Five Letter Boy Names

Simple, attractive, and worldly, would fit in with the Kierans and Kylans in the preschool class.

Despite being one of the rare boy names that mean life, Chaim barely survived early Jewish immigration, being watered down to Hyman and Hymie. Today, the original seems like the most promising form of the name, familiar thanks to bestselling author Chaim Potok.

The original spelling Ayman is much more common around the world, and would likely be considered more fashionable in the US, with its Y.

A less political spelling of the English surname Atlee or Attlee, borne by midcentury British prime minister Clement Attlee.

This trendy-sounding name emerged from the era of Aiden and Jayden and Ryder and Ryker. Many parents may have come to it on their own, but Ryden has ancient roots as a Swedish surname, from the component ryd, meaning "woodland clearing," and the common surname suffix én, a derivative of the Latin enius.

Unusual but accessible multi-cultural choice.

Pelle is one of several possible Peter-related Scandinavian choices. In Swedish or Norwegian, the name Pelle rhymes roughly with Ella.

Has some highly unfortunate World War II associations.

Over 50 baby boys were named Alpha last year, along with eight baby girls. Expect a lifetime of "alpha male" jokes, which could prove daunting or confidence-building for your own little Alpha.

Some names referring to expensive things -- Tiffany, Armani, Porsche -- are in fact declasse, but Price transcends that label with its simplicity and strength.

While Eric - or Erik - may feel more 'classic' and familiar, Erick has ranked consistently in US Top 1000 since 1945. It rose up the charts during Eric's heyday in the 70s, but peaked in 2007 as Eric fell. The name has received less attention in recent years, but is nevertheless still given to 1100 boys.

Sudsy name that could be a new character on "Days of Our Lives."

Word name with an air of mystery.

This name of a town in Scotland, one of the earliest recorded surnames in the whole British Isles, has more vitality than Kelsey.

Rarely heard, and all too likely to be confused with Kevin.

Rakim is a masculine name with Arabic origins, derived from 'rahim' meaning 'merciful' or 'compassionate.' The name gained notable recognition in the United States during the late 1980s and 1990s, likely influenced by the popularity of the hip-hop artist Rakim (William Michael Griffin Jr.), half of the influential duo Eric B. & Rakim. The spelling with a 'k' rather than an 'h' represents a distinctive Americanized variant of the traditional Arabic name. While relatively uncommon as a given name, Rakim has maintained consistent usage since its introduction into American naming patterns. The name carries connotations of kindness and benevolence, reflecting its etymological roots in Islamic tradition where Al-Rahim is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Izael was one of the fastest-rising boys' names in the US in 2023, evidencing trends for the letter Z and the angelic-feeling -ael ending.

Ahsan is a superlative variation of Hasan, which means "beautiful." Hasan is an important name in Muslim culture, as it is the name of the Prophet Muhammed's martyred grandson.

It originated as a nickname for Lodewijk, but now Lowie is more popular as-is, even ranking in the Top 100 in Belgium.