Strong B names for boys

Bruce

Scottish, English, French

"from the brushwood thicket"

Bruce is a Norman place name made famous by the Scottish king Robert the Bruce, who won Scotland's independence from England in the fourteenth century. Hugely popular in the 40s and 50s, it has since…

Brock

English

"badger"

Brock is a rock solid name, with a touch of preppy sophistication. It ranked solidly in the 200s-300s from 1975 until 2014, but has since tumbled a bit. Among Brocks who lived up to their name are…

Bear

Animal name

"bear"

Bear has suddenly lumbered onto the baby name landscape. Perhaps inspired by British adventurer Bear Grylls (born Edward Michael), first celebrity chef Jamie Oliver used it as the middle name for his…

Boaz

Hebrew

"swiftness"

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. A name…

Beck

English

"small stream"

The popular single-named alternative singer (born Bek) has given this cool nature-meets-surname name a new lease of life. Another notable bearer is Beck Weathers, a Texan pathologist who survived the…

Bastian

Diminutive or variant of Sebastian, Latin, Greek

"man of Sebastia"

A name that sounds both arty and rough-and-tumble, Bastian can be used as either a short form or a stand-alone variant of elegant Sebastian. Also spelled as Bastien, Bastiaan, and Bastían, it notably…

Baron

English word name

"a lord of the realm"

If you're going to choose a noble word name, why not aim higher and pick Duke, Prince...or King. The Donald Trumps picked the Barron spelling for their little princeling.

Blair

Scottish

"dweller on the plain"

One of the first generation of cool surname names, now largely used for girls in the US, but still popular for boys in its native Scotland. A prominent association for Brits is former prime minister…

Banner

English occupational name

"flag bearer"

An undiscovered option among occupational names, as of 2023, Banner has never been used for more than 100 baby boys in a single year. It does have charm however, much due to its associations with…

Bruin

English or Dutch

"bear or brown"

Bruin is the Old English term for bear, taken from the Dutch word meaning brown. Bruin might be a sports fan's choice or an animal name in hiding. As a kind of hybrid of Roone and Bruno, it's…

Bram

Dutch variation of Abraham, Hebrew

"father of multitudes"

Bram has an unusual measure of character and charm for a one-syllable name; it started as a hipper-than-Abe diminutive of the biblical Abraham, but is also an independent Irish and Dutch name, made…

Blade

Word name

One of the new crop of boys' names that manage to be unconventional and macho at the same time — though Blade verges on the threatening.

Brandt

German

"dweller on burnt land"

Less commercial-sounding than Brand.

Brenner

German

"to burn"

Brenner is an occupational surname for both a charcoal burner and a distiller of spirits. One of the least used of occupational surnames, it has that 'er' ending that definitely adds to its…

Baz

Diminutive of Sebastian or Basil; Kurdish

"regal; falcon"

As Bas, it's a popular name in The Netherlands, but Baz, as in director Luhrmann, has potential for independent life too. Curiously, Australian-born Moulin Rouge director Luhrmann was born neither…

Bryn

Welsh

"hill"

The simple and attractive Bryn is well used for boys in Wales, and does have a history as a male name in the US, although both Bryn and Brynn are currently far more popular for girls. Fans of British…

Bron

Polish diminutive of Bronislaw

Crisply appealing.

Beowulf

Old English

"bee wolf"

This ancient name is that of the hero of the epic Beowulf , which is thought to be the oldest-ever poem in English lit written in the vernacular. J. R. R. Tolkien used the poem as one of his…

Brand

English

"firebrand, sword"

Rugged and straightforward brand-new name, though you might not like the idea of branding your son.

Bain

Gaelic or Sindarin

"white, fair"

Derived from the Scottish Gaelic bàn , meaning "white, fair". It's also a name in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Elvish language, in which it means "beautiful".