The 880+ Best Boy Names & Their Popularity Ranks

 

What Should I Name My New Son?

Finding the perfect name can both be a challenge and an exciting task. But you don’t have to worry because there isn’t an absolute rule on which baby names to choose for your little one.

You can go by meanings, such as names that mean “light” and “bright” or those that mean “fire,” “love,” “sun,” etc.

Top boy names include “Liam” and “Noah,” yet some parents also prefer rare and unique names such as “Roald” and “Viggo.”

Read on to find our 880+ recommendations for the best boy names and their ranks based on the latest (2022) data from the SSA (Social Security Administration). (1)

 

How Are The Top Baby Names Determined?

The SSA provides the most accurate baby name ranks based on Social Security card records in the US starting from 1879. (1)(2)

You can find varied popularity information on the SSA’s website (ssa.gov/oact/babynames/index.html), including the top baby names for a specific birth year, the decade, or even the past 100 years.

There’s an option to check for the names’ individual ranks or trends. 

You can also limit the ranking results to either gender, which can be useful, especially for gender-neutral names.

 

Our Top Selections: The Best Boy Names By Style

The Top 100 Favorite & Popular Baby Boy Names

The following are the most popular baby boy names in the US in 2022 (latest SSA data, with their corresponding ranks for the past 100 years (1923 to 2022). (1)(3)

Name trends vary from time to time. So, don’t be surprised that many of these trendy names didn’t rank in the top 100 names for the past century. (1)

Note: The following names are arranged based on their 2022 rank, with their century rank in parenthesis. Names that don’t have these extra numbers weren’t in the SSA’s list of the top names from 1923 to 2022.

1. Liam
2. Noah (#61)
3. Oliver
4. James (#1)
5. Elijah (#89)
6. William (#6)
7. Henry (#56)
8. Lucas; variants and their 2022 ranks: “Lukas” (#235) and “Lucca” (#503)
9. Benjamin (#41)
10. Theodore
11. Mateo
12. Levi
13. Sebastian
14. Daniel (#12)
15. Jack (#48)
16. Michael (#4)
17. Alexander (#44)
18. Owen
19. Asher
20. Samuel (#42); alternative spellings include “Shmuel” (2022 rank: #936)
21. Ethan (#62)
22. Leo
23. Jackson
24. Mason (#93)
25. Ezra; alternative spellings include “Ezrah” (2022 rank: #941)
26. John (#3); variants include “Jon” (2022 rank: #896)
27. Hudson
28. Luca
29. Aiden
30. Joseph (#8)
31. David (#5)
32. Jacob (#31); alternative names include “Jakob” (#988)
33. Logan (#84)
34. Luke
35. Julian
36. Gabriel (#82)
37. Grayson
38. Wyatt
39. Matthew (#13); alternative spellings include “Mathew” (2022 rank: #881)
40. Maverick
41. Dylan (#74); also spelled as “Dilan” (2022 rank: #818)
42. Isaac; also spelled as “Issac” (2022 rank: #686)
43. Elias
44. Anthony (#14)
45. Thomas (#9)
46. Jayden; variants and their 2022 ranks: “Jaden” (#320) and Jaiden (#455)
47. Carter; alternative spellings and their 2022 ranks: “Karter” (#217), “Kartier” (#912), and “Cartier” (#976)
48. Santiago
49. Ezekiel
50. Charles (#11)
51. Josiah; also spelled as “Joziah” (2022 rank: #806)
52. Caleb; also spelled as “Kaleb” (2022 rank: #259)
53. Cooper; variants include “Kooper” (2022 rank: #984)
54. Lincoln
55. Miles
56. Christopher (#10)
57. Nathan (#55)
58. Isaiah; alternative spellings and their 2022 ranks: “Isaias” (#454) and Izaiah (#539)
59. Kai
60. Joshua (#20)
61. Andrew (#18); also spelled as “Andre” (2022 rank: #294)
62. Angel
63. Adrian
64. Cameron; also spelled as “Kameron” (2022 rank: #406)
65. Nolan
66. Waylon
67. Jaxon; spelling variations and their 2022 ranks: “Jaxxon” (#744) and Jaxx (#983)
68. Roman
69. Eli
70. Wesley
71. Aaron (#52); also spelled as “Aron” (2022 rank: #722)
72. Ian
73. Christian; also spelled as “Cristian” (2022 rank: #322) and “Kristian” (2022 rank: #954)
74. Ryan (#30); variants include “Rayan” (2022 rank: #626)
75. Leonardo; also spelled as “Leonard” (2022 rank: #713)
76. Brooks
77. Axel
78. Walker
79. Jonathan (#35); also spelled as “Johnathan” (2022 rank: #502)
80. Easton
81. Everett
82. Weston
83. Bennett
84. Robert (#2); also spelled as “Roberto” (2022 rank: #498)
85. Jameson; also spelled as “Jamison” (2022 rank: #590)
86. Landon; also spelled as “Landen” (2022 rank: #748) and Landyn (2022 rank: #800)
87. Silas; also spelled as “Sylas” (2022 rank”: #485)
88. Jose (#53)
89. Beau
90. Micah
91. Colton; also spelled as “Kolton” (2022 rank: #507)
92. Jordan (#77)
93. Jeremiah; variants include “Jeremias” (2022 rank: #917)
94. Parker
95. Greyson
96. Rowan; also spelled as “Rowen” (2022 rank: #522)
97. Adam (#54)
98. Nicholas (#33); variants and their 2022 ranks: “Nicolas” #191), “Nikolai” (#583), Nikolas (#598), and “Niklaus” (#969)
99. Theo; variants include “Teo” (2022 rank: #945)
100. Xavier; alternative spellings include “Zavier” (#943)

 

Names With A Drop In Popularity (From The Century’s Top 100 & Their Current Ranks)

A popularity drop doesn’t always mean these names are unfavorable. Instead, some of them can become rare names for your little one.

