One Syllable Names for Boys

This is an offshoot of Duane, which is an old Irish surname. It took off in the 1960s, when it conveyed a surfer boy image, and reached as high as Number 111 in 1961. The most prominent current bearer is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The basketball superstar spells his name DwYAne Wade.

A charming addition to the ever-growing crop of virtue names, currently rising for both sexes.

Actress Jaime King gave her son Leo the middle name Thames, for the famous London river where she and her husband Kyle Newman were married. Thames is pronounced tehms, not necessarily common knowledge in the US. The etymology of the word Thames is uncertain, and may mean dark but more likely stems from an ancient word for river.

An abbreviated, more modern-sounding version of Shakespearean and Ancient Greek name Laertes. If the "ae" is too confusing for you, Leart is another option.

Brother for Biff and Bud. McFly rocker Tom Fletcher transformed this from midcentury short form to modern cool name when he used it for his newborn son.

A cutesy nickname — identical sounding to the more substantial Rue and Roux.

A two-initial nickname occasionally used on birth certificates.

The ultimate dad name.

An appealing Hindi name borne by Mindy Kahling's architect father Avu Chokalingam. She bestowed it on her son Spencer as a middle name in 2020.

Soft and mellifluous nature-surname name, situated miles away from the dated Marshall.

Maoz is a symbolic name given to boys born at Hannukah because of the song "Maoz Tzur," "Rock of Ages," which is sung at that time.

An Asian name that would be easily understood in this country.

Clint with a glint; used for flinty characters in old TV westerns and soap operas.

This spelling of the rising unisex name Briar may strike some parents as more definitively masculine than its source.

Ugo is very common in Italy, but here it might call to mind that little Yugoslavian car.

This variation of Ahmad is one of the most popular Arabic names among Muslim families the world over and is now the most used spelling in the USA. It shares the same root as other popular Arabic names, including Muhammad and Hamid.

The name of the god of death and the underworld in Greek mythology is definitely a dark and daring choice. The Roman version Pluto is more associated with the used-to-be planet or Mickey Mouse's side-kick dog.

Slim may be too on-the-nose for the child of two beautiful models, but it's the name Nara Pellman and Lucky Blue Smith chose for their son, Slim Easy. Smith, who has daughters named Gravity Blue and Rumble Honey, is known for choosing outrageous word names. But Slim — when pronounced as "SLEEM" — can also be a short form of the Arabic name Slimane. This origin is shared with Pellman's middle name, Aziza.

If you find Grover too fusty and furry, this is a much cooler-sounding alternative.