1900+ Four Letter Boy Names

Gale for boys is more a storm name than a short form of Abigail. Since Gale has resurfaced as the name of Liam Hemsworth's daring character in The Hunger Games, it has new force for boys.

It was only a matter of time before the Koa-Noah mashup came around. Koah is rising quickly and could be a future member of the Top 1000.

Designer (as in Marc Jacobs) form of Mark. An international classic, but long falling in popularity as a boys' name.

As a male name, Cleo was well used during the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries, deriving from the Greek name Cleon or the Biblical Cleopas.

Subtle but clear unisex way to signal peace, especially in middle place.

If you think there are too many Zachs around, you can use this historic nickname for Zachariah instead, though it does have a somewhat feminine feel.

Frey is the handsome Norse fertility god, a worthy namesake. Frey remains rare in the US even as the similar Freya picks up in popularity.

In Greek mythology, Eris was the goddess of strife and discord. It's also a planetary name — that of the second-largest dwarf planet in the Solar System.

Elmo, like fellow Sesame Street characters Kermit and Grover, has a hard time being taken seriously. (It isn't easy being red either.)

Though this simple, appealing name works for both genders in Japan, it's best known as the name of the princess who chose to leave the Royal Family in order to marry a commoner. As a boys' name, it can be a short form of Makato. Mako also means "shark" in Maori, and is the name of two shark species.

Dune is a name of several layers. It's a modern nature name, like Ocean, Bay and Reef, although rarer, conjuring up images of breezy sand dunes on summer beach days.

A name that defines itself, a bit more curt in the harder K version.

Really offbeat, upbeat multi-cultural name with light sound and meaning. Valo might make a more unique spin on Milo.

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.

Zuma was entered in the American name lexicon when musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale chose it for their son. Californians will recognize Zuma as the name of a beautiful beach in Malibu, and it's also the surname of a South African president. With the lovely meaning of peace and its place-name associations, Zuma is one of those American names that literally sprang from the earth.

Common Russian name familiarized here via cosmonaut Yury Gagarin and a character in Dr. Zhivago, but we don't see it ever gaining permanent resident status.

In France, Maël has been a runaway success of the 21st century. This is the French spelling of the Breton name Mael, from a British Celtic word for a prince or chieftain also found in Welsh names.

Kiro is a rare bird: one of the unique baby names with the stylish o ending. A Macedonian name with the same root as the English name Cyril; we think it is by far the spunkier option. Reminiscent of more popular names like Arlo and Remy, Kiro is a name which wins on three fronts: it has a great meaning, is easy to pronounce, and yet guaranteed to be unique (only 21 baby boys were named Kiro in the US last year).

Animal names are on the rise, especially more of the aggressive Hawk-Fox-Wolf variety than cute little Bunnys or Robins, and Hawk is a prime example.

Hawk is more commonly heard as a surname, represented by uber-skateboarder Tony Hawk, a pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding. Variations include Hawke, as in actor Ethan, Hawks, as in Golden Age movie director Howard, Hawking, as in scientist Stephen, and Hawkins, as in musicians Coleman, Screamin' Jay and Sophie B, and was recently given to his baby boy by quarterback Tony Romo. There have been characters named or nicknamed Hawk in The Revenant, The Path and Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. Hawk ranks at Number 699 on Nameberry.

Like Lars, Sven, Niels, and Nels, an unjustly neglected straightforward Scandinavian name. Surname Nilsson or the anglicized Nelson derives from Nils.