The following are the top 100 names for registered births from 1923 to 2022 in the US that are no longer in the 2022 top 100 most popular names: (1)(3)(4)

1. Alan (from #85 to #189); also spelled as “Allan” (2022 rank: #820)
2. Albert (from #87 to #614); variants include “Alberto” (2022 rank: #701)
3. Arthur (from #75 to #140); also spelled as “Arturo” (2022 rank: #579)
4. Austin (from #69 to #111)
5. Billy (from #80 to #1,000+)
6. Bobby (from #96 to #1,000+)
7. Bradley (from #98 to #344)
8. Brandon (from #40 to #211)
9. Brian (from #23 to #290); also spelled as Bryan (from #79 to #291), “Brayan” (2022 rank: #782), and “Bryant” (2022 rank: #907)
10. Bruce (from #81 to #563)
11. Carl (from #72 to #923)
12. Dennis (from #49 to #653)
13. Donald (from #16 to #676)
14. Douglas (from #58 to #828)
15. Edward (from #28 to #216)
16. Eric (from #34 to #229); also spelled as “Erick” (2022 rank: #321) and “Erik” (2022 rank: #432)
17. Eugene (from #100 to #934)
18. Frank (from #46 to #439)
19. Gary (from #32 to #961)
20. George (from #24 to #142)
21. Gerald from #71 to (#955)
22. Gregory (from #43 to #496)
23. Harold (from #73 to #925)
24. Jason (from #27 to #145); also spelled as “Jayson” (2022 rank: #549)
25. Jeffrey (from #29 to #452)
26. Jeremy (from #63 to #245)
27. Jerry (from #50 to #753)
28. Jesse (from #78 to #194)
29. Joe (from #83 to #895); alternative spellings include “Joey” (2022 rank: #894)
30. Juan (from #86 to #141)
31. Justin (from #38 to #180)
32. Keith (from #66 to #693)
33. Kenneth (from #21 to #264)
34. Kevin (from #22 to #182)
35. Kyle (from #60 to #393)
36. Larry (from #37 to #889)
37. Lawrence (from #76 to #551)
38. Mark (from #15 to #247)
39. Patrick (from #45 to #218)
40. Paul (from #19 to #262)
41. Peter (from #59 to #214)
42. Philip (from #99 to #494); also spelled as “Phillip” (2022 rank: #575)
43. Ralph (from #95 to #1,000+)
44. Randy (from #91 to #913)
45. Raymond (from #47 to #343)
46. Richard (from #7 to #219)
47. Roger (from #67 to #749)
48. Ronald (from #26 to #559)
49. Roy (from #94 to #577)
50. Russell (from #97 to #374)
51. Scott (from #39 to #588)
52. Sean (from #70 to #397)
53. Stephen (from #36 to #359); variants include “Stefan” (2022 rank: #948)
54. Steven (from #17 to #257)
55. Terry (from #68 to #975)
56. Timothy (from #25 to #203)
57. Tyler (from #51 to #164)
58. Vincent (from #92 to #123)
59. Walter (from #64 to #269)
60. Wayne (from #90 to #769)
61. Willie (from #88 to #994)
62. Zachary (from #57 to #166); alternative spellings and their 2022 ranks: “Zachariah” (#533) and “Zechariah” (#989)

 

Other Trendy Boy Names – Rising In Popularity (2022 Ranks)

These names didn’t make it to the top 100 favorite baby names, but they’re rising up the ranks based on the SSA data from 2021 to 2022: (5)

1. Dutton – from #1821 to #835 (986 steps)
2. Kayce – from #1077 to #587 (490 steps)
3. Chosen – from #1308 to #898 (410 steps)
4. Khaza – from #1230 to #839 (391 steps)
5. Eithan – from #848 to #500 (348 steps)
6. Waylen – from #1228 to #891 (337 steps)
7. Asaiah – from #1313 to #994 (319 steps)
8. Karim – from #1088 to #772 (316 steps)
9. Kaizen – from #1220 to #905 (315 steps)

 

The Best Boy Names With Wonderful Meanings

1. Adriel (Hebrew boy name) – “God’s flock”; ranks #138
2. Andres (Spanish boy name) – “Warrior” or “brave and manly” as a variant of “Andrew”; ranks #205
3. Cyrus (Persian boy name) – Name that means “sun”; ranks #326
4. Felix (Latin boy name) – “Happy”; ranks #192
5. Louis (German boy name) – “Famous warrior”; ranks #246 (another variant, “Louie” ranks #711)
6. Malik (Arabic boy name) – “King”; ranks #395

 

Boy Names On The News

1. Archie (#377) – Prince name after the son of Prince Harry and Megan Markle
2. Volodymyr (#1,000+) – After Ukraine President Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy

 

What Are Great Boy Names?

