Names That Mean Son
- Mees
Origin:
Dutch diminutive of BartholomeusMeaning:
"son of Talmai"Description:
Popular Dutch name that reflects the short, clipped style in vogue in that country. Bart, another short form of Bartholomeus and Bartholomew, is also popular there.
- Mckenzie
Origin:
Spelling variation of Mackenzie, ScottishMeaning:
"son of Kenneth"Description:
Used quietly on boys in the US since the early 20th century, Mckenzie was abruptly overtaken by the Mackenzie spelling back in 1973 when actress Mackenzie Phillips introduced the name as a possibility for girls. While Mckenzie has never matched its sibling spelling in popularity, it nevertheless climbed the charts in its wake, peaking in 2000 at #133.
- Coleson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"Son of Nicholas"Description:
A mostly undiscovered alternative to the ultra-popular Colton; just 80 baby boys were named Coleson in 2016. It's also a surname name in its own right.
- Branson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of the raven"Description:
Branson is a fairly recent addition to the Top 1000, first breaking in at Number 988 in 1995. While it may not be a common sighting yet, it fits the trend of more popular cousins Mason, Grayson, Hudson, and Carson.
- Kazuo
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"first son or harmonious man"Description:
Kazuo is a boys' name well-used in Japan though not well-known in the U.S. Kazuo Ishiguro is the author of Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go. The emphasis is on the first syllable.
- Callister
Origin:
Variation of Irish surname MacCallisterMeaning:
"son of Alister"Description:
Can be used either with or without the addition of Mac.
- Atari
Origin:
Israeli surname; JapaneseMeaning:
"son of the chemist; I'm about to win"Description:
Atari the baby name is directly correlated with Atari the company. It joined the baby name charts in 1979 when the popular video game Space Invaders was released. It was given to small numbers of boys and girls for the next few years and reemerged in 2006 following Atari Bigby's NFL draft.
- Mack
Origin:
Scottish, IrishMeaning:
"son of"Description:
Mack, a no-nonsense nickname with roots in Mackenzie, is part of the growing trend of boyish names for girls. Its crisp, modern feel gives it standout appeal alongside similar picks like Max and Drew. Not often heard on girls, although Hillary Scott used it as the middle name for her daughter Betsy in 2018.
- Hughes
Origin:
English, Scottish, Irish surnameMeaning:
"mind, intellect; son of Aodh"Description:
Part of the next generation of preppy H-beginning surnames. Once Harrison, Hudson, and Holden are no longer fresh, expect to hear more little boys being called Hughes, Hutch, and Henderson on the playground.
- Maddox
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"son of Madoc"Description:
The possibility of the nickname Maddy (or the even spunkier Moxie) makes this have some potential as a modern, unisex name for a girl - if you can get past the strongly masculine meaning.
- Roe
Origin:
English, Scottish, Irish, Norwegian, or Korean surnameMeaning:
"roe deer; wise protector; son of Ruadh; red; clearing; ability"Description:
In the US, the multicultural surname Roe is primarily associated with the landmark Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade, which granted the federal right to abortion, though elsewhere it might be associated with fish eggs or a small breed of reddish deer.
- Hanson
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"son of Hans"Description:
More familiar and melodic to the American ear than either Hans or Hansen, and some might attach it to the three-brother pop-rock band called Hanson.
- Judson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Jordan"Description:
Judson remained in the US Top 1000 every year until it dropped off in 1987. In 2014, the named rejoined the list. With Hudson gaining in popularity, Judson—a possible alternative to Justin—could follow its path.
- Jensen
Origin:
Spelling variation of Jenson and Danish surnameMeaning:
"son of Jens"Description:
The number one surname in Denmark could make a sophisticated and stylish girl's name. Jensen Huang is the (male) cofounder of AI giant Nvidia.
- Morrison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Morris"Description:
Morrison is one of the more uncommon patronymics; it could be used to honor an ancestral Morris, or one of the well-known surnamed Morrisons: Toni, Jim or Van.
- Everson
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"son of Evert or Eve"Description:
An established surname that fits well with today's trend for the "Ever" sound – and a similar-yet-different alternative to Emerson. Historically, it denoted a descendent of Evert, a form of Everard, meaning "brave boar", or a descendent of Eve or its medieval English diminutive Evot, meaning "life".
- Osman
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"baby bustard"Description:
Its most famous bearer was Prince Osman the First, founder of the Ottoman Empire.
- Rawlings
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"son of Raul"Description:
Rawlings was a surname brought to England with the Norman invasion and has ties to the name Raul, which means "wolf counsel."
- Keegan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"son of Egan"Description:
Another two-syllable surname zooming up the ladder for boys, and poised to be grabbed by the girls.
- Flynn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of the red-haired one"Description:
A winning last-name-first Celtic choice, Flynn is still mostly used for boys, such as the son of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr. Though Flynn is definitely one of the Irish surname names, from Quinn to Flannery to Makenna, that makes one of the trendy boy names for girls".