Baby Boy Names: 140+ Popular, Unique and Rare Picks With Meanings

The most popular baby boy names in the U.S. are Liam, Noah, Oliver, Theodore, Henry, James, Elijah, Mateo, William and Lucas, according to Social Security Administration data for babies born in 2025.

Choosing from thousands of baby boy names can feel like the first big decision of parenthood. This guide narrows it down to more than 140 boys names sorted the way parents actually search: popular, classic, modern, vintage, unique, rare, cool, short, strong, cute and nature-inspired, plus samplers by origin and by first letter.

Every origin and meaning below was checked against the etymology reference Behind the Name in October 2026. Where a meaning is debated or simply unknown, we say so instead of guessing. Popularity notes come from the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the only ranks we quote are its official top 10.

Top 10 Baby Boy Names in the U.S.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) builds its list from Social Security card applications filed for U.S. births. Here is the current top 10, with where each name comes from.

Rank	Name	Origin	Meaning
1	Liam	Irish	Short form of William: “will, desire” + “helmet, protection”
2	Noah	Hebrew	“Rest, repose”
3	Oliver	Old French	Possibly from Latin oliva, “olive tree”; may also trace to an older Germanic or Norse name
4	Theodore	Greek	“Gift of god”
5	Henry	Germanic	“Home ruler”
6	James	Hebrew, via Latin	English form of the same name as Jacob, traditionally “holder of the heel” or “supplanter”
7	Elijah	Hebrew	“My God is Yahweh”
8	Mateo	Spanish, from Hebrew	Spanish form of Matthew: “gift of Yahweh”
9	William	Germanic	“Will, desire” + “helmet, protection”
10	Lucas	Latin, from Greek	Probably “from Lucania,” a region of southern Italy

The SSA does not combine spellings, so every variant of a name gets its own rank, and names with fewer than 5 occurrences are left out for privacy. The SSA also notes that its top 1,000 names represent about 72 percent of names for 2025 births, so plenty of boys get a name from outside the charts.

Classic Boy Names That Never Go Out of Style

Classic boy names have been in steady use for centuries and suit a baby as well as a grown man. James, William and Henry from the top 10 belong here too.

Name	Origin	Meaning
Alexander	Greek	“Defending men”
Benjamin	Hebrew	“Son of the south” or “son of the right hand”
Charles	Germanic	From a word meaning “man”
Daniel	Hebrew	“God is my judge”
David	Hebrew	“Beloved”
Edward	Old English	“Rich guard”
George	Greek	“Farmer, earthworker”
John	Hebrew	“Yahweh is gracious”
Joseph	Hebrew	“He will add”
Michael	Hebrew	“Who is like God?”
Samuel	Hebrew	“Name of God”
Thomas	Aramaic	“Twin”

Modern and Trendy Boys Names

These boys names feel fresh on today’s birth announcements. Many are old names (several are biblical) that parents have rediscovered, while others started as surnames or everyday English words.

Name	Origin	Meaning
Ezra	Hebrew	“Help”
Asher	Hebrew	“Happy, blessed”
Leo	Latin	“Lion”
Levi	Hebrew	Possibly “joined, attached”
Luca	Italian	Italian form of Lucas: probably “from Lucania”
Milo	Old German	Old German form of Miles; meaning uncertain
Silas	Biblical, from Latin	Probably a short form of Silvanus: “of the woods”
Jude	Hebrew, via Greek	Variant of Judas, a form of Judah: probably “praise”
Atlas	Greek	Possibly “enduring”; the Titan who held up the heavens
Maverick	English	From the word maverick, “independent”
Enzo	Italian	Meaning uncertain; sometimes an old Italian form of Heinz
Arlo	English	Meaning uncertain; perhaps from an Irish place name
Bodhi	Sanskrit	From the Buddhist term for enlightenment
Sebastian	Latin	“From Sebaste,” a city whose name comes from the Greek for “venerable”

Announcing soon? Our pregnancy announcement ideas and gender reveal ideas can help you share the news before you share the name.

Vintage Boy Names Making a Comeback

Names your great-grandfather might have answered to sound charming again. These vintage boy names are familiar without being everywhere.

Name	Origin	Meaning
Arthur	Celtic (debated)	Meaning unknown; possibly “bear” + “man” or “king”
August	Latin	Form of Augustus: “exalted, venerable”
Felix	Latin	“Lucky, successful”
Hugo	Germanic	“Mind, thought, spirit”
Otto	Germanic	“Wealth, fortune”
Oscar	Irish	Possibly “deer friend”
Walter	Germanic	“Power of the army”
Harvey	Breton	“Iron” or “battle” + “eager, keen, fiery”
Louis	French, from Germanic	French form of Ludwig: “famous in battle”
Jasper	Persian, via Latin	Perhaps “treasurer”
Everett	English	Surname from Everard, a form of Eberhard: “brave boar”
Alfred	Old English	“Elf counsel”

Love this style? Check your family tree for ideas, and help the relatives pick what they want to be called with our names for grandparents guide.