1. Aidan (Gaelic and Irish boy name) – “Little fire” (name that means “fire”); ranks #296 (another variant, “Adan” ranks #434)
2. Brantley (Old Norse and Norwegian name) – “Fiery torch” or “sword”; ranks #314
3. Declan (Irish name) – “Full of goodness” or “man of prayer”; ranks #114
4. Joaquin (Spanish boy name) – Hispanic name meaning “established by God”; ranks #328
5. Koda (Native American boy name) – “Friend,” “ally,” or “little bear”; ranks #471
6. Max (Latin boy name) – “The greatest”; ranks #156
7. Rhett (Latin boy name) – “Advisor” or “well-spoken man”; ranks #151

 

Strong & Powerful Baby Boy Names

1. Armando (Italian boy name) – “Warrior” or “soldier”; ranks #547
2. Barrett (Old German name) – “Bear strength”; ranks #208
3. Finley (Scottish and Irish boy name) – “Fair-haired hero”; ranks #282 (another variant, “Finnley” ranks #595)
4. Harvey (Old English and Old French boy name) – “Battle worthy”; ranks #403
5. Koa (Hawaiian boy name) – “Warrior” or “valiant one”; ranks #351
6. Leonel (Spanish boy name) – “Lion”; ranks #327 (another variant, “Lionel” ranks #619)
7. Oscar (Old English boy name) – “Spear of the gods”; ranks #201
8. Victor (Latin boy name) – “Conqueror” or “winner”; ranks #213

 

Edgy Baby Boy Names

1. Ace (#153)
2. Archer (#126)
3. Banks (#404)
4. Blaze (#752)
5. Brennan (#990)
6. Cannon (#596); also spelled as “Kannon” (#664)
7. Cesar (#345)
8. Chance (#341)
9. Crew (#254); also spelled as “Krew” (#625) and “Crue” (#868)
10. Cruz (#317) 
11. Dior (#840)
12. Gian (#921)
13. Griffin (#230)
14. Jaxson (#119); also spelled as “Jaxton” (#475)
15. Killian (#364); also spelled as “Cillian” (#736)
16. Zander (#310)

 

Badass & Tough Baby Boy Names

1. Bear (#767)
2. Caspian (#723)
3. Clayton (#286) 
4. Damian (#108); also spelled as “Damien” (#304)
5. Hunter (#101)
6. Julius (#348)
7. Leon (#158)
8. Phoenix (#261)
9. Rocky (#888)
10. Ryder (#116)
11. Talon (#931)
12. Tatum (#318)
13. Tyson (#392)

 

Adorable & Cute Baby Boy Names

1. Andy (#449)
2. Cedric (#958)
3. Chase (#136)
4. Evan (#134)
5. Jax (#273)
6. Jaylen (#319); also spelled as “Jalen” (#524)
7. Leif (#841)
8. Luka (#117)
9. Ozzy (#620)
10. Prince (#347)
11. Reggie (1,000+)
12. Teddy (1,000+)
13. Toby (1,000+)
14. Tommy (#729)
15. Van (#949)

 

Sweet & Romantic Baby Boy Names

1. Adonis (#224)
2. Julien (#657)
3. Romeo (#323)

 

The Best Traditional & Classic Boy Names

1. Benedict (#963)
2. Charlie (#178)
3. Darwin (#987)
4. Ernesto (#869)
5. Graham (#155)
6. Jones (#946)
7. Marlon (#991)
8. Rafael (#232); also spelled as “Raphael” (#483)
9. Reid (#325)

 

Spiritual & Biblical Names For Boys

1. Abel (#215)
2. Amos (#629)
3. Canaan (#957)
4. Elisha (#822)
5. Emmanuel (#170); also spelled as “Emanuel” (#461)
6. Israel (#233); variants include “Yisroel” (#970)
7. Jericho (#930)
8. Joel (#212)
9. Jonah (#135); also spelled as “Jonas” (#558)
10. Jude (#161)
11. Hezekiah (#586)
12. Malachi (#162)
13. Moses (#517); also spelled as “Moises” (#578)
14. Nathaniel (#139)
15. Nehemiah (#448)
16. Ruben (#459); also spelled as “Reuben” (#858)
17. Saint (#361)
18. Samson (#585)

 

‘Old Man’ & Retro Boy Names From The Past

1. Abraham (#204); also spelled as “Abram” (#638)
2. Alfredo (#704); also spelled as “Alfred” (#848)
3. Aurelio (#986)
4. Baylor (#390)
5. Beckett (#195)
6. Boden (#859)
7. Carmelo (#700)
8. Connor (#118); also spelled as “Conor” (#573) and “Conner” (#635)
9. Demetrius (#979)
10. Desmond (#363)
11. Emerson (#271)
12. Evander (#823)
13. Francis (#462)
14. Frederick (#474)
15. Garrett (#463)
16. Kingston (#128)
17. Travis (#383)

 

Cowboy & Western Baby Names

1. Colt (#240)
2. Colter (#430)
3. Legend (#132)
4. Marshall (#384)
5. Sawyer (#131)
6. Stetson (#238)

 

The Best Boy Names From Pop Culture, Movies, & Literature

1. Anakin (American boy name; ranks #606) – “Warrior”; “Star Wars” main character
2. Mario (Italian name; ranks #366) – “Manly” or “Mars (the Roman god of war)”; after the main character in the “Super Mario” video game franchise
3. Neo (Greek boy name; rank #947) – “New”; the main character in “The Matrix”
4. Tristan (Celtic boy name; ranks #226) – “Outcry”; character in the medieval tale “Tristan and Isolde”

 

Magical Boy Names

1. Alfie (Old English boy name; ranks #1,000+) – “Elf” (elf boy name) or “wise”
2. Harry (German boy name; ranks #695) – “Home ruler”; after the main character in “Harry Potter”

 

