15,000+ Two-Syllable Boy Names

An alternative spelling of Tristan, and also the modern Welsh form of the legendary hero's name.

A cool, zippy 'Z' in the middle, a member of the two-syllable--ending-in--n gang that are so consistently popular, and with an unusual initial - it is no wonder Yazan was one of the fastest climbing names in 2023.

A bit stiff and formal for American use.

Garner is an unncommon word and surname with some prospect of garnering popularity, especially now that Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have given it to son Samuel as his middle name, and Jessica Alba and Cash Warren have used it as the middle name of second daughter Haven. Garner is also Cash Warren's middle name. Gardner or Gardener is another, similar though unrelated possibility.

Aiden, and all of its spellings, comes from the Irish name Aodhán, which itself is related to the old Celtic god of the sun and fire.

Junius is one of those names that's growing on us, along with many of its Roman countrymen such as Julius and Atticus. We once thought it was a combination of the least attractive elements of Junior and Julius but now we think...well, we think it's okay. Not great, but okay.

As a given name, Kemper is a rare gender-neutral choice, given to fewer than 50 American babies at last count. It's much more familiar as a surname, as in that of Ellie Kemper, an actor from The Office and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Yasiel is gaining a following thanks to superstar baseball player Yasiel Puig, a Cuban native who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Biblical Yasiel, which can also be spelled Jasiel, was a warrior in David's army. About 100 baby boys were given the name in both spellings in the U.S. last year, a number that is expected to rise.

The name of the second-biggest (and third-most populous) island in Hawaii was one of the fastest-rising boys' names of 2017. A major factor was surely Dwayne Johnson's character in Moana, the Polynesian demigod named Maui, a mythological trickster who slowed the sun to create the days. (It fell back to normal levels in the following years.)

Names ending in -iel or -ael are very much in for boys, with Azrael, Aziel, Gabriel, Rafael, and Jasiel in the US charts. Adael is another to add into the mix. An option for those who like Adam but want something with more of a twist, Adael is derived from Adiel or Adaiah, meaning "ornament or adornment of God".

Given to just 21 boys in 2022, Adael had a huge leap in popularity in 2023 when it was given to 151 boys.

Heard in both Italy and Spain, Tulio could make a more unusual alternative to Julio. Or with the rediscovery of many Roman names, you might want to go to the original Tullius, the middle name of the philosopher and statesman Cicero.

Diago is sure to be confused with the more common Diego, the Spanish form of James.

Haris is in the top 50 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and makes a good choice for the globetrotting child. It would make for an excellent and not overused Arabic-English crossover choice.

The iconic Gone With the Wind star Clark's surname was brought into the first-name mix when Weeds' Kevin Nealon picked it for his son. Gable makes a strong and unusual possibility, a rhyming cousin to Abel and Mabel.

This Mediterranean island name would be a plausible choice for parents with a Greek or Turkish heritage.

Unlikely to catch on in the Anglophone world, where parent name Ludwig still conjures up images of Beethoven. But Ludvig actually ranks among the top boy names in Norway and Sweden, while German form Ludwig ranks among the Top 100 boy names in Germany and Ludovico is cool in Italty.

Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability, currently given to a small handful of boys in the US each year.