930+ English Names for Boys

This scary word name was given to five baby boys in the US in 2013, entering the lexicon for the first time. Are the boys named Vice destined for a life of crime, or the creation of a media empire?

Upscale and upstanding.

In the currently popular solid, serious, two-syllable mold.

With the current taste for last names first, this sounds a lot cooler than Shawn; it also has creative connections to the great Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, novelist Irwin Shaw, and Big Band Era clarinetist/bandleader and one-time Ava Gardner husband Artie Shaw.

Yardley is an English surname with a distinguished vibe, a la Chauncey and Clancy. Extremely rare for either sex, it would make a stand-out choice that still fits in with current trends.

This British last-name-first-name could make a more masculine alternative to Shelby.

Sure, and we hope he has a good time playing with Buster and Buddy.

Rugged and straightforward brand-new name, though you might not like the idea of branding your son.

Highly unusual but stylish-sounding occupational name, with a pleasant association with gardens.

There are ordinary folk named Prince, Earl, and Duke, so why not this rank of nobility as well? Many spellings compete, the most common being Marquis, Marquise, and Marquez. Rapper 50 Cent chose the Marquise version for his son; David Caruso chose Marquez.

Sean and Robin Wright Penn chose this name for their son to honor their friend Dennis Hopper; others might associate it with the painter Edward. Couldn't be more spirited.

A famous seventh-century saint and church historian whose name has not survived as well as his works. Known as the Venerable Bede, this Benedictine monk is considered the first known writer of English prose, and highly influential via his The History of the English Church and People.

Stiff and formal surname. Try Roone instead.

Also related to the word for wolf, this name has a first syllable that's not appealing to the American ear. Better ic-ending choices: Dominic, Frederic, Eric.

Faulkner is an old occupational surname that was used for someone who kept and trained falcons when falconry was a popular sport in medieval Europe. Anyone using it in contemporary America would probably be honoring Southern novelist William Faulkner. While we love the author, Falconer would probably be a slightly easier name to carry on the playground.

Attached to one of the heroes of Christopher Paolini's megapopular fantasy novel Eragon, this name sounds strong yet sensitive.

St. JOhn is mainly (but rarely) used by Catholics in England -- there's one in Jane Eyre. This would probably be too cumbersome for most American kids.

One of the magical words of childhood (and beyond), and associated with actor Treat (born Richard) Williams, whose nickname came from ancestor Robert Treat Williams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Chadwick Boseman, the late charismatic star of Marvel's blockbuster Black Panther, brought this name to the spotlight for the first time. Though we long considered it an overwrought way to get to the nickname Chad, his celebrity gives it new luster, and we wouldn't be surprised to see it grow in popularity going forward.

Nice sound, but double meaning -- shady glen or shady character.