Superhero-Themed Baby Boy Names

1. Bucky (#1,000+) – Winter Soldier in the “Avengers” 
2. Steve (#1,000+) – Captain America in the “Avengers”
3. Rhodes (#922) – “War Machine” in the “Avengers”
4. Thor (#1,000+) – God of Thunder in the “Avengers”
5. Tony (#699) – Iron Man in the “Avengers”

 

Baby Boy Names From “Yellowstone”

1. Colby (#597)
2. Dan (#1,000+)
3. Donnie (#1,000+)
4. Jamie (#622)
5. Jimmy (#774)
6. Lloyd (#1,000+)
7. Mike (#1,000+)
8. Mo (#1,000+)
9. Tate (#234)

 

Rebel Poet & Other Poetic Names

1. Alexis (#460)
2. Ambrose (#720)
3. Brixton (#607)
4. Conrad (#574)
5. Devon (#837)
6. Edison (#740)
7. Roland (#608)
8. Sage (#391)
9. Stone (#982)

 

The Coolest Boy Names

1. Castiel (Hebrew boy name) – “Shield of God”; ranks #824
2. Raiden (Japanese boy name) – “God of thunder and lightning”; ranks #352

 

What Are Boy Names Like Raiden?

1. Aden (#819)
2. Rayden (#680)
3. Zayden (#186); also spelled as “Zaiden” (#487)

 

Unique & Rare Baby Boy Names

1. Alijah (#469)
2. Apollo (#388)
3. Atreus (#582)
4. Atticus (#274)
5. Eliam (#672)
6. Iker (#385)
7. Jasiah (#468)
8. Jayceon (#557)
9. Kaison (#508)
10. Kareem (#673)

 

What Are The Rarest Boy Names?

1. Albie (1,000+)
2. Brycen (#721)
3. Imran (#996)
4. Jrue (#904)
5. Kanan (#998)
6. Lachlan (#746); also spelled as “Lochlan” (#802)
7. Maxton (#964)
8. Truett (#745)

 

‘Wild’ & Modern Baby Boy Names

1. Kal-El (1,000+) – Superman’s Kryptonian name; after Kal-El Coppola, the son of Hollywood star Nicolas Cage
2. X Æ A-Xii (1,000+) – After the son of billionaire Elon Musk and Canadian singer-songwriter Grimes; pronounced as “X Ash A Twelve”

 

Music-Themed Baby Boy Names

1. Allegro (1,000+)
2. Alto (1,000+)
3. Cello (1,000+)
4. Forte (1,000+)
5. Jagger (#784)
6. Jazz (1,000+)
7. Mozart (1,000+)

 

Boy Names Inspired By Country Music Artists

1. Blake (#228) – After Blake Shelton
2. Chris (#671) – After Chris Stapleton
3. Conway (1,000+) – After Conway Twitty
4. Doug (1,000+) – After Doug Adkins
5. Garth (1,000+) – After Garth Brooks
6. Glenn (1,000+)- After Glenn Campbell
7. Johnny (#400) – After Johnny Cash
8. Kenny (1,000+)- After Kenny Rogers and Kenny Chesney
9. Morgan (#538) – After Morgan Wade
10. Tim (1,000+) – After Tim McGraw
11. Trace (#703) – After Trace Adkins

 

Other Inspirations For The Best Boy Names

Travel-Inspired Baby Boy Names

1. Boston (#617)
2. Dallas (#253)
3. Denver (#480)
4. Houston (#694)
5. London (#1,000)
6. Memphis (#442)
7. Milan (#324)

 

Mythical Names For Gods

1. Ares (#482)
2. Atlas (#129)
3. Odin (#330)
4. Osiris (#977)

 

Nature Names For Baby Boys

1. Ashton (English boy name) – Earthy name meaning “ash tree town”; ranks #146
2. Ocean (Greek androgynous name) – Name that means “water”; ranks #604
3. River (English nonbinary name) – “Flowing body of water”; ranks #105

 

The Best Boy Names From Around The World

Favorite French Names

1. Corbin (ranks #428) – “Little crow” or “raven”; alternative spellings include “Korbin” (#942)
2. Dariel (#435) – “Open,” “dear one,” or “beloved”

 

The Best Italian Names For Boys

1. Alessandro (#540) – Variant of “Alexander” and means “man’s defender”
2. Dante (#311) – “Everlasting,” “steadfast,” or “enduring”
3. Giovanni (#122) – Variant of “John” and means “God is gracious”; can be shortened as “Gianni” (#379) or spelled as “Jovanni” (#879)
4. Lorenzo (#133) – Variant of “Lawrence”; means “from Laurentium (an ancient Roman city)”
5. Matteo (#184) – Variant of “Matthew”; means “Gift of God”
6. Santino (#453) – “Sacred” or “little saint”
7. Sergio (#382) – “Guardian,” “attendant,” or “servant”

 

Muslim & Arabic Baby Boy Names

1. Amir (#113) – “Gift of God”; also spelled as “Amiri” (#521), “Ahmir” (#870), and “Ameer” (#902)
2. Ismael (#312) – “God will hear” or “God listens”
3. Kamari (#368) – Name that means “moon”
4. Khalil (#308) – “Friend”
5. Muhammad (#297) – “Praiseworthy”; after the founder of Islam (variants: “Mohammad” ranks #555, “Mohamed” ranks #564, and “Mohammed” ranks #714)
6. Nasir (#375) – “Helper” or “supporter”
7. Omar (#241) – “Eloquent,” “flourishing,” long-lived,” or “speaker”; can also be spelled as “Umar” and “Omari” (#536)

 

The Best Indian & Hindi Names For Boys

Sanskrit Boy Names

1. Atharv (#995)
2. Ayaan (#560)
3. Bodhi (#301)
4. Vihaan (#900)

 

