One Syllable Names for Boys

The extremely unusual, hard-to-pronounce first name of Donald Trump's first Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus, is apparently intended as a catchy nickname to the uber-Teutonic Reinhold. Just say nein.

This early Scottish title -- known to us via Shakespeare's Macbeth -- has recently surfaced as a baby name possibility, familiar sounding through its similarity to names like Zane and Wayne.

Franz is the German equivalent to Francis, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a Franz outside of countries with Germanic origins. In America the name is often associated with celebrated author Franz Kafka, who was born in Prague.

A little bit of Crew, a little bit of True, plus a K initial equals a recipe for one of the fastest-rising boy names of the year.

The girls have Apple, Plum, Peaches, Cherry, and Berry: here's one variety of fruit suitable for a boy.

Variant of Rewan. This spelling of the medieval saint's name is found in the place name Ruan Lanihorne in Cornwall. The name is of uncertain etymology but most likely comes from "Roman".

Shyam is one of the alternate names of Hindu God Krishna.

Brisk, preppy York is an underused classic with the potential to really shine in the 21st century. It's most familiar as a place name — York is a city in England — and surname. New York City and State were named after the Duke of York.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian added this new word name to the lexicon when they chose it for their second son and fourth child. Psalm and Saint certainly make a perfect sibset. A psalm is a hymn or sacred song. The bible contains a Book of Psalms.

Brice, much more often spelled Bryce, is an old saint's name that now has a sleek and sophisticated image—it feels elegant and efficient. Of the two spellings, Bryce is much more popular for both sexes.

As flinty and steely as Mr. Eastwood.

In the nineties there was a "One Life to Live" soap opera character named Suede, but few fans picked up on it; might be more appealing to today's generation of parents.

Many parents seeking a return to more basic values and a simpler lifestyle are turning to such virtuous girls' names as Grace, Faith, and Hope, but there are a handful that work just as well on boys, including True.

In many minds this one belongs to Barbie, but with such positive meanings and international connections, can Ken make the transition to usability again?

The nature boy version of the Scandinavian Leif, which actually means "heir". In the creative-naming Phoenix family, Leaf is the former name of the actor we know as Joaquin.

Cliff is a familiar, timeless short form -- never too popular, yet widely known -- that you might also think of as a geographical name ala Vale or Field.

Short, simple, gentle, undeniably Welsh but easy to spell and pronounce – there's a lot to like about this underused gem. In the States it's been almost exclusively female, perhaps due to the greater familiarity of Gwen, but it definitely feels like a candidate to reclaim for the boys.

Ymir comes from Norse mythology, he is a giant and forebear of all the Norse gods and goddesses. A moon of Saturn is named Ymir.

Naim, also sometimes spelled Naime, is a pleasant choice that may have some confusing pronunciation issues in English-speaking countries (where may will say this name as "name"). But don't let that deter you if you're in love with this moniker.

The African name Ayan was first seen on the US Top 1000 for boys in 2014. It's both simple and distinctive, a winning combination.