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1900+ Four Letter Boy Names

  1. Luai
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "shield; protector"
    • Description:

      Lindsay Lohan and Bader Shammas chose the name Luai for their Dubai-born son — a perfect mini name with cross-cultural appeal.
  2. Dave
    • Origin:

      Short form of David, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      Dave is the ultimate good guy name, but where father name David is still holding onto a spot in the Top 20, Dave -- widely used as an independent name in the middle of the last century -- dropped off the Top 1000 a few decades ago and shows no signs of a comeback. Baby Davids today, often named for dad or grandpa, are more likely to be called David than Dave.
  3. Alva
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "his highness"
    • Description:

      Edison's middle name is a fabulous option for parents looking for something with history and a soft sound. This could be the name you're looking for if you like Tesla's scientific pedigree but think that it has become too corporate with the advent of Elon Musk's company.
  4. Izzy
    • Origin:

      Nickname
    • Description:

      Multipurpose pet name serving Isidore, Isaac, Israel, and -- increasingly -- Isabel.
  5. Arne
    • Origin:

      Dutch and Scandinavian variation of Arnold
    • Meaning:

      "ruler; strong as an eagle"
    • Description:

      Works better as a full name than Arnie does as a nickname.
  6. Desi
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Desiderio, Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "desired one"
    • Description:

      Forever Lucy's.
  7. Riot
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "violent civil disorder"
    • Description:

      Riot has all the sounds of a trendy name — the first syllable that of trendy choices like Ryder, Ryker, and Rylan, rhyming with Wyatt. But the strong negative connotations of the word, suggesting violence, turn many (but not all) parents away from Riot as a baby name. Ryatt, one step removed, is more common.
  8. Ashe
    • Origin:

      English surname; diminutive of Ashley, Ashton, etc
    • Description:

      Although usually spelled without the final 'e', this version commemorates tennis immortal Arthur Ashe. Seth Meyers' son Ashe was given his wife's maiden name.
  9. Halo
    • Origin:

      American word name
    • Description:

      Being a modern word, Halo didn’t become used as a name until around the nineteenth century. Halo is now mostly given to girls, and has become more common since the Halo video game series was released in 2001, in which Halo rings are huge structures used as weapons, but do have a religious connection. A space age virtue name and possible honour name for Gloria.
  10. Zevi
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "gazelle, roebuck"
    • Description:

      Zevi is an alternative transcription of the Hebrew name Zvi or Tzvi, the latter of which is a Top 100 pick in Israel. It's a cool, sharp-sounding name which would make for a great distinctive alternative to Levi.
  11. Crue
    • Origin:

      Variation of Crew, English word name
    • Meaning:

      "a band or force of armed men"
    • Description:

      Crew x True = Crue. This on-trend name — short and punchy with popular sounds —is rising for a reason. Crue entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, following in the footsteps of trendy Crew and Cruz. It continued to be a fast rising choice in 2023,when it was given to around 360 babies, making it roughly three times less popular than Crew, but also three times more popular than it was a decade ago.
  12. Rose
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "rose, a flower"
    • Description:

      Rihanna put Rose on the map for baby boys when she used it as the middle name for her son Riot. If James is a modern favorite middle name for girls, why not Rose for boys?
  13. Kato
    • Origin:

      African, Uganda
    • Meaning:

      "second of twins"
    • Description:

      Kato gained a lot of attention during the O. J. Simpson trial via witness Kato Kaelin (born Brian). It is also the name of a fictional character in "The Green Hornet." Spelled Cato, it has a lot more credibility as an ancient name.
  14. Karl
    • Origin:

      German and Scandinavian variation of Charles
    • Description:

      Manly almost to the point of macho.
  15. Xeno
    • Origin:

      Green
    • Meaning:

      "of Zeus"
    • Description:

      With an X at the start and an O at the end, Xeno is undeniably modern and cool. If you're looking for a derivation, it could come from either the Greek male name Xenon, meaning "foreigner"; of from Zeno, a latinized form of the Greek name Zenon, meaning "dedicated to Zeus".
  16. Khai
    • Origin:

      Arabic or Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "benevolence; sea"
    • Description:

      Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik notably chose this name for their daughter in 2020, as a variation of Gigi's grandmother's name, Khairiah. In 2021, the name caught on for boys — Khai was a new debut on the Top 1000 and one of the fastest-rising names that year.
  17. Jody
    • Origin:

      Variation or diminutive of Joseph
    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"
    • Description:

      Quintessentially sweet and innocent unisex name of the 1960s and 70s, now gone the way of hot pants and disco balls.
  18. Poet
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Poet is a new entry in both the trendy word and occupational categories as well as a member of the growing group of gender neutral names. A handful of baby boys received the name in the US last year. A perfect choice, especially in the middle, for the child of writers or those with a poetic bent. And Po is an adorable nickname for either gender.
  19. Adan
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Somalian, and Haitian variation of Adam, English variation of Aiden, Arabic variation of Eden
    • Meaning:

      "son of the red earth; little fiery one; place of pleasure, delight"
    • Description:

      Adan is one of those names that feels familiar because it is in fact a variation of several other names. Used in Hispanic cultures, it is a form of Adam, more conventionally spelled with an accent as Adán. In English, it can be seen as a spelling variant of the uber-popular Aidan, Aiden, Aden, etc., while in Arabic, it is a unisex choice, and alternative form of Eden.
  20. Pike
    • Origin:

      American animal name
    • Meaning:

      "pike, a fish"
    • Description:

      The field of nature names is constantly expanding to include all species of flowers and trees and animals and birds and even fish. In addition to its appeal for anglers, Pike recalls Zebulon Pike, the explorer who discovered and gave his name to Pike's Peak.