Gujarati Boy Names (language in Gujarat, India)

1. Aadesh (#1,000+)
2. Dhaval (#1,000+)
3. Munjal (#1,000+)

 

Marathi Boy Names (language in Maharashtra, India)

1. Ganesh (#1,000+)
2. Narval (#1,000+)
3. Navjat (#1,000+)

 

Tamil Boy Names (language in Tamil Nadu, India)

1. Agilan (#1,000+)
2. Cheran (#1,000+)
3. Hardik (#1,000+)

 

Telugu Boy Names (language in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India)

1. Arjun (#1,000+)
2. Darksh (#1,000+)
3. Kailas (#1,000+)

 

Malayalam Boy Names (language in Kerala and Puducherry, India)

1. Deepak (#1,000+)
2. Gajendra (#1,000+)
3. Hari (#1,000+)

 

The Best Latin Baby Boy Names

1. Cassius (#552) – “Helmeted warrior”
2. Hugo (#399) – “Mind,” “intellect,” or “soul”
3. Marcus (#237) – “Dedicated to Mars (Roman god of war)”; also spelled as “Marco” (#372) and “Marcos” (#491)

 

The Top German Boy Names

1. Derek (#298) – “Ruler of the people”; also spelled as “Derrick” (#715)
2. Emmett (#115) – “Truth” or “universal”
3. Milo (#120) – “Merciful soldier”; also spelled as “Mylo” (#652)
4. Ryker (#175) – “Rich,” “wealthy,” or “powerful ruler”

 

Trendy African & Black Boy Names

1. Dakari (#786) – “Rejoice”
2. Godrell (#1,000+) – “God and peace”
3. Jaheem (#1,000+) – “Dignified”

 

The Best British & English Boy Names

1. Cole (#143) – “Victorious people”
2. Sonny (#429) – “Son”

 

The Best Russian Baby Boy Name

1. Ivan (#159) – “God is gracious” as a variant of “John” and “Ivaan” (#997)

 

Favorite Greek Baby Names

1. Angelo (#313) – “Messenger of God”; alternative spellings include “D’angelo” (#940)
2. Hector (#354) – “Steadfast”; also spelled as “Hektor”

 

The Best Irish Baby Boy Names

1. Brady (#281) – “Large-chested” or “descendant of Brádach”
2. Colin (#293) – “People of victory”; also spelled as “Collin” (#472)
3. Kieran (#490) – “Little dark one”
4. Ronan (#266) – “Little seal”
5. Rory (#280) – “Red king” (name that means “red”)

 

Familiar Hebrew Boy Names

1. Azrael (#732) – “Angel of God”; also spelled as “Azriel” (#734)
2. Ezequiel (#332) – “Strength of God”
3. Gideon (#333) – “One who cuts down”
4. Judah (#181) – “Praise”
5. Malakai ( #231) – “My angel” or “messenger of God”
6. Simon (#242) – “Hearing” or “listening”
7. Solomon (#440) – “Peace”
8. Tobias (#276) – “God is good”
9. Zacharias – “Yahweh has remembered”

 

The Most Common Spanish Baby Boy Names

1. Alejandro (#193) – Variant of “Alexander” and means “defender of the people”; pronounced as “ah-leh-han-droh”
2. Antonio (#177) – Variant of “Anthony” and means “flower” or “priceless”
3. Carlos (#147) – Variant of “Charles” and means “free man”
4. Diego (#124) – Variant of “James” and means “supplanter”; pronounced as “dee-yeh-goh”
5. Eduardo (#340) – Variant of “Edward” and means “wealthy guard”; pronounced as “eh-doo-war-doh”)
6. Javier (#239) – Variant of “Xavier” and means “new house”; pronounced as “hah-vee-yer”
7. Jesus (#165) – Spiritual name that means “the Lord is salvation”; pronounced as “heh-soos”
8. Jorge (#284) – Variant of “George” and means “farmer”; pronounced as “hor-hay”
9. Josue (#289) – Variant of “Joshua” and means “God is salvation”; pronounced as “hos-weh”
10. Luis (#125) – Variant of “Louis” and means “famous warrior”; pronounced as “loo-ees”
11. Miguel (#185) – Variant of “Michael” and means “who is like God?”; pronounced as “mee-gehl”
12. Pablo (#413) – Variant of “Paul” and means “little” or “small and humble”
13. Pedro (#415) – Variant of “Peter” and means “rock”
14. Ricardo (#357) – Variant of “Richard” and means “powerful ruler”; pronounced as “ree-kar-doh”

 

Other Exotic Boy Names

1. Anders (Scandinavian boy name; ranks #856) – Variant of “Andrew,” “Andreas” (Greek), and “Ander” (#572); means “manly and brave”
2. Gunnar (Old Norse and Norwegian name; ranks #589) – “Warrior,” “battler,” or “brave and bold warrior”
3. Matias (Finnish and Spanish boy name; ranks #196 ) – Variant of “Matthew” and means “gift of God”; other variants: “Mathias” (#396) and “Matthias” (#465)
4. Thiago (Brazilian and Portuguese boy name; ranks #106) – Variant of “James” and means “supplanter”

 