Unique and Rare Boy Names

Want a name he will not share with three classmates? Start with unique boy names that are recognizable but uncommon, then look at the rare boy names further down.

• Caspian: literary; used by C. S. Lewis for a character in the Chronicles of Narnia.
• Orion: Greek mythology; meaning uncertain, possibly related to a Greek word for “boundary, limit.”
• Soren: Danish (English form of Søren); from the Roman name Severinus, from Severus, “stern.”
• Leif: Old Norse; “descendant, heir.”
• Lucius: Latin; from lux, “light.”
• Ambrose: Greek, via Latin; “immortal.”
• Evander: Greek; “good of man.”

Very rare unique boy names. These are seldom heard in U.S. classrooms, yet each has a documented origin.

• Leander: Greek; “lion” + “man.”
• Alaric: Gothic; “ruler of all.”
• Thaddeus: Aramaic, via Greek; possibly “heart.”
• Ignatius: Latin; from an Etruscan family name of unknown meaning, later reshaped to resemble Latin ignis, “fire.”
• Stellan: Swedish; meaning unknown, perhaps related to an Old Norse word for “calm.”
• Zephyr: Greek; “west wind.”
• Aurelius: Latin; “golden, gilded.”
• Peregrine: Latin; “traveler.”

Cool, Short and Strong Boy Names

Cool boy names tend to be brisk, confident and a little unexpected. Many started as surnames or English words.

• Jett: English; from the word jet, either the aircraft or the intense black color.
• Knox: Scottish; a surname from Gaelic cnoc, “round hill.”
• Nash: English; a surname from a Middle English phrase meaning “at the ash tree.”
• Axel: Scandinavian; medieval Danish form of Absalom, “father is peace.”
• Dante: Italian; medieval short form of Durante, “enduring.”
• Griffin: Welsh; Latinized form of Gruffudd, and also the mythical lion and eagle creature.
• Ryder: English; an occupational surname meaning “mounted warrior” or “messenger.”

Short boy names pair well with long last names and are hard to shorten further.

• Max: short form of Maximilian (from Latin maximus, “greatest”), Maxim or Maxwell.
• Cole: English; a surname from a medieval short form of Nicholas or the Old English byname Cola, “charcoal.”
• Finn: Irish; “white, blessed.”
• Rhys: Welsh; probably “ardor, enthusiasm.”
• Eli: Hebrew; “ascension.”
• Ian: Scottish; form of John, “Yahweh is gracious.”
• Seth: Hebrew; “placed, set.”

Strong boy names carry meanings tied to courage, strength or steadiness.

Name	Origin	Meaning
Ethan	Hebrew	“Solid, enduring, firm”
Gabriel	Hebrew	“God is my strong man”
Wyatt	English	Surname from Old English Wigheard: “battle” + “brave, hardy”
Hector	Greek	“Holding fast”
Magnus	Latin	“Great”
Richard	Germanic	“Brave ruler”
Leonard	Germanic	“Brave lion”
Ezekiel	Hebrew	“God will strengthen”
Andrew	Greek	“Manly, masculine”

Cute Boy Names and Nature Names

Cute boy names often began as nicknames, and most have a formal version for the birth certificate if you want options later.

• Teddy: English; diminutive of Edward or Theodore.
• Archie: Scottish and English; diminutive of Archibald, “genuine” + “bold.”
• Alfie: English; diminutive of Alfred, “elf counsel.”
• Sonny: English; from the nickname for a young boy, based on the word son.
• Theo: short form of Theodore, “gift of god,” and similar names.
• Louie: English; diminutive of Louis, “famous in battle.”

Nature names for boys draw on animals, water, trees and landscapes.

• Forrest: English; a surname meaning “forest.”
• Brooks: English; a surname variant of Brook, for someone who lived near a brook.
• Douglas: Scottish; “dark river.”
• Dylan: Welsh; from words meaning “to, toward” and “tide, flow.”
• Jonah: Hebrew; “dove.”
• Ronan: Irish; “little seal.”
• Koa: Hawaiian; “warrior, koa tree.”

Baby Boy Names by Origin

Honoring your heritage, or simply love the sound of a language? This sampler groups baby boy names by where they come from.

