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. Holt
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of the unspoiled forests"
    • Description:

      Has that blunt masculine feel -- à la Cole and Kyle -- that many modern parents are drawn to.
  3. 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.
  4. Elif
    • Origin:

      Turkish and Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "first letter in the alphabet, slender"
    • Description:

      This is the Turkish form of Alif, the name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. Actor Natalie Portman gave another spelling to her son, Aleph. Elif can also mean "slender", from the Turkish phrase elif gibi, literally "shaped like Elif."
  5. 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.
  6. Vern
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Vernon, English
    • Meaning:

      "place of alders"
    • Description:

      Until recently, Vernon and its short form Vern seemed like grandpa names not ready for revival, but now we can see it happening. Never the popular, Vern works particularly well as a middle name.
  7. 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.
  8. Nemo
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "nobody"
    • Description:

      One of the best known early Nemos was the captain in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, while the more familiar modern one is the animated little orange fish in the Disney movie. Unusual name well worth considering. By the way, there is also a Shakespearean Nemo and one in Dickens's Bleak House. An enchanting early comic strip by Winsor McCay was called Little Nemo.
  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. Pine
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Worthy sibling for Oak, Elm, Juniper, and Spruce.
  11. 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.
  12. Naim
    • Origin:

      Scottish; Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "river with alder trees; happy"
    • Description:

      Naim, also sometimes spelled Naime, is a pleasant choice that may have some confusing pronunciation issues in English-speaking countries (where may will say this name as "name"). But don't let that deter you if you're in love with this moniker.
  13. Zain
    • Origin:

      Variation of Zayn, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "beauty, grace"
    • Description:

      Zayn and the more Western-friendly Zain sound exactly like the popular Zane but have a different root, in Arabic and African cultures. The name was made familiar to Europeans and Americans by British singer-songwriter Zayn, born Zain Malik. This is an easily-translated choice for a family that wants to bridge cultures, but you have to accept that people will be forever spelling the name "wrong".
  14. 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.
  15. Jens
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian variation of Johannes or John
    • Description:

      Short but substantial Nordic name that travels well -- although it runs the risk of being confused with all the feminine Jen names.
  16. 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".
  17. 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.
  18. Kale
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Whether you think of it as Cale with a K, or a pet form of Kalen or Kaleb, this is just the kind of short, synthetic name finding a lot of favor now, but remember -- it's also the name of a vegetable.
  19. Zeki
    • Origin:

      Turkish; Ethiopian, Amharic
    • Meaning:

      "clever, intelligent; pure"
    • Description:

      This mini name is more spunky than Zack or Zeke, but shares those well-loved sounds. In Ethiopia, Zeki means "pure", and is pronounced "zeh-KEE", with emphasis on the second syllable. With the rise of trending Zakai and similar names into the US charts, Zeki has potential.
  20. Kitt
    • Origin:

      Variation of Kit, diminutive of Christopher and Katherine
    • Description:

      The extra 'T' makes this nickname name a little more substantial.