Short Baby Boy Names

1-Syllable Baby Boy Names

1. Ben (#770)
2. Bo (#492)
3. Bryce (#265)
4. Cal (#747)
5. Case (#645); variants can include “Kase” (#862)
6. Clay (#615)
7. Dane (#875)
8. Dash (#827)
9. Dax (#444)
10. Dean (#163)
11. Duke (#679)
12. Hank (#445)
13. Jay (#367)
14. Kash (#243); also spelled as “Cash” (#263)
15. Lane (#260);other variants include “Layne” (#662)
16. Ray (#761); also spelled as “Rey” (#787)
17. Riggs (#705)
18. Trey (#646)
19. Tru (#644)
20. Ty (#718)
21. Wes (#798)

 

2-Syllable Baby Boy Names

1. Ahmed (#663)
2. Aldo (#939)
3. Alex (#190); also spelled as “Alec” (#739)
4. Ari (#329)
5. Arlo (#169)
6. Avi (#717)
7. Cody (#302)
8. Dion (#903)
9. Emir (#616)
10. Enzo (#121)
11. Kobe (#381)
12. Kyro (#762)
13. Rene (#962)
14. Rio (#561)
15. Rudy (#853)

 

Long Baby Boy Names

1. Anderson (#337)
2. Callahan (#518)
3. Emiliano (#152)
4. Francisco (#288)
5. Harrison (#127)
6. Luciano (#369); also spelled as “Lucian” (#545)
7. Maximiliano (#268); also spelled as Maximilian (#566)
8. Nathanael (#777)
9. Remington (#244)

 

Best Boy Names From A To Z

Best Boy Names Starting With A

1. Aarav (#667)
2. Abdiel (#788)
3. Abdullah (#789)
4. Adler (#973)
5. Ahmad (#634)
6. Alaric (#915)
7. Alden (#627)
8. Alistair (#928)
9. Allen (#562)
10. Alonzo (#470); also spelled as “Alonso” (#750) and “Alfonso” (#918)
11. Alvaro (#794)
12. Alvin (#737)
13. Amias (#805)
14. Ariel (#571)
15. Aries (#872)
16. Arjun (#576)
17. Armani (#398)
18. Aryan (#817); alternative spellings include “Arian” (#897)
19. Asa (#451)
20. August (#109); also spelled as “Augustus” (#467), “Augustine” (#623), and “Agustin” (#929)
21. Avery (#221) 
22. Avyaan (#831)
23. Axl (#867)
24. Axton (#639)
25. Ayan (#854)
26. Ayden (#171)
27. Azariah (#641)
28. Aziel (#278); variants can include “Azael” (#849)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With B

1. Baker (#433)
2. Beckham (#202)
3. Bellamy (#628)
4. Benicio (#763)
5. Benson (#643)
6. Bentley (#172)
7. Bjorn (#776)
8. Bodie (#484); also spelled as “Bode” (#960)
9. Boone (#602)
10. Bowen (#389)
11. Braxton (#157)
12. Brayden (#149); alternative spellings include “Braden” (#937)
13. Braylen (#548)
14. Braylon (#584)
15. Brecken (#919) 
16. Brendan (#884)
17. Briar (#743)
18. Bridger (#738)
19. Briggs (#386)
20. Brock (#783)
21. Brody (#207); variants include “Brodie” (#886)
22. Bronson (#944)
23. Bruno (#618)
24. Bryson (#137)
25. Byron (#892)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With C

1. Cade (#292); alternative spellings include “Kade” (#350)
2. Cain (#916)
3. Callan (#353); also spelled as “Callen” (#458)
4. Callum (#249); variants can include “Calum” (#813)
5. Calvin (#148)
6. Camden (#187); also spelled as “Kamden” (#600)
7. Camilo (#450)
8. Carson (#110); also spelled as “Karson” (#339)
9. Cassian (#933)
10. Cayson (#684)
11. Chaim (#624)
12. Chandler (#640)
13. Clark (#427)
14. Clyde (#688)
15. Cohen (#277); also spelled as “Kohen” (#476)
16. Colson (#316); alternative spellings include “Kolson” (#882) and “Coleson” (#951)
17. Colten (#920)
18. Corey (#633)
19. Creed (#651)
20. Cullen (#908)
21. Curtis (#825)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With D

1. Dalton (#516)
2. Damari (#876)
3. Damir (#887)
4. Damon (#424)
5. Danny (#611)
6. Darian (#974)
7. Dario (#675); also spelled as “Darius” (#678)
8. Darren (#852)
9. Davian (#967)
10. Davis (#631)
11. Dawson (#183)
12. Daxton (#334)
13. Deacon (#515)
14. Devin (#423)
15. Dexter (#692)
16. Dillon (#726)
17. Dominic (#102); also spelled as “Dominick” (#527)
18. Donovan (#446)
19. Dorian (#565)
20. Drake (#630)
21. Duncan (#924)
22. Dustin (#632)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With E

1. Eddie (#829)
2. Edgar (#418)
3. Edwin (#358)
4. Elian (#300)
5. Eliel (#810)
6. Elio (#877)
7. Eliseo (#685)
8. Elliot (#150); also spelled as “Elliott” (#168)
9. Ellis (#307)
10. Emery (#727); also spelled as “Emory” (#845)
11. Emilio (#198)
12. Emmitt (#599)
13. Enoch (#814)
14. Enrique (#542)
15. Ermias (#893)
16. Esteban (#431)
17. Everest (#832)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With F

1. Fabian (#457)
2. Felipe (#846)
3. Fernando (#342)
4. Finn (#176)
5. Finnegan (#447)
6. Fisher (#890)
7. Fletcher (#677)
8. Flynn (#712)
9. Ford (#473)
10. Forrest (#402); also spelled as “Forest” (#706)
11. Franco (#838)
12. Franklin (#408)
13. Freddie (#1,000+)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With G

