One Syllable Names for Boys

Veronica Roth used the name Four for a character in her novel Divergent.

Commonly heard as a nickname for Alejandro, but a rare sight on the birth certificate. Ale has only made the US charts for boys twice, once in 2005 and again in 2018.

Hipsters might consider reviving this old German name, though we're not so sure their sons wouldn't have preferred the classic Fred name Frederick. Manfred B. Lee (born Manford) was half of the team of detective story writers who used the pseudonym Ellery Queen; Manfred Mann was a British pop group of the 1960's, with Manfred Mann (born Michael Liebowitz) at the keyboard. There's also a wooly mammoth named Manfred, and nicknamed Manny, in the film Ice Age.

A great choice for a native Swedish speaker, but not as user-friendly as some of the other international short forms of William — Pim (Dutch), Gwil (Welsh), and of course, Liam (Irish).

This recently coined respelling of Cole darkens its image.

A well-used name in China that has some potential for assimilation.

Johannes never caught on in the US, but popular European short form Hannes may be more accessible.

A grandfather name in Norway, where it was a Top 5 name through the 1940s and '50s.

The Wylde spelling puts an old-school, surnamey spin on hot modern word name Wild.

This cute-as-a-button name conjures playful lion and bear cubs rolling around in long grass. If cute baby names are what you're after, Cub should be on your list.

A unisex Chinese name with a range of meanings, depending on the characters used. As a Chinese male name, "mountain mist" is one of the main reasons. In Vietnamese, it means "orchid".
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In Slovenia, Lan is a short form of the Slavic name Milan, and currently one of the most popular baby boy names,

So simple, yet so unique: a prime candidate for export. Pronunciation is like the English pair or pear.

Eminently usable Nigerian name that works for both sexes.

A nickname for Malcolm that at one point ranked independently on the US Top 1000. It still exists as an affectionate pet form, but you’re unlikely to hear a Malcolm introduce himself as Mal.

This Frisian name is most famously borne by Eise Eisinga, an amateur astronomer who built a planetarium in his house. It still exists and is the oldest functioning planetarium in the world.

If you're looking for a Euro-chic alternative to Max, Mats is a strong possibility. It's a fading classic in Norway, but is popular in the Netherlands and Belgium, where short names are the height of style.

As you may surmise from its origins as a short form for Constantijn and Augustijn, Stijn rhymes with nine and fine, though most English-speakers wouldn't guess that. A popular name in the Netherlands that's obscure elsewhere, for reasons undoubtedly connected to its spelling and pronunciation issues.