Origin	Names and meanings
Hebrew	Isaac: “he will laugh, he will rejoice” Gideon: “feller, hewer”
Greek	Nicholas: “victory of the people” Christopher: “bearing Christ”
Irish	Declan: meaning unknown; likely begins with an Old Irish element for “good” Cillian: probably “church” with a diminutive ending
Scottish	Callum: form of the Latin name Columba, “dove” Lachlan: from a name for “Viking, Scandinavian,” literally “land of the lakes”
Welsh	Owen: from Owain, possibly from the Latin name Eugenius, “well born” Emrys: Welsh form of Ambrose, “immortal”
Arabic	Omar: “flourishing, living long” Zayn: “beauty, grace” Amir: “commander, prince” Malik: “king”
Spanish	Santiago: “Saint James” Javier: from a Basque place name, “the new house” Rafael: form of Raphael, “God heals”
Sanskrit	Arjun: “white, clear” Rohan: “ascension”
Akan (Ghana)	Kwame: “born on Saturday” Kofi: “born on Friday”
Japanese	Haruto: depends on the kanji; for example “light, sun” or “clear weather” with “soar, fly”

A note on Japanese names such as Haruto: the meaning depends on the kanji characters chosen to write the name, so one name can carry several meanings.

Boy Names From A to Z

Have a letter in mind? Here is one solid pick for every letter.

Letter	Name	Origin	Meaning
A	Adrian	Latin	“From Hadria”
B	Bennett	English	Medieval form of Benedict: “blessed”
C	Connor	Irish	From Conchobar: “hound, wolf” + “desiring”
D	Dominic	Latin	“Of the Lord”
E	Elias	Greek, from Hebrew	Form of Elijah: “my God is Yahweh”
F	Frederick	Germanic	“Peaceful ruler”
G	Graham	Scottish	Surname from the English place name Grantham, probably “gravelly homestead”
H	Harrison	English	Surname meaning “son of Harry”
I	Isaiah	Hebrew	“Yahweh is salvation”
J	Jack	English	From a medieval diminutive of John
K	Kieran	Irish	From Ciarán, based on ciar, “black”
L	Lincoln	English	Surname from the city of Lincoln: “lake” + “colony”
M	Malachi	Hebrew	“My messenger” or “my angel”
N	Nathaniel	Hebrew	“God has given”
O	Orson	Norman French	From a nickname based on ors, “bear”
P	Patrick	Latin	“Nobleman”
Q	Quentin	French, from Latin	From Quintus: “fifth”
R	Reuben	Hebrew	“Behold, a son”
S	Simon	Hebrew, via Greek	“Hearing, listening”
T	Timothy	Greek	“Honoring God”
U	Uriah	Hebrew	“Yahweh is my light”
V	Vincent	Latin	From vinco, “to conquer”
W	Wesley	English	Surname from a place name: “west meadow”
X	Xavier	Basque	From a place name meaning “the new house”
Y	Yusuf	Arabic	Arabic form of Joseph: “he will add”
Z	Zachary	Hebrew	English form of Zacharias (Zechariah): “Yahweh remembers”

How to Choose a Baby Boy Name

These checks help most parents get from twenty favorites to one.

• Say it out loud: call the full name across the house, with your last name, and listen for rhymes or awkward run-ons.
• Check the initials: write out the first, middle and last initials to make sure they do not spell something he will be teased about.
• Think about nicknames: Theodore may become Theo or Teddy whether you plan it or not.
• Consider siblings: say the names together. Very similar sounds, such as Eli and Elias, can get confusing.
• Decide on spelling: a familiar spelling saves a lifetime of corrections.
• Weigh family and cultural meaning: a grandparent’s name, a name from your heritage language or a meaning that matters to your family can outweigh any trend.
• Check the trend: the SSA baby names site shows how any name’s popularity has changed over time.

Still torn between a boy list and a girl list? Browse our baby girl names, or see gender neutral names for options like Rowan, River, Parker, Quinn, Sage and Emerson that work for any child.

Middle Names, Paperwork and What Comes Next

Middle name pairing tips. Balance the rhythm: a short first name often sounds best with a longer middle (Jude Alexander, Max Nathaniel), and a long first name with a short one (Sebastian Cole, Theodore Finn). The middle spot is also a good home for a family name or a bolder pick.

The paperwork. In the U.S., you give your baby’s name when you provide the information for his birth certificate, usually in the hospital. The SSA says the easiest way to get a newborn’s Social Security number is to request it at that same moment. A number is voluntary and free, but you need one to claim your child as a dependent on your tax return. Birth certificates come from your state or territory’s vital records office, so ask that office what can appear on one (hyphens, accents, spacing).

Next come the fun parts: planning nursery themes, building your baby registry checklist and deciding what to write in a baby book. For the announcement card, see our baby boy quotes, and for the first weeks at home, our newborn sleep schedule week by week.

Related Betteroo Guides

• Baby girl names
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• Gender reveal ideas
• Pregnancy announcement ideas
• Nursery themes
• Baby boy quotes

The Bottom Line

The best baby boy names are the ones that feel right when you say them to your son. Whether you land on a classic like James or a rare pick like Peregrine, a name with a meaning you love and a sound you enjoy saying will serve him well. Shortlist three to five, live with them for a week, and trust your instincts.

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