1. Gael (#104)
2. Gage (#649)
3. Gatlin (#724)
4. Gavin (#206)
5. Gerardo (#581)
6. Gordon (#968)
7. Grady (#405)
8. Grant (#220)
9. Grey (#758)
10. Guillermo (#843)
11. Gunner (#387)
12. Gustavo (#636)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With H

1. Hamza (#603)
2. Harlan (#725)
3. Harlem (#955)
4. Harley (#927)
5. Hassan (#779)
6. Hayes (#209)
7. Heath (#861)
8. Hendrix (#272)
9. Henrik (#926)
10. Holden (#283)
11. Hugh (#811)
12. Huxley (#609)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With I

1. Ibrahim (#419)
2. Idris (#766)
3. Ignacio (#953)
4. Ira (#844)
5. Irving (#1,000+)
6. Ishaan (#857)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With J

1. Jace (#103); also spelled as “Jayce” (#154) and “Jase” (#554)
2. Jadiel (#878)
3. Jairo (#899)
4. Jakai (#801)
5. Jake (#407)
6. Jakari (#709)
7. Jamari (#512)
8. Jamir (#534)
9. Jared (#378)
10. Jasper (#130)
11. Jaziel (#412)
12. Jedidiah (#808)
13. Jefferson (#759)
14. Jensen (#303); also spelled as “Jenson”
15. Jett (#210)
16. Jiraiya (#791)
17. Johan (#580)
18. Judson (#864)
19. Julio (#550)
20. Junior (#771)
21. Justice (#764)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With K

1. Kabir (#971)
2. Kairo (#250); also spelled as “Cairo” (#306)
3. Kaisen (#909)
4. Kaiser (#751)
5. Kalel (999)
6. Kane (#360)
7. Kashton (#380)
8. Kason (#478); also spelled as “Kasen” (#531), Cason (#785), and “Casen” (#790)
9. Kayden (#107); variants can also include “Kaiden” (#167), Caden (#223), “Kaden” (#267), “Cayden” (#295), and Caiden (#438)
10. Kayson (#279); also spelled as “Kaysen” (#541)
11. Keanu (#592)
12. Keaton (#804)
13. Keegan (#567)
14. Kellen (#826); variants can also include “Kellan” (#851)
15. Kelvin (#910)
16. Kendrick (#464)
17. Kenji (#755)
18. Kenzo (#504)
19. Khai (#865)
20. Khalid (#959)
21. Khari (#799)
22. Kian (#456); also spelled as “Kiaan” (#768)
23. King (#222)
24. Kingsley (#741)
25. Knox (#200)
26. Koen (#812)
27. Kye (#866)
28. Kyler (#252)
29. Kyson (#481)
30. Kylan (#514); also spelled as “Kylian” (#525) and “Kylen” (#901)
31. Kylo (#436)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With L

1. Lance (#792)
2. Langston (#796)
3. Lawson (#409)
4. Layton (#637); also spelled as “Leighton” (#821)
5. Leandro (#546)
6. Ledger (#593)
7. Lee (#697)
8. Legacy (#735)
9. Lennon (#668)
10. Lennox (#248)
11. Leonidas (#422)
12. Leroy (#855)
13. Lewis (#489)
14. Lian (#687)
15. Loyal (#702)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With M

1. Mack (#505); also spelled as “Mac” (#605)
2. Madden (#655)
3. Maddox (#179)
4. Magnus (#780)
5. Major (#441)
6. Makai (#520)
7. Malcolm (#285)
8. Manuel (#315)
9. Marcelo (#543); also spelled as “Marcel” (#660) and Marcellus (#760)
10. Martin (#305)
11. Marvin (#612)
12. Mauricio (#647)
13. Maximus (#270); also spelled as “Maximo” (#661)
14. Maxwell (#173)
15. McCoy (#860)
16. Meir (#992)
17. Mekhi (#950)
18. Melvin (#830)
19. Messiah (#188)
20. Miller (#601)
21. Misael (#793)
22. Mitchell (#815)
23. Moshe (#501)
24. Murphy (#885)
25. Musa (#716)
26. Mustafa (#873)
27. Myles (#112)

 

Best Boy Names Starting with N

1. Nash (#251)
2. Neil (#765)
3. Nelson (#797)
4. Nico (#236); also spelled as “Niko” (#287)
5. Nixon (#728)
6. Noe (#756)
7. Noel (#425)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With O

1. Oakley (#394)
2. Onyx (#355)
3. Orion (#331)
4. Orlando (#809)
5. Osman (#972)
6. Otis (#613)
7. Otto (#309)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With P

1. Paxton (#256)
2. Peyton (#535)
3. Pierce (#570)
4. Porter (#506)
5. Preston (#255)
6. Princeton (#497)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With Q

1. Quincy (#665)
2. Quinn (#443)
3. Quentin (#654)
4. Quinton (#757)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With R

1. Ramon (#775)
2. Raul (#553)
3. Reece (#528); also spelled as “Reese” (#642)
4. Reed (#414)
5. Reign (#650)
6. Remy (#356); also spelled as “Remi” (#742)
7. Rex (#698)
8. Rhys (#426)
9. Ricky (#834)
10. Ridge (#532)
11. Rocco (#513)
12. Rodney (#985)
13. Rodrigo (#529)
14. Rohan (#816)
15. Rome (#656)
16. Ronin (#421)
17. Royal (#370)
18. Royce (#417)
19. Ryatt (#935)
20. Rylan (#376); also spelled as “Ryland” (#669) and “Raylan” (#707)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With S

1. Salem (#681)
2. Salvador (#708); variants can include “Salvatore” (#880)
3. Samir (#591); also spelled as “Zamir” (#833)
4. Santana (#690)
5. Santos (#874)
6. Saul (#510)
7. Seth (#479)
8. Seven (#754); alternative spellings include “Sevyn” (#842)
9. Shane (#511); also spelled as “Shawn” (#568)
10. Shepherd (#493); variants include “Shepard” (#914)
11. Sincere (#544)
12. Skyler (#670)
13. Soren (#530)
14. Spencer (#338)
15. Stanley (#778)
16. Sterling (#401)
17. Sullivan (#365)
18. Sutton (#526)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With T

1. Tadeo (#519)
2. Tanner (#410)
3. Thaddeus (#807)
4. Thatcher (#965)
5. Titan (#847)
6. Titus (#362)
7. Tomas (#691)
8. Trenton (#781)
9. Trevor (#537)
10. Tripp (#437)
11. Troy (#477)
12. Tucker (#197)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With U

1. Ulrich (#1,000+)
2. Uriel (#486); also spelled as “Uriah” (#696)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With V

1. Valentino (#509); also spelled as “Valentin” (#803)
2. Vance (#978)
3. Vicente (#682)
4. Vincenzo (#683)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With W

1. Wade (#346)
2. Wallace (#966)
3. Warren (#335)
4. Watson (#730)
5. Wells (#466)
6. Wesson (#923)
7. Westin (#648); alternative spellings include “Westyn” (#932)
8. Westley (#719)
9. Wilder (#373); variants include “Wylder” (#863)
10. Wilson (#689)
11. Winston (#420)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With X

1. Xander (#199)
2. Xun (#1,000+)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With Y

1. Yael (#993)
2. Yahir (#836)
3. Yahya (#938)
4. Yehuda (#773)
5. Yoshi (#1,000+)
6. Yusuf (#569); also spelled as “Yosef” (#666) and “Yousef” (#906)

 

Best Boy Names Starting With Z

1. Zahir (#850)
2. Zaid (#659); also spelled as “Zayd” (#731)
3. Zakai (#710)
4. Zane (#258); also spelled as “Zayne” (#416) and “Zain” (#556)
5. Zayn (#275)
6. Zeke (#610)
7. Zev (#956)
8. Zion (#144); variants can include “Zyon” (#871)
9. Zyaire (#371); also spelled as “Zaire” (#495) and “Zyair” (#733)

 

The Best Nonbinary & Gender-Neutral Names

1. Ali (#299)
2. Amari (#174)
3. Casey (#336)
4. Dakota (#349)
5. Drew (#523)
6. Eden (#411)
7. Eren (#952)
8. Hayden (#160)
9. Jaime (#594)
10. Kamryn (#980)
11. Kyrie (#227); also spelled as “Kyree” (#674)
12. Leland (#499)
13. Lux (#981)
14. Nova (#883)
15. Riley (#225)
16. Robin (#795)
17. Sam (#658)
18. Shiloh (#488) 
19. Taylor (#621)
20. Zen (#911)

 

Bonus: The Best Baby Girl Names

• Adeline
• Brielle 
• Charlotte
• Chloe
• Emma
• Hannah
• Isabella
• Rose
• Sarah
• Sofia
• Victoria

 

Considerations For Finding The Perfect Boy Names

1. Start The Search & Make A List: Popular & Trending Baby Name Lists

More baby name lists to increase your choices:

• Rare baby names for girls
• Biblical girl names
• Rare boy names
• Country boy names
• Classic boy names
• Goddess names for girls
• Girl dog names
• Androgynous names
• Mexican girl names
• Middle names for girls
• Exotic girl names
• Arabic boy names
• Names that mean fire
• Cool boy names
• Badass boy names
• Greek god and goddess names
• Greek god names
• Southern boy names
• Names that mean graceful
• Hippie girl names
• Witchy names
• African girl names
• Baby names for 2023

 

You can also find ideas from the top 15 baby name generators.

 

2. Create A Shortlist, Double-Check Your Top Picks, & Choose The Best

Write the names and meanings of those you like, then narrow down your list based on these considerations:

 

Gender-Neutral & Nonbinary Names

These names can be cool whether you simply want to keep your baby’s gender a secret or because you’re fascinated by their meanings and spellings.

 

First + Middle Names

Do you prefer one, two, or more names? Consider how many you prefer and how they sound together.

 

All About Last Names

Check how the names sound with your baby’s last name, plus the resulting initials. Try to avoid embarrassing or rude initials (such as the F word, “FAT,” etc.)

 

Preferred Name Style & Theme

Ask yourself what baby name themes you might want for your little one.

 

Popular Vs. Rare Boy Names

Many parents prefer popular names to be ‘safe,’ yet others also choose unique ones so their kids are less likely to have the same names as their friends and classmates.

 

Other Resources For Pregnant Moms

• Anemia during pregnancy
• Best fish oil supplements
• Best prenatal vitamins
• Birth affirmations
• Birth doula
• Birth plan template
• Choline during pregnancy
• Essential oils for labor and delivery
• Hospital bag checklist
• Hot yoga while pregnant
• Iodine during pregnancy
• Normal iron levels during pregnancy
• Postpartum doula
• Postpartum essentials
• Pregnancy guide
• Pregnancy spotting
• Stress during pregnancy
• Vitamin D and pregnancy

 

References

(1) https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/index.html

(2) https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/background.html

(3) https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/century.html

(4) https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/popularity_decrease.html

(5) https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/popularity_increase.html