star Dustin Farnum -- who certainly was the one to put it on the name map. In recent years, golfer Dustin Johnson has brought fresh renown to the name. Dustin is a character in Netflix hit Stranger Things. After decades in the spotlight, Dustin feels like a classic rather than an upstart. It peaked in the Top 50s in the 1980s.
  14. Ellington
    • Origin:

      English place-name and surname
    • Meaning:

      "Ellis's town"
    • Description:

      Ellington is a swinging musical name, evoking the jazzy and elegant persona of the Duke (born Edward Kennedy Ellington). While that reference may seem to make Ellington a male name, it is also occasionally used for girls.
  15. Emerson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Emery"
    • Description:

      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 daughter, it is definitely still a viable boys name.
  16. Forest
    • Origin:

      French occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "woodsman or woods"
    • Description:

      The Forest variation of Forrest, used by actor Whitaker, nudges the meaning more toward the woods and away from the woodsman.
  17. Franklin
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "free landholder"
    • Description:

      A doubly Presidential name, via Pierce and Roosevelt, Franklin was given an initial boost via the fame of Benjamin Franklin. It also has a literary tie to the main character of the Wilkie Collins classic The Moonstone.
  18. Grady
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "noble, illustrious"
    • Description:

      Following in the footsteps of popular brother Brady, Grady is another lively, ebullient Irish surname name. The O'Gradys (originally O Gradaugh) were an ancient clan that produced an impressive number of bishops.

      Perhaps the most remarkable O'Grady descendant is Muhammad Ali, whose mother's maiden name was Grady.

  19. Grayson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "the son of the bailiff"
    • Description:

      Grayson, which you might think of as a Jason-Mason substitute, has been rising through the US Top 1000 since 1984 and has ranked in the Top 100 since 2011.
  20. Griffin
    • Origin:

      Welsh, variation of Griffith
    • Meaning:

      "strong lord"
    • Description:

      Griffin is one of the newer and most appealing of the two-syllable Celtic surnames. In English, griffin is the name of a mythological creature, half eagle, half lion. It re-entered the list in 1983 after an absence of 75+ years.