Boy Names That End in -er

  1. Schuyler
    • Origin:

      Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "scholar"
    • Description:

      This worthy name, imported by the early Dutch colonists, has been all but overpowered by the phonetic spellings -- Skyler for boys and Skylar for girls. With the surnames-as-first-names trend, however, and the popularity of the Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton, which features the Schuyler sisters, perhaps Schuyler might receive some more interest in the coming years.
  2. Asger
    • Origin:

      Danish
    • Meaning:

      "spear of God"
    • Description:

      It looks unfamiliar at first, but we think this strong Danish name is worthy of further consideration. It has a great meaning and is unusual without being a mouthful or too challenging. To us it feels like an arty or creative name, perhaps because one famous bearer, Asger Jorn, was an avant-garde sculptor and painter.
  3. Jesper
    • Kessler
      • Origin:

        German surname
      • Meaning:

        "coppersmith"
      • Description:

        An interesting new surname option, derived from the German word for "kettle". Kes would make for a cool short form.
    • Ander
      • Origin:

        Basque form of Andrew and Andreas, Greek, "strong and manly"
      • Meaning:

        "strong and manly"
      • Description:

        This Basque form of the sturdy classic brings a fresh, cool edge to Andrew. It fits in with other -er ending names while also giving the name an international feel.
    • Topher
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Christopher
      • Description:

        The new kid on the block in terms of Christopher short forms, it was introduced into the mix by actor Topher Grace, who didn't like Chris.
    • Lazer
      • Origin:

        Yiddish variation of Eliezer or Lazarus
      • Meaning:

        "God helps"
      • Description:

        Lazer has some biblical cred as a form of Eliezer, Eleazar, or Lazarus, all relatives, and it's also a modern bad boy name a la Ranger and Breaker. Our recommendation would be to use one of the biblical forms as the proper name and Lazer as a nickname.
    • Riker
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "rich; powerful"
      • Description:

        Riker gets relatively little use as a variation of Ryker, likely because of the connection to Riker's Island, the New York City prison. It was named after NYC magistrate Richard Riker, whose ancestor Abraham Rycken first purchased the island.
    • Drummer
      • Origin:

        Occupational word name
      • Description:

        Drummer entered the baby name lexicon thanks to blogger No Big Dill, who chose it for her newborn son, who joins five older sisters. Drummer is right in step with other occupational names in vogue now, from Archer to Gardener. Let's just hope Drummer doesn't prefer to play the piano.
    • October
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "month name"
      • Description:

        What is so rare as a month named June? October – and November and December – are a lot rarer. Brisk and substantial, they're so much more memorable and modern than April or May. October got its name via being the eighth month in the old Roman calendar.
    • Coriander
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "bed bug"
      • Description:

        This herb is also known as cilantro. It's meaning, "bed bug" is on account of its smell, characterized by the ancient Greeks as bed bug-like.
    • Kepler
      • Origin:

        German surname
      • Meaning:

        "hooded cloak"
      • Description:

        Seventeenth-century German polymath Johannes Kepler discovered the laws of planetary notion, along with the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. A handful of parents use his last name for their sons every year -- with good reason. It's a solid-feeling but unique name with a great, aspirational namesake.
    • Umber
      • Origin:

        Color name
      • Description:

        Conjures up the rich brown colors of raw and burnt umber, but it may be too close to girls' Amber.
    • Wylder
      • Origin:

        Spelling variation of Wilder
      • Meaning:

        "wild, untamed, uncontrolled"
      • Description:

        Wilder not quite wild enough for you? Wylder offers a less wordy looking alternative that looks cool and on-trend, but also has a preppy, last-name vibe. Though this spelling is currently less popular than Wilder, it did enter the US Top 1000 in 2020 and is given to around 400 babies each year - about half the number that are given the Wilder spelling.
    • Pieter
      • Brewer
        • Origin:

          English, occupational surname
        • Description:

          Brewer is a surname turned first name that comes from the occupational name for someone who brews beer. Definitely a cool guy name.
      • Keller
        • Origin:

          German occupational name
        • Meaning:

          "cellar master"
        • Description:

          Keller is a German surname that originated as an occupational name for a cellar or store master, which seems to be the background of several of the most stylish new German names for boys. One of the stylish new two-syllable -er ending names for boys, Keller is rising up the ranks heading for the Top 1000. It may be an honorific for Helen Keller.
      • Macallister
        • Origin:

          Scottish
        • Meaning:

          "son of Alasdair"
        • Description:

          Macallister as a first name is attracting new attention as the name chosen by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and venture capitalist Zack Bogue for their young son. Macallister is usually heard as a patronymic surname, meaning son of Alasdair or Alistair or any one of the spellings of the Scottish form of Alexander. Like all other names of this type, Macallister leads to the cute short form Mac.
      • Berenger
        • Origin:

          German
        • Meaning:

          "warrior fighting with a spear"
        • Description:

          Last-name-first-name with a romantic but dangerous edge.
      • Esker
        • Origin:

          Nature name
        • Meaning:

          "sandy ridge"
        • Description:

          A geographical term for a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, caused